Did they make model airplanes---

[Bob Bement]

I have been wondering, do you suppose that Wilbur and Orville, made model airplanes when they were little?

 

[ScottM]

I have been wondering, do you suppose that Wilbur and Orville, made model airplanes when they were little?

When I read a bio on them (The Bishop's Boys) they did talk about their inquisitive nature and the influence their mother had on them. But nothing about models airplane or otherwise. Given the era I doubt there was much model airplane building by kids. Those that were seriously trying to perfect the airplane were probably building models.

When the Wright brothers got older and were doing their investigations into flight one of the things they did to improve their design was to build and test in a small wind tunnel. It was there with their airfoil design models they found some mistakes in the lift equations and re-engineered their wing design to take advantage of the empirical data they had been able to generate.

 

[mikea]

I have been wondering, do you suppose that Wilbur and Orville, made model airplanes when they were little?

They made model, and full size, kites and gliders.

 

[ScottM]

They made model, and full size, kites and gliders.

But not when they were "little". That all happened in their adulthood. I take Bob's meaning of "little" to be when they were children. Considering that they were children the 1870s I doubt they built any airplane models then.

 

[mikea]

But not when they were "little". That all happened in their adulthood. I take Bob's meaning of "little" to be when they were children. Considering that they were children the 1870s I doubt they built any airplane models then.

The Wright Brothers played with kites, eventually, with kites they flew in, according to my cheap biography reader I read when I was like 10.

 

[catmandu]

Gosh, this could bring up all sorts of questions:

Did Wild Bill Hickok and Geronimo play cowboys and indians?

Did Abner Doubleday play stickball on a vacant lot?

 

[mikea]

Gosh, this could bring up all sorts of questions:

Did Wild Bill Hickok and Geronimo play cowboys and indians?

Hickock wasn't known for shooting Indians.

Geronomo palyed an Indian from the day he was born.

Did Abner Doubleday play stickball on a vacant lot?

Possibly. It was Cricket. :wink2:

 

[ScottM]

Possibly. It was Cricket. :wink2:

Or rounders.

 

[Bob Bement]

Gosh, this could bring up all sorts of questions:

Did Wild Bill Hickok and Geronimo play cowboys and indians?

Did Abner Doubleday play stickball on a vacant lot?

You get the idea. It gets you thinking, Doesn't it?

 

[jmaynard]

Possibly. It was Cricket. :wink2:

"Cricket isn't a game. If it was a game, it'd have understandable rules." -- Tom Clancy, Patriot Games

 

[Matthew]

"Cricket isn't a game. If it was a game, it'd have understandable rules." -- Tom Clancy, Patriot Games

I've been to the UK a couple times - once I actually tried to watch a cricket match on TV, trying to figure out the rules. The next day, I was talking to one of the local guys I was working with. I told him "I grew up playing baseball as a kid, later I helped coach, played softball, watched my daughters play fast-pitch, and have a real love for the game. I always thought that any game that involves a bat and a ball has to be good. Then I saw cricket."

 

[RJM62]

I have been wondering, do you suppose that Wilbur and Orville, made model airplanes when they were little?

Probably not. But I'll bet they made airfoils with their hands and stuck them out the car window.

-Rich

 

[ScottM]

"Cricket isn't a game. If it was a game, it'd have understandable rules." -- Tom Clancy, Patriot Games

You have two sides one out in the field and one in.

Each man that's in the side that's in goes out and when he's out he comes in and the next man goes in until he's out.

When they are all out the side that's out comes in and the side that's been in goes out and tries to get those coming in out.

Sometimes you get men still in and not out.

When both sides have been in and out including the not outs, THAT'S THE END OF THE GAME!

 

[jmaynard]

You have two sides one out in the field and one in.

Each man that's in the side that's in goes out and when he's out he comes in and the next man goes in until he's out.

When they are all out the side that's out comes in and the side that's been in goes out and tries to get those coming in out.

Sometimes you get men still in and not out.

When both sides have been in and out including the not outs, THAT'S THE END OF THE GAME!

This must have been an early draft. Dr. Seuss is usually smoother with his language.

 

[Matthew]

You have two sides one out in the field and one in.

Each man that's in the side that's in goes out and when he's out he comes in and the next man goes in until he's out.

When they are all out the side that's out comes in and the side that's been in goes out and tries to get those coming in out.

Sometimes you get men still in and not out.

When both sides have been in and out including the not outs, THAT'S THE END OF THE GAME!

Got it.

Now, what about the infield-fly rule?

--

back to the original question - It's been a long time since I've read about the Wright's, but I have always heard about their scientific method of tests. I think they did make models, but not necessarily toys as kids. They used the models in their version of a wind tunnel. (As has already been posted by smigaldi.

 

[Bob Bement]

I think I read once where their dad bought them both one of those toys, that you put a twisted little propeller type thingy on the tip of something else and you can get it to spin and go up in the air. This was supposed to have gotten them started thinking of flying. Not a very good explanation but it was something like that.

Bob

 

[Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe]

I have been wondering, do you suppose that Wilbur and Orville, made model airplanes when they were little?

Per Harry Frey (wright1902glider(alpha tango)aol(delta oscar tango)com) over on rec.aviation.homebuilt -

As far as I know, there aren't any flying 1909 or Model A machines.
The 1909 was an enlarged copy of the 1905, which is currently housed
at Carollion Park in Dayton. Its about 60% original, making it the
most original Wright machine in existance. There are flying
reproductions of most other Wright models including:

1878 "bat" toy helicopter - mine
1899 kite - mine, Engler, Hyde, Smith, Young, Young, Crouch, and a few
others
1900 glider - Hyde/Young, Engler
1901 glider - Hyde/Young, Engler
1902 glider - mine, Engler (2 or more), Hyde/Young, Quigley
1903 flying machine - Kellet, Hyde/Wright Brothers Experience, Young/
VA museum of Aviation, Wright Redux, Engler
1905 flying machine - Engler & one other, can't remember who built it
but its on YouTube
Model B - Smith, Hyde, Wright B Flyer
Model EX - Smith

 

[Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe]

Oh, and as long as we are on the topic

Excellent historical film of a 1909 demo flight by the Wright brothers in France, including a short segment from an on-board camera.

www.europafilmtreasures.eu/PY/322/fiche_technique.htm?ID=322

FYI, the location was actually in Italy. The production company was French. The film bio lists the date as April 24 1909, which is
consistant with what I remember from the Wright notebooks. (The actual
reference is in the McFarland text, volume 2 for you Wright Brothers wonks.) Watch for the gentleman wearing the grey suit and straw
"boater". That's Orville. Also note when he turns that he's using a
cane and leaning on it rather heavily. This film was made only a few
months after the Ft. Myers crash.

 

[astanley]

"Cricket isn't a game. If it was a game, it'd have understandable rules." -- Tom Clancy, Patriot Games

My payback for an Indian counterpart confusing me for a long afternoon with Cricket was a Red Sox game in mid 2006.

Just your perspective... Heck, most of the guys who I played rugby with were clueless for about a month (alcohol may have had something to do wit hit)

Cheers,

-Andrew