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July 08, 2002
History takes flight
USU students updating Wright Brothers' plane

By MATTHEW FLITTON
Standard-Examiner Cache Bureau

LOGAN -- By the looks of the contents of the workshop in Utah State University's technology building, nothing
much is happening. But here, history is being made -- or remade.

About 10 students are working through the summer to build a re-creation of the Wright Brothers 1905 airplane. But instead of wood and muslin, graphite and aluminum tubes, plastic foam wings and Kevlar coatings are the building materials.

"It's what the Wright Brothers would have done if they were alive today," said Dave Widauf,
an associate professor and project head.

Widauf said he came up with the idea as a way to promote the aerodynamics programs at USU while celebrating the centennial anniversary of flight. After doing some research, he decided to use the 1905 model because it was a much better plane than the original 1903 one.

"Even the Wright Brothers considered it the first real airplane," he said.

After getting some blueprints of the motorized glider, Widauf learned that even that plane was too unstable to be flown by humans. Widauf compared flying it to trying to balance on a marble. So the associate professor decided to redesign the plane.

Students spent about 4,000 hours drawing up the plans. The result is a 2-inch thick binder full of everything from a picture of the finished plane to directions for bolts.

Widauf said building the plane will require another 3,000 to 4,000 man-hours. The finished plane will weigh about 500 pounds. Thats compared to the original 750-pound model. The airplane will cost between $20,000 and $30,000. It will be powered by a 90-horse power motorcycle engine. Its maximum speed will be 50 mph. That's not far with a takeoff speed of 30 mph.

"We're stepping back and trying to build an old item with new materials," said Chuck Larsen, a recentlyretired professor who's helping out with the project.

James Call, a freshman in the aviation maintenance program, is helping build the aircraft.

"It's a new aspect of the aerospace program that I haven't done before," he said.

The graphite-coated tubes have a wavy pattern in the fibers. The result is almost holographic, especially after they were coated with nickel to have the same silver look as the original plane.

"Someone said it was going to look like Liberace's plane," he said, grinning.

The project, sponsored by the university and the Space Dynamics Lab has certainly gotten attention. Widauf said the History Channel will be in Logan this month making a documentary about the replica.

It could end up in the Smithsonian, or on display in Ohio, at a state park dedicated to the fathers of flight.
Widauf said he plans to build a couple more to satisfy the demand.

After it's constructed, Col. Kyle McDonald, a test pilot with the Air Force, will see if it works. After that, the
plane will be on display at the Utah State Fair and schools around the state.

There are currently four other groups building exact replicas of the airplane. Widauf said some of them get
pretty upset when changes in design are mentioned.

"They (the Wright Brothers) already did that 100 years ago," he said. "We're taking it to the next step."

Reporter Matthew Flitton can be reached at (435) 512-3449 or at mflitton@standard.net.