Comment Re:Cue the pissing contest (Score 1) 110
The Wright brothers had 5 major innovations that set them apart:
1. A propellor design that was 90% efficient rather than 50%
2. Wing warping for roll control
3. Rudder attached to the wing warping for controlled turns, solving the adverse yaw problem
4. Innovative balance in the wind tunnel, used the wind tunnel to design the airfoil, as all existing data proved to be wrong by a factor of 2
5. Lightweight gasoline engine
The Wrights also engaged in an organized, step-by-step method of development, and carefully documented each step. Modern aircraft design can be traced directly back to the Flyer, and no other claimants.
This is all in stark contrast to other claimants to first flight.