Existing comment:
1910 Wright Model "B" Aeroplane:
In order to construct an exact reproduction of a 1910 Wright Model "B", it took over 20 years of painstaking research, experience, careful documentation and authentication by its builder, Ken Hyde, who is the owner of the Virginia Aeroplane and Machine Company of Warrenton, Virginia.
This 1910 Wright Model "B" Reproduction was built to the standards of the original, using the same materials, construction techniques, and finishes as those employed by Orville and Wilbur Wright with the exception of a nonoperating engine and the covering of a balloon cotton fabric as opposed to the original rubberized fabric.
The original 1910 Wright Model "B" was constructed of West Virginia white spruce wood coated with aluminum powder, which gives the wood a metal-looking finish that many mistakenly think is aluminum. It weighed 950 pounds empty; had a wingspan of 38 feet 6 inches, and was powered by a 30-35 hp 4-cylinder water-cooled Wright engine driving twin counter-rotating 8 feet 6 inch propellers at 428 rpm. The dual rudder and elevator were located in the tail section of the aircraft. The elevator was not hinged but warped. The airplane took off at 27 mph and cruised at approximately 40 mph. The airplane was equipped with dual control. The elevator control was operated by the pilot in the left seat with his left hand and his right hand operated the rudder and wing-warping control located between the two pilots. This arrangement created a problem in that the pilot in the right-hand seat was forced to operate the rudder and wing-warping control with his left hand and the elevator control with his right hand. This resulted in what was referred to as right- and left-seat pilots. This problem was corrected in 1912 with the installation of an additional rudder/wing-warping control level. |