The Wright brothers acknowledged the contributions of Otto Lilienthal (right) and his glider experiments in helping them achieve the first powered flight.
Rarely do history books recognize that much of Lilienthal’s work was done with the aid of his brother, Gustav. In the 1860s the Lilienthal brothers endured jibes from their contemporaries as they experimented with gliders. By the 1870s the brothers’ flying partnership had dissolved. Although Otto was still enamored with flight, Gustav chose to put his energy into a career as an architect.
