The story of how man achieved powered flight isn't just about the men who were successful. Like any great endeavour, there were many twists and turns in the path taken before the correct way forward was found. The experiences of those who failed were a contribution to the knowledge of those who ultimately succeeded.
It is, perhaps, fitting that it was the man who
acknowledged this most explicitly who was the one who was fortunate enough and skilled enough to be hailed as the first.