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All About A Toy!

12/18/2014

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All About A Toy! 

As a child, did you ever receive a gift from your parent or a family member that had such an impact on you that as an adult, it shaped your way of thinking, dreaming and responding to the world?

In 1878, Milton Wright was returning home from his work travels; Milton Wright was a Bishop for his local church and traveled extensively to preach. Upon returning home one evening the Bishop gave the brother’s a toy, this toy impacted their young lives appealing to their intellectual senses and curiosity. The toy was a simple gadget, a helicopter of sorts made of bamboo, paper, and cork made motorized by a rubber band. The helicopter, an engineering design of Alphonse Penaud of France, a French pioneer of aeronautical science who achieved remarkable headway in the field of aeronautics during the 1860s to 1870s. Penaud developed the Planophore, a mechanical device that used propellers, which were powered by rubber bands to sustain short periods of flight. This remarkable gadget, a loving gift from their father would credit the spark into the Wright brothers’ future aviation endeavors and history-making achievements. 

“Our first interest (in flight) began when we were children. Father brought home to us a small toy actuated by a rubber spring which would lift itself into the air. We built a number of copies of this toy, which flew successfully….But when we undertook to build the toy on a much larger scale it failed to work so well. The reason for this was not understood by us so we finally abandoned the experiments.” – Orville Wright

It would take a little bit of time and discovery before the brothers’ reached the threshold that would carve their names in history. The journey of discovery that would include a Printing business and a Bicycle Shop! Remarkably each step along their path ultimately laid foundational learning and practices that lead them to achieve their aeronautical aspirations. The printing shop enriched the brothers’ mechanical, writing skills and business aptitudes. The business engagement from the printing shop fostered an environment that developed their engineering talent, documentation, protection of work and the promotion and sale of their airplane. In the business of their bicycle shop, the brothers’ combined their mechanical skills and engineering talents to build and brand their own line of bicycles.  Beginning in 1896, the brothers’ developed and carried a line of three different bicycle models. 

Though Wilbur and Orville did not graduate from high school, it was the encouragement from both of their parents that fostered an environment to discover and acquire knowledge through hands-on engagement and responsibilities. Respectfully, they were self-taught engineers who loved to learn. And through their constant evolvement of organic studies as children at home and then through their business endeavors as young adults. Wilbur and Orville matured into highly intelligent individuals whose engineering labor and tireless efforts produced man's first powered flight, all because of a toy! 


L. Manresa

#WrightBrothersDay is December 17th - What would they think?

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The Big Treat

10/24/2014

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PictureThe Wright Model "G" Aeroboat on the Miami River
THE BIG TREAT
Billy Gearheart was milking the cows because his father had been called in by the volunteer fire departed to fight a barn fire. He didn’t mind milking Beulah because she was a gentle cow and Billy always fed the cows before milking them. But Bessie, she was mean, and always tried to kick over the mil bucket. He had tied her leg back and was pushing hard against her side with his head, but she still tried to kick the bucket. His cat, Tom, was watching him and asking fir a shot of milk, so ever so often, Billy would shoot a stream of milk into his open mouth. He finished the milking and turned the cows out into the barnyard. As he was carrying the two buckets of milk, Billy was thinking that two was his lucky number. He had two cows, he was carrying two buckets of milk, and he had two lucky charms, one in each pocket.

His mother looked him up and down, as she combed his hair. “Your white shirt is still clean, your overalls look okay, and your shoes are still shined. You didn’t get any of the mess in the barn on your clothes. So, here are two quarters, your lunch is packed, there’s your treat for the teacher, and off to school you go.” She gave him a fast kiss, slapped him on the butt, and he was off to school.

The children were running around the schoolyard and Billy joined in the fun and games. The teacher, Mrs. Press, rang the bell and they all went into the one room schoolhouse. After the children were in their assigned seats, the teacher said, “Let’s all stand up and recite the Pledge of Allegiance.” All the children stood and out their hand over their hearts and, in unison, recited the pledge. After they sat down Mrs. Press said, “Children, take out paper and pencil and write your name at the top. Then write the date as follows, August 20, 1914. Your homework will be to write about what you see and hear today. We will now assemble in the yard by two’s, little children first, then big children in the rear. Then we will march to the Miami River. Stay together, and stay behind the ropes that are strung out near the river.”

The sun was shining, not a cloud in sight, and the cool night air was warming as the children marched to the river. They were all assembled behind the ropes at the edge if the river, talking, laughing, and giggling. They got quiet when a 1912 Ford came through the trees towing a boat hull, mounted on two bicycle wheels. The car was disconnected and drove back through the trees. Then a large flat bed truck came through the tress hauling a double winged structure with a long boom that has vertical and horizontal fixtures on the rear. The children were excited and made all kinds of comments: “It is a boat?” “Its got two big fan blades!” “I see a motor.” And “Gosh, them are long wings.” The load was removed and the truck left. The bicycle wheels were removed and the men put the two pieces together.

The Model “G”Aeroboat was pushed out into the shallow part of the Miami River on the Miami Shores side. Then Orville Wright, wearing his hat backwards with goggles on forehead, climbed aboard and settled into the pilot’s seat. The co-pilot, a Navy Lieutenant, Kenneth Whiting, climbed aboard on the other side and settled in next to Orville. The men on the ground turned the two propellers over a few time and gave Orville the okay sign. The motor started and the props began to whirl. The children were really excited now and their comments increased: “Is it a flying boat?” “It’s like two large fans blowing air!” “Will it really fly? And “It is a flying boat!” The ground crew pushed the Aeroboat into deep water. The throttle was opened up and the Aeroboat sped down the river. Faster and Faster, the hull rose up on top of the water, and the “Flying Boat” was airborne. The children were amazed and could not take their eyes off the plane as it flew over the Miami Shores and all around to the upper part of the bend of the river.

The teacher and children had turned a full circle as they watched the Model “G” Aeroboat fly in a large circle and make a turn to come down and land in the river. “Look, they are coming down to land in the river,” one of the children shouted. Sure enough, the plane was on an approach to land in the river. “Oh no! It’s falling into the river!” another child shouted. Something had broken and part of a wing fell off as the Aeroboat plunged into the Miami River. “Are they drowned?” “I see one head pop up.” There’s another one.” The children cheered as the pilot and co-pilot swam out of the river and waded ashore.

Billy was happy as he played with his two lucky charms. He had taken two Gooseberry Crumbles to the teacher, they had marched in tow’s to the river, two men had flown a “Flying Boat” in a large circle, crashed into the river, survived, and now the two mules were being used to pull the wrecked plane out of the river. Two was certainly his lucky number and now he knew what he would write about today’s event for his homework. And he would have a lot to tell his mom and dad.  

            Editor’s Note: This is a fictional account of events that happened in the bend of the Miami River in 1913 and 1914 as Orville Wright and his employees flew several versions of seaplanes in and out of the river over 100 times. Orville’s flight log details each flight including the one where the wing broke and plunged him and co-pilot into the river. Read about this history on a bronze plaque at the Miami & Erie Canal Park on Marina Drive, West Carrollton, as you look out to the bend of the river where is all happened.

            Moraine City Mayor Carl W. Gerhardt was thrilled, as a grade school student in 1914, when the teacher, Mrs. Madge Routsong Prass led the children to the river to watch Orville test his “Flying Boat” An article about this event was published by the Kettering-Moraine Museum and Historical Society. Mr. Gerhardt was mayor from 1970 to 1975.


Guest Blogger: “The Big Treat” By D.L. Ferguson Author Of “Randolph The Six Gun Cowboy” Published In 1995 & “The Proud Leyte” Published In 1997.
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FIRST TO FLY? 

8/31/2014

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Guest blogger “First to Fly” by D.L. Ferguson author of “Randolph the Six Gun Cowboy” published in 1995 & “The Proud Leyte” published in 1997.

FIRST TO FLY? 
08/31/2014

I’m tired of the radio and television statements that the Wright Brothers were not the first to fly. That is a true statement; the Wright Brothers were not the first to fly. Here is where they were first: The Wright Brothers were the FIRST to build a wind tunnel and test various lifting devises and establish a true set of lift tables that could be used to design wings to carry two people; Using these tables they created many gliders and flew them more than a hundred times to perfect their control systems; the Wright Brothers were the FIRST to learn how to warp the wings to mimic the warping of bird wings; the Wright Brothers were the FIRST to create a catapult to thrust their flying machines into the air; the Wright Brothers were the FIRST to realize that the propeller needed to produce lift (thrust) like a wing, and they created their own propellers with a twist to develop thrust; and Orville Wright perfected several of the FIRST hydro-planes and flew them in and out of the Miami River in the Dayton area. They certainly taught the world how to fly and established several flying schools around the United States. 

So, who was the first to fly? One of the myths of the Greeks was Daedalus and his son Icarus who escaped from prison with wings of feathers and wax. Icarus flew too high; the sun melted the wax, and he fell to his death. (We know now that the higher you fly, the colder it gets). Leonardo da Vinci dreamed of flying and left many sketches of a flying machine with wings like a bird and muscle power was used to flap the wings. (So much for dreams.) In the 11th century, an English Monk covered his arms and legs with chicken and duck feathers; jumped from a tower and broke both legs. He never tried to fly again. Through the ages, there have been many attempts to fly and some have flown for a few feet; some have flown further; but none had the proper controls to actually fly. In 1783, two brothers, Jacques and Joseph Montgolfier, were the first human beings to sail aloft over the skies of Paris. (They were at the mercy of the wind.) Samuel P. Langley built a large steam powered flying machine and in 1903, a pilot tried twice to fly it and both times it crashed into the water. However, in 1903, at Kitty Hawk, N.C., the Wright Brothers flew four times and the last flight was in the air for more than 800 feet. 

The Wright Brothers created, built, and perfected over 20 different flying machines, four hydro-planes, and became famous flying their machines around the world. They were the FIRST to teach the world to fly! (By D.L. Ferguson)


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Welcome to Wright Seaplane Base, Inc.

6/1/2014

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Hello!

And welcome to Wright Seaplane Base, Inc!

Wright Seaplane Base, Inc. is dedicated to all things of flight; but close to our hearts is the history and preservation of the Wright Model “G” Areoboat.

“Wright Model “G” Areoboat?”. . . Most people have never even heard of the Wright Brothers’, “Wright Model G Areoboat!

You ask, what can I possibly say about the Wright brothers that has not already been said in books, newspapers, magazines, television, and other publications? Well, there is one important piece of history about the Wright Brothers that has been lost in time. Wilbur died in 1912, but Orville and company continued to test several versions of a Wright Flyer, to include a predecessor to the seaplane. Adding pontoons to several versions of the Wright “B” Flyer and then creating an entirely new plane with a boat like hull. The Model “G” Areoboat became their most successful seaplane.

Orville flew the seaplanes in and out of the Miami River between Moraine and West Carrollton, Ohio over a 100 times in 1913 and 1914. On one flight, the Model “G” carried a pilot and 3 passengers.

Wright Seaplane Base, Inc. is dedicated to recovering this lost piece of aviation history. It is the desire of the Historical Aviation organization to build a full-scale sculpture of the Model “G” Areoboat lifting off from the Miami river for all to see, visit, and touch.

What to expect in future blogs from Wright Seaplane Base, Inc
.?

· 
Wright Seaplane Base, Inc. will periodically share stories and events related to the Wright brothers’ and general aviation themed topics.

· We will also incorporate informational or lighthearted aviation themed videos.

· Lastly, we would love to hear from you! Your questions, thoughts, feedback or anything you would like to share relevant to aviation and/or the Wright Brothers.

Thank you for checking us out. Please feel free to leave your questions and/or comments, we look forward to hearing from you. 

Wright Seaplane Base, Inc. also invites you to follow us on Twitter @WrightSeaplane and "Like" us on Facebook, Wright Seaplane Base, Inc.

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