The Wright Flyer
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Joined: Sep 2002
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From: Daventry UK
The Wright Flyer
There are a couple of short videos at the Wright Experience http://www.wrightexperience.com/ that show the replica Flyer actually leaving the ground.
However, the results (maybe 4 seconds) are way short of the brothers actual success on that day in 1903, despite all the modern knowledge and skill that went into the replica. Which makes the brothers' achievement all the more astonishing.
I'm surprised how difficult the replica project has proven to be. Failing to fly in front of John Travolta (and the President) must have been a tad embarrasing. I know the weather was awful, but the videos show what happened on good days.
So what has changed? Does modern flying experience preclude a current pilot from handling the Flyer successfully? Or was the project suffocated by bureaucracy, like so much else in aviation? Judging by the videos, it doesn't look like simple bad luck.
Could it all mean that because every one of us has an image of a 'modern' aeroplane imprinted in our heads, we can never go back to the time of the Wrights and unlearn everything that gets in the way of operating the Flyer? I'd love to know.
However, the results (maybe 4 seconds) are way short of the brothers actual success on that day in 1903, despite all the modern knowledge and skill that went into the replica. Which makes the brothers' achievement all the more astonishing.
I'm surprised how difficult the replica project has proven to be. Failing to fly in front of John Travolta (and the President) must have been a tad embarrasing. I know the weather was awful, but the videos show what happened on good days.
So what has changed? Does modern flying experience preclude a current pilot from handling the Flyer successfully? Or was the project suffocated by bureaucracy, like so much else in aviation? Judging by the videos, it doesn't look like simple bad luck.
Could it all mean that because every one of us has an image of a 'modern' aeroplane imprinted in our heads, we can never go back to the time of the Wrights and unlearn everything that gets in the way of operating the Flyer? I'd love to know.
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Joined: May 1997
Aviation Qualifications: ATCO
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From: Europe
the answer is : a very unstable machine . I test flown the Flyer 2 on the 3D sim from the flyer experience in Washington last October. the max achievable speed is only about 10 Mph from the stalling speed and the rudder ( activated by a handle on top of the right yoke ) act more as speed brake . There are no ailerons , the only( very) effective control is the elevator activated by the left yoke. Taking off a few feet is Ok, attempting to turn generally end up in a stall, unrecoverable at less than 10 feet height...
Cross wind is uncorrectable,so I am not surprised that seen the wx conditions that day it did not work as planned .
Cross wind is uncorrectable,so I am not surprised that seen the wx conditions that day it did not work as planned .
