Wright Flyer Ⅲ: Replica Of The amous Wright Brothers Aircraft

摘要

In this year of 2003 we celebrated the centennial of powered flight. From the humble beginnings of the Wright Brothers' first powered flight, which covered 120 feet, lasting 12 seconds, the timeline of technology for this century is filled with major advances in aviation. The basic concepts proven by the Wrights with the Wright 1905 Flyer Ⅲ remain the foundation of what we see on modern aircraft today. The 1905 Flyer Ⅲ was the most successful of the Wright's early experiments. Learning from Flyer Ⅰ and Flyer Ⅱ, they made significant modifications in Flyer Ⅲ to improve pitch oscillation, which plagued them from the start. There was also the learning curve of how to fly it. They increased the elevator surface area by over 50 percent and, more importantly, moved the whole elevator assembly almost 5-1/2 feet farther in front of the wing. This relocated the center of mass and made the craft less likely to pitch upward. The increased length made the plane less sensitive to minor elevator movements. On October 5, 1905, the Flyer Ⅲ was flown until fuel was exhausted, remaining aloft for 39 minutes, 24 seconds, covering slightly over 24 miles, a distance longer than all of the previous 109 flights put together. Unlike anything else in the world, it could take off, climb, fly for extended periods in any direction completely under the pilot's control, and land in a safe, controlled manner. Some of us RC'ers have trouble doing this, today.