Skeleton Framing of Wright Airplane III, During Reconstruction, 1943

Despite the fact that neither Wilbur nor Orville Wright had received their high school diplomas, both young men were bright individuals with inquisitive minds.  Wilbur was an excellent student with an extraordinary memory and Orville had an insatiable curiosity when it came to science and technology.  In less than a decade, the Wright brothers had researched, built, tested, modified and refined a flying machine capable of heavier-than-air flight, a feat which had eluded man for centuries. In the early 20th century, the Wright brothers applied for and were granted five patents.  Their first patent, number 821,393, was granted on May 22, 1906 for their flying machine.  This famous patent is considered the ‘pioneer’ patent for all other airplanes. Other patents included aircraft with improvements, such as automatic stabilizers, yaw controls, moveable and fixed rudders.  Some of these parts, like the moveable rudder, can be seen here within the skeletal frame of the 1905 Wright Flyer III during its reconstruction.  Once finished, the aircraft was placed on display in Wright Hall at Carillon Historical Park, where it can still be seen today.  This photograph is from Dayton History’s Image Collection.

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