One of the galleries in the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio looks at the development of aviation during the early years of aviation.
According to the Museum:
Heavier-than-air vehicles generally achieve flight with aerodynamic lift created by airflow over a surface (usually a wing). There were three basic types of early heavier-than-air vehicles -- kites, gliders and airplanes. Kites are unpowered, tethered craft. Gliders fly freely. Both kites and gliders are limited because they rely on the airflow provided by wind to remain aloft. Airplanes are powered air vehicles that use their own propulsion to create airflow over the wings.
Wright Brothers 1901 Wind Tunnel
According to the Museum:
This is a replica of the wind tunnel designed and built by the Wright Brothers in the fall of 1901 to test airfoil designs. The blower fan, driven by an overhead belt, produced a 25 to 35 mph wind for testing the lift of various planes and curved surfaces. Aerodynamic tables derived from these tests were vital to the successful design of the Wright 1903 Kitty Hawk airplane. Inside the tunnel is a model of a Wright lift balance used to measure the lift of a test surface. The wind tunnel replica was constructed under the personal supervision of Orville Wright prior to World War II.
Wright 1909 Military Flyer
According to the Museum:
The Wright 1909 Military Flyer became the first military heavier-than-air flying machine. Upon purchase by the Signal Corps for $30,000 on Aug. 2, 1909, the U.S. Army designated the Wright 1909 Military Flyer as Signal Corps Airplane No. 1, and it remained the only Army airplane for nearly two years.
In October 1909, Wilbur Wright used Signal Corps No. 1 to give flight instruction to Lts. Frank P. Lahm and Frederic E. Humphreys. In 1910 Lt. Benjamin D. Foulois taught himself how to fly in Signal Corps No. 1 while stationed at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. By March 1911, after several crashes and repairs, the Army retired Signal Corps No. 1.
This aircraft had a top speed of 42 mph and an endurance of 1 hour. It was powered by a 3-cylinder, 30.6 horsepower Wright engine.
The plane on display is a reproduction.
1911 Curtiss Model D
According to the Museum:
In 1911 the U.S. Army Signal Corps purchased its second airplane, a Curtiss Model D Type IV. The military version of the Curtiss Model D could be easily disassembled and transported on Army wagons. Like other Curtiss aircraft of the time, the Model D was a pusher, meaning the rear-mounted propeller "pushed" the aircraft. Designated Signal Corps Airplane No. 2, it was accepted at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, on April 27, 1911, one of five airplanes ordered by the Army that year.
The control system for the Curtiss Model D operated differently than that used on Signal Corps No. 1, a Wright aircraft. A pilot flying the Curtiss operated the ailerons with his shoulders, and the front elevator and rear rudder with the wheel mounted on a column in front of him. Also, rather than sitting next to the pilot, the observer sat behind the pilot.
This aircraft has a top speed of 50 mph and was powered by a Curtiss V-8, 60 horsepower, engine. It had an endurance of 2.5 hours.
The aircraft on display is a replica. The Signal Corps scrapped the original aircraft.
Bleriot Monoplane
According to the Museum:
The Bleriot monoplane was an important early aircraft because of its inventor's notable exploits and the aircraft's role in early training and reconnaissance. It first achieved fame in 1909 when its designer, Louis Bleriot of France, piloted one on the first flight across the English Channel.
During the early days of World War I, both the French and British used two-seat Bleriots for reconnaissance behind German lines. By 1915, however, more advanced aircraft relegated the Bleriot to a training role.
Many Americans who joined the British and French flying services prior to the U.S. entry into the war learned to fly in the Bleriot. Later, members of the U.S. Air Service sent to France for flight training received their first instruction in Bleriots with "clipped" wings that prevented them from taking off. At full throttle, the fledgling pilots bounced across the airfield, learning to control the rudder with their feet. Once they could keep the Bleriot on a fairly straight course, they advanced to an airplane that could leave the ground.
This aircraft has a top speed of 45 mph and was powered by an Anzani 3-cylinder, 20 horsepower, engine.
Wright 1916 Wind Tunnel
According to the Museum:
This wind tunnel was designed by Orville Wright in 1916 and installed in his laboratory at 15 N. Broadway in Dayton, Ohio. He used this tunnel to conduct various aerodynamic experiments during the World War I period. In July 1918, Orville wrote to a friend, "I have lately put up a small tunnel in my laboratory in which we have a wind velocity of over 160 miles an hour."
Pancho Villa
According to the Museum:
On March 9, 1916, the Mexican revolutionary, Pancho Villa, crossed the international border with more than 500 men and raided Columbus, N.M., killing 17 Americans. The next day, Brig. Gen. John J. Pershing was directed to organize a force to protect the border and the 1st Aero Squadron, commanded by Capt. B.D. Foulois, was ordered to join Pershing's "Punitive Expedition" at Columbus. The squadron departed on March 13 from Fort Sam Houston at San Antonio, Texas, where it had been stationed since November 1915, and arrived at Columbus two days later. This was the first time the United States had ever placed a "tactical air unit" in the field.
At the time the 1st Aero Squadron joined General Pershing's forces, it consisted of 11 officers, 84 enlisted men and one civilian mechanic. Also, it had a total of eight Curtiss JN3 airplanes, already "well-used" before arriving on the border. A forward base was established in northern Mexico at Colonia Dublan, and during the last part of March 1916, the 1st Aero Squadron began making reconnaissance flights to locate Pancho Villa and his forces.
The rugged terrain and unfavorable operating conditions of northern Mexico, coupled with the limited performance of the JN3s, rapidly took their toll, and by April 20, only two airplanes remained in service. Four new Curtiss NB airplanes were delivered on April 22, but since they were little better than the JN3s, which they closely resembled, they were soon transferred to North Island as trainers. Another type airplane, the Curtiss R2, was sent to the 1st Aero Squadron, and by late May 12 had been delivered. Although the R2 was the latest machine available and reportedly "the best that the country could produce," it was never a completely satisfactory airplane for use on the border.
During its remaining months with General Pershing's Expedition, the 1st Aero Squadron spent much of its time field-testing new type airplanes purchased for the Aviation Section. By early 1917, the tense border situation had eased to the degree that the squadron was no longer needed in Mexico, and some of its flyers were transferred to newly-opened flying schools. Although the 1st Aero Squadron never performed any spectacular feat in pursuit of Pancho Villa, it gained valuable field experience from operating under "combat" conditions.
More early aviation
Wright Museum: The 1905 Wright Flyer III (photo diary)
Museums 101: The birth of aviation (museum tour)
Museums 101: The Huffman Prairie Flying Field Interpretive Center (photo diary)
Public Lands: The world's first airport (photo diary)
Air Force Museum: Historic photos in the Early Years Gallery (photo diary)
Museum of Flight: Some early airplanes (photo diary)
Museum of Flight: Building early airplanes (photo diary)
Museum of Flight: The First Fighter Plane (photo diary)
