1900 Glider

ecause it produced inadequate lift, the Wrights mostly flew their first glider as a kite at Kitty Hawk during Oct 1900. Sometimes loaded with 75 pounds of chains; sometimes with the elevator in the rear, they mostly flew it with wing warp immobilized, although Wilbur piloted it a few times (totaling about 2 minutes) to verify effectiveness of the wing warping.

This biplane glider had straight wings with 17-foot span; 5-foot chord; 5-foot separation; 165 sq-foot area; 1/20 camber (relaxed to 1/23); and 50-52 lb. overall weight. It originally had a fixed tail, but this was eliminated sometime during the Wright's flying experiments.

Despite its poor lift, the Wrights used three features of the 1900 glider on all their subsequent aircraft: biplane wings, wing warp for roll control, and the flexible elevator. They used the front elevator until the 1910 Model B, and the prone pilot position to reduce air resistance until the 1908 Model A.

After the tests, the Wrights abandoned the glider at Kitty Hawk, NC. Tate family salvaged it; used wing covering for daughter's dress.

References:

McFarland, 1953, 1183-1184, & plate 14, 16, 17.
Kelly, 1943, pp 35, 49, & 54
Wright, Orville in Kelly, 1953, p 13-15.
McFarland, Marvin W. (ed) The papers of Wilbur and Orville Wright. McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York, 1953, pp 1183-1184, & plate 14, 16, 17.
Kelly, Fred C. The Wright Brothers, a Biography. Harcourt, Brace and Co., New York, 1943, pp 35, 49, 54.
Wright, Orville, "How We Invented the Airplane." (from depositions in Montgomery vs. U.S. 13 Jan 20 and 2 Feb 21; in Kelly, Fred C. (editor) How We Invented the Airplane, an Illustrated History. Dover Publications, New York, 1953, p 13-15)

[Submitted by Joe W. McDaniel]

The 1900 Wright glider -- Wilbur and Orville's first man-carrying airplane -- being flown as a kite.

Compare the original glider to the replica we made and flew on the centennial anniversary of the Wright's first gliding flights.

Back to the top