Wright Brothers Patent for the Flying Machine
This is the patent for the airplane, or as it was referred to in Wilbur and Orville Wright’s patent, the Flying Machine. One of America’s most important inventions, the Wright Flyer was a breakthrough in aviation that established the basis for aircraft control that is still used today on fixed-wing aircraft. The Wright brothers made their first successful flight of a heavier-than-air aircraft on December 17, 1903, near Kitty Hawk, NC. This first historic flight lasted 12 seconds.
Wilbur and Orville Wright were brothers from Dayton, OH, who had no education beyond high school. They were largely self-taught engineers who ran a bicycle shop, worked with various kinds of motors, and also ran a printing press. Harnessing the power of flight was a question people around the world had been trying to answer since before the 1850s. The Wright brothers became especially involved in the research and development of a flying machine towards the end of the 19th century.
The first Wright airplane developed out of progressively successful gliders between 1900 and 1902. In 1903, the brothers built the Wright flyer using spruce, ash wood, muslin, and a 12 horsepower engine. After the first flight of 12 seconds, three more test flights were conducted. The last flight was piloted by Wilbur, covering over 800 feet and lasting 59 seconds.
Drawing for the Flying Machine, page 1, May 22, 1906. National Archives Identifier: 2524937.
Photographs of the Wright flyer during flight, no date. National Archives Identifier: 2524937.
View and download the Wright Flyer patent in the National Archives Catalog. You can explore more records held in the National Archives at College Park through the National Archives Catalog or by visiting our research room in person. These records are located in Record Group 241: Records of the Patent and Trademark Office, Series: Selected Patent Files, 1840–2005.