NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration

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Wright Flyer replica mounted in NASA Ames Research Center's 40-foot by 80-foot wind tunnel. The replica will undergo tests there for two weeks. Photo No. AC-99-0030-3.

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Photo No. AC-99-0030-19.

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A full-scale replica of the historic 1903 Wright Flyer will be on public display this spring at NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA, in preparation for wind tunnel tests in January. The replica is scheduled for a two-week test in Ames' 80-foot x120-foot wind tunnel, the world's largest. During the test, project engineers will study the replica's stability, control and handling at speeds up to 27 knots (30 mph) in the wind tunnel; test results will be used to compile an historically accurate aerodynamic database of the Wright Flyer. Constructed by a team of volunteers from the Los Angeles section of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) using plans provided by the Smithsonian, the replica features a 40-foot-4-inch wingspan reinforced with piano wire, cotton wing coverings, spruce propellers and a double rudder. Although it will replicate the 1903 Wright Flyer in design, size, appearance and aerodynamics, some changes have been made to make it stronger when mounting the airplane in the wind tunnel.

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