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On December 17,1903, the Wright brothers
changed the world when Orville went
up in this aircraft for the first successful
controlled, powered, heavier-than-air
flight. Although fragile, the Wright Flyer,
which is composed of wood and fabric,
and braced with steel wire, achieves a
balance between lightness and strength.
The Wright brothers constructed the air-
craft at their bicycle shop in Dayton,
Ohio, and sent it by rail to the coastal
dunes of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina,
for its flight trials.
| CREW | 1 |
| ENGINE | 1 x Wright, 12kW |
| WEIGHTS |
| Take-off weight | 340 kg | 750 lb |
| DIMENSIONS |
| Wingspan | 12.3 m | 40 ft 4 in |
| Length | 6.1 m | 20 ft 0 in |
| Height | 2.4 m | 7 ft 10 in |
| Wing area | 48 m2 | 516.67 sq ft |
William Curry, cqsys(@)sbcglobal.net, 25.04.2008
The picture you show under the heading "Wright the Flyer 1903" is NOT the 1903 machine, which carried its operator in a prone position, but more likely a 1908 machine Wilbur is flying in France.
And contrary to the writer's statement that "On December 17,1903, the Wright brothers changed the world when Orville went up in this aircraft for the first successful controlled, powered, heavier-than-air flight", the world din't change, nor even take much notice, until four and a half years later, when Wibur created a sensation in France by flying circles and staying aloft for more than two hours, feats no other flyers would be able to match for years. By the end of 1908, the Wrights, having flown demonstrations in Europe and Arlington, VA, had become the first world-wide celebtites of the twentienth century.
But in 1903, they were nobodies!
Cheers -
WC
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Do you have any comments concerning this aircraft ?
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