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March 10, 2002
USU students ready to fly into the past

By Leah L. Culler
Deseret News staff writer

USU students are building a replica of the Wright Brothers' original biplane. Paul Barker, Deseret News

A group of college students is honoring the world's first aviators by turning back the clock and re-creating Orville and Wilbur Wright's original flying wonder.

Nearly 100 years after the brothers made their first 12-second flight, Utah State University students are building a modern-day replica of their flying machine, a feat believed never attempted.

"Other groups are building replicas using original materials," said David Widauf, a USU associate professor overseeing the project. "We thought, 'Why not build a replica with materials that would be available if the Wright brothers were constructing an airplane today?' "

The team is using the latest Kevlar and graphite materials instead of the muslin and spruce used by the Wrights a century ago.

The two-year project got under way last semester and will culminate when the plane is flown during the Wright Flyer centennial celebration in Dayton, Ohio, in 2003.

The students spent 1,900 hours last semester getting to know everything about the original Wright plane, according to Nick Alley, a USU graduate student and the design project manager. Five of the 10 students are focusing on the structural aspect of the project, while the other five are working on the plane's aerodynamics. This semester, the students have built a quarter-scale model and soon will start work on the actual full-scale plane. The quarter-scale model was on display at "Dinotek 2002," a free high-tech exhibit at the Ogden Dinosaur Park, through Feb. 22.

When they finish that plane, former Sen. Jake Garn wants to be the one in the pilot seat on at least one of its flights. They hope that flight will go farther than the 120 feet the Wright brothers managed.

Garn, who says aviation has always been a part of his life, said it would complete his aviation career to fly a replica of the original Wright plane. Garn has "flown all sorts of things," including hang gliders and experimental and home-built aircraft. In 1985, he had the opportunity to be the first public official to fly aboard the Space Shuttle.

And Garn said he's not worried about the safety of the plane.

"After all the things I've flown, I'm not the least bit concerned about it crashing," he said. "I feel much safer in an airplane than a car."

Garn said he does recognize that these students face a challenge in designing a plane identical to one built 100 years ago.

"There's a lot of differences in the way (the Wright brothers) flew and the aviation technology we have today," he said. "Sure there's some obstacles to overcome, but I'm confident they will overcome them."

The students themselves definitely recognize the challenges they face.

Alley said the design team is restricted more than anything by aesthetics, because they want the plane to look like the Wrights' original. Another concern is the center of gravity.

"The Wrights had very little understanding of aerodynamics," Alley said.

In the original plane, the center of gravity was behind the main wing. Alley said the team has had to design around that by making the tail end of the plane as light as possible.

Carson Esplin is in charge of the structural design of the wings and has to deal with changing the wing-warping mechanism of the original plane to accommodate a new airfoil design.

Alley, Adam Richards and Ben Case developed software to check how the original plane performed in steady flight. They used that program to find trends in how changing things about the aircraft would affect its flight performance. One of the biggest changes they're making is reducing the weight from its original 710 pounds to 310 pounds.

"We're trying to make the plane as light as possible," Alley said. "Anybody can build a plane that weighs 700 or 800 pounds."

Alley said the challenge is designing an aircraft that has to carry a human being.

"You have to be much more concerned with the controls and structural design and integrity," he said. "If it wrecks they can hurt someone. It's a lot of faith the university is putting into these guys."

The project stands to bring significant recognition USU's way. Mary-Ann Muffoletto, public relations specialist at USU, said the project will showcase USU's engineering and aeronautics programs. And not only will USU be in the spotlight, but the state of Utah will get some of the glory as well.

The modern composites the project is using are something Utah has made significant achievements in, Muffoletto said.

But this project doesn't end when the plane's finished. One of the largest components of the project is an educational outreach throughout Utah and the nation.

Quarter-scale models of the plane will be taken on tour in Utah as soon as this October. Trina Paskett of the Space Dynamics Laboratory in Logan said the tour will reach an estimated 200,000 students — who will have the opportunity to learn about aviation through specialized lesson plans and essay and art contests. Paskett said educational activities of science and math involved with aeronautics, composite materials and design will accompany the plane's tour. The Space Dynamics Laboratory is providing much of the management for the Wright Flyer project.

"The organizers hope it will spark interest in science, technology, history and aviation," Muffoletto said.

On its way to Ohio for the centennial, the full-size plane will follow a historical path, stopping to show off at various spots on the way. For that tour, the plane will have to fit in a 53-foot van, which means it will have to be disassembled and reassembled. Paskett said the project's organizers are still working on an exact path and dates for the tours.

But for now, the students are just concerned about getting the plane off the ground.

"When we see the plane up and flying it will really be worth all the effort we've put in," Case said.