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| This airplane is an exact reproduction of the Wright 1909 Military Flyer. Upon being purchased by the Signal Corps for $30,000 on Aug. 2, 1909, the original airplane was redesignated Signal Corps Airplane No. 1, the world’s first military heavier-than-air flying machine. It was used in October 1909 for giving flight instructions to Lts. Frank P. Lahm and Frederic E. Humphreys, and in 1910 it was used by Lt. Benjamin D. Foulois to teach himself how to fly. By March 1911, the airplane was no longer fit for use and was retired. The original is now on display at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.
This reproduction was constructed in 1955 by Air Force Museum personnel. It is equipped with an engine donated by Orville Wright and chains, sprockets and propellers donated by the heirs of the Wright estate. SPECIFICATIONS: Span: 36 ft. 6 in. Length: 28 ft. 11 in. Height: 7 ft. 10 1/2 in. Weight: 740 lbs. Engine: 4-cylinder Wright of 30.6 hp Cost: $25,000 plus $5,000 bonus PERFORMANCE: Maximum speed: 42 mph Maximum endurance: Approx. 1 hour |
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| Bibliography: National Museum of the USAF |