Plane crash in Ohio OT

[Frank Blackstone]

Since I was an eye witness I can scope this story before you see it on the nightly news. At about 9:30 AM after a long introduction by bureaucrats and posturing politicians the most accurate reproduction of the Wright Flyer III took off. This all occurred in celebration of the 102nd anniversary of the first long distance flight over 30 minutes. The original flight was from the Huffman Flying field as was this reenactment by Mark Dusenberry of Dover, Ohio who spent 10 years and at least $20,000 building the Flyer. He worked from original plans ans exact measurements from an original Flyer III archived here in Dayton. It was a hoot to see the drop weight catapult launch down the wooden skid rails and the supports fall away as it really flew. I have tried to fly models of this delicate machine and it's very difficult. The owner built engine drives two opposing propellers which in the heavy conditions today did not have enough power to carry Mark through the first turn so he crashed after about 30 seconds. From this gentle bird that land with a whoosh he easily walked away and any damaged sustained will be easily repaired with wood , fabric and glue to fly tomorrow. Keep 'em flying, Frank

[TodFitch]

Neat to hear that someone out there is dedicated enough to recreate and fly a Wright Flyer of that vintage. I have seen some documentaries about reconstructing the original plane but this sounds a little different.

Here is another one to be kept flying. It is for sale but the price tag is a bit out of my range. . .

http://www.ipass.net/ginkgo/N9612home.html

[PatS....]

Takes alot of guts to get airborne with only wood fabric and glue under your butt. Glad he was able to walk away from it and try it again someday.

[hkestes41]

I actually had the privellege of flying in a Ford Tri-Motor in 1978 as a Junior in High School.

At the time my dream was to become a Naval Aviator (damned eyesight) and was in Naval ROTC in school. There was an airshow at the local airport in which the Blue Angles were performing so some of the ROTC officers were working at the airshow in uniform being go-fers for the Blue Angles.

The Tri-Motor was parked next to where the Blue Angles were parking their planes and we had a very good conversation with the owner/pilot of the Tri-Motor. After the show was over he came to us and offered to take us for a short ride. We took about a 15-20 minute flight.

I remember that it was very LOUD and slow. Flying at about 1/4 the speed of commercial jets it seemed like we would never make it up let alone stay up. It was a blast and something I will never forget.

[Normspeed]

What a beauty. Glad someone had the inspiration and the funds to restore it. I learned to fly in a 1946 Aeronca Champ, flying out of a CAP field in New York State. Plane was a tail dragger, wood and cloth, tandem seating, joysticks and no electric start, you had to pull that prop. Airstrip was an old farmer's field, with an upslope at one end, made landings tricky:D