Monday, February 19, 2007

Aeroplane model

1903_First_Flight_small.JPG (1297 bytes) 1903 Flyer 1 -- The Wright Brothers first powered aircraft, and the first in which anyone made a sustained, controlled flight. As in their earlier gliders, it had a variable-camber twin canard in front to control pitch and a twin rudder in back to control yaw. Roll was controlled by warping the wings.
1904_Flyer_ready_for_launch_small.jpg (1515 bytes) 1904 Flyer 2 -- The Wright Brother second powered aircraft, almost a copy of the Flyer 1, with which they learned they still had a lot of work to do before they had a practical airplane. It was also the first aircraft on which the Wrights used their distinctive "bent-end" propellers.
1905 Flyer over HP 3.JPG (32566 bytes) 1905 Flyer 3 -- The Wright's 1905 aircraft, their third powered machine, was the world's first practical aircraft. Both the canard and the rudder were extended out from the aircraft to make it easier to control. Semi-circular "blinkers" between the surfaces of the canard prevent the nose from dropping in a turn.
Model A Fort Meyers 1908.JPG (10728 bytes) 1907-1909 Wright Model A -- This was the aircraft that convinced the world that the Wrights had indeed flown. It was also the first two-seat aircraft, and the first Wright aircraft in which the occupants sat upright.
1909 Military Flyer.jpg (78618 bytes) 1909 Military Flyer -- Slightly smaller and faster that the Model A, the Wrights sold this aircraft to the United States Army Signal Corp to become the first military aircraft.
1910 Wright AB.jpg (42301 bytes) 1909-1910 Wright "Transitional" Model A -- Sometimes called the Model A-B, this was the first airplane that the Wrights built with an elevator in the back. However, they retained the canard in front, using both surfaces to control the pitch of the aircraft.
1910 Model B.jpg (44550 bytes) 1910-1914 Model B -- Built by the newly formed Wright Company, this was the first mass-produced airplane. It was also the first Wright airplane without a canard. It had a single elevator in the back, just behind an enlarged twin rudder. Triangular blinkers were mounted on the forward skid struts. The airplane rested on wheels, dispensing with the need to launch the aircraft from a rail. Like all previous Wright aircraft, it used wing warping to control roll.
1910 Model R.jpg (37798 bytes) 1910 Wright Model R -- Also called the "Roadster" and the "Baby Wright," this small single-seat aircraft was built for racing. It had an 8-cylinder motor and could achieve speeds of 70 to 80 miles per hour.
1911 Model EX.jpg (73041 bytes) 1911-1912 Wright Model EX -- Built especially for exhibition flight, this aircraft had a shorter wing span than other models, which gave the exhibition pilots more speed. It also had a single seat, which prevented them from taking passengers. This was a follow-on to the Model R, using longer wings and a standard Wright 4-cylinder or 6-cylinder motor. This was the first aircraft to be flown across a continent.
1912 Model C.jpg (64729 bytes) 1912-1913 Wright Model C -- This aircraft replaced the Model B as the standard Wright Aircraft. It had slightly flatter wings and a a taller rudder for improved directional control. The blinkers became rectangular vanes attached to the front end of the skids.
1912 Model D.jpg (39851 bytes) 1912 Wright Model D -- This was a light, fast single-seat aircraft that the Wright built in response to the U.S. Army's request for a "speed scout." It's 6-cylinder engine and short wing span gave it a top speed of 66 miles per hour.
1913 Model CH.jpg (69308 bytes) 1913 Wright Model CH -- This was the first Wright hydroplane, a Model C on a single wide pontoon. The tail was supported by a smaller pontoon mounted under the rudder.
1913 Model E.jpg (26324 bytes) 1913 Wright Model E -- A one-seat exhibition machine, this was the first Wright aircraft with a single propeller. The tail booms were attached further out on the wings to make room for the 7-foot chain-driven propeller.
1914 Model F.jpg (43413 bytes) 1913 Wright Model F -- This was the first Wright aircraft with a fuselage. This fuselage, they found, eliminated the need for the blinkers. It was also the first airplane with a T-tail -- the Wright Company moved the elevator to rest atop the rudder.
1913 Model G.jpg (40686 bytes) 1913-1914 Wright Model G -- Designed by Grover Loening under the supervision of Orville Wright, this was the only flying boat built by the Wright Company. In 1914, the engine was placed in the front of the hull, ahead of the pilot for the first time in a Wright aircraft.
1914 Model H.jpg (36183 bytes) 1914 Wright Model H -- This aircraft resembled the Model F, but it had a continuous wooden fuselage, veneered with canvas. It was the first aircraft that the Wright Company rigged with a slight dihedral to the wings.
1915 Model HS.jpg (44697 bytes) 1915 Wright Model HS -- The HS was a small version of the Model H, with an increased speed and rate of climb. This was the last Wright pusher aircraft, and the last with a double vertical rudder.
1915 Model K.jpg (46169 bytes) 1915 Wright Model K -- This was a seaplane, manufactured for the United States Navy. The Model K was Wright Company's first tractor airplane with the propellers facing forward. It was also the first Wright aircraft to use ailerons. And it was the last to use the distinctive "bent-end" propellers, designed nearly ten years previously.
1916 Model L.jpg (39832 bytes) 1916 Wright Model L --The Model L was a single place airplane, designed to fill the U.S. Army's request for a light, fast scouting machine. This was the last aircraft manufactured by the Wright Company. Orville had sold the company by this time, but he may have had some small influence on the design since he was retained as a consultant for a short time after the sale.

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