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Meanwhile:
How about a
little music?
We have a selection of tunes that were
popular during the first days of aviation, performed by Sue Keller, courtesy the
Ragtime Press:
Want to ask a question? Tell
us something? Arrange a showing of one of our airplanes? Ping:
mailto:[email protected]
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 right
airplanes are elegant machines that hold the same fascination as
tall ships, steam locomotives, and vintage automobiles. And it's not
just because they are old or quaint. They are the essence of flying -- a
set of wings, an engine, propellers, and a place to sit. Their design is
entirely functional, there is no ornament, not a part that does not have a
purpose. Yet, for all that function, they have a striking and exciting form. If adventure were a solid thing, this is the form it would take.It's no surprise that some of our members with a craftsman's
appreciation for a fine machine have built replicas of these pioneer aircraft.
Presently, we have six complete Wright airplanes and several more under
construction. All of these flying machines are designed for over-the-road travel
so they can reach
the widest possible audience. Some are part of our "portable
museum" that we tour to schools and libraries -- The
Spirit of Dayton
Project. Others are available for air shows and exhibitions.
If you'd like to see one of our Wright aircraft close up and personal,
check Waypoints on the Welcome
page of the museum -- we keep a running list
of where we're going to be with each airplane. For those of you who can't
make it to one of our showings, we've put together this "virtual
hangar, " where you can take a photographic "walk-around"
of our aircraft. Just click on the titles below or the buttons to
the left.
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Click on a
photo to enlarge it.
Wright airplanes have always
drawn a crowd. That was true then...
...and it's still true today.
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| The 1899 Wright
Kite was the Wright brothers first aeronautical experiment. It
wasn't a really a kite, but a miniature glider designed to test a
revolutionary control system. This flying reproduction was built and
test-flown by Nick Engler. It is one of the artifacts in our
"portable museum" that tours with The Spirit of Dayton
Project. |
The 1899 Wright Kite by Nick Engler. |
| The
1900 Wright Glider was the Wright brother's first
man-carrying aircraft, and first in which they made free flights. It did
not produce enough lift to fly much more than 200 feet, nonetheless it
gave the brothers a taste of what it was like to fly. This replica was
built by young people under the guidance of Nick Engler, Louis Chmiel, and
Mary Jane Favorite. Pilot Dudley Mead flew it at Kitty Hawk, North
Carolina on October 22, 2000 to mark the centennial anniversary of the
Wright's first gliding flights. |
The 1900 Wright Glider by Nick Engler, Louis Chmiel,
and Mary Jane Favorite, with the help of many young people from the Miami
Valley in Ohio. |
| The
1901 Wright Glider was the Wright brother's second attempt
to build a
man-carrying aircraft, and first in which they tried to make a turn. Like
the 1900 glider before it, the 1901 model did
not produce the predicted amount of lift. Furthermore, it was harder to
control than the previous glider -- it very nearly convinced the Wright
brothers to abandon aeronautics. This replica was
built by young people under the guidance of Nick Engler, Louis Chmiel, and
Mary Jane Favorite, and Joe McDaniels. Pilot Dudley Mead flew it at Kitty Hawk, North
Carolina on September 9 to mark the centennial anniversary of the
Wright's 1901 gliding experiments. |
Our 1901 Wright Glider replica, built by Nick Engler,
Louis Chmiel, Mary Jane Favorite, and Joe McDaniels. |
| The 1902 Wright
Glider was the first fully controllable aircraft, with control
surfaces for roll, pitch, and yaw. It was also the aircraft on which
the Wrights based their patent. Every successful aircraft made
since can trace its roots back to this machine. This reproduction was
built by Wright Brothers Aeroplane Company volunteers, directed by Nick
Engler and Mary Jane Favorite. It is the centerpiece in our portable
museum, and it has been flown at both Kitty Hawk, North Carolina and
Huffman Prairie near Dayton, Ohio. |
The 1902 Wright Glider by Nick Engler, Mary Jane
Favorite and members of the Wright Brothers Aeroplane Comany. |
| The 1903 Wright
Flyer 1 was the first aircraft to make sustained, controlled
flights on December 17, 1903. It's these flights that we will be
celebrating in 2003, a century after the fact. This reproduction was built
by John Reynolds. It is operational, but it has not yet been flown. |
The 1903 Wright Flyer 1 by John Reynolds. |
| The
1911 "Vin Fiz" was the first airplane to cross
the American continent -- or any continent for that matter. In 1911, Cal
Rodgers piloted the original Vin Fiz from Sheepshead Bay, New York
to Long Beach California. The trip took just 84 days. Like the Model EX
above, this reproduction was built by Dana Smith and
Ken Whiting. They fly it at air shows, doing short "crow hops"
off the runway. |
The 1911 Vin Fiz (a later model Wright EX) by
Dana Smith and Ken Whiting. |
| If you're interested in contracting any any of these pioneer
Wright aircraft for air shows, fairs, festivals, or other public
gathering, we've provided contact information on the Exhibitions
page. |
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