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The Story of Flight
How people finally left the ground
Ever look up at a soaring bird and wish you could zip through the clouds, too?
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- Around 400 BC
Catching the Wind
People in China built the very first kites out of bamboo and silk. They realized moving air could lift things high into the sky!
The big idea
Humans learned to fly by watching birds and experimenting with the power of air.
Fun facts
- β¨ The Wright brothers' very first flight was shorter than the length of a modern passenger plane!
- β¨ Birds have hollow bones to stay light, so early flight inventors tried making lightweight wings too.
- β¨ Modern commercial airplanes can fly over 500 miles in a single hour!
Science words
- Lift β The upward push of air that keeps a flying object up in the sky.
- Glider β A light aircraft that flies without an engine by riding air currents.
- Thrust β The strong push from an engine that moves an airplane forward.