1903 Wright Flyer

Yesterday was the 120th anniversary of the Wright brothers historic first flight on December 17, 1903. This marked the first heavier-than-air, powered aircraft to make a sustained, controlled flight with a pilot aboard. The airplane they used was the 1903 Wright Flyer, which they constructed themselves after years of painstaking research, design, and experimenting.

The 1903 Wright Flyer is a canard biplane, with a double elevator (or canard) in front and two larger main wings in the back. It is powered by a four cylinder engine designed and built by Charlie Taylor that produces 12 horsepower and weighs 180 pounds. The engine drives two 8.5 foot long, counter-rotating propellers that were made by the Wright brothers. It is remarkable to think about how the Wright brothers had to design and create everything from scratch, including the overall airplane, the wings, the control surfaces, the engine, the propellers, and countless other details required to make an airplane fly.

Currently, the 1903 Wright Flyer is on display at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., in a special exhibit titled "The Wright Brothers and the Invention of the Aerial Age." If you are ever in Washington, D.C., I highly recommend visiting the museum. It is quite an experience to stand there in the presence of this amazing piece of history, and to think about how far we have come in the last 120 years. If you do decide to visit, keep in mind that this is one of the most popular museums in the world and free timed-entry passes are required to be reserved in advance. Check out their website for more details: https://airandspace.si.edu/.

Until next time, keep looking to the sky and keep dreaming.

- Matt