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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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 f you're looking for model kits to build a 1903 Wright Flyer 1
or other Wright aircraft,
here's what we've found:
Wooden Models
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By far, the best and most detailed flying
models are from Dare Design, perhaps the biggest name in
wooden models. Dare offers three laser-cut model kits for the 1903 Wright Flyer, all of which are designed to be
flown:
- A 1:12 scale radio-controlled 1903 Flyer, powered by two
electric motors for $69.00.
- A 1:48-scale rubber band-powered 1903 Flyer for $24.95.
- A 1:48-scale 1903 Flyer/glider for $14.95.
These flying models were developed by Pat Tritle, a veteran
model-designer with talent and tenacity the would make Will and Orv
envious. Pat has graciously contributed a page to our web site that
describes how he developed the RC Flyer. To read Pat's piece, click HERE.
If you'd like to purchase one of the kits, they are available from:
Dare Design and Engineering
P.O. Box 521
Cumberland, MD 21501
(800) 578-3273
http://www.darehobby.com/Wright_Flyer.htm
or http://www.darehobby.com/Wright_Glider.htm |
Dare's RC 1903 Flyer with a 40" wingspan.
Dare's rubber band-powered Flyer with an 11"
wingspan.
Similar to the rubber band Flyer, this Dare Flyer is
simply a glider.
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Easy Built Models offers a detailed
non-flying balsa-wood-and-tissue-paper kit for a model with a
24" wingspan (about 1:20 scale). You can purchase the kit online at:
http://www.easybuiltmodels.com/d.htmHasegawa
offered both a 1/16 and 1/8 scale model in their "Museum
Series" line, with parts made from wood, brass, cloth, and
steel. They were out of production for a while, but the latest news
is that they are bringing them back sometime in 2002. The importer for
Hasegawa is Marco Polo Imports
(http://www.marcopoloimport.com).
You can peruse their dealer list to find one near you by clicking: http://www.marcopoloimport.com/asdealer.htm.
Check the Marco Polo web site from time to time to see if the kits have
been released yet. When they are, someone ping us and we'll update this
page. If you can't wait, you can sometimes find these kits for sale in various places on the Internet. See below.
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Easy-Built's Flyer 1. |
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Dennis Nowlen is an avid modeler who develops small
"peanut-scale" rubber band-powered flying historic
models, especially made for indoor flying. He has a wonderful 1907 Wright
Model A -- very similar to the Wright Flyer 1 -- with an 11-inch wingspan.
He also offers two other pioneer aircraft models, the 1903 Langlely
Aerodrome and a 1913 Duperdussin. He doesn't have a web site, but you can
write:
Nowlen Aero
139 Boardwalk
Greenbrae, CA 94904
The cost of the Wright Model A kit is $11.00. The Aerodrome is $16.95,
and the Duperdussin in $18.95. Add $5.00 shipping and handling for each
kit.
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Despite their small size, Nowlen's peanut-scale
flying models have magnificent detail, as this copy of the 1903 Aerodrome
shows. |
Metal Models
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Aero Base of Japan offers three unique models of the
1903 Wright Flyer all made from etched metal. They require no soldering,
you assemble them with a special glue that's provided with the kit. They
look complex, but they are actually very simple to build. The catch is,
they're not cheap -- $60 to $80, depending on the exchange rate for the
yen. In their "Standard" series, they offer a 1/72 model
(6-1/2-inch wingspan) etched from brass and copper. In their "Microwing"
series, they offer two 1/160 scale models (3-inch wingspan),
one etched from brass and copper and the other from nickel-silver. You can
reach them via their web site at: http://www.nnc.or.jp/~aerobase/.
Or you can write or call:
Aero Base
2-26 , Takajomachi , Wakayama-city
640-8135 , JAPAN
Phone/Fax : +81-73-422-8655
By the way, Aero Base also has a 1906 14-bis and a 1911 Bleriot
XI in their Microwing series. |
The Standard 1/72 scale model.
The Microwing 1/160 scale model made from brass and
copper.
The Microwing 1/160 scale model made from
nickel-silver.
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Plastic Models
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| Hasegawa makes a 1/72 scale "mini-model" with a wingspan of about 4". These are for
sale through Phoenix Models (http://www.phoenix-model.com).
Type "Wright Flyer" into their search engine. Revell
Monogram offered a great 1/48 scale model Flyer 1 in the past. It was
discontinued for a time, but now it's due to be released in January 2003
as ain 1/39 scale. You can read about it at the Revell Monogram web site (http://www.revell-
monogram.com/) by clicking HERE.
In the meantime, we know the United States Air Force Museum
gift shop in
Dayton, Ohio has a large number of the old models in stock. (Apparently,
they bought Monogram's existing stock when the company discontinued the
model.) If you would
like to call about availability, the main number of the USAF Museum is
(937) 255-3284. These models also pop up for sale now and then at various places on the Internet. See below.
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Hasegawa's miniature Flyer.
Revell's Monogram old model kit.
The new kit will feature a track and figures of
Wilbur and Orville.
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Historic Kites
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Stratton Kites offers an "historic kite" model of
the Wright Flyer 1 -- a large model (5-foot wingspan) that can be flown as
a kite. You can purchase these online at http://www.intothewind.com/.
You'll find it listed under Traditional Kites/Kite Kits. The product
number is #564. Don't bother with the search engine; it won't find the
kite. You can also contact:
Into The Wind
1408 Pearl St.
Boulder, CO 80302
Order Line: 800-541-0314
International: 303-449-5356
Fax: 303-449-7315
Incanabula, a Canadian company that offers a line of
"museum series" replicas and models, has a kit for the 1899
Wright Kite, complete with flying instructions. It's pricey -- $75 --
but it's nicely thought out. You can purchase the kite kit on the web at
http://www.museumseries.com/kite.htm.
Also remember that the Wright Brothers Aeroplane Company has
posted the plans for an historic replica of the 1899 Wright Kite
here in the museum, along with a simple-to-make cousin we call the Not
Quite Wright Kite. We don't offer kits, but the materials are readily
available ant hobby and hardware stores. To check these out, click
HERE.
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Stratton's historic kite is not an exact replica of
the Flyer 1, but it looks very close -- and it flies very well.
Incanabula's Wright Kite.
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Paper Models
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Rob Elliott, proprietor of Booger Red's Books,
is the inventor and designer of a "Toothpick Air Force." Bob
makes tiny, delightful flying models, no bigger than your
finger, from paper and toothpicks. Recently, Rob sent us a 1902 Wright
Glider, a 1905 Wright Flyer 3, and a 1911 Wright Model B in a greeting
card box. He doesn't sell kits, but he does make plans available. The
plans for the Wright models I just mentioned are in a book called The
First Flyers, available from Rob's company. In fact, there are 22
pioneer airplane models here, including the June Bug, a Voison, a
Bleriot 12, a Curtiss Model D, a Deperdussin, and
just about ever other important aircraft from the years between 1902 and
1914. You could conceivably illustrate the entire history of pioneer
aviation with Rob Elliot's toothpick-and-paper models. You can purchase The
First Flyers for $16.95 from:
Booger Red's Books, Inc.
P.O. Drawer G
Clifton, CO 81520
(970) 434-4140
mailto:[email protected]
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Above, Bob's book of "The First Flyers"
and his toothpick Flyer. You'd be amazed at how well this little model
flies.
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Whitewings offers a paper model kit for the Wright Flyer
1. It doesn't look as much like the Flyer as most model makers could wish
for, but it flies
very well and its much larger than Bob Elliot's toothpick models
described above. If you wish to purchase the kit, you can order it
online at: http://www.store.yahoo.com/agi-usa/.
Click on "Whitewings" and scroll down the page a little past
half way. The model number is AG 112.
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The Whitewings Wright Flyer model is made from paper
and a little balsa wood. |
Finding Discontinued Model Kits
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Often, people buy a model kit with the intention of building
it when they get some free time, put it away, and forget about it. Years
later, these unassembled kits find their way to yard sales, flea markets,
and auctions . There are even dealers who buy up antique and discontinued
models, then resell them. One of the best of these is Gasoline Alley
Antiques in Seattle, WA. You can find their list of airplane kits online
at: http://www.gasolinealleyantiques.com/kits/
kitplane.htm.Both the Monogram and the Hasegawa Wright Flyer 1 models regularly
appear on online auctions such as www.ebay.com.
Search on the phrase "Wright model."
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