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First powered aircraft
On December 17, 1903, Wilbur and Orville Wright made four brief flights at Kitty Hawk with their first powered aircraft. The Wright brothers had invented the first successful airplane. The Wrights used this stopwatch to time the Kitty Hawk flights. -
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history of wright brothers
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1904 Flyer II
The Wright brothers second powered aircraft was almost a complete copy of the Flyer 1, but it had a flatter camber and stronger skids. It was not a capable flyer; the Wrights learned they learned they still had a lot of work to do before they had a practical airplane. Nonetheless, this was the first airplane to fly a complete circle, returning to the point where it took off. It was also the first aircraft on which the Wrights used their distinctive"Bent-end"propellers. -
1905 Flyer III
The Wright's 1905 aircraft, their third powered machine, was the world's first practical aircraft. Both the canard and the rudder were extended out from the aircraft to make it easier to control. Semi-circular "blinkers" between the surfaces of the canard prevent the nose from dropping in a turn. With this aircraft, the Wrights were able to fly until their fuel ran dry. In 1908, they adapted the Flyer to carry the first airplane passenger. -
1909 Military Flyer
The Wrights sold this aircraft to the United States Army Signal Corp to become the first military aircraft. This was also the first aircraft the Wrights designed for speed. they did so because their contract with the US Department of War specified a minimum speed of 40 mph and granted them a bonus of $2500 for every 1 mph over the minimum. The Military Flyer turned in a top speed of 42 mph . Once the US military purchased the aircraft, it was used to train the first military pilots. -
1910 Wright Model R
Also called the "Roadster" and the "Baby Wright," this small single-seat aircraft was built for racing. It had either a 4- or 8-cylinder motor and could achieve speeds of 70 to 80 miles per hour. The Wrights achieved these speeds not just by adding power, but also by reducing drag. The wings were short (reducing wing surface) and the wings were set closer together (reducing the length of the rigging wires.) -
1912-1913 Wright Model C
It had slightly flatter wings and a taller rudder for improved directional control. The blinkers became rectangular vanes attached to the front end of the skids. It was the first aircraft to use a Wright 6-cylinder motor, an elongated version of their standard 4-cylinder engine. They extra power and speed made the aircraft more difficult to fly. After a series of accidents, the US military decide to ground all "pusher" aircraft, including all Wright models. -
1907-1909 Wright Model A
This was the aircraft that convinced the world that the Wrights had indeed flown. It was also the first two-seat aircraft, and the first Wright aircraft in which the occupants sat upright. Like all previous aircraft, the Wright built it in Dayton, Ohio; then shipped it to France in 1907. When they had hammered out a deal with some French industrialists, Wilbur put it together in 1908 and began to fly. Back in America, he demonstrated the Model A before millions of people in NYC. -
1909-1910 Wright "Transitional" Model A
Sometimes called the Model A-B, this was the first airplane that the Wrights built with an elevator in the back. However, they retained the canard in front, using both surfaces to control the pitch of the aircraft. It was used to train the first civilian pilots and was the one and only aircraft in which Wilbur and Orville Wright flew in together. They also gave their father Milton his only airplane ride in this machine. -
1910-1914 Model B
Built by the newly formed Wright Company, this was the first mass-produced airplane. It was also the first Wright airplane without a canard. It had a single elevator in the back, just behind an enlarged twin rudder. Triangular blinkers were mounted on the forward skid struts. The airplane rested on wheels, dispensing with the need to launch the aircraft from a rail. Like all previous Wright aircraft, it used wing warping to control roll. -
1911-1912 Wright Model EX
Built especially for exhibition flight, this aircraft had a shorter wing span than other models, which gave the exhibition pilots more speed. It also had a single seat, which prevented them from taking passengers. But it had longer wings and a standard Wright 4-cylinder motor. This was the first aircraft to be flown across a continent, crossing America is a series of harrowing flights that took 82 days to complete as the pilot, Cal Rodgers, met with one mishap after another.
