The Wright Experience:

The following descriptions are represented by buttons and images on the previous page. You may access the presentations from the links on this page or return to the graphical interface on the preceding page.

• The first presentation offered "In Depth: The Engine" is based on an investigation of the Wright Vertical Four Engine (Serial #20). This will tell two stories in parallel: The Wright Experience's work in finding, obtaining, restoring, operating, and testing the 1911 Vertical Four Engine, together with the discoveries they have made about the Wrights' engine technology. The presentation will also chronicle the Wright brothers' development of the engine from the 1903 engine through to the production Vertical Four.
• The second presentation offered "In Depth: The Controls" is based on an investigation of the control system of the Model "B." The Model "B" was the Wrights' most popular aircraft, yet the controls are unlike anything found in airplanes today. This new feature explores the control system of the model "B" and the dedicated detective work and masterful craftsmanship that are bringing it back to life.
• The third presentation offered is “In Depth: The 1901 Glider.” After the encouraging results of their 1900 glider tests, the Wright brothers returned to Kitty Hawk in 1901 with the largest glider ever built. Hopeful of its performance, they were unaware that the glider tests would lead them to secrets of flight then still unknown. No original plans exist for the 1901 glider. In order to build an accurate glider, the Wright Experience team must trust the information in diaries, letters, lectures and photographs taken by the Wright brothers.
• The fourth presentation offered is “In Depth: Engine No. 3.” This engine was on loan to the Wright Experience from the Engineer’s Club of Dayton and was disassembled and restored in the fall and winter of 2001-2002. This engine never powered an airplane, but what the Wright brothers learned from it powered their flying machines for the next ten years.
• The fifth presentation offered is “In Depth: The Wind Tunnel.” The Wrights’ wind tunnel was created to test the work of their predecessor, Otto Lilienthal. His scientific approach to flight was the basis for the Wrights’ early designs. The Wright brothers’ wind tunnel experiments profoundly affected their understanding of flight, and set them far ahead of any of their competitors.
• The sixth presentation offered is "In Depth: The 1903 Flyer, Part 1. " The 1903 Flyer is surely one of aviation's most prized artifacts. It was the only aircraft the Wright brothers deliberately saved. What they prized the most was the knowledge they had gained, not the machines they had built. The machines were always to be improved, rebuilt, tried and tested again and again. The 1903 Flyer was saved, but it was all but forgotten. Gradually, the Flyer's importance grew as it became the defining symbol of what the Wright brothers had achieved.
• The seventh presentation offered is "In Depth: The 1899 Kite." The kite was made for one reason: to test an idea Wilbur had about control, based on a twisted inner tube box. The kite became the basis for all the Wrights' designs, and was truly their first aircraft. See a full demonstration of the kite, and the revolutionary principles established at the outset of the Wrights' work.
• The eighth presentation offered is "In Depth: The 1902 Glider." See the 1902 Glider being built and in flight! This feature joins others on the propellers, engines, and controls.
• The ninth presentation offered is "In Depth: The Fabric." The fabric not only covers the wings, it also helps hold them together, allows them to be flexible, and has other surprises while in flight. Join Beverly Hyde and the Wright Experience team as they work with the original fabric of the Wright Flyer.
• The tenth presentation offered is "In Depth: The 1903 Flyer, Part II." The Wright Flyer is arguably the most significant airplane in history, yet no one has built or flown the machine exactly the way it was in 1903. It only flew on one day, and was wrecked and rebuilt several times over the next century. To return to the original Flyer means returning to December 1903.
• The Eleventh presentation offered is "In Depth: The Wrights on Film." The Wright Exhibition team brought the airplane to thousands through their performances. They flew a president, appeared over New York, and even made a comedy!

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