What did the Wright brothers do for the Industrial Revolution?

Answer 1

The Industrial Revolution took place in the 18th and 19th centuries whereby machines started to do the manual and repetitive work previously undertaken by people and more traditional methods like horses. This period is generally reckoned to have passed by about 1830 or 1840.

The Wright Brothers flight in 1903 therefore took place in the industrial age and didn't actually affect the Industrial Revolution as currently defined.

However, their acheivement was significant in its own right. The Wright Brothers were the first to demonstrate that manned, powered flight could be achieved. Previous attempts had been largely trial and error, using observations from birds, etc., without fully understanding how flight could be maintained and controlled.

Although only flying for 12 seconds and covering 120 feet, their aircraft 'Flyer' proved that manned flight was possible and that control surfaces could be used to navigate the aircraft in the air.

This started an incredibly rapid development of manned flight leading to the formation of organised military airborne forces within a decade and man landing on the moon within 70 years. Going from the Flyer to a moon landing within one lifespan is an incredible achievement, the roots of which were laid down in a North Carolina sand dune.