 ur
mission at the Wright Brothers Aeroplane Company is simply to
tell the story of the Wright brothers to inspire the next
generation of aviators and aeronautical scientists. And because the most
exciting way to tell an aviation story is to use airplanes, we are
building � and helping others to build � Wright brothers aircraft.
Before the 100th anniversary of the first successful powered
flight in 2003, we will have built the six experimental aircraft that led
to the development of the first practical airplane:
- 1899 Wright Kite, with which the brothers tested a
revolutionary idea for controlling an airplane.
- 1900 Wright Glider, their first attempt to build a manned
aircraft.
- 1901 Wright Glider, which convinced of the need for basic
scientific research in aerodynamics.
- 1902 Wright Glider, the first airplane with 3-axis control,
and the basis of the Wright's grandfather
patent.
- 1903 Wright Flyer 1, the first aircraft to make a sustained,
controlled, powered flight.
- 1905 Wright Flyer 3, the first practical aircraft.
We use these aircraft in different ways to help tell the
Wright story. The 1899 Wright Kite and the 1902 Wright glider, for
example, are an essential part of our portable museum, The
Spirit of Dayton Project. This has toured schools from Maine to
Texas. Both of our 1903 Flyer I replicas (we built two) were the end
result of our Centennial
Flyer program, in which kids across America helped us to
build a Wright replica. And we're using the gliders and Flyers to enhance other people's
programs, such as the new documentary, Kitty Hawk, that we describe In
the Movies.
The Birth of
Aviation Pavilion
We combined five of our Wright aircraft with other replicas built by Ohio
builders to create a
special exhibit for the 2003 Dayton Air
Show, July 17 through 20, 2003. For the first time in history,
historians, aviators, educators, and kids -- especially kids -- will be
able to to see all of the developmental aircraft the Wright brothers
built as they struggled to create a practical flying machine. The Birth
of Aviation Pavilion is staffed by our volunteer WBAC Flight Crew,
knowledgeable and helpful folks who make this experience the most
remarkable of all Centennial of Flight celebrations.
After the Dayton Air Show, we will make this unique exhibit available
throughout 2003 and in the years to come, in Dayton and anywhere else where the genius and the gumption
of the Wright brothers are honored.
- To learn more about the Birth of Aviation Pavilion click HERE.
- If you're one of our volunteer staff and would like to catch up on
the latest news or review our Wright "Fun Facts," click HERE.
We also offer several ways for you to participate in this adventure, if
you'd like to get yourself hands on with a little aviation history.
- First of all, you can participate in a Flyer Workshop at the
Boonshoft Museum of Discovery every Saturday beginning in August 2003.
We will be building ribs for our 1905 Flyer 3.
- We have posted complete engineering drawings for the 1902
Wright Glider in case you're ambitious enough to want to build
a Wright aircraft of your own.
- We have posted the plans for two versions of the 1899
Wright Kite, including engineering drawing for an historical
replica and plans for an easy-to-build 5/8 scale "Not Quite
Wright" kite. There are instructions for flying them, too!
A quick note: In case you're wondering why we
haven't included the 1904 Wright Flyer 2 in this exhibit, it's because the
1903 and the 1904 aircraft were virtually the same. The Wrights made some
minor changes in the wing structure and the way in which the rudder was
attached, but for all practical purposes the Flyer 2 was a clone of the
Flyer 1. You can read why in our History Wing at Jonahed.
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Click on a
photo to enlarge it.
The 1899 Wright "Kite."
The 1900 Wright Glider.
The 1901 Wright Glider.
The 1902 Wright Glider.
The 1903 Wright Flyer 1.
The 1905 Wright Flyer 3.
Here's a sneak peak at the exhibit we hope to
develop in cooperation with the Dayton Air Show and Gilbert Displays of New York.
The design is the work of the talented folks at Gilbert Displays.
In 2001 we lined up all three Wright gliders at Kitty
Hawk to show folks how much better you can appreciate the work of the
Wright brothers when you view the evolution of their ideas. Click HERE
to learn more.
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