Just the Facts

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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:

	*Alexander's Ragtime Band* Irving Berlin 1911
	*Aviation Rag* Mark Janza 1905
	*Maple Leaf Rag* Scott Joplin 1909
	*St. Louis Rag* Tom Turpin 1903
	*Waiting for the Robert E. Lee* Gilbert/Muir 1912

Want to ask a question? Tell us something? Arrange a showing of one of our airplanes? Ping:
mailto:[email protected]

ave you ever played the game "Telegraph?" A dozen or more people sit in a circle and one whispers a short message to their neighbor. The neighbor whispers the message as they heard it to the next person, and so on until the message makes it's way around the circle. When it arrives back at it's originator, the message is always corrupted.

So it is with history. The story of the invention of the airplane is such a popular part of our culture, and it is so often repeated, that dozens of "myth-conceptions" about the Wright Brothers and early aviation have grown up in the wake of all the re-tellings. This section is for those of you who wish to separate fact from fiction -- brief doses of the unvarnished truth about early aircraft and the folks who flew them.

These facts are divided into several categories:

The Wright Family -- short biographies, genealogy, and other information about members of Orville and Wilbur's immediate family.
Wright Bicycles -- information about the Wrights bicycle business and the bicycles they made.
Wright Kites and Gliders -- specifications and data on the unpowered aircraft designed by the Wright brothers.
Wright Airplanes -- specifications and data on the powered aircraft designed by the Wright brothers.
Wright Engines and Propellers -- specifications and data on the motors developed by the Wrights to power their airplanes.
Wright Trivia -- interesting facts about the Wright brothers.

Our thanks to Dr. Joe McDaniels and the Wright Research Group for their help in preparing "Just the Facts."

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In the telegram that Orville sent to his father on December 17, 1903, there were two mistakes. The longest flight was misreported at 57 seconds instead of 59, and Orville's named was misspelled "Orvelle."

Like all good scholars, we don't pretend to have all the answers, and we're constantly searching for new information or ways to make our exhibits better and more accurate. We also welcome Wright scholars and enthusiasts who would like to participate. If you have information that we should include, or want to add to what's already here, please write. Address your comments to mailto:[email protected].
Last updated: August 28, 2006.