Wright Brothers

Wright Brothers Wright Brothers National Memorial North Carolina National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior S M I T H S O N I A N INSTITUTION TcMDevffi The Wright Cycle Company occupied part of this building in Dayton, Ohio, where Orville (right) and friend Ed Sines are shown working in 1897. U8RARY OF CONGRESS The Wrights learned to fly on a stretch of beach near the Kill Devil Hills. It provided We Take to the Air" isolation, high dunes, strong winds, and soft landings. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS At their 1902 camp the Wrights shared their living quarters with the glider. They slept aloft in burlap slings hung from the rafters. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS The Wrights of Dayton In the early 1890s the Wright brothers had settled into a respectable life as proprietors of a small business in Dayton, Ohio. But the Wright brothers nurtured a dream, which at the time was barely respectable: the possibility of human flight. Wilbur, four years older, was quiet and intense, a dreamer who could lose himself in books. Orville was outgoing, talkative, and an immaculate dresser. Both combined intuitive mechanical ability with analytical intelligence. In 1892 they opened a bicycle shop. While they prospered in their business, they were restless, especially Wilbur. Their energies focused on two events of 1896: the death of Otto In 1908 and 1909, the Wrights performed for awestruck crowds in America and Europe. Lilienthal, German glider The brothers dressed in coats and ties that experimenter, in a flyDecember morning—a touch of private ing accident, and the ceremony for an event that would alter the successful unmanned powered model flights world. The pools around their camp were icing up, and the break in the weather of Samuel Langley. might be their last chance of the season. The Wrights' serious Words were impossible over the engine's work in aeronautics roar so they shook hands, and Orville began in 1899 when positioned himself in the flyer. Wilbur wrote the Smithsonian Institution for literature. Dismayed On this remote, sandy beach, in 1903, that so many great Orville broke our human bond with Earth. minds had made so litHe flew. It lasted only 12 seconds, and the tle progress, the brothers were exhilarated by distance of the flight was less than the the realization that they length of an airliner. But for the first had as much chance as time, a manned, heavier-than-air maanyone of succeeding. Wilbur took the lead in chine left the ground by its own power, the early stages of their moved forward under control without work, but Orville was losing speed, and landed on a point as soon drawn in as an high as that from which it started. Within equal collaborator. They the next t w o generations, people flew for developed their own routine travel, heard an aircraft break the theories, and for the next four years devoted sound barrier, and watched a man walk themselves to the goal on the moon. of human flight. The Wrights labored in relative obscurity, while the experiments of Samuel Langley of the Smithsonian Institution were followed in the press and underwritten by the U.S. Department of War. Yet Langley, as others before him, had failed to achieve powered flight. They relied on brute power to keep their theoretically stable machines aloft, sending along a hapless passenger and hoping for the best. It was the Wrights' genius to see that humans would have to fly their machines, that the problems of flight could not be soived from the ground. In Wilbur's words, "It is possible to fly without motors, but not without knowledge and skill." With over a thousand glides from the top of Kill Devil Hill, the Wrights made themselves the first true pilots. These flying skills were a crucial component of their invention. Before they ever attempted powered flight, the Wright brothers were masters of the air. Planning Your Visit highly exposed to lightning. Bicycles are permitted only on established roads, not on paths, and skateboards are prohibited. First Flight Airstrip This 3,000-foot paved airstrip accommodates small First Flight Boulder Wright Brothers planes. Parking at the Monument limited tie-down area is restricted to 24 consecuCentennial Pavilion The tive hours or a total of 48 hours in any 30-day pavilion has films, educational programs, a gift period. Pilots staying longer may tie down at shop, and exhibits on the Dare County Regionthe Outer Banks, the al Airport; gas and rentevolution of aviation, and challenges of flight. al cars are available. Open daily, except December 25. Getting Here Wright Reconstructed 1903 Hangar and Quarters/ Brothers National MeWorkshop morial is on the Outer For Your Safety Please use caution. Remember, Banks of North Carolina in the town of Kill Devil your safety is your responsibility. Stay on the Hills, about midway bepaths to help protect Kill tween Kitty Hawk and Nags Head on U.S. 158, Devil Hill and to avoid between mileposts 7 sand spurs and prickly and 8. pear cactus. Be aware that Kill Devil Hill is December 17, 1903 Sculpture The First Four Flights up the Hudson to Grant's Tomb and back (left)- At Pau, France, (above) the 1908 Flyer soars over nervous horses. S M I T H S O N I A N INSTITUTION S M I T H S O N I A N INSTITUTION pilot had flown for over 20 minutes. That year the Wrights signed a contract with the U.S. Army and France and showed the world what they could do—Wilbur in France, Orville in America. After Wilbur flew a circle under good lateral control and landed gently, no one questioned that the Wrights had truly mastered flight. The French attempts were shaky, barely on the edge of control. What Wilbur had done was effortless, graceful, decisive. In other flights he flew over two hours and reached an altitude of 360 feet, demonstrating the Flyer's reliability and endurance. "We are as children compared with the Wrights," said one French pilot. Showing the World They have done it! Damned if they ain't flew!" said a witness to the first human flight. But so often had this claim proven hollow that the public was skeptical of yet another, especially after the spectacular failure of Langley's flying machine nine days earlier. Undaunted, the Wrights built an improved flyer and refined their flying skills over a field in Ohio, making 105 flights in 1904. In the 1905 Flyer—the first practical airplane— circling flights of up to 38 minutes became routine. But when the Wrights offered the Flyer to the U.S. Army, that nstitution, dubious of their achievement, Orville and Wilbur Wright W R I G H T STATE UNIVERSITY Visitor Center Start at the visitor center for information, exhibits, and a bookstore. Exhibits and interpretive programs tell the Wright brothers' story, and you can see full-scale reproductions of the 1902 glider and the 1903 flying machine. Open daily, except December 25. Hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers cheered Wilbur's 20-mile circuit from Governors Island Touring the Park First Flight Boulder and First Flight Markers. A granite boulder marks the spot where the first plane left the ground on December 17, 1903. Smaller stone markers chart the paths, distances, and landings of the four flights. OKELLY CULPEPPER 12 seconds © 120 feet 12 seconds © 175 feet (3)15 seconds 200 feet Wright Brothers Monument. The 60foot monument atop Kill Devil Hill honors the Wright brothers and marks the site of the hundreds of glider flights that preceded the first powered flight. Grass stabilizes the 90foot sand dune. Reconstructed 1903 Hangar and Quarters! Workshop. The building on the left depicts the hangar the Wright brothers used for their 1903 flyer. The building on the right is similar to their workshop and living quarters. It is furnished with items like the Wrights used when they were here. December 17, 1903 Sculpture. This lifesized artwork by Stephen H. Smith recreates the historic event. The Flyer is made of stainless steel and weighs 10,000 pounds. More Information Wright Brothers National Memorial is one of over 390 parks in the National Park System. The National Park Service cares for these special places so that all may experience our heritage. Visit www.nps.gov. Outer Banks Group 1401 National Park Drive Manteo, NC 27954 252-473-2111 refused to meet with the brothers. Unwilling to show their control system without a contract in hand, the Wrights did not fly for another three years. Despite the break in progress, the gap between the Wrights and European aviators remained substantial. After 1903, the French built flyers based on the Wright 1902 Glider. But by 1906 none had remained aloft for more than a few seconds of ragged flight. Not until 1907 did a European plane stay in the air as long as the Wrights had in 1903. But the Wrights' refusal to fly caused even early believers to doubt their success. By 1908 a French By 1910 the rest of the world had caught up. The French introduced refinements to the Wright design: monoplane wings, closed body, front propeller, rear elevator, single stick control, wheels, and ailerons. But the principle behind the Wrights' control system was unchanged. A 1911 Wright Model B (below) reflecting some of these changes is the prototype for planes today. Solving the Problems of Flight Principles of Flight. Any aircraft design has to solve three critical problems: lift—generating an tip ward force greater than the weight of the plane; thrust—propelling the plane forward; and control—stabilizing and d recting the plane's flight. Any number of approaches can achieve these results, but natural selection eliminated the early designs that failed to meet the requirements of efficiency, reliability, and dura bility. The design rapidly evolved into the familiar, basic configuration that virtually all airplanes share. Lift Air passing over the arched, or cambered, upper surface of a w i n g (A) must travel farther than the air passing beneath the w i n g . So, it has t o move faster, making the air pres- sure drop relative t o the pressure under the w i n g . Upward lift (B) is created. The degree of curvature of the upper surface and the ratio of the w i n g span t o its chord (distance f r o m the f r o n t t o the back of the wing) (C) affect lift. The angle of attackthe angle at which the w i n g meets the air (D)—also affects lift. The greater the angle, the greater the lift—up t o a point. Pasta certain angle, the smooth f l o w of the air over the w i n g suddenly becomes turbulent (E) and stalling occurs. That is, lift is lost. A t higher speeds, less angle is needed t o generate the same amount of lift. Control A w i n g is inherently unstable fore-and-aft. This is because lift(B) is greatest behind the center of gravity (F), making the w i n g rotate around t h a t point. The nose pitch- es d o w n , the tail comes up. To counteract this, the horizontal stabilizer (G) acts as an inverted w i n g , creating negative lift t o hold the tail d o w n . Lateral stability of the plane is affected by the amount of dihedral (H), the deflection f r o m horizontal built into the wings. Movable control surfaces produce the three movements needed for maintaining con- trol of the aircraft and changing direct i o n . The elevator (I) produces pitch (up and d o w n movement of the nose), for longitudinal control. Ailerons (J) produce roll (rotation of the wings), for lateral control. The rudder (K) produces yaw (right and left movement), for directional control. These movements in combination t u r n the aircraft. Thrust Just as air f l o w over the wings generates lift, air f l o w over the rapidly turning blades of a propeller-driven plane produces thrust, or f o r w a r d motion. Each blade of the propeller acts as a small airfoil, or w i n g . As the blade rotates, air flows over its curved surface. The resulting horizontal " l i f t " propels the aircraft forward. Because the velocity of the blade increases f r o m hub t o tip, the blade is twisted, providing the most efficient angle of attack at each point along its length. Predecessors Alphonse Penaud (1850-80) built a rubber band powered "planophore" model. Its 131-foot flight was the first of an inherently stable aircraft. George Cayley (1773-1857) was the father of aerodynamics. His 1804 glider model incorporated most design elements of a modern airplane. N A T I O N A L PORTRAIT GALLERY, L O N D O N Otto Lilienthal (1848 96) was the first true glider pilot. Inspired, the Wrights took up his quest to get on "intimate terms with the wind." MUSEE DE L'AIR ET DE L'ESPACE Octave Chanute (1832-1910) gathered and disseminated aeronautical knowledge. He encouraged the Wrights, who used his biplane glider design. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS SMITHSONLAN INSTITUTION LIBRARY OF CONGRESS The W r i g h t s : M e t h o d a n d Inspiration 1899 1900 1901 Experiments in wing-warping Glider flown like a kite Increased camber and wingspan The Wrights knew that the solutions to lift and propulsion needed refining, but no one had achieved lateral control. Rejecting the principle of inherent stability—the conventional wisdom—they wanted control to depend on the pilot. Wilbur hit upon the idea of warping the wings—sparked by watching birds and idly twisting a box—to rotate the wings and stabilize flight. They tested wing-warping—the forerunner of ailerons—on a five-foot biplane kite. Confident their design was sound, the Wrights built a 17-foot glider with an unusual forward elevator. They went to Kitty Hawk hoping to gain flying experience, but the wings generated less lift than expected, and they flew the glider mostly as a kite, working the control surfaces from the ground. Wilbur's time aloft in free flight totalled only 10 seconds. They went home somewhat discouraged, but convinced they had achieved lateral and longitudinal control. This was the year the Wrights sharpened their focus. Trying to overcome the lift problem, they increased the camber of the 1901 Glider. They also lengthened its wingspan to 22 feet, making it the largest glider anyone had attempted to fly. But at their new Kill Devil Hills camp, lift was still only a third of that predicted by the Lilienthal data upon which the wing design was based. And the Glider pitched wildly, climbing into stalls. When they returned to the earlier camber, they 1902 achieved longitudinal control and eventually glided 335 feet. But the machine was still unpre dictable. When the pilot raised the left wing to initiate the expected right turn, the machine instead tended to slip to the left (adverse yaw). This failure, and the realization that their work had relied on false data, brought them to the point of quitting. Instead they built a wind tunnel and produced their own data. he 1902 Glider embodied the Wrights' research. They gave it 32-foot wings and added vertical tails to counteract adverse yaw. The pilot moved a hip cradle to warp the wings. Some 400 glides proved the design workable, but still flawed. Sometimes, when the pilot tried to raise the lowered wing to come out of a turn, the machine instead slid sideways toward the wing and spun into the ground. Orville suggested a movable tail to counteract this tendency. After Wilbur thought to link the tail movement to the warping mechanism, the Glider could be turned and stabilized smoothly. If others had thought about steering at all, it was by rudder—a marine analogy unworkable in the air. The Wrights saw that control and stability were related, that a plane turned by rolling. Six hundred more glides that year satisfied them that they had the first working airplane. AGPO:2007—330-358/00798 Reprint 2007 Printed on recycled paper. December 17,1903 1903 Now the Wrights had to power their aircraft. Gasoline engine technology had recently advanced to where its use in airplanes was feasible. Unable to find a suitable lightweight commercial engine, the brothers designed their own. It was cruder and less powerful than Samuel Langley's, but the Wrights understood that relatively little power was needed with efficient lifting surfaces and propellers. Such propellers were not available, however. Scant relevant data could be derived from marine propeller theory. Using their air tunnel data, they designed the first effective .airplane propeller, one of their most original and purely scientific achievements. .~„ Returning to Kill Devil Hills, they mounted the engine on the new 40-foot, 605-pound Flyer with double tails and elevators. The engine drove two pusher propellers with chains, one crossed to make the props rotate in opposite directions to counteract a twisting tendency in flight. A balky engine and broken propeller shafts slowed them, until they were finally . ready on December 14. Wilbur won the coin toss, but lost his chance to be the first to fly when he oversteered with the elevator after leaving the launching rail. The Flyer climbed -: too steeply, stalled, and dove into the sand.' The first flight would have to wait for repairs. S M I T H S O N I A N INSTITUTION Propellers The Wrights dismissed the traditional view of a propeller as an "air screw," seeing it instead as a rotary wing. Three days later, they were ready for the second attempt. The 27-mph wind was harder than they preferred, because their predicted cruising speed was only 30 to 35 mph. The headwind would slow their groundspeed to a crawl, but they proceeded anyway. With a sheet they signaled the volunteers from the nearby lifesaving station that they were about to try again. Now it was Orville's turn. Remembering Wilbur's experience, he positioned himself and tested the controls. The stick that moved the horizontal elevator controlled climb and descent. The cradle that he swung with his hips warped the wings and swung the vertical tails, which in combination turned the machine. A lever controlled the gas flow and airspeed recorder. The controls were simple and few, but Orville knew it would take all his f i nesse to handle the new and heavier aircraft. At 10:35 he released the restraining wire. The flyer moved down the rail as Wilbur steadied the wings. As Orville left the ground, John Daniels from the lifesaving station snapped the shutter on a preset camera, capturing the image of the airborne aircraft with Wilbur running alongside. Again the flyer was unruly, pitching up and down as Orville overcompensated with the controls. But he kept it aloft until it hit the sand about 120 feet from the rail. Into the 27-mph wind the ground speed had been 6.8 mph, for a total airspeed of 34 mph. The brothers took turns flying three more times that day, getting a feel for the controls and ncreasing their distance with each flight. Wilbur's second flight—the fourth and last of the day—was impressive: 852 feet in 59 seconds. This was the real thing, transcending the powered hops and glides others had achieved. The Wright machine had flown. But it would not fly again, after the last flight it was caught by a gust of wind, rolled over, and damaged be- . yond easy repair. Their flying season over, the Wrights sent their father a matter-of-fact telegram reporting the modest numbers behind their epochal achievement. _ -". ."'*/ STRATION NPS/RICHARD SCHLECHT 59 seconds 852 feet