The Wright brothers used wing warping to control the roll of their early aircraft.
Wing warping twisted the outer portions of the wings in opposite directions. This changed the lift produced by each wing, causing one side to rise and the other to fall. The system allowed the brothers to bank and turn their gliders and powered aircraft.
The brothers connected the wing-warping mechanism to a hip cradle, allowing the pilot to shift body position and operate the controls while lying on the Flyer’s lower wing. They combined roll control with a movable rudder and elevator to manage the aircraft in three dimensions.
The Wrights’ approach was later replaced in most airplanes by ailerons, which move hinged surfaces on the wings rather than twisting the entire wing structure. Their central achievement was not merely producing lift but creating coordinated, controllable flight.