Wright Brothers

https://www.nps.gov/wrbr/index.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wright_Brothers_National_Memorial Wright Brothers National Memorial, located in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina, commemorates the first successful, sustained, powered flights in a heavier-than-air machine. From 1900 to 1903, Wilbur and Orville Wright came here from Dayton, Ohio, based on information from the U.S. Weather Bureau about the area's steady winds. They also valued the privacy provided by this location, which in the early twentieth century was remote from major population centers. Wind, sand, and a dream of flight brought Wilbur and Orville Wright to Kitty Hawk, North Carolina where, after four years of scientific experimentation, they achieved the first successful airplane flights on December 17, 1903. With courage and perseverance, these self-taught engineers relied on teamwork and application of the scientific process. What they achieved changed our world forever. Wright Brothers National Memorial is located along US 158 in the town of Kill Devil Hills on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Wright Brothers Visitor Center and Museum The visitor center at Wright Brothers National Memorial is the best place to start your visit to the national park. The visitor center offers trip planning information, a park store, and detailed hands-on exhibits that bring the invention of the Wright Brothers to life. Not to miss, is the reproduction 1903 flyer in the Flight Room. Here, you can see up-close what the flyer looked like, and explore the workings of powered flight. The Wright Brothers Visitor Center is located to the northwest of the main parking lot after entering the park. The park entrance is along US 158 in Kill Devil Kills, a town on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. First Flight Orville takes to the air in the flyer for the first time as Wilbur assists. Orville takes to the air in the flyer for the first time on December 17, 1903. Busts and Moon Copper busts of the two brothers with the moon visible in the blue sky. Copper busts of Wilbur and Orville Wright stand atop Big Kill Devil Hill. First Flight Boulder The large boulder and plaque sit where the Wright brothers first flew in their 1903 flyer. This boulder marks the spot where the Wright brothers first flew in their 1903 flyer. Walking Along History Visitors walk along the flight line where Wilbur and Orville Wright flew and landed. Visitors explore the landing spots of the Wright brothers' first flights. Wright Brothers Monument View straight up at the monument with the Sun directly behind the stonework. Black-and-white image of the Wright Brothers Monument National Aviation Day Two young girls look across the grounds of Wright Brothers National Memorial. Visitors enjoy celebrating aviation where modern aviation was born. Journey to the Top Visitors moving along a sidewalk to the top of the hill where the monument stands. Visitors climb Big Kill Devil Hill to visit the Wright Brothers Monument. NPS Geodiversity Atlas—Wright Brothers National Memorial, North Carolina Each park-specific page in the NPS Geodiversity Atlas provides basic information on the significant geologic features and processes occurring in the park. [Site Under Development] Big Kill Devil Hill and surrounding grounds Commemorating the Wright Brothers at Kitty Hawk The commemoration of the Wright brothers achievements at Kitty Hawk is in many ways as fascinating as the brothers' achievements themselves. L to R- Orville Wright, Hiram Bingham, Amelia Earhart in front of boulder, 1928 Road to First Flight The Wright brothers stayed at Kitty Hawk intermittently from 1900 to 1903, perfecting their flying experiments. Wright glider being used as a kite- Kitty Hawk, 1901 The Fundamentals of Flight A description of lift, thrust, and control, three elements for a successful flight. Illustration of aircraft showing principles of lift The Wright Flyer The Wright Flyer, the world's first successful airplane. Wright Flyer viewed from the left- Kitty Hawk, 1903 Intern Addresses Fire Protection and Life Safety Issues at Cape Hatteras National Seashore NPS structural fire intern learned about sprinkler system installation and operation, inventoried fire protection systems, and uploaded info to a database. The First Flight The Wright brothers achieve the world's first powered flight. The Wright Flyer lifts off with Orville piloting and Wilbur running alongside- Kitty Hawk, 1903 Historic Aviation Places The nation's remarkable aviation history is reflected in numerous districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. Article discusses early aviation in the U.S., with ballooning, and two sites affiliated with the Wright brothers--Dayton Aviation Heritage NHP and Wright Brothers National Memorial. A small plane flies over a group of people looking at it Wright Brothers Monument Perched atop Big Kill Devil Hill, the Wright Brothers Monument is one of the most iconic features of both Wright Brothers National Memorial and the Outer Banks. The architectural firm, Rodgers & Poor, designed the monument in 1928, and Orville Wright himself attended the dedication ceremony upon its completion in 1932. Artist's sketch of the monument design. Guide to the Thomas J. Allen Photograph Collection Finding aid for the Thomas J. Allen Photographs in the NPS History Collection. 50 Nifty Finds #19: A Lens on History Ezra B. Thompson was a well-respected commercial photographer, lecturer, government employee, and contractor. He was also the first employee to make motion pictures for the US government. His films and other media were shown everywhere from international expositions to local libraries with equal amazement. For more than 40 years he used his cameras to capture the spectacular and the ordinary. How is it then that his negatives ended up in an estate sale in the 1970s? Old-fashioned van for E.B. Thompson's business Updated Species Database Will Help Boost Amphibian Conservation Across the National Park System To steward amphibians effectively, managers need basic information about which species live in parks. But species lists need constant maintenance to remain accurate. Due to recent efforts, the National Park Service now has an up-to-date amphibian species checklist for almost 300 parks. This information can serve as the basis for innumerable conservation efforts across the nation. A toad sits on red sand, looking into the camera.

Old Point Comfort CAPE HENRY Norfolk Virginia Beach G R E A T D I S M A L VIRGINIA NORTH CAROLINA S W A M P Corolla T E O U Pas qu R r ive kR an ot Elizabeth City Duck Kitty Hawk B E M A R L E A L S O Kill Devil Hills U N D Manteo Nags Head Wanchese Roanoke Island Oregon Inlet Pea Island New Inlet Rodanthe D N S P A M L I C O U Avon O Buxton Frisco Hatteras Hatteras Inlet Ocracoke CAPE HATTERAS Wilbur Wright’s 1900 route Village U.S. Lifesaving Station Lighthouse North CAPE LOOKOUT B A N K S Hatteras Island 0 10 Kilometers 0 10 Miles 

Roanoke Island Albemarle Sound Roanoke Sound Colington Island Kill Devil Hills U.S. Lifesaving Station Coling ton Kill Devil Hills Currituck Sound Kitty Hawk Bay Creek Wright Brothers Camp KITTY HAWK Kitty Hawk U.S. Lifesaving Station/ U.S. Weather Station Atlantic Ocean 

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National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Wright Brothers National Memorial Junior Flight Ranger Activity Book Welcome to Wright Brothers National Memorial! Complete the pages and activities for your age group and attend a ranger program to become a Junior Flight Ranger! Ages 6 and under: Pages 1-3. Ages 7-11: Pages 1-7. Ages 12 and up: Pages 1 & 5-14. What did you learn? If a ranger program is offered during your visit, attend the program and then draw or write one thing you learned from the program. Protecting Special Places Each item on the National Park Service arrowhead symbolizes something that the National Park Service was created to protect. The SEQUOIA TREE and BISON represent plants and wildlife. The MOUNTAIN and LAKE represent scenery and places for recreation. The shape of the ARROWHEAD represents culture, history, and archeology. What do you think is worth protecting? Use your imagination to design your own arrowhead filled with things you want to protect! 1 Kitty Hawk Bingo As you walk throughout the park, look for these items. When you see one, circle it. Find three in a row or all four corners to complete the activity. First Flight Plaque Monument Reproduction 1903 Flyer Reconstructed Hangar NPS Arrowhead A Bird Orville Wright American Flag Flight Marker 2 Let’s Go Camping Visit the reconstructed camp building and hangar from 1903. On the left is the hangar where the Wright Flyer was stored to protect it from the wind, sand, and harsh weather of the Outer Banks. On the right is a workshop and living quarters where Wilbur and Orville slept, made meals, and worked on their machines. Take a look inside the buildings, and imagine what it would have been like to stay here with Wilbur and Orville during their years in Kitty Hawk. Think of three items you would bring with you from home and explain why. 1. 2. 3. Bonus! What do you think camp life was like for Wilbur and Orville? Would you want to live in these same conditions, why or why not? 3 Parts of a Flyer Use the image and descriptions below to label the parts of the 1903 Wright Flyer. If you get stuck, look at the park brochure or visit the Flight Room to see a reproduction of the flyer. 1. _____ 2. ____ 3. _____ 5. ____ 4. _____ A. The rudder controls the yaw, or right and left movement, of the aircraft from the back of the flyer. B. Wilbur and Orville designed propellers for the back of their flyer to provide the thrust they needed to get into the air. They dismissed the idea of a propeller as an “air screw,” like a ship propeller, and instead saw it as a wing that rotates. C. The bracing wires enforce the separate parts of the flyer ensuring that the more fragile wooden parts would not easily break during flight. D. The wings, made of Muslin Cotton, were designed using the information Wilbur and Orville gathered from their extensive wind tunnel testing. E. The elevator controls the pitch. This helps the flyer go up or down during flight. 4 The Wright Timeline Wilbur and Orville visited the Outer Banks for a few years before their first flight. Create a timeline of Wilbur and Orville’s flying experiments by matching the letter of the following events with the years when they took place. Hint: Use the pictures of the flying machines below the dates to help you figure out what happened when. 1899 —— 1900 —— 1901 —— 1902 —— 1903 —— A. Wilbur and Orville tested their first glider in the strong winds of Kitty Hawk. B. On the morning of December 17, 1903 the Wright brothers made the first successful power driven flight in world history in their Wright Flyer. C. This glider was the first to use a moveable tail called a rudder. This allowed them to control the yaw (side to side motion) and perform a full turn. They tested it 1000 times! D. Wilbur and Orville first began their journey by testing a small kite in Dayton, Ohio. E. This was the second glider the Wright brothers built and it had many problems with lift and control. 5 Going the Distance Today, the historic location where Wilbur and Orville made the first flights is marked by the First Flight Boulder and Flight Line. The boulder marks where the first flight took off and the numbered stones of the flight line mark the distance of each flight. Take a walk along the path of the first four flights, and at each landing marker find the information you need to finish the chart below. Flight Distance Time Pilot #1 120 feet _________ ________ #2 _________ 12 seconds ________ #3 _________ _________ Orville #4 _________ 59 seconds ________ Now that you’ve found the times and distances of the flights, let’s talk about speed! Airspeed is the speed of an airplane in relation to the wind around it. You can find the airspeed by adding the ground speed and the speed of the wind together. The speed of the 1st flight over the ground was only 6.8 mph. However, Wilbur and Orville flew directly into a wind that was blowing at about 27 mph.