LYCOS RETRIEVER 
1903: 1903 Wright Flyer
built 646 days ago
The 1903 Wright Flyer was constructed of spruce and ash covered with muslin. The framework "floated" within fabric pockets sewn inside, making the muslin covering an integral part of the structure. This ingenious feature made the aircraft light, strong, and flexible. The 1903 Flyer was powered by a simple four-cylinder engine of the Wrights' own design.
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The building of the 1903 Wright Flyer replica began in the fall of 1999 when grant funding made Howard's dream possible. The National Composite Center at the Kettering Business Park donated space for the project. With the help of friends and volunteers, all of the necessary tools and equipment were obtained. The first piece of the plane was made on December 7, 1999, in honor of Pearl Harbor Day.
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On December 17, 1903, at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, the Wright Flyer became the first powered, heavier-than-air machine to achieve controlled, sustained flight with a pilot aboard. It flew forward without losing speed and landed at a point as high as that from which it started.
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The 1903 engine mounted in the Wright Flyer. As the engine heated up, the firing chambers on the left side of the engine -- nearest the pilot -- would glow red hot.
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You can build your own model of the 1903 Wright Flyer using a couple of styrofoam meat trays and some toothpicks. Plans for this model are available with step by step instructions. The final model looks like this:
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1903 Wright Flyer