Aviation myths that will not die (1 Viewer)

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Unfortunately that replica didn't manage to get airborne for the anniversary flight in 2003

Even an optimistic comment by the then President, "on the day they did fly, just like today, the conditions were not ideal, the Wright brothers hit some disappointments along the way" said Bush, couldn't get it into the air.

This might be the incident that 'Wuzak' is remembering.

Cheers

Steve
 
wuzak said:
Is it true that no replica of the Wright Flyer have been able to fly?
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There is a replica of the Wright Flyer here in Redding that occasionally flies and is an regular at the Redding Airshows held at the Municiple Airport.
While it's built very close to the Wright Brother's design, it's powered by a Ford 4-cyl. gasoline engine.
 
I saw a documentary a while back about a replica built and inadvertently flown during an engine test which ended up in some trees, luckily with no serious injuries. I can't remember what happened to it but it most definitely did fly....for a bit.
Cheers
Steve
 
A problem with trying to evaluate the replica planes is getting the power to weight ratio correct. The engine in the original was not very powerful and was 'supposed' to have lost about 4 hp as it warmed up. Trying to fly on 12-16hp can be just a wee bit difficult.
 

I recall seeing this flight on TV.. As I recall, it wasn't supposed to be an actual flight test. The pilot thought it felt right and lifted off. When the replica banked a bit it went into a terminal slip. Rudder yaw control was the last "problem" the Wright bros solved. Perhaps, with the unconventional roll control lever, it was a bit too much for a "low hour" in type pilot.
 
The one you're referring to might be the one at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan. That replica was built to the exact dimensions laid out by the Wrights and used the same construction materials. The engine is of a similiar type used for that time period and it was supposed to fly at the centennial back in 2003.

The one here in Redding is based on the second type built by the Wrights, the Wright Flyer II.
 
Njaco said:
I was watching a program not too long ago where they tried to replicate Leonardo DaVinci's contraptions including his "aeroplane".

It flew.
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Was it the show with the woman "test pilot"? If so, I saw that program too, on PBS.

While I was in Venice, they had an exhibition of Da Vinci's inventions, so I had to visit. It was awe inspiring to see just how brilliant this man was. Aside from his "flyer", there were other devices like weapons, tools and even items like a spotlight that took a single candle and magnified it through a set of lenses until it was as intense as a car's headlight!

Don't want to hijack the thread with Da Vinci stuff, but in a nutshell, if the he could have figured out a propulsion system, he certainly could have been the father of powered flight...
 
vikingBerserker said:
Amazing that at one time that was state of the art technology.
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It is, and only thirty (ish) years to the Spitfire.

It's also incredible that anyone entrusted their life to such contraptions

I was told by a guide on HMS Victory that she was 'the space shuttle of her day'. I thought that was a good analogy and puts technology in perspective.

Cheers

Steve
 
Last edited:
That is a Wright B Flyer replica. The B is has an aft elevator, which makes it much more stable. In addition, I believe this replica uses normal ailerons instead of the Wright wing warping.
 
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