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Why did the Wright Brothers use a canard?
(youtu.be)
TLDW: A canard is when an aircraft has the tail in the front:
The Wright bros. installed one thinking it would improve stability. That was what the literature said, but they discovered it actually made the aircraft less stable. They kept the design for safety. This is because early aircraft tended to nose down and "lawn-dart" when they stalled. With a canard, the aircraft tended to "pancake" instead which was much safer for the vehicle and pilot.