Attached Link: http://www.ctie.monash.edu.au/hargrave/pearse1.html

> Quote - Another thought on the Wright Brothers - they weren't credited as "inventing the airplane" - they were credited with "the first successful flight". MANY poeple tried making successful airplanes/flying machines throughout history, but the Wright Brothers supposedly made the first repeatable (apparently the detriment of Bell's flight?) successful flight. > > quote] they were credited with the first flight of a self propelled plane the modern airplane. if it were just the first flight the chine would have beat them hands down, they were flying kites thousands of years ago, montgolfier was in ballons and flying, so were many others. > > that said so was bell (credited) by the smithsonian no less. when the wrights heard of it they withdrew thier plane from the smithsonian and wouldn't give it back till they changed their minds. of course it was only fitting the smithsonion had the flyer on show and not london so they changed their minds and the flyer along with the credit of the first flight returned. .......and even better yet a guy called pearce was credited with the first powered flight 9 mths before the wrights in new zealand. it wasn't on film, though he was given due credit and it was witnessed by many in march 1902. it took off under it's own power had a proper landing gear and an engine he built himself. for those who are interested or think the wrights the fathers of aviation heres an url. > > still i guess the wrights did invent the first engine driven plane cos some historians do lie don't they ...someones lying lmao. > > billy