莱特兄弟中的哥哥是威尔伯·莱特(Wilbur Wright,图1左),弟弟是奥维尔·莱特(Orville Wright,图1右)。兄弟两个都没有受过正规的教育,自己开了一家自行车店,制造、修理自行车,积累了丰富的机械工艺技能。1899年开始,莱特兄弟开始对飞行产生了浓厚的兴趣,,并向其他的飞行家学习飞行理论和飞行经验。1900年他们制造了一架翼展5米的滑翔机,曾在一个山丘上进行了上千次的滑翔飞行试验,掌握了大量的飞行经验(图2)。 The brothers in the Wright brothers are Wilbur Wright (left in Figure 1) and the younger brother is Orville Wright (right in Figure 1). Both brothers, who had no formal education, opened a bicycle shop, made and repaired bicycles, and accumulated a wealth of mechanical skills. Beginning in 1899, the Wright brothers began to have a strong interest in flying and learning flight theory and flying experience from other pilots. In 1900 they built a 5-meter-long glider that had tested thousands of gliding flights on a hill and had plenty of flying experience (Figure 2).