The Wright Flyer yesterday

[Michael Horowitz]

Yesterday's coverage pointed out two things that caught my ear:
First, that it was a considerable amount of time before the Brothers
were able to duplicate the longest flight of the day, and second, that
the craft was (apparently) just on the edge of being able to fly.
So, anyone know what aspect of the design they worked on next to make
it more reliable? - Mike

[AL]

Yeah, the rudders and elevator. There are several museums and historical
pages for you to find if you do a search. They pretty much all say that.


--
Al Mills
Wake me before we take off...
"Michael Horowitz" > wrote in message
...
> Yesterday's coverage pointed out two things that caught my ear:
> First, that it was a considerable amount of time before the Brothers
> were able to duplicate the longest flight of the day, and second, that
> the craft was (apparently) just on the edge of being able to fly.
> So, anyone know what aspect of the design they worked on next to make
> it more reliable? - Mike

[Wright1902Glider]

The 1904 was basicly a copy of the 1903 with slightly different elevators and
rudders. The 1904 was able to make flights in excess of 1,000 ft. repeatedly
by the end of the season. The 1904 also used the same type of engine used in
1903 -- probably the second, and possibly the third of a set of three blocks
cast in 1903. The first block had its mounting legs and most of the fourth
cylinder torn off in the rollover accident on Dec. 17, 1903. (It is currently
on display at Kitty Hawk. I shot several photos of it last Saturday.) The
1904 was heavily modified and frequently rebuilt during the season due to the
use of pine, rather than spruce, in its original configuration. The 1905
machine also achieved similar results to the 1904 early in the season.
However, it too was highly modified by the Wrights during flight testing. The
airframe was stretched, relocating both the elevators and rudders. This
modification resulted in a much more stable aircraft, and one that could be
flown in excess of 30 minutes. The limiting factor being engine durability,
burned bearings, and fuel.

If you would like to know more, I recomend "The Papers of Wilbur and Orville
Wright" edited by Marvin McFarland c. 1953 and recently republished. Thses two
volumes of the Wrights' complied notebooks, letters, and diaries are considered
to be the best source for Wright Brothers info.

Harry Frey
Wright Brothers Enterprises
Covington, GA
Wright 1902 glider #7
Wright 1899 kite
Wright 1878 Bat
http://hometown.aol.com/wright1902glider/Wright1902.html