The Wright Brothers and the Race to Be First – clip

Paul Glenshaw / Smithsonian, Air & Space

In the fall and winter of 1903, two highly gifted, motivated, innovative, and courageous engineering teams ran a neck-and-neck race to be the first to fly. One was a pair of brothers—Orville and Wilbur Wright–who were absolute peers. The other team was a mentor (Dr. Samuel Langley, secretary of the Smithsonian) and his brilliant assistant (Charles Matthews Manly). We know who won the race—but do we know why?