I think we can say that a successful airplane was inevitable in the early 20th century because of the other work being done in the field at the time. Other desi

I think we can say that a successful airplane was inevitable in the early 20th century because of the other work being done in the field at the time. Other designs were getting close, but didn't quite have the necessary combination of power to weight and lift to drag. The most important innovation from the Wrights was the realization that aerodynamic roll control was necessary; it's harder to say how many years would have been needed for someone else to try that. That's not to say the same thing is true for any other invention or technological advance.