Making a Wright Flyer!

[Lee Schierer]

In case any of you missed it, both the Discovery Channel and the History Channel have had several special programs on the attempts being made by several groups around the country to re-create a 1903 Wright Flyer from scratch and make it fly. There are at least a half dozen groups doing this. The wood working skills and techniques they are showing during these presentations are awesome. It is also amazing at how strong these wooden flyers are during uncontrolled landings. Several of the groups have already test flown their craft and several more will try to duplicate the feat on December 14. Make sure you watch your local listings if you want to see these woodworking works of art.

[Doug Littlejohn]

Yes, a greatly educational and interesting show it was. I recorded it and then watched it when I had spare time.

Really glad I watched it.

[Chuck Wintle]

What was alsoe very interesting was one group had a motor manufactured to original specifications and they succeeded in getting it to run.

[Chuck Wintle]

A question...Do you think the skills needed to build a Wright Flyer are beyond those of the average woodworker? I found out that for a small fee all the measured drawings can be purchased from the Smithsonian Museum.

[Jason Roehl]

A question...Do you think the skills needed to build a Wright Flyer are beyond those of the average woodworker? I found out that for a small fee all the measured drawings can be purchased from the Smithsonian Museum.

I think the only AVERAGE woodworker out there is one who sets his/her sights too low. I also think the most important factor is, do YOU believe you could build it? If not, why bother? If yes, then by all means, go for it! The Wright brothers did it, and they were neither woodworkers nor pilots; just a couple of bike mechanics/builders.

[Howard Acheson]

Yes, you can purchase the drawings but I recommend you watch the show first. The drawing were done by the Smithsonian from a plane that had been wrecked, stored and flooded, and then reassembled by one of the Wright brothers. The show makes the point that there is a lot of info that is not included or clear. Even the original Wright brothers' notebook do not give many details.

The show also indicates that it was a very unstable plane and very dangerous to fly. The Wright brothers spend year prior the their powered flight, test flying a glider.

Perhaps even more important than there skills as engineers, was their skill as pilots was the conclusion of some.

[David Rose]

I think it was one of the woodworking mags that did a review/report on one of these a while back. One of the pilots was a jet test pilot, I believe. He said it was one of the toughest planes to fly that he had ever tried. That was interesting.

David


Yes, you can purchase the drawings but I recommend you watch the show first. The drawing were done by the Smithsonian from a plane that had been wrecked, stored and flooded, and then reassembled by one of the Wright brothers. The show makes the point that there is a lot of info that is not included or clear. Even the original Wright brothers' notebook do not give many details.

The show also indicates that it was a very unstable plane and very dangerous to fly. The Wright brothers spend year prior the their powered flight, test flying a glider.

Perhaps even more important than there skills as engineers, was their skill as pilots was the conclusion of some.

[Dave Richards]

As David said the Wright Flyer is one of the toughest planes to fly. Flight controls are far from what we would think of as conventional and there's no instructor around with an endorsement to give instruction in one.

I think it would be interesting to see one fly but I don't have any desire to fly one. I like my engine(s) in front or out on the wings; not behind me.

It is pretty amazing that these bicycle mechanics came up with a flying machine that worked and it wasn't that long ago. There are now airplanes that a longer than the Wright bothers first flight.

Bernoulli's String is to blame. :D

[Bart Leetch]

[QUOTE=Dave Richards]
I like my engine(s) in front or out on the wings; not behind me.

I could be wrong but aren't there still planes out there today that have the engines up & behind the cabin?

[Dave Richards]

Bart, there are a few. Mostly amphibians like the Lakes. I don't care much for them either. Pilot and crew are first to the scene of the accident followed closely by the engine and prop.

Reminds me of a little French plane from around WW1. It used a radial engine called a le Rhone C9. The shaft was attached to the plane while the engine was attached to the prop. Supposedly this was to provide better circulation around the cylinders. The engine was also behind the pilot right near the center of gravity. Due to the the effects of gyroscopic precession, when the pilot tried to turn the plane one way with would climb. Turning the other way, it would dive. Pull the stick to initiate a climb and the plane would roll into a bank. Push the stick and it would roll the other way.

There weren't many pilots who got to fly them a second time from what I understand. Seems they were lucky to walk away from them after landing.

[Lee Schierer]

The University of Utah built a Wright flyer using modern technology. They made some changes based on what we know about flying today so their airfoi, pilot positionl, engine location and engine were different than the Wrights used. However, the plane they made, lifted off on the first attempt and was pretty stable in flight. They were able to do a figure 8 and had it going 50 mph and covered over four miles in the air.

Still the crop duster pilot said compared to a regular plane it required a great deal of work.

As far as building a flyer as a woodworker, you would also need skills as a metal smith and seamstress.

[Dave Richards]

That lets me out. I can't even mend a hole in a sock! :D

[Rob Croke]

My father in law has been building replicas of various Wright Flyers for years. He takes his planes to airshows around the country and will be in Kitty Hawk on the 14th. He takes a great deal of pride in his planes (and the fact that his two man, low budget shop has built several flying replicas where the big operations have failed).

The planes are amazing to see. There is a lot of woodworking involved, however, as Lee mentioned other skills are required. The most important is a expert knowledge of how a plane should feel and react. The Wrights had an almost paranoid desire to guard their invention and most of the notes/drawings and other information available is wrong or incomplete. This is why there are so few flying replicas. His planes are the result of hundreds of trips down a runway feeling out the plane, and making modifications, before ever attempting to get airborne.

The following link shows some pictures of a 1911 EX replica he built, the 1911EX is a late model Wright flyer and the first to aircraft to cross the country. Since he flys this plane fairly frequently, he has made some safety modifications (though it still scares the heck out of us to see him fly it).

http://www.first-to-fly.com/Adventure/Hangar/1911vinfiz.htm