Smithsonian Says Wright Brothers were the 'First in Flight'

Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum has now published a detailed statement saying that the Wright brothers were indeed the first people to have a powered, sustained flight. Recent reports had claimed Gustave Whitehead to be the first person in history to fly in a machine that was heavier than air.

Australian historian John Brown told FoxNews.com that Gustav Whitehead - an immigrant from Bavaria - was the first person to have a sustained flight in a machine. Whitehead supporters claim that on Aug. 18, 1901, Sunday Herald reported that Whitehead had travelled at least half-a-mile through air at about 50 feet from the ground. The aircraft was called "Condor"

However, Tom Crouch from Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum says that the evidence supporting Wright brothers is too strong and shows that they were indeed the pioneers of aviation. "A careful investigation proved that Wilbur and Orville Wright had accomplished all that they claimed, and more."

"Perhaps the strongest argument against the Whitehead claims is to be found in the fact that not one of the powered machines that he built after 1902 ever left the ground. Nor did any of those machines resemble the aircraft that he claimed to have flown in 1901-1902. Why did he not follow up his early success? Why did he depart from a basic design that he claimed had been successful? Are we to assume that he forgot the secret of flight?" Crouch added.

There have been reports of new museum exhibits in the honor of Whitehead in Connecticut and restaurants serving special German-inspired breakfast dish called "Number 21", which is named after Whitehead's airplane, reports CT Mirror.