The Wright Flyer made the first controlled, powered, sustained flight in 1903.
Designed and built by Wilbur and Orville Wright, the aircraft made its first successful flight near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, on December 17, 1903. Orville piloted the first flight, which lasted 12 seconds and covered 120 feet. The brothers completed three additional flights that day, with Wilbur making the longest at 852 feet in 59 seconds.
The machine is also called the 1903 Flyer or Flyer I. It used a lightweight wooden frame, fabric-covered wings, a gasoline engine, and twin propellers. The Wright brothers' achievement depended on extensive experiments with wing shapes, control systems, and wind tunnels. The aircraft is sometimes confused with later Wright models, including the Flyer II, but the first powered flights were made by the original 1903 Wright Flyer.