Aircraft Pitch

Glenn Research Center

One of the major breakthroughs of the Wright brothers was the ability to control and maneuver their aircraft. The first aircraft to achieve complete control in all three directions was the 1902 aircraft which is shown in this animation. The animation demonstrates the pitch motion of the aircraft. This is characterized by an up and down movement of the aircraft nose. The Wright brothers achieved pitch control by an elevator placed at the front of the aircraft. The angle of attack of the elevator could be changed by the pilot in flight.

You can view a short movie of "Orville and Wilbur Wright" explaining how the elevator was used to control the pitch of their aircraft. The movie file can be saved to your computer and viewed as a Podcast on your podcast player.

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Re-Living the Wright Way

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