Learning to Fly: The Wright Brothers Adventure pdf - ER - NASA

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Having visited the Wrights in Dayton, you make your report to the members of the Society. Everyone isextremely interested in the craft being built in the back of the shop; the members excitedly discuss the possibilitiesof human flight. Mr. Pierpont’s cousin says that the Wrights’ sister Katharine told her that they are going toa place called “Kitty Hawk” in September. This sparsely populated North Carolina spot has high sandy hills, fewtrees, and almost continuous winds from the ocean: ideal conditions to test a glider.The Society is anxious to send you there to learn ofthe experiments, but not in an obvious way. It isdecided that you will apply for a temporary positionwith the U.S. Lifesaving Service, which has a stationnear Kitty Hawk. Several Society members help you tosecure a job as a lookout while you also maintain yourposition and salary with the Society. The adventureand the money are too good to pass up.You arrive in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, in Augustand catch a ride on the mail boat out to the LifesavingStation near Kitty Hawk. If a shipwreck occurs, yourcrew’s job is to brave the surf and rescue strandedsailors.Crew of the U.S. Lifesaving Service at Kitty Hawk, 1900.On September 13, Wilbur Wright arrives in Kitty Hawk and stays with William Tate, the local postmaster. Soon,Orville arrives and they set up a tent camp about a one-half mile from the Tates. You receive word that thebrothers’ kite has arrived, so you decide to visit their camp.You introduce yourself to the Wrights as a lookout from theLifesaving Station. Wilbur recognizes you from your visit totheir shop in Dayton, and you tell him you are a college studentfrom Cincinnati and were in Dayton visiting friends.The brothers remember your interest in flight and proudlyshow you their creation. This is the same large craft that yousaw in their shop. It has two wings about 17 feet long and 5feet deep, one set about 4 feet above the other. Both wingsare made of a tightly woven white material stretched over alight wooden frame. Wire bracing keeps the structure tight.A square structure that looks like a small wing made of thesame white material is sticking out a few feet in the front.You note that the wings are arched. When you ask about theopen space you see in the lower wing, Orville informs you that the pilot rides there, lying on his stomach, so itis indeed a glider. Due to light winds, they are testing the glider with chains to simulate the weight of a pilot.You ask permission to stay and watch, and they ask whether you’d be willing to help!Learning to Fly: The Wright Brothers’ Adventure EG–2002–12–007–GRC13
As strong breezes blow, the glider, which must weighnearly 100 pounds with the chains, just floats in the air.You and Orville struggle to hold onto cables that act askite strings; Wilbur is behind the glider pulling on anotherset of wires. As he pulls on one wire, the wingstwist and the glider tilts and drifts to the side. When hepulls the other wire, the glider turns in the oppositedirection. This is just like the kite the kids in Dayton haddescribed to you. The control was truly wonderful! Youwant to stay all day, but your shift as a lookout is comingup. The brothers thank you for your help and invite youback.You visit the camp a few more times, and you notice thatthe curvature of the small front wing is sometimes Wilbur Wright at first camp at Kitty Hawk, 1900.different, and this seems to cause the glider to fly at adifferent angle. You always see the brothers flying the glider as a kite, but the other men at the station tell youthat one day they had seen Wilbur actually piloting the glider. On that particularly windy day, they say, he hadglided for 10 to 20 seconds and covered 300 to 400 feet before suffering a minor crash landing.Soon after, the Wrights pack up and return to Dayton, leaving their crashed glider in the sand; Postmaster Tate’swife washes the fine sateen fabric of the wings and makes dresses for her daughters. You take leave of theLifesaving Station and return to Cincinnati to report to the Scientific Society.The Wrights’ 1900 Glider.October 1900: 10-year-old Tommy Tate, son of Kitty Hawkpostmaster William Tate, standing in front of the 1900 Glider withhis drum fish. Tommy flew as a lightweight pilot on some of theWright Brothers’ glider flights.Activity 4—Build a Model of the 1900 GliderThe Society asks you to make a model of the Wright’s 1900 aircraft as a part of your report. Turn to page 41and follow the instructions to make your model.Learning to Fly: The Wright Brothers’ Adventure14EG–2002–12–007–GRC
Page 2 and 3: Learning to Fly: The Wright Brother
Page 4 and 5: AcknowledgmentsWriters and Contribu
Page 6 and 7: NCTM National MathematicsStandardsA
Page 8 and 9: vii
Page 10 and 11: Lilienthal was a great influence on
Page 12 and 13: The Wright Brothers were raised in
Page 16 and 17: Activity 1—Early AviationBefore y
Page 18 and 19: Having been appointed by the Societ
Page 22 and 23: Activity 5—Questions on the 1900
Page 24 and 25: You are involved with various activ
Page 26 and 27: Activity 9—Questions on the 1901
Page 28 and 29: Modern Wind TunnelsInlet diffuser o
Page 30 and 31: Activity 12—Operate the Wrights
Page 32 and 33: When the Society hears of the Wrigh
Page 34 and 35: Activity 15—Prices Then and NowTh
Page 36 and 37: He returns on December 11 and every
Page 38 and 39: Activity 18—Center of GravityIn c
Page 40 and 41: Questions1. Whose stick was the clo
Page 42 and 43: Activity 20—How To Launch the Fly
Page 44 and 45: You hear from your Dayton friends t
Page 48 and 49: Designed byRoger Storm, NASA Glenn
Page 50 and 51: 4. Make 12 spars by cutting toothpi
Page 52 and 53: 10. Turn the glider over again and
Page 54 and 55: While trying to solve these new pro
Page 56 and 57: 2. Using the templates as a guide,
Page 58 and 59: 7. To make a skid, join two toothpi
Page 62 and 63: Designed byRoger Storm, NASA Glenn
Page 64 and 65: 4. Place glue on the flat edge of t
Page 66 and 67: 10. Glue the skids on either side o
Page 68 and 69: 16. Turn the glider right side up a
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Designed byRoger Storm, NASA Glenn
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4. Using the templates as a guide,
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8. For spars for the elevator, cut
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14. Cut two toothpicks to a 1.2-inc
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20. Glue the V-shaped braces to the
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26. (Optional) You can make the fig
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Kite: A tethered glider that is lif
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Activity 3 answers1. From your trip
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Activity 9 answersThe report of the
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Activity 12 answersPart D.Students
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Activity 17 answersIf you were eith
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Math challenge1. Your car can easil
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DescriptionStudents are to assume t
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Background informationThe students
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Activity 9: Questions on the 1901 G
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Background informationOrville and W
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Background informationWith each gli
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They also made the propellers turn
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ProceduresThe students draw the rop
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Learning to Fly: The Wright Brother
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1901GliderBottom wingFront edge cur
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1902GliderRight wing (cut out two)L
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1903FlyerPropeller (cut out two)Pro
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Learning To Fly: The Wright Brother
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