The Wright Brothers

by Anonymous

The Wrights learn to fly

Although the first flight took place at Kitty Hawk, the Wrights themselves always said that they really learned to fly on Huffman Prairie east of Dayton on the present site of Wright-Patterson Field. Having proved that they could fly even if for a maximum of less than a minute, they now set out to build a more practical and useful machine. They reasoned that if they could fly 852 feet against a 20-mile wind as they did in the fourth flight at Kitty Hawk, it should be possible to build a plane which would fly much farther.

The plane in which the first flight was made was called the Kitty Hawk. Construction of its immediate successor began in January, 1904. It was much the same as the one flown at Kitty Hawk but there were a number of changes and the construction was more sturdy throughout. This plane was equipped with an entirely new engine. Because of a shortage of spruce in Dayton they changed to white pine for spar construction, thinking it would be equally good. However, the pine broke in actual use and the wings had to be entirely rebuilt.

Wilbur Wright during the first demonstrations of the plane in Europe.

Wilbur at the controls during a flight in France.

Orville and Wilbur Wright, modest men whose achievements made history.

Original patent issued to the Wrights.

Katherine and Orville Wright aboard ship bound for Europe.

Orville Wright with Thomas A. Edison.

Towing the plane from one field to another at Le Mans, France.

Upon their return from Europe in May 1908, the Wright brothers and their sister, Katherine, were received at the White House by President Taft.

Orville Wright, members of his family and fellow Daytonians at dedication of the Kitty Hawk monument.

The pilot lay prone in early Wright planes.

One of many cartoons depicting the honors which came to the Wright brothers.

Dayton newspaper reporting the Home-coming Celebration in honor of the Wright brothers.

Orville Wright with Colonel E. A. Deeds on a visit to Wright Field.

Orville Wright with Henry Ford as Dayton honored 35th anniversary of flight.

The Wright home and bicycle shop as they appear today in Greenfield Village, Dearborn, Michigan.

During 1904 more than 100 flights had been made at Huffman Prairie. Of those flights, a complete circle made for the first time on the 20th of September and two flights of three miles each were the most notable. In May of 1905 the Wrights made various improvements in the machine making it much stronger at various points which had proved weak when landing in 1904 flights. The warping of the wings and operation of the tail rudder were made independent of each other and the camber of the wings was changed. The most important development was the addition of two “blinkers” between the surfaces of the front elevator. The purpose of the blinkers was to assist the rear rudder in making a turn. This device was patented and proved quite important for it removed the danger of a tail spin.

The Wright brothers considered their flights of 1905 of great importance, and the 1905 plane proved through performance that it was a greatly improved “flyer.” In a report to the Aero Club of America dated March 12, 1906, they said this:

“The object of the 1905 experiments was to determine the cause and discover remedies for several obscure and somewhat rare difficulties which had been encountered in some of the 1904 flights and which it was necessary to overcome before it would be safe to employ flyers for practical purposes. Toward the middle of September, means of correcting the obscure troubles were found and the flyer was at last brought under satisfactory control. From this time forward almost every flight established a new record.” The last flight was the longest of all, lasting for 38 minutes and 3 seconds and covering 24⅕ miles. It ended because of exhaustion of fuel. The gas tank, which held only about a gallon, had, through oversight, not been full before the take-off.

One of the many flights made over Huffman Prairie, just east of Dayton on present site of Wright-Patterson airfields.

The Wright Memorial overlooking Huffman Prairie.

THE WRIGHT MEMORIAL

On a hilltop overlooking Huffman Prairie where the Wright brothers accomplished so much, stands this shaft, made of North Carolina pink granite and erected by the citizens of Dayton in their memory. To the east lies Wright Field, the great government air center named in their honor. The principal bronze plaque tells in a few words the story of their great contribution to the progress of mankind. A smaller tablet records the names of those early flyers who were trained by the Wright brothers. In the simplicity of design and the strength of structure, it reflects the characters of the men it honors.

The report to the Aero Club continued, “The 1905 flyer had a total weight of about 925 pounds, including the operator and was of such substantial construction as to be able to make landings at high speed without being strained or broken. From the beginning the prime object was to devise a machine of practical utility, rather than a useless and extravagant toy.... The favorable results which have been obtained have been due to improvements in flying quality resulting from more scientific design and to improved methods of balancing and steering.... The best dividends on the labor invested have invariably come from seeking more knowledge rather than more power.”

The submission of this report was followed by the adoption of a resolution by the Aero Club commending the Wrights upon their accomplishment. This, it might be said, marked official recognition on the part of the public that the Wrights really had flown. Despite numerous flights made in 1904 and 1905, there was considerable skepticism and grave doubts on the part of most people that flights were being made. In fact, the unwillingness of the world to believe that man could fly was one of the ironies of the Wright story. It was many months before the last doubting Thomas was convinced that practical flight had actually been achieved.

Improvements had been made on the 1905 plane, including the engine. In 1908 the plane was taken to Kitty Hawk for further tests. After several successful flights, an accident occurred which so badly damaged the plane that it was dismantled and stored there in frame hangars. Over the years parts of the plane were given to several museums and others were acquired by residents of the area as mementoes. The engine, the propellers and other parts were shipped back to Dayton.

The restored 1905 aeroplane in process of reconstruction. Engineers and others who inspected the plane during its rebuilding, marveled at the craftsmanship reflected in its original construction.

When it was decided to reconstruct an early Wright plane for Carillon Park, the first thought was that it should be a replica of the Kitty Hawk, which of course would have been accurate in appearance but would have contained no original parts.

Orville Wright himself suggested that if the original parts of the 1905 plane could be brought together, a plane which could truly be called a restored Wright aeroplane could be built. An exhaustive search was begun and with the co-operation of the museums and the residents of Kitty Hawk, many of the original parts were secured. Orville Wright located the original drawings and supervised much of the reconstruction. His death occurred shortly before the plane was finished.

At least 60 per cent of the parts in the plane are original. These include the engine, the chain guides, control levers and pilot’s cradle, the propellers, the greater part of the wing structure as well as some of the front rudder struts. Construction of the plane was supervised by Mr. Harvey D. Geyer, an early employee of the Wrights, who was uniquely fitted for this responsibility and who, in contributing his services, has done much to perpetuate the achievements of the Wrights in their home city. As does the original Kitty Hawk in the Smithsonian Institution, this restored plane will, for generations to come, help to tell the story of the genius of the Wrights.