UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Stewart L. Udall, Secretary

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
Conrad L. Wirth, Director

HISTORICAL HANDBOOK NUMBER THIRTY-FOUR

This publication is one of a series of handbooks describing thehistorical and archeological areas in the National Park Systemadministered by the National Park Service of the United StatesDepartment of the Interior. It is printed by the GovernmentPrinting Office and may be purchased from the Superintendent ofDocuments, Washington, D.C., 20402. Price 30 cents.

WRIGHT BROTHERS
NATIONAL MEMORIAL
NORTH CAROLINA

by Omega G. East

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
HISTORICAL HANDBOOK SERIES NO. 34

Washington, D.C., 1961
(Reprint 1963)

The National Park System, of which Wright BrothersNational Memorial is a unit, is dedicated to conservingthe scenic, scientific, and historic heritage of the UnitedStates for the benefit and inspiration of its people.

The National Park Service gratefully acknowledges the assistanceof Dr. Marvin W. McFarland, who reviewed the manuscript and gavemany valuable suggestions. We are grateful also for the excellentcontemporary photographs made available by the Library of Congress.All photographs used in this book, except those otherwise credited,were furnished by the Library of Congress.

Contents

Page

The Wright Brothers of Dayton, Ohio 1

Young Business Partners 3

Pioneers of Flight 5

Problems of Flight 9

First Experiments, 1899 10

Why Kitty Hawk? 13

Glider Experiments, 1900 14

Glider Experiments, 1901 19

Wind-Tunnel Tests, 1901 27

Glider Experiments, 1902 28

The Motor and the Propellers 33

The Powered Machine, 1903 36

December 17, 1903: The Day Man First Flew 44

After the First Flight 53

The Original Airplane Exhibited 60

...