Which individual's design for a toy helicopter first sparked the Wright brothers' fascination with flight?
Answer
Alphonse Penaud
Interest in aeronautics was initially ignited by a rubber-band-powered toy helicopter designed by Alphonse Penaud. This early influence planted the conceptual seeds for their later work. However, the transition from abstract fascination to practical, serious engineering occurred later, particularly after the fatal glider accident involving Otto Lilienthal, which reframed the pursuit of flight as an urgent and necessary challenge for Wilbur Wright.
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