Why the Wright Brothers Are Really the Inventors of the Airplane
The Case for Improvement Patents
Not all inventions are revolutionary. Most successful inventions are actually improvements on prior inventions. Take the case of the airplane. Humans have been designing flying machines since time immemorial.
During the Renaissance, Leonardo da Vinci designed various gliders and flying machines. He often based his designs on what he observed in nature. His most famous one looked like a winged bat and used a rotor-powered rod-and-pulley system to control it.
In the 19th century, inventor Otto Lilienthal also experimented with flight. He put his inventions to practice, making a series of successful glider flights. His designs relied on the shift of his body and weight to control the glider. This poor control mechanism was far from ideal, however, and led to his death following a crash.
By the early 20th century, the Wright brothers were working on their own prototypes. Lilienthal’s earlier work helped inform their own. They added a cable to control the wings and rudder, which stabilized their glider. Later, they added a gasoline-powered engine to create self-propelled flight. They filed for a patent on their prototype and were granted US Patent 821,393 on May 22, 1906.
The addition of a control system and an engine were key inventive steps in creating the modern airplane. Their “new and useful improvements” to existing glider technology distinguished them from their predecessors. This is why the Wright Brothers are considered the inventors of the modern airplane.
