BGuthrie Photos: DC -- Natl Air and Space Museum -- Gallery 209: (a) Wright Brothers and Invention of the Aerial Age

DC -- Natl Air and Space Museum -- Gallery 209: (a) Wright Brothers and Invention of the Aerial Age:

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Specific picture descriptions: Photos above with "i" icons next to the bracketed sequence numbers (e.g. "[1] ") are described as follows:
1. GAL209_031022_006.JPG: 1903 Wright Flyer: The 1903 Wright Flyer made four flights at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, on December 17, 1903, the best covering 852 feet in 59 seconds. It was the first heavier-than-air, powered aircraft to make a sustained, controlled flight with a pilot aboard. The Wrights used their proven canard biplane configuration, which was rooted in their initial 1899 kite design. Key to the Flyer's success was its three-axis control system, which featured wing-warping for lateral balance, a moveable rudder, and an elevator for pitch control. The right wing was four inches longer than the left to compensate for the engine being heavier than and mounted to the right of the pilot. The wings were rigged with a slight droop to reduce the effects of crosswinds. Aviation 1902-1908: After perfecting their aircraft in 1905, the Wright brothers did not fly at all in 1906 and 1907, as they turned their attention to securing their patent and finding customers for their invention. Even before their success at Kitty Hawk in 1903, information about the Wrights' developments began to circulate among the aeronautical community and filter to Europe. In 1906 and 1907, several Europeans made short, straight-line flights of comparable length to the Wrights' first powered flights. In North America, some notable successes were achieved by the Aerial Experiment Association. Formed by famed inventor Alexander Graham Bell in 1907, the AEA built several powered aircraft, including the first airplane to fly in Canada, in 1909. The group included Glenn H Curtiss, who went on to become the leading producer of aircraft in the United States before World War I.
2. GAL209_031219_08.JPG: 1903 Wright Flyer Buoyant over the success of their 1902 glider, the Wright brothers were no longer content to merely add to the growing body of aeronautical knowledge; they were going to invent the airplane. Still, they recognized that much hard work lay ahead, especially the creation of a propulsion system. During the spring and summer of 1903, they were consumed with leaping that final hurdle into history. 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 their proven canard biplane configuration, which was rooted in their initial 1899 kite design. Key to the Flyer's success was its three-axis control system, which featured wing-warping for lateral balance, a moveable rudder, and an elevator for pitch control. The right wing was four inches longer than the left to compensate for the engine being heavier than and mounted to the right of the pilot. The wings were rigged with a slight droop to reduce the effects of crosswinds. To design their first powered airplane, which they simply called the Flyer, the Wrights returned to their wind tunnel data and the lift and drag equations. To carry the weight of an engine, propellers, and added structural reinforcement, they had to increase the wing area to more than 500 square feet. Allowing 200 pounds for the propulsion system, they estimated that the aircraft with pilot would weigh 625 pounds. Based on this estimate, they calculated power, thrust, and speed requirements and concluded they needed an 8-horsepower engine generating 90 pounds of thrust to achieve a minimum airspeed of 23 miles per hour.
3. GAL209_031219_16.JPG: 1900 Wright Glider (reproduction) The 1900 glider was the Wrights' first piloted aircraft. First flight-tested at Kitty Hawk in the fall of that year, it incorporated the wire-braced biplane structure and wing-warping control system they developed with their 1899 kite. The glider generated far less lift that the brothers' calculations had predicted. However, the control systems -- wing warping for lateral control and forward elevator for pitch control -- worked beautifully. While the Wrights managed only two minutes of free gliding in 1900, those precious seconds airborne proved their innovative control ideas were sound. The Framework The Wrights had to reduce the glider's planned 200-square-foot wing area to 165 square feet because of a problem with finding the right wood for the wing spars. Unable to locate 18-foot lengths of spruce, they had to settle for 16-foot pieces of pine, a less-resilient wood. This change resulted in both a smaller lifting surface and a slightly weaker structure. The wing ribs were cut from ash strips and steam-bent to a camber of 1 in 23 (the height of the airfoil's curve was 1/23rd the width of the wing). The Fabric A single layer of French sateen fabric covered the framework. The wing ribs and spars slipped into pockets sewn to the underside of the covering. The wooden structure was not rigidly fastened together; it simply "floated" inside the pockets. Making the fabric, an integral part of the structure, eliminated the need for internal bracing, which saved weight and made the glider more resilient in a hard landing. The Wrights applied the fabric to the framework with the direction of the weave on the bias (at a 45-degree angle), which enhanced the ability of the wing to warp, while still adding stiffness to the structure.
4. GAL209_031219_23.JPG: 1902 Wright Glider (reproduction) The third in a series of gliders leading up to their powered airplane, the 1902 glider was the Wright brothers' most advanced yet. Reflecting their single, evolving design, it was again a biplane with a canard (forward) surface for pitch control and wing-warping for lateral control. But its longer, narrower wings, elliptical elevator, and vertical tail gave it a much more graceful, elegant appearance. Like the 1901 glider, this one also had a spruce framework supported within pockets sewn into its muslin fabric covering. The fabric was again applied on the bias (the direction of the weave at a 45-degree angle). The wings were rigged with a slight downward droop to counteract side-slipping due to crosswinds. Compared to their previous gliders, the Wrights' 1902 glider had a much thinner airfoil and longer and narrower wings, which their wind tunnel tests had shown to be more efficient. To improve lateral control, they added a fixed vertical rudder to the rear of the glider. They retained the reliable forward elevator for pitch control but made it elliptical in shape.
5. GAL209_031219_37.JPG: Aviation 1902-1908 After perfecting their aircraft in 1905, the Wright brothers did not fly at all in 1906 and 1907, as they turned their attention to securing their patent and finding customers for their invention. Even before their success at Kitty Hawk in 1903, information about the Wrights' developments began to circulate among the aeronautical community and filter to Europe. In 1906 and 1907, several Europeans made short, straight-line flights of comparable length to the Wrights' first powered flights. In North America, some notable successes were achieved by the Aerial Experiment Association. Formed by famed inventor Alexander Graham Bell in 1907, the A.E.A. built several powered aircraft, including the first airplane to fly in Canada, in 1909. The group included Glenn H. Curtiss, who went on to become the leading producer of aircraft in the United States before World War I.
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Description of Subject Matter: The Wright Brothers & The Invention of the Aerial Age
October 11, 2003 – March 27, 2022
To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Wright Brothers' historic first flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, on December 17, 1903, this exhibition presents the Wrights' technical achievements and examines the cultural impact of early powered flight. The centerpiece of the gallery is the original 1903 Wright Flyer, displayed on the ground for the first time since the Smithsonian acquired it in 1948. Also on view are 250 photographs and 150 other artifacts, including the stop watch used to time the first powered flights, a Wright wind tunnel test instrument used in unlocking the secrets of aerodynamics, a reproduction of the Wright Brothers' 1899 experimental kite, and full-size reproductions of their 1900 and 1902 experimental gliders.
Hands-on stations and interactive computer stations: both provide an understanding of flight
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Directly Related Pages: Other pages with content (DC -- Natl Air and Space Museum -- Gallery 209: (a) The Wright Brothers and Invention of the Aerial Age) directly related to this one: [Display ALL photos on one page]:
- 2013_DC_SIAIR_Gall209A: DC -- Natl Air and Space Museum -- Gallery 209: (a) Wright Brothers and Invention of the Aerial Age (24 photos from 2013)
- 2012_DC_SIAIR_Gall209A: DC -- Natl Air and Space Museum -- Gallery 209: (a) Wright Brothers and Invention of the Aerial Age (3 photos from 2012)
- 2010_DC_SIAIR_Gall209A: DC -- Natl Air and Space Museum -- Gallery 209: (a) Wright Brothers and Invention of the Aerial Age (22 photos from 2010)
- 2005_DC_SIAIR_Gall209A: DC -- Natl Air and Space Museum -- Gallery 209: (a) Wright Brothers and Invention of the Aerial Age (5 photos from 2005)
Same Subject: Click on this link to see coverage of items having the same subject: [(Smithsonian) Air and Space Museum (Everything)] [(Smithsonian) Air and Space Museum (Non-Events)] [Museums (History)]
2003 photos: Trips this year: Three-week trip this year out west, mostly in Utah. Equipment this year: I decided my Epson digital camera wasn't quite enough for what I wanted. Since I already had Compact Flash chips for it, I had to find another camera which used CF chips. That brought me to buy the Fujifilm S602 Zoom in March 2003. A great digital camera, I used it exclusively for an entire year. Number of photos taken this year: 68,000.
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