Wright Brothers Trivia Challenge

How to Participate
To receive your score and the answer page in your e-mail, enter a name and your e-mail address below. 

By entering your e-mail address, you are eligible to win a First Flight Centennial t-shirt (awarded monthly to a random winner drawn from those who have answered the questions correctly).

Congratulations to our three April winners: Douglas Morrow of Ashburn, VA; Jan Ferguson of Dayton, Ohio; and John Hale of Shoreham, NY.

You may participate anonymously -- you will see your score, but no e-mail and no chance to win the monthly prize.

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Challenge 4, May 2001

Wilbur and Orville Wright

1. How old were the Wright brothers when they made their first flight in 1903?

a. early 20's

b. late 20's

c. early to mid 30's

d. early 40's

2. Why did the Wright brothers conduct their flying machine experiments at Kitty Hawk in 1900 during the fall and winter months?

a. their business interests kept them occupied during the spring and summer

b. it was fishing season

c. they wanted to avoid the tourist season

d. they had commitments to family at other times

The Invention of the Airplane -- 1899 to 1905

3. In this picture, Wilbur is holding an instrument that was important to early aviation pioneers to measure wind speed. What is the name of this instrument?

a. ornithopter

b. anemometer

c. altimeter

d. glycometer

4. What analogy was most useful to the Wright brothers in designing a propeller for the 1903 Flyer?

a. a rotary airplane wing

b. a screw drilling into wood

c. a marine or motorboat propeller

d. a bird's wing

The First Flight, December 17, 1903

5. How many flights were made on December 17, 1903?

a. 1

b. 3

c. 4

d. 9

 

6. What was the windspeed on the day of the first flight?

a. 7 to 10 mph

b. 12 to 18 mph

c. 21 to 27 mph

d. 30 to 36 mph

 

Into the Air:  The Wright Brothers, 1906 to 1912

7. What country housed the 1903 Wright Flyer until after World War II?

a. England

b. France

c. Germany

d. Brazil

 

8. In what year was the first moving film taken from an airplane in flight?

a. 1907

b. 1908

c. 1909

d. 1912

 

About the Wright Brothers Trivia Challenge

The Challenge changes monthly, so come visit us again. 

The Wright Brothers Trivia Challenge is an initiative of the First Flight Centennial Foundation, a 501(c)3 organization formed to commemorate the 100th anniversary of powered flight.

We are grateful to our friends for help with the questions, and more importantly, the answers:  Dr. Tom Crouch, senior curator for aeronautics at the National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution; and Mr. Darrell Collins, historian at Wright Brothers National Memorial.

The Foundation permits and encourages reproduction and distribution of the Wright Brothers Trivia Challenge, provided recognition is given to First Flight Centennial Foundation, Dr. Tom Crouch and Mr. Darrell Collins.