Up to 1903, when the Wright brothers had finished their flying season, they simply buried the glider of the day at Kitty Hawk, rather than lugging it all the way back to Ohio.
Has anyone ever tried looking for them? Not that much may survive of a machine made mainly from wood and canvas, but hey, if you can find a data plate…:D
By: mikeeepannell - 28th January 2013 at 03:37
Yes well the Smithsonian said the 1909 Paris airshow ticket i found in the 1887 Pullman car i am restoring here in Cheyenne WY was “just a luggage label” The fact it has written on it ‘biplanes of wonder’ and ‘gold medals’ ‘exposition universelles’……oh well of course they are the experts.
Michael Pannell
By: Malcolm McKay - 28th January 2013 at 01:39
The irony of the Smithsonian display is that for many years they chose to ignore the Wrights and claim that their own Langley’s “aircraft” was the first to fly. It did in a way, sort of downwards and in a couple of pieces. Curtiss got in on the Smithsonian claim and rebuilt the Langley machine in such a way that it might have flown. The Smithsonian pulled out all stops to perpetuate the lie.
By: bravo24 - 28th January 2013 at 01:26
Buried?????
When it comes to buried god knows what god knows where, it would appear that the most likely find may be a head in sand.
By: J Boyle - 28th January 2013 at 00:21
It would save digging a darned great hole in the sand.
There may not have been much to bury.
Lore has it that they gave the fabric to locals..the linen was prized for dresses (remember, this is back when most rural housewife’s made clothing).
Likewise, I’m sure the wood frames of their camp buildings were reused by locals.
By: TonyT - 27th January 2013 at 23:48
I heard there were 356 of them buried.
By: Eddie - 27th January 2013 at 23:35
Gliders, i.e. pre-Flyer.
By: Fouga23 - 27th January 2013 at 23:29
http://airandspace.si.edu/collections/artifact.cfm?id=A19610048000
This object is on display in The Wright Brothers & The Invention of the Aerial Age exhibition at the Museum in Washington, DC.
By: Mike J - 27th January 2013 at 22:09
It’s on display at the Smithsonian.
Not so (I made 3 visits there last week!)
The gliders on display in the NASM are replicas. Probably because the originals were buried in situ. 🙂
By: Fouga23 - 27th January 2013 at 21:20
It’s on display at the Smithsonian.
By: Arabella-Cox - 27th January 2013 at 21:03
Buried?
You’d have thought they would have just put a match to it, if it meant that little to them. It would save digging a darned great hole in the sand.
Interesting, if it is true, nonetheless.
Anon.
By: TwinOtter23 - 27th January 2013 at 20:58
Even though it was an early ‘biplane’ I bet I know who’ll have an answer!! 😀
By: TonyT - 27th January 2013 at 20:56
I wonder if they packed it in a metal case
By: Biggles of 266 - 27th January 2013 at 20:44
As it was made of wood, there is a chance that it has grown! 😀
Could make a fortune taking cuttings!
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January 26, 2013 at 12:27 pm