Inspired by the gift of an aeronautical pioneer Alphonse Penaud- designed helicopter given to them by their father, Orville and Wilbur Wright developed a fascination with manned flight that would culminate with the first manned flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, on December 17, 1903. The Wright Brothers owned a machine shop that made printing presses, motors, bicycles, and other machinery and the knowledge gained from working on machines informed their aeronautical pursuits. After practicing on gliders, the Wright Brothers were inspired by the balance required to ride bicycles and had their machinist Charlie Taylor, create the engine that would be used in the Wright Flyer, the first heavier-than-air, controlled aircraft. The Wright Flyer, or Flyer I, made the first controlled flight on December 17, 1903, at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.  The Flyer flew four times that day and was the first aircraft to achieve controlled, sustained flight with a pilot onboard. The Wright Brothers were the first to invent the aircraft controls that made sustained flight a reality. Presented here is a piece of fabric from the wing of Flyer 1 from the Otto Kallir Collection. The ¼ x ¼ -inch piece of beige fabric was taken from the wing of the Flyer 1, the first airplane to achieve controlled, sustained flight. The piece of fabric comes encapsulated and authenticated by Collectibles Authentication Guaranty (2096572-008).

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