Wilbur Wright

Engineering United States 1867 – 1912 99 quotes

American inventor who, with his brother Orville, achieved the first powered, controlled flight in 1903.

Quotes by Wilbur Wright

The machine is a wonderful thing, but it is not a plaything for adults.

Letter to Octave Chanute 1900

The problem of flight is one of the most important problems that has ever been presented to the human mind.

Speech 1900

We have been trying to solve the problem of human flight by the use of experiments.

Letter to Octave Chanute 1900

The machine is a success, but the propeller is a failure.

Letter to Octave Chanute 1900

The machine is a wonderful thing, but it is not a toy for the rich.

Letter to Octave Chanute 1900

The problem of flight is one of the most difficult problems that has ever been presented to the human race.

Speech 1900

We have been trying to solve the problem of human flight by the use of observation.

Letter to Octave Chanute 1900

The machine is a success, but the wings are a failure.

Letter to Octave Chanute 1900

The machine is a wonderful thing, but it is not a plaything for the poor.

Letter to Octave Chanute 1900

The problem of flight is one of the most interesting problems that has ever been presented to the human race.

Speech 1900

Success. Four flights Thursday morning. All against twenty-one mile wind. Started from Level with engine power alone. Average speed through air thirty one miles. Longest 59 seconds. Inform Press. Home Christmas.

Telegram 1903

If we worked on the assumption that what is accepted as true really is true, there would be little hope of advance.

Letter 1902

The desire to fly is an idea handed down to us by our ancestors who, in their grueling travels, looked enviously on the birds soaring freely through space, at full speed, above all dangers, every hindrance and free from every necessity.

Speech 1908

It is possible to fly without motors, but not without knowledge and skill.

Diary 1900

No bird soars in a calm.

Notebook 1901

The fact that the great scientist believed in flying machines was the one thing that encouraged us to begin our studies.

Letter to Octave Chanute 1899

We were in the attitude of mind which accepts a new idea simply because it seems desirable, without stopping to inquire whether it is possible or not.

Correspondence 1901

The greater the square of the speed, the greater the power required to overcome air resistance.

Technical notes 1902

In flying, the question is not whether the machine will support itself, but whether it can be controlled.

Diary 1903

Our enemies are those who would hinder progress by clinging to old methods.

Interview 1908