Keith;
That was a good program. It's a shame that most schoolbooks and many
textbooks characterize the Wright Brothers as simple "bicycle mechanics" who
tinkered with a glider with an engine.
That's wrong, wrong, wrong! They were as advanced as anyone in the world in
aerodynamics; they did careful wind tunnel experiments and analyzed other
flight experimenter's failures as well as their own.
They deserve much more credit that most books give them.
Regards, Neil Tucson, AZ
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-land-speed@autox.team.net
[mailto:owner-land-speed@autox.team.net] On Behalf Of Keith Turk
Sent: Thursday, December 18, 2003 7:57 PM
To: land-speed@autox.team.net
Subject: The Wright Flyer
I stayed up way to late last night and watched the story on the Discovery
channel about the Wright experience.... There is no way to learn what
those
two fellas did a hundred years ago and not feel totally awed by the
accomplishment...
Flight was going to happen with or without them....but they solved so many
of
the problems of flight... for me it's like reading about Igor Sikorski
teaching himself the requirements of rotarty wing flight...
The wind tunnel they built was a work of art... as was the flyer itself...
not
fancy maybe.... but it worked...
This is going to sound corny.... but I understand thier passion... it's
what
we all do as we get ready to go racing....
They not only invented flight as we know it... but they invented thrashing
on
the hot rod before it's maiden voyage.... gotta love it...
K ( how would you like to have to build your own engine...( Dave don't
answer
that )
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