The Wright Stuff and The Wright Experience

John Carrier wrote:

We had three (one was a 1907 repro) opn the ramp at Dayton General South
back in 1991. Local retired USAF 0-6 has been flying his for years.
Don't know about the most recently publicized repros, but methinks thay
are not as rare as the TV folks would have you believe?

Less rare now than in 1991 at least.

I think the biggest issue is the engine. There aren't many reproductions
of the Wright Flyer powerplant. Substitute a relatively modern design and
power delivery ceases to be an issue.

Minor mods to the original Flyer design could result in a very flyable
aircraft that looked quite authentic, but because of its improvements
(something the Wrights were incorporating in the design after their initial
success) wouldn't come close to emulating the original. So far I've found
only two efforts where the machine is a genuine attempt to reproduce the
original Flyer, right down to its engine.

What I'm wondering is, are any of the replicators also using a catapult,
as the brothers Wright did for initial takeoff?

If not, I suspect they may have a mite more trouble getting off the
ground. 1903 Flyer did not have wheels, as I recall...

-Marc

--
Marc Reeve
actual email address after removal of 4s & spaces is
c4m4r4a4m4a4n a4t c4r4u4z4i4o d4o4t c4o4m

On Mon, 22 Sep 2003 07:07:00 -0700, (Marc Reeve)
wrote:

What I'm wondering is, are any of the replicators also using a catapult,
as the brothers Wright did for initial takeoff?

They used the catapult in Ohio, not at Kitty Hawk. I'm not sure how
much the later Flyer resembled the configuration that first flew, so I
don't know how much it mattered, though.

If not, I suspect they may have a mite more trouble getting off the
ground. 1903 Flyer did not have wheels, as I recall...

That;s why they used a track laid on the sand. Presumably they did
the same in Ohio.

Mary
--
Mary Shafer
"There are only two types of aircraft--fighters and targets"
Major Doyle "Wahoo" Nicholson, USMC