In Depth: The Engine
origins theory Wood and Wire experiments progress
A Hopeful Step Forward

The Wrights based their design for the 1901 glider on the air pressure tables of German aviation pioneer Otto Lilienthal. This data was the most comprehensive of its kind, and was for the Wrights a trusted source from a man whose accomplishments they greatly admired.

The Wright Story
Otto LilienthalLilienthal and the Wrights
Education Feature: Control, control, control
The Lessons of 1901
The record left behind by the Wrights about their machines is incomplete. It requires meticulous research in order to find the clues that can often make an enormous difference in both the authenticity and the performance of the machine. The greatest challenge lies in staying faithful to the Wrights' work: it is a matter of trust.
letter Letters and Diaries: The foundation of the team's work, with fundamental data and frustrating omissions.
photographs Photographs: The Wrights' images yield many clues, but beg many questions.
Artifacts Artifacts: What exists? What was destroyed?
©2002, The Wright Experience™

Credits