Source: David McCullough. The Wright Brothers (2015)
In the year 1903, Dayton (OH) reached a population of 100,000. Nationally, employment was up (New York's unemployment rate was near 0%), wages were rising, the economy was expanding, and the national budget had a surplus of $45 million . . . Theodore Roosevelt was President (pictured with John Muir at Glacier Point at Yosemite in 1903), a majority of Americans had an encouraging outlook for the future, both their own and the nation's, and America wasn't at war (excepting the Filipino Insurrection). It was amid this landscape that more-and-more Americans were wondering why as of yet there wasn't human flight.
The Wright Brothers had requested light engines, but the only one they received was too heavy; once again Wilbur and Orville had to solve a problem on their own without much experience. Thankfully for the Wright Brothers, they had Charlie Taylor in their employ, who was a brilliant mechanic. Without any experience with gasoline engines, Taylor built a four cylinder motor (4 inch bore, 4 inch stroke) that was designed to deliver 8 horsepower, weigh no more than 200 pounds, and carry 675 pounds. The engine that Taylor built only weighed 152 pounds due to the cast aluminum engine block; the first engine's block cracked, but that turned out to be a blessing in that Taylor's second engine delivered 12 horsepower.
The Wright Brothers had requested light engines, but the only one they received was too heavy; once again Wilbur and Orville had to solve a problem on their own without much experience. Thankfully for the Wright Brothers, they had Charlie Taylor in their employ, who was a brilliant mechanic. Without any experience with gasoline engines, Taylor built a four cylinder motor (4 inch bore, 4 inch stroke) that was designed to deliver 8 horsepower, weigh no more than 200 pounds, and carry 675 pounds. The engine that Taylor built only weighed 152 pounds due to the cast aluminum engine block; the first engine's block cracked, but that turned out to be a blessing in that Taylor's second engine delivered 12 horsepower.
The propellers were the biggest challenge for the Wright Brothers, and they were truly on their own to solve that problem. There was no existing data on propellers, not even screw propellers with the Navy. Wilbur and Orville eventually viewed the propeller as an airplane wing traveling in a spiral course, which meant they could make calculations and collect data. The Wright Brothers found that the only way to really test a propeller was to try it with their flying machine. They positioned the propellers behind the operator, between the two wings, with one turning clockwise, and the other counter-clockwise, so the gyroscopic action of one propeller would counter the other.
Making the propellers with the proper diameter, pitch and surface area didn't cause that many problems. Each propeller was totally unique, crafted by hand, 8 feet in diameter and made of 3 spruce laminations glued together. The flying machine would be on skids with the operator (pilot) prone in the middle of the lower wing. The motor and the radiator were positioned beside the pilot on the right, with the one gallon gas tank located in the upper left relative to the operator.
Making the propellers with the proper diameter, pitch and surface area didn't cause that many problems. Each propeller was totally unique, crafted by hand, 8 feet in diameter and made of 3 spruce laminations glued together. The flying machine would be on skids with the operator (pilot) prone in the middle of the lower wing. The motor and the radiator were positioned beside the pilot on the right, with the one gallon gas tank located in the upper left relative to the operator.
On 23 March 1903, the Wright Brothers applied for patents for their flying machine, rudder, and wing-warping technology. Octave Chanute, now back in France, was exaggerating his influence with the Wright Brothers, claiming they were carrying out his instructions, teacher-to-pupils. Chanute also put out much of the information that the Wright Brothers had worked hard to gain, which accelerated French aviation. When the Wright Brothers found out what Chanute had been doing, they felt justifiably betrayed. Interestingly, more-and-more French citizens were asking why their nation and government was playing catch-up to a couple of bicycle mechanics from America.
On 14 July 1903, news came that Samuel Pierpont Langley was to test his "latest contrivance" near Quantico in Virginia. Langley's "Great Aerodrome" was a "full-fledged airship", motor-powered, and to that point had cost $50,000 in public funds from the Smithsonian Institute and the War Department (others, including Alexander Graham Bell, and Langley himself, contributed an additional $20,000). There were reporters aplenty, as well as many regular citizens, on the shores and hills alongside the Potomac, and they couldn't miss seeing something with wings on top of a big houseboat in the river. On 8 August 1903, after some bad weather, Langley conducted a test flight, not with his "Great Aerodrome", but with an unmanned quarter-scale replica. The smaller aircraft was launched from the houseboat and traveled 1000 feet before crashing in the Potomac. (Pictured above: Langley's "Great Aerodrome" on top of the houseboat in the Potomac River)
On 14 July 1903, news came that Samuel Pierpont Langley was to test his "latest contrivance" near Quantico in Virginia. Langley's "Great Aerodrome" was a "full-fledged airship", motor-powered, and to that point had cost $50,000 in public funds from the Smithsonian Institute and the War Department (others, including Alexander Graham Bell, and Langley himself, contributed an additional $20,000). There were reporters aplenty, as well as many regular citizens, on the shores and hills alongside the Potomac, and they couldn't miss seeing something with wings on top of a big houseboat in the river. On 8 August 1903, after some bad weather, Langley conducted a test flight, not with his "Great Aerodrome", but with an unmanned quarter-scale replica. The smaller aircraft was launched from the houseboat and traveled 1000 feet before crashing in the Potomac. (Pictured above: Langley's "Great Aerodrome" on top of the houseboat in the Potomac River)
The Wright Brothers kept working on what they called their "Whopper Flying Machine" in the summer of 1903, but they were unable to assemble the entire flyer in Dayton since there wasn't enough room to do so. Therefore, Wilbur and Orville needed to carefully pack their flyer so the parts would arrive at Kitty Hawk (NC) undamaged. On 18 September 1903, everything was in crates and on a train leaving Dayton; the Wright Brothers left on another train five days later. Once settled in their camp, Wilbur and Orville loved Kitty Hawk's solitude. The Wright Brothers had 75 successful glides as a prelude to their first serious attempt at flight, but a storm with very strong winds hit the Outer Banks, which delayed their timetable.
On 7 October 1903, Langley's "Great Aerodrome", with a wingspan of 48 feet and a pilot, launched from the houseboat on the Potomac, and dove straight into the river (the pilot was not injured). When the Wright Brothers were informed of Langley's failure, they felt that it was now their turn. Delaying the Wright Brothers further was their engine: it wasn't until November that the Wright Brothers were able to fine-tune their motor to run with minimal vibration. The Wright Brothers flyer would be launched on a single wooden track 60 feet long, which cost a total of $4. Newer propeller shafts arrived, made of larger and heavier steel tubing courtesy of Charlie Taylor, who remained in Dayton, but the propellers cracked during indoor tests . . . Orville left for Dayton to help Taylor with the replacement propellers.
On 7 October 1903, Langley's "Great Aerodrome", with a wingspan of 48 feet and a pilot, launched from the houseboat on the Potomac, and dove straight into the river (the pilot was not injured). When the Wright Brothers were informed of Langley's failure, they felt that it was now their turn. Delaying the Wright Brothers further was their engine: it wasn't until November that the Wright Brothers were able to fine-tune their motor to run with minimal vibration. The Wright Brothers flyer would be launched on a single wooden track 60 feet long, which cost a total of $4. Newer propeller shafts arrived, made of larger and heavier steel tubing courtesy of Charlie Taylor, who remained in Dayton, but the propellers cracked during indoor tests . . . Orville left for Dayton to help Taylor with the replacement propellers.
On 8 December 1903, Langley’s much derided aerodrome was ready to go for another test flight. Langley's "Great Aerodrome" was launched and went nose-up as it tried to fly, and then collapsed in on itself and crashed into the Potomac. The media reaction was vitriolic, and Langley's public humiliation was great; he died in 1906, never being able to overcome his "Failure in Flight" (the surviving pilot, Charles Manly, didn't suffer any negative publicity to his reputation). Orville heard about Langley's failure as he was leaving Dayton on 9 December 1903 with new propeller shafts. The Wright Brothers were never critical of Langley, since they were thankful that he had widely publicized the possibility of flight.
Orville returned to Kitty Hawk on 11 December 1903, and it took an additional three days for the Wright Brothers to get ready for their first attempt at flight. On 14 December 1903, the 605 pound flyer was hauled to the Big Hill where the launching track was located. By flipping a coin, it was decided that Wilbur would be the pilot. As the flyer reached the end of the wooden track, Wilbur pulled too hard on the rudder, and flew up at too steep an angle. Compensating, Wilbur turned the nose of the flyer downward, and the machine hit the sand a hundred feet from the track . . . and the Wright Brothers were ELATED! Their motor, launching track, et al had proven reliable, and the damage to the flyer was minor.
Orville returned to Kitty Hawk on 11 December 1903, and it took an additional three days for the Wright Brothers to get ready for their first attempt at flight. On 14 December 1903, the 605 pound flyer was hauled to the Big Hill where the launching track was located. By flipping a coin, it was decided that Wilbur would be the pilot. As the flyer reached the end of the wooden track, Wilbur pulled too hard on the rudder, and flew up at too steep an angle. Compensating, Wilbur turned the nose of the flyer downward, and the machine hit the sand a hundred feet from the track . . . and the Wright Brothers were ELATED! Their motor, launching track, et al had proven reliable, and the damage to the flyer was minor.
The Wright Brothers had their flyer ready to go on 16 December 1903, but spent most of the day fine-tuning the engine. On 17 December 1903, only 5 citizens from Kitty Hawk showed up to help Wilbur and Orville; most stayed at home not wanting to see another failure in the winter chill. It was freezing cold, and the wind was 20-27 mph, which meant the main challenge for flight was maintaining balance. Orville later reflected on how audacious and dangerous it was to test their flyer under those conditions.
It was Orville's turn to fly, but before the attempt was made, they made sure that their glass plate camera, with a quick shutter, was also ready to go. At 10:35 am, the flyer started down the track, and lifted into the air, and a photograph was taken. The flight was extremely erratic, and the plane dipped up and down, bouncing like a bronco. The second flight covered a distance of 120 feet in 12 seconds, and everyone went inside to warm up again. At 11 am, Wilbur piloted the third flight, flying for 175 feet; then Orville flew for 200 feet, and near noon, Wilbur flew a little over half-a-mile, 852 feet in 59 seconds. Four years of hard work, great resolve, patience, traveling, and problem-solving culminated in a fifth flight that lasted just under one minute . . . four years for 59 seconds - for the Wright Brothers, it was more-than-worth it!
It was Orville's turn to fly, but before the attempt was made, they made sure that their glass plate camera, with a quick shutter, was also ready to go. At 10:35 am, the flyer started down the track, and lifted into the air, and a photograph was taken. The flight was extremely erratic, and the plane dipped up and down, bouncing like a bronco. The second flight covered a distance of 120 feet in 12 seconds, and everyone went inside to warm up again. At 11 am, Wilbur piloted the third flight, flying for 175 feet; then Orville flew for 200 feet, and near noon, Wilbur flew a little over half-a-mile, 852 feet in 59 seconds. Four years of hard work, great resolve, patience, traveling, and problem-solving culminated in a fifth flight that lasted just under one minute . . . four years for 59 seconds - for the Wright Brothers, it was more-than-worth it!
Wilbur and Orville wanted to continue flying, even over water, but the increasing velocity of the winds ended their flights for the day. As the Wright Brothers were preparing to secure their flyer, winds swept up the plane in the air, and slammed it down on the beach . . . it was a total wreck; no more flights would be conducted at Kitty Hawk that winter. The Wright Brothers sent a telegram (pictured below) to their sister in Dayton with the basic facts of their first flights, asking her to inform the press.
The Langley "Aerodrome" project had cost a total of $70,000 ($1.82 million today), mostly from public funds, while the Wright Brothers spent less than $1000 ($25k today), entirely from the profits of their bicycle business. The Wright Brothers were excited, but they also knew that there was so much work ahead in order to do better, and they would need to construct a brand-new flying machine. News of the Wright Brothers' success was either ignored or wildly exaggerated (e.g. flying for 3 miles) . . . maybe 1 in 1000 citizens in Dayton believed that the Wright Brothers actually succeeded in flying their airplane, and those that did thought the flights were a fluke . . .
The Langley "Aerodrome" project had cost a total of $70,000 ($1.82 million today), mostly from public funds, while the Wright Brothers spent less than $1000 ($25k today), entirely from the profits of their bicycle business. The Wright Brothers were excited, but they also knew that there was so much work ahead in order to do better, and they would need to construct a brand-new flying machine. News of the Wright Brothers' success was either ignored or wildly exaggerated (e.g. flying for 3 miles) . . . maybe 1 in 1000 citizens in Dayton believed that the Wright Brothers actually succeeded in flying their airplane, and those that did thought the flights were a fluke . . .