Wrights: 100 years later, The

Flight Journal, Dec 2003 by Kellett, Ken, Wainfan, Barnaby, Boyne, Walter, Patterson, Dan, Gertler, Joe

WE FLY AN '03 FLYER, ANALYZE THE DESIGN, LOOK AT THEIR BUSINESS, AND GO FOR A RIDE

ONE HUNDRED YEARS seems like such a long time, but even when viewed through aviation's historical telescope, the Wright Brothers first flight refuses to fade into antiquity. It still very much seems a "here and now" event that affects us. But we know so little about it. There are so many unanswered questions.

Unfortunately, we can't jump into our time machines and go back for the answers to our questions. We have, however, done the next best thing and enlisted the aid of those who know that period better than most. Through their knowledge and experience, the rest of us can learn a little more about the two bicycle mechanics who changed the world.

The Wright Flyer and me: Flying the legend

ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS I REALIZED when I decided to re-create the Wright Brothers' first flight was that the learning experience, which included not only building the plane but also figuring out how to operate it, would be great because when I began (in 1978), no one had ever attempted it before. You might think that a lot of information exists about the first airplane, but you would be surprised by just how little is known.

During the quarter century that has passed since I built my Wright Flyer reproduction, I've made 23 successful flights; that is, the aircraft left the ground under its own power, climbed and continued forward for various times and distances. My longest flight was about 250 feet, the highest, 15 feet. My total flight time to date is about four minutes. The Wrights' first three flights covered distances of 120, 175 and 200 feet respectively, so the flights tend to be somewhat brief.

To understand the challenge, you need an overview of the 1903 Flyer. First, it's big-very big. It has a 40-foot wingspan with a 6 1/2-foot chord. It's more than 8 feet tall and, at 600 pounds, it isn't light. It's powered with a 12hp engine that's connected to two propeller drives (via a heavy roller chain) that drive two, 8-foot pusher propellers. It's marginal in so many areas that the environment and conditions (sand, temperature and wind) play a major role in just getting it off the ground.

This article would be pretty meaningless if I didn't elaborate on exactly what I constructed in 1978. It's common for aircraft "replicas" to be quite a stretch from their original counterparts, so just saying it is a replica doesn't necessarily make it one.

My 1903 Wright Flyer was constructed using the drawings supplied by the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. Orville Wright commissioned these drawings before his death in 1948. These 1950 drawings were generated by direct measurement of the original Flyer, as reconstructed by Orville Wright in 1916 for exhibit at MIT.

My reproduction had no structural or dimensional alterations to the airframe. The covering was unbleached muslin. The propellers were fashioned from the drawings and geared to turn at the same rpm as the originals. The powerplants I chose (there have been two) were 2-cylinder, modern, air-cooled engines that develop approximately 8 and 12hp respectively. My $3,000 budget wouldn't come close to covering the expense of reproducing a working Wright engine which at the time cost about as much as a house!

The Wright Flyer doesn't have wheels; it rides on a dolly and is launched from a single, wooden 2x4 rail that is 60 feet long. When you see the famous "first flight" photo, you see a wooden bench, and if you look closer, you see a C-clamp hanging on the bench. After the airplane has been carried to the launch site across the sand (this is always fun, and this is why the Wrights depended on the Kitty Hawk life-saving crew), it is positioned on the dolly, which is atop the track. The bench is put under the right wingtip bow and secured with the C-clamp to hold the airplane level and prevent it from tipping over. A restraining cable attached to the very end of the track is then connected to a latching mechanism next to the pilot's right hand.

Once the aircraft has been positioned on the track, the engine is started by hand-propping the propellers. With the engine idling, you can walk around and make sure everything is operating the way it should. This may be a little different from what you're used to seeing because the chains flop around and go in and out of the guide tubes. One of the most interesting things about actually being there is seeing the Wright Flyer run.

The Flyer on the dolly sits more than 30 inches off the ground, and its pilot lies prone on the wing, so getting into the thing is a less than graceful act that requires someone's shoulder to lean on as you back into position through the brace wires.

Remember: there is no solid structure-just fabric-so as you face forward, you put one leg back onto the wing and rest your knee first on the front spar and then on the hip cradle (it's really a young person thing). Your feet find the wooden foot support attached to the rear spar. Your hips settle into a splayed-out, U-shape padded cradle that pivots from side to side and is con-nected to the control wires that twist the wingtips up and down. It's also connected to the rudder assembly to turn left and right.