The airplane was invented by Orville and Wilbur?

Answer 1

some earlier aeronauts got a machine off the ground, to be sure. langley's 'aerodrome,' i am pretty sure, flew for a good distance not long before December, 1903 (an uncrewed machine that i believe was powered by compressed air.) but the wright brothers made the plane controllable with the wing warping method (based on their observation of birds' wings.) wing warping was the predecessor to the aileron;

for years after December 1903, the wright brothers kept a very low profile. in Europe, engineers were working on the airplane in isolation and without knowledge of wing warping. they definitely could get machines off the ground, but they were largely uncontrollable. when the wrights went to France and demonstrated their system in (i believe) 1908, everyone was blown away. then the airplane was really getting on its feet.

in the 'teens, they were engaged in a lengthy and expensive patent battle over the aileron with glen curtis. ultimately they pooled their patents to form the curtis-wright aeronautcal company.