They completed detailed research of what other early inventors had done. They read
all the literature that was published up to that time. Then, they began to test the early
theories with balloons and kites.
They learned about how the wind would help with the flight and how it could affect
the surfaces once up in the air.
The next step was to test the shapes of gliders much like
George Cayley did when he was testing the many different
shapes that would fly. They spent much time testing and
learning about how gliders could be controlled.
The Wright Brothers designed and used a wind
tunnel to test the shapes of the wings and the tails
of the gliders. After they found a glider shape that
consistently would fly in the tests in the North
Carolina Outer Banks dunes, then they turned their
attention to how to create a propulsion system that would
create the lift needed to fly.
The early engine that they used generated almost 12
horsepower