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National Composite Research Corporation, located on the former
Defense Electronics Supply Center grounds, donated space for the
construction of the 1903 Flyer replica. |
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| The original 1903 Flyer was built of spruce, which is no longer
available in the quantities needed. In its place, basswood was
selected for its straight grain in order to resist warping. |
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Wing surfaces were covered in Pride of West muslin. The rolls
of muslin were 43 inches wide with a thread count of 200 per square
inch. |
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| Each of the core volunteers brought a solid engineering, woodworking,
or aeronautics background to the project. The group worked to
maintain the measurement and angles from the original blueprints.
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The propellers, constructed and donated by Hartzell Propeller
in Piqua, Ohio were fashioned from pieces of poplar
approximately 8 feet in length. |
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| Over 8,000 stitches were hand sewn by the volunteers. Howard
DuFour Project Director, remarked, "It's amazing how much
those boys depended on the cloth to hold the plane together." |
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The accuracy of construction or tolerances are .010±
of an inch. The specifications of the 1903 Flyer replica match
those of the original, with the exception of the overall weight
of the machine. The replica weighs 550 lbs. due to the difference
in weight of the engine and its auxiliary parts. |
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| Charley Taylor, the Wrights' mechanician, built the engine for
the original flyer. Using drawings for the original engine, a replica
was made to the exact specifications except for the materials
used. Fully assembled it weighs approximately 70 lbs.,
about half the weight of the original. |
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The replica of the 1903 Flyer that graces the atrium of the
Paul Laurence Dunbar Library celebrates the accomplishments of
the Wright Brothers, who first achieved controlled powered flight
on December 17, 1903. |
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| The Wright 1903 Flyer replica is dedicated to Wilkinson "Wick"
Wright, 1922-1999, great nephew of the Wright Brothers and generous
friend and supporter of the Wright State University Libraries.
It is also a tribute to the volunteers who donated their skills
and nearly 4,500 hours of time to create the Flyer and encourage
the spirit of invention in each of us. |
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