The 1901 Glider
Image credit: Library of Congress

The 1901 Glider in a kite test
Image credit: Library of Congress

What happened in 1901?

In 1901, the Wright brothers had built and tested a glider whose flights were a source of great disappointment and frustration. They based their design on the lift tables of Otto Lilienthal, but the performance of the glider was far below what they had predicted.

In order to fly, the glider required a greater windspeed and a higher angle of attack than they had anticipated, and required a significant modification to the airfoil in order to get even marginally satisfactory results. Although the glider's performance impressed their colleague Octave Chanute, these unexpected results led them to question the accuracy of Lilienthal's data.

For a complete description and demonstration, visit In Depth: The 1901 Glider.