The Wright brothers' incredible first flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, is famously associated with the invention of the airplane. But in order to achieve their high-flying feat, the Wright brothers studied the successes and shortcomings of earlier inventors’ experiments with flight. And to this day, engineers continue to build upon this history of invention, resulting in the safe, routine network of air travel many people rely on today. From Leonardo da Vinci’s ornithopters to today's Bombardier Global 8000, this book explores the invention and evolution of the airplane.