More Like the Weird Brothers: 5 Bizarre Facts About the Wright Brothers

Everyone who’s ever traveled by airplane knows they have the Wright Brothers to thank. But how much do you know about the Wright Brothers?

Most people would answer: “Not a lot.”

You could make a few educated guesses. They were brothers, for a start. And they invented airplanes, we got that.

These are good things to know, but they don’t cover why the Wright Brothers were so unique. Check out these Wright Brothers facts and learn how weird they were.

Wright Brothers Fact #1: They Got It from Their Mamma

You might think that these two young men got their mechanical genius from their father. But you’d be wrong.

In fact, it was their mother Susan who had the mechanical background. She worked in her father’s carriage shop growing up. Later on, she would make her own appliances and toys for her kids.

The Wright Brothers would consult their mother on their inventions growing up. They did this until she died of tuberculosis in 1889.

Wright Brothers Fact #2: They Invented the Wheel or the Oil-Retaining Wheel Hub

Before the Wright Brothers started their flying career, they had some false starts. They started a newspaper printing company in 1889, but it wasn’t all they’d hoped it would be.

Then in 1892, they opened up a bicycle repair shop. This was a little more promising.

The Wright Brothers created bikes with custom features like coaster breaks. They even invented the oil-retaining wheel hub, which made bicycling easier. It’s not an airplane, but it was still some cool new tech for the time.

Wright Brother Facts #3: Their First Fliers Were Actually Gliders

One of the most well known Wright Brother facts is that they invented the airplane. But long before they created the airplane, they were flying with gliders.

Gliding is a common enough sport today that we don’t balk at the idea. But back in the early 1900s, man-sized gliders were still rare.

Part of the reason for this is because gliders were incredibly dangerous. There still wasn’t a guaranteed way to steer, so the Wright Brothers had to make it up as they went.

Wright Brothers Fact #4: They Weren’t Afraid of Death

We’re so used to the idea of airplanes today that we don’t take time to think about how insane they are.

Once the brothers perfected glider flying, they thought they could do better. “I know,” they said. “Let’s take this idea of flying miles above the ground, where we could fall to our deaths, and add a combustible engine!”

Again, engines weren’t as reliable as they are today. It’s not like we had Turboprop engines to keep the plane going.

In fact, the Wright Brothers made an engine because they didn’t like existing ones. That’s right, the Wright Brothers DIY’d their own airplane engine.

Wright Brothers Fact #5: They Only Flew Together Once

Once they did finally get their plane off the ground, the Wright Brothers only flew together once. They took a six-minute flight with Orville at the helm and Wilbur as his passenger.

The same day Orville took their 82-year-old dad on another flight. Flying was officially a Wright family affair, and they kept it that way.

Neither brother ever got married. They must not have known any women adventurous enough to fly with them.

Looking for More Weird Facts?

If you loved these Wright Brothers facts, then check out our weird news page. We have all kinds of bizarre stories to keep you informed.

Stay weird guys!

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