The invention of the airplane is most commonly credited to the Wright brothers, Wilbur and Orville Wright. They achieved the first controlled, sustained flight of a powered, heavier-than-air aircraft on December 17, 1903, near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, in the United States. Their invention included a key breakthrough of a three-axis control system that allowed the pilot to steer the aircraft effectively and maintain its equilibrium, which remains a foundation of modern aircraft control.
While other inventors like Samuel Langley and Clement Ader worked on early aircraft designs, the Wright brothers are recognized for creating the first truly practical and controllable airplane. There is some debate with Brazilian aviation pioneer Alberto Santos-Dumont, who made significant contributions and flew a powered aircraft in 1906 in Europe, but the Wright brothers' 1903 flight is considered the first in history.
Therefore, the generally accepted invention of the airplane is attributed to Wilbur and Orville Wright based on their pioneering controlled powered flight.
