There's great articles out there that try to explain the innovations that unlocked rapid development; in the case of powered planes, it's a combination of aerod

There's great articles out there that try to explain the innovations that unlocked rapid development; in the case of powered planes, it's a combination of aerodynamics (the wing shape), precise machining (engine) and materials science (weight, although the first plane was mostly wood and canvas). But also iterative design, the Wright brothers made a few gliders in the years leading up to the flight.