i've been batting this idea around for a while, but have only just now decided to try and get some input on it. i know jack-shit about the history of aviation (and aviation in general, for that matter) so i'd like some second opinions on how i can make this work.
basically, i just thought it would be interesting for a different team to develop the first working flying machine around the turn of the 20th century ITTL instead of the Wright brothers, who i've decided stick to their bicycle business with later successors developing it into a motorcycle manufacturing company. unfortunately, i don't know of any other early aviators i'd like them to ideally be Americans (i'm kinda dividing major technological contributions by country partly for narrative reasons and i decided that the Americans get airplanes) even if they're not the ones who develop them into their full roles all by themselves
basically, i just thought it would be interesting for a different team to develop the first working flying machine around the turn of the 20th century ITTL instead of the Wright brothers, who i've decided stick to their bicycle business with later successors developing it into a motorcycle manufacturing company. unfortunately, i don't know of any other early aviators i'd like them to ideally be Americans (i'm kinda dividing major technological contributions by country partly for narrative reasons and i decided that the Americans get airplanes) even if they're not the ones who develop them into their full roles all by themselves