Just got back from a vacation trip to the North Carolina Outer Banks. I finally got to visit the Wright Brothers Memorial in Kitty Hawk. It's hard to describe, but lets say there's a feeling of awe that comes from standing in a place where the world was changed.
It's not at all like most of us picture it. There is very little sand left there. Kitty Hawk is between Roanoke Sound and the Atlantic. It was explained that wind and ocean erosion moved Kill Devil Hill about 200 feet south of its original location between 1903 and 1932, when the monument was built. So a breakwater was built and grass was planted to stabilize the area. Mixed in with the grass are thousands of little cactus!
There were, of course, a lot of people visiting. But while walking along the path that marks the four flights, a neat thing happened. I got to the last marker at the 800 foot mark (the end of the fourth flight), and no one was there. I stood by myself with Pat and Wilbur Wright's ghost at the granite marker near the spot where he climbed out of a rickety looking flying machine and looked back to see his brother running excitedly out to meet him. Did I mention it was an amazing feeling, to be there where it all started?
If any of you get a chance, go there. You won't regret it.
I'll post some pics later.
That sounds pretty cool. Those places with history just have a feel all their own.
I just saw a NOVA piece on the Wright Brothers yesterday on HULU. Several things I didn't know.
1) The lift tables for wing designs the initially used were wrong. They ended up building a wind tunnel and made their own tables. Modern improvements have resulted in only a 1% - 2% change in their values.
2) The then current propeller designs sucked. They ended up with a cross section based upon their wing tables.
3) They didn't try to build an inherently stable craft as everyone else was trying to do. They looked at it like a bicycle - inherently unstable but controllable.
4) They built their own engine. Even cast parts of it from aluminum. They figured they'd need about 90 lbs of thrust. They got around 130 lbs.
Way cool. Wish I could see Kittyy Hawk. BTW, they had asked the weather service where it was the windiest. They were told - Kitty Hawk, NC.
One of the park rangers gave a really good presentation on the Wrights. He brought up many of the things mentioned in the last post. A replica of the wind tunnel, some of the airfoil blanks and what's left of the original engine case are on display in the pavilion there, as is the sewing machine used to piece together all the fabric. The centerpieces of that pavilion are the full scale functioning replicas of the Flyer and the 1902 glider.
The Wrights did design the engine, but it was built by a gent named Charles Taylor, who is regarded as the first A&P mechanic. He has an award named after him, given by the FAA to A&P's who complete fifty years working under their licenses.
There are also replicas of the sheds in which the Flyer was assembled, built on their original locations. And you can't leave without walking up Kill Devil Hill to see the monument and the incredible view.
That is cool... I have been in a few historical sites, and some of them give you goose bumps.....but none as significant as Kitty Hawk....
Hope you took some pictures....