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| Newsletter | November 2002 | |
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Contents |
Celebrating a century of flight | |||
On the 17th December 1903 at Kitty Hawk in North Carolina, Wilbur and Orville Wright achieved the first controlled, powered, heavier-than-air flight. Next year marks the 100th anniversary of their success and to mark the occasion a number of events and activities are taking place throughout the year, including special exhibitions, lectures and even a reconstruction of the original 1903 Wright Flyer. |
 The first flight |
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A number of Web sites have been produced to chart a century of aviation development and the history of the Wright Brothers, as well as publicising the events that are being planned. Here's a selection of what is on offer: The Wright Experience The Discovery of Flight Foundation in Warrenton, Virginia is in the process of recreating the experimentation, discovery and methodology carried out by the Wright Brothers with the aim of reconstructing their 1903 Flyer. The site provides updates on the progress made in the project as well as containing information about the original artefacts that are being used. Experimental Aircraft Association's Countdown to Kitty Hawk Once "The Wright Experience" (above) have reconstructed the 1903 aircraft flown in 1903 by the Wright Brothers, it will be toured throughout the United States in 2003 by the EAA. The tour will culminate in a reenactment of the Wright Brothers’ first flight at 10:35 a.m. on December 17th, exactly 100 years to the minute after the historic event. This site provides the technical details of the original flyer and engine and lists the places the tour will visit. First Flight Centennial Foundation The Foundation is hosting a series of events to celebrate the centenary, to take place at the Wright Brothers National Memorial. The site provides details of these events and booking information. The main project of the Foundation is to erect a pavilion on the site which will house a number of exhibits and activities under the following themes - the Outer Banks, the precursors to flight, the Wright Brothers, glider experiments, powered flight and a century of flight - and these are described further on the web site. The National Park Service provides information on how to visit the site. Inventing Flight : Dayton 2003 "Inventing Flight" is the umbrella name for a calendar of events to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the first manned flight, ranging from the present to the end of 2003. They will all take place in Dayton, Ohio, where the Wrights invented their flyer, and the main centennial celebrations are planned for July 2003. This site provides an event calendar and visitor information as well as the history of the Wright Brothers. 100 Years of Flight To celebrate the centenary, the Royal Aeronautical Society, in partnership with BAE Systems, British Airways, Lockheed Martin, Rolls Royce and Smiths, are planning a series a lectures, workshops and fun activities throughout 2003. Looking towards the future as well as the past, they have also created a scholarship fund for which details are available on the site. U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission : Celebrating a Century of Wings The Commission has been established in order to promote awareness of the 100th anniversary. The site provides a calendar of celebratory events in addition to the historical background of flight and the Wright Brothers themselves. Movies, images and sound files are also provided. National Air and Space Museum The Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum (NASM) maintains the largest collection of historic air and spacecraft in the world. It is also a centre for research into the history, science, and technology of aviation and space flight. The museum includes among its exhibits the original 1903 Wright Flyer, "Spirit of St. Louis," and the Apollo 11 command module. The web site provides access to a variety of information resources including: collection and exhibition details, with images of the aircraft displayed in the museum. Wright Brothers Aeroplane Company and Museum of Pioneer Aviation The site provides access to a "virtual museum" which documents the story of Wilbur and Orville Wright. The information within the site is arranged under four sections: the History Wing; the Adventure Wing; Expeditions; and the Information Desk. In addition to recounting the Wright's story, the History Wing also provides a history of the aeroplane, and an almanac of early aviation facts. The Adventure Wing describes the building of models, replicas and other educational materials. |
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