Aero Team Online QuestChat

Date: October 16, 2001

Featuring: Nick Engler
Wright Brothers Aeroplane Company

[ Lori/NASAChatHost - 1 - 10:03:31 ]
Please join us Tuesday, October 16, for a webchat with flight expert Nick Engler. This chat continues the theme featured in the Centennial of Flight: Rediscovering the Challenges of Flight project . Please be sure to read the expert’s profile before joining us, so that your questions will be appropriate to Mr. Engler's field.

[ Lori/NASAChatHost - 2 - 10:03:59 ]
You may go ahead and place questions in the chatroom now to be answered during the webchat. Please don't post test messages or repeats -- though you may not see your question, it is in the chatroom. Again, PLEASE do not repeat your questions. Enjoy the chat :-)

[ Lori/NASAChatHost - 5 - 09:24:34 ]
Hello to our early arriving participants! Nick will be chatting with us from Kitty Hawk, where for the next few days he will be flying the Wright Brothers Gliders. Be sure & ask him about his adventures doing this!

[ Lori/NASAChatHost - 6 - 10:02:37 ]
Welcome everyone! Unfortunately, Nick is running late. I am assuming he is on his way in from flying one of the Wright Brothers gliders at Kitty Hawk, since that was on his schedule for this morning. You can still put questions in the chatroom for Nick to answer, and if necessary check the archive for the answers. Please be patient, as I am assuming he is still chatting with us, until I hear otherwise, and should be here soon.

[ Lori/NASAChatHost - 7 - 10:08:07 ]
We have some great questions coming in, though I haven't placed any in the chatroom yet. Thanks for your patience. I am hoping Nick will be here momentarily.

[ Lori/NASAChatHost - 8 - 10:16:34 ]
There are lots of good questions coming in. If Nick isn't here in about 10 minutes, we will have to cancel. But, should that happen, Nick can still answer your questions, just not live, and you can read the answers in the archive file. Let's be patient for about 10 more minutes :-)

[ Lori/NASAChatHost - 9 - 10:23:06 ]
NICK IS HERE!!

[ Lori/NASAChatHost - 10 - 10:25:07 ]
He is getting his computer up right now. Thanks for your patience!

[ Lori/NASAChatHost - 11 - 10:25:48 ]
Welcome Nick!

[ Nick/WrightBrothersAeroplaneCompany - 17 - 10:27:44 ]
Hi, Folks. Sorry I'm late. We were up on the dunes flying the 1900 Wright Glider and it took us a little longer then expected to get down to my computer.

[ Nick/WrightBrothersAeroplaneCompany - 18 - 10:29:04 ]
RE: [matt] If the Wright brothers only had 1000 dollars to make an airplane what was it constructed of?
Matt -- The Wright brothers made all their gliders and flyers from spruce, ash, and covered the frames with muslin. Actually, it was a very fine muslin used in those days for women's underwear.

[ Nick/WrightBrothersAeroplaneCompany - 19 - 10:30:39 ]
RE: [Erin] What is the hardest part of your job?The easiest?
Erin -- The hardest part of my job is running at top speed through the sand when launching these gliders. The easiest? I'd have to say building the gliders. They are really very simple compared to the airplanes I'm used to building.

[ Nick/WrightBrothersAeroplaneCompany - 20 - 10:31:49 ]
RE: [corie] how many times did the Wright brothers try to build an airplane until they finally got it right?
Cori -- The Wright brothers built seven experimental aircraft until they finally arrived at a practical airplane. One kite, three gliders, and three powered flyers. This took them six years.

[ Nick/WrightBrothersAeroplaneCompany - 24 - 10:32:58 ]
RE: [David] have you ever had problems making airplanes and how many hours do you sleep at night?
You betcha, David -- We have lots of problems trying to figure out how the Wright brothers did things 100 years ago. Many times we have to start over to get it right. I sleep about four hours.

[ Nick/WrightBrothersAeroplaneCompany - 25 - 10:34:55 ]
RE: [Colleen] Were all the wright planes gliders or did they have engines?
Colleen -- The Wrights left their gliders to rot in the sands. Their is only one wing tip of the 1902 left, and it is at the Smithsonian. The 1903 Flyer 1 was restored and is on displayed at the Smithsonian. The 1904 Flyer 2 was cannibalized to make the 1905 Wright Flyer 3, the first practical airplane. The 1905 Flyer is on display at Carrilon Park in Dayton, Ohio,

[ Nick/WrightBrothersAeroplaneCompany - 26 - 10:36:05 ]
RE: [Emma] When you built your model did you try to do things the way the Wright Brothers did?
As much as possible. We use modern power saws, but we try to use the very same materials. The aerodynamics of our gliders -- the way they behave in the air -- are exactly the same as the Wrights.

[ Nick/WrightBrothersAeroplaneCompany - 28 - 10:37:06 ]
RE: [Ben] Did you model cost a lot to build?
Ben, each of our gliders cost us between $1000 and $25,000 in materials to make. We're now working on the 1905 Flyer 3, and we expect to have about $25,000 invested to get it just right.

[ Nick/WrightBrothersAeroplaneCompany - 30 - 10:38:10 ]
RE: [Julie] Was it very windy at Kitty Hawk?
Not today, Julie. The winds are about 15 miles per hour and we had to work like crazy to get the gliders into the air. The gliders fly much better when the wind is above 20 mph.

[ Nick/WrightBrothersAeroplaneCompany - 33 - 10:39:35 ]
RE: [Lisa] How long did it take the Wright Brothers to make changes in design?
They could make changes on the fly, Lisa. They brought the tools with them to Kitty Hawk that they needed to completely rebuild the gliders, if they needed to. And they needed to at least five times.

[ Nick/WrightBrothersAeroplaneCompany - 34 - 10:40:19 ]
RE: [Bob] How long did it take to build your model?
About four to six months per glider, Bob.

[ Nick/WrightBrothersAeroplaneCompany - 36 - 10:41:45 ]
RE: [Ali] How did the Wright brothers think of building an airplane and how long did it take them to build it?
The Wright brothers thought about building an airplane for three years, from 1896 to 1899. They finally decided to build a man-carrying machine in 1899 and they completed it in 1900. Thereafter, they made one new airplane per year until 1905.

[ Nick/WrightBrothersAeroplaneCompany - 39 - 10:42:48 ]
RE: [Brittney] When did you learn how to fly and why did you want to learn?
I got my pilot's license in 1984. I had always wanted to fly, ever since I was a kid, and my books finally sold well enough that I had some extra money to take lessons.

[ Nick/WrightBrothersAeroplaneCompany - 40 - 10:43:32 ]
RE: [Rachel] What are the gliders made of? How long did they take to build & how much did it cost?
Rachel, the gliders are made of spruce, ash, and muslin -- just like the flyers.

[ Nick/WrightBrothersAeroplaneCompany - 43 - 10:45:16 ]
RE: [Vance] How long were the Wright Brothers flights?
Vance -- In 1900, the Wrights were able to glider about 225 feet; 1901, 381 feet; 1902, 626 feet; 1903, their longest powered flight, was 852 feet. In 1904, about 3 miles. 1905, when they finally made a practical airplane, they flew 23 miles and landed only when they ran out of gas.

[ Nick/WrightBrothersAeroplaneCompany - 46 - 10:46:18 ]
RE: [Timothy] What was the most thrilling thing you did with your Job?
Tim, the thing I like best is talking to kids. Really! That's the thing that really gets my batteries charged. Flying is great, but sharing the experience is even better.

[ Nick/WrightBrothersAeroplaneCompany - 47 - 10:47:22 ]
RE: [Howell] What is the 1899 Wright kite?
The 1899 Wright Kite was actually a model glider -- five foot wingspan -- that the Wright brothers built to test a revolutionary new control system. When it worked, the Wrights decided to build their first full-size glider.

[ Nick/WrightBrothersAeroplaneCompany - 50 - 10:49:03 ]
RE: [Kaitlin] While you were in school (not counting college) did you show any signs that you were going to become what proffession you are today?
Kaitlin, I never dreamed I'd end up recreating the Wright flights. Never in a buh-zillion years. I'll bet if you asked the Wrights if they ever thought they'd be the first to fly in high school, their answer would have been the same. Sometimes your life works out a lot better than you could have ever planned it.

[ Nick/WrightBrothersAeroplaneCompany - 51 - 10:50:36 ]
RE: [jared] What is the hardest thing you had to research or make and how long did it take you?
Jared, the hardest thing we had to research was the first two gliders -- 1900 and 1901. The Wrights left a few photos, but very little in the way of drawings. So it took us about eight months of research for each one before we even had a clue where to start building

[ Lori/NASAChatHost - 53 - 10:51:39 ]
Don't forget to join us for other Centennial of Flight events, which can be found at: http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/projects/aero/centennial/. You can find our Calendar of Events, to see what other events we have scheduled, at: http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/calendar/index.html.

[ Nick/WrightBrothersAeroplaneCompany - 57 - 10:53:30 ]
RE: [Lyla] Was your flight today successful? Why or why not?
Lyla, we consider even our unsuccessful flights successful because each new attempt teaches us something about the problems the Wright brothers faced. Last Sunday, we were flying the 1901 glider in a 22 mph wind -- a great day for flying. It was easy to launch the glider and get it ten feet in the air. But we found the glider was extremely hard to control. It didn't respond well to the controls. This was exactly what the Wrights found 100 years ago. So the flights were a success even though the aircraft was a dud. This aircraft was extremely important to the Wrights because it showed them what NOT to do.

[ Lori/NASAChatHost - 58 - 10:55:13 ]
Before leaving us today, once the chat is over, we would like to hear what you think about the new NASA Quest re-design, and this webchat. Please take a moment to fill out our online survey at http://quest.nasa.gov/survey/. Thanks!

[ Nick/WrightBrothersAeroplaneCompany - 59 - 10:55:58 ]
RE: [Jeff] What way has flight testing changed since the day of the Wright Bros.?
The airplanes have gotten a lot faster, Jeff. But flight testing is pretty much the same. The Wrights set up the first successful flight research program -- they taught themselves to fly one small inch at a time. We have used the same model for every flight test program since. Make small changes, one at a time, and evaluate the results before proceeding.

[ Nick/WrightBrothersAeroplaneCompany - 60 - 10:57:56 ]
RE: [Brian] How much does it cost to build an air plain?
That depends on the aircraft you want to build. Our small glider, the 1900, cost a little less than $1000 in materials. The 1903 and 1905 flyers will each cost about $25,000. Some aircraft kits cost as little as $10,000 or as much as $250,000.

[ Lori/NASAChatHost - 61 - 10:59:00 ]
Nick has agreed to stay over a few minutes and answer a few more questions since we got a late start. We are extending the chat about 15 minutes. Hope you can stay -- if not look for the archive to be online, linked from the event schedule page, sometime tomorrow.

[ Nick/WrightBrothersAeroplaneCompany - 68 - 11:01:57 ]
RE: [Lyla] Are there certain classes to take to become an aviation archeologist?
You should follow a regular archaeological career path to get the basic research methods down. But you really have to know your aviation history. It especially helps to know the industrial methods used at the time era you want to research. I had to learn about turn-of-the-century machining, woodworking, casting, etc.

[ Nick/WrightBrothersAeroplaneCompany - 69 - 11:02:54 ]
RE: [Brandon] How long did it take for the Wright brothers to build the first airplane that flew?
Four years of research, Brandon. And then another two years to create an airplane that "could land without crashing," as Wilbur put it.

[ Nick/WrightBrothersAeroplaneCompany - 70 - 11:06:02 ]
RE: [johnny] Why are you fascinated with the Wright Brothers?
The Wright brothers not only began the world's largest industry, the aerospace industry, their story has become an important part of our culture. As Americans, we love "jack tales" -- the hero is always the smartest guy, not necessarily the strongest guy. The story of the Wright brothers is the quintessential jack tale -- two ply bicycle mechanics, with no funding other than what they can scrape together themselves, out-invent the world's greatest scientific minds. As Americans, we tell our kids this story to prove that ordinary people can make a huge difference in their world. The Wright brothers, after all, completely changed the way we view our world.

[ Nick/WrightBrothersAeroplaneCompany - 72 - 11:07:15 ]
RE: [Ryan] How many other people are doing your profession that you know of? What do you call your profession?
It's a small niche -- maybe 20 or 25 who are doing aviation archaeology professionally. As far as people who are studying the Wright brothers, I know of only two others who are actually building and flying Wright aircraft.

[ Nick/WrightBrothersAeroplaneCompany - 73 - 11:07:53 ]
RE: [Colin] How large was the Wrights' first plane
It had a 40-foot wingspan and weighed about 700 pounds. The motor produced only 12 hp.

[ Nick/WrightBrothersAeroplaneCompany - 75 - 11:12:22 ]
RE: [Ashley] How come the plane the wright brothers constructed was better equipped and had a better flying ability than the ones that were 75 thousand dollars?
Throwing money at a problem is no way to run a research program, Ashley. When your trying to solve a problem, imagination, gumption, and stick-to-it-iveness goes a lot further than funding. Your right, Sam Langley spent $75,000 trying to build an airplane at the same time as the Wright brothers. He had dozens of people working for him. But his approach to the problem wasn't as thorough or as imaginative as the Wrights. He didn't even test his wings before he tried to fly. His pilot, Charles Manly, had never flown before. The Wrights made over 2000 glides before attempting powered flights, and they had flight tested three previous aircraft.

[ Nick/WrightBrothersAeroplaneCompany - 76 - 11:13:07 ]
RE: [Lori] Will you ever write a book about your adventures with the Wright Brothers Aeroplane Company and your profession as an aviation archeologist?
You betcha, Lori. I've already written 52 books. What's one more?

[ Lori/NASAChatHost - 77 - 11:13:41 ]
Even though we got a late start, what a great chat!! I want to thank all of our participants & thank you for your patience! I also want to thank our Wright Brothers expert Nick Engler for sharing his time and expertise with us today! Join us next week for our VMS webcast! Have a great day :-)

[ Vance - 78 - 11:15:23 ]
Thanks Mr. Engler!!

[ Lyla - 80 - 11:16:38 ]
Thanks Nick! Good luck with your glider flights!

[ Nick/WrightBrothersAeroplaneCompany - 79 - 11:16:10 ]
Thanks you so much for all the perceptive questions, folks. I see by the flag outside my window the wind is kicking up again. So I'm on my way up the dunes to try to get some more glides in before this evening. See you guys -- you can read about our glides this week at http://www.wright-brothers.org/.