What device did the Wright Brothers essentially develop themselves to move beyond empirical guesswork in aerodynamics?
Answer
A wind tunnel
Their move toward systematic aerodynamic testing involved using a wind tunnel, a device they essentially developed themselves, to test over 200 wing shapes.

Related Questions
How long did Orville Wright sustain flight on the initial December 17, 1903, flight?What specific feature did the Wright Brothers use for lateral control (correcting side-to-side roll)?What was the primary physical requirement the Wrights sought when choosing Kitty Hawk, North Carolina?What was the output capability of the custom-built engine powering the first *Wright Flyer*?Which concept describes the Wright Brothers' recognition that a pilot needed to manage pitch, roll, and yaw motions simultaneously?What background skill from running their bicycle business directly aided their aeronautics work?What device did the Wright Brothers essentially develop themselves to move beyond empirical guesswork in aerodynamics?What mechanism did the Wrights employ for pitch control (managing up and down motion)?What caused the established aviation community to initially dismiss the Wrights' complex control mechanism?What crucial action, performed in 1908, finally shattered skepticism regarding the Wright Brothers' earlier claims?