The USU Wright Flyer Takes Flight Over Huffman Prairie
Dayton, Ohio - The Utah State University's Wright Flyer, a futuristic replica of the Wright brothers' original Flyer, with support from the National Composite Center (NCC), will recreate history July 5 at 8:30 a.m. with a flight over Huffman Prairie Flying Field, the world's first flying field.
The USU Wright Flyer will take off from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, circle Huffman Prairie Flying Field, and then taxi from Wright-Patterson to the Prairie. Former Senator and space shuttle Astronaut Jake Garn will be behind the controls as the Flyer taxis. Former Senator and space shuttle Astronaut John Glenn, has been invited to join Garn, but has not yet confirmed.
A short ceremony will take place at 9 a.m. with the National Park Service and the USU Wright Flyer. Senator Garn will be one of the speakers. Garn, the professors and students involved in the design and building of the USU Wright Flyer will available for interviews following the program.
The USU Wright Flyer will be on display on Huffman Prairie Flying Field until July 9. During July 10-16, the USU Wright Flyer will be on display at the Wright Memorial.
In celebration of the 100th anniversary of powered flight, Utah State University students and faculty, working with the Space Dynamics Laboratory (SDL), NCC and the U.S. Air Force, designed and built the Flyer using space-age materials, as if the Wright brothers were designing their plane today.
Kevlar and graphite replace the muslin and spruce used in the original Flyer. These two composites are manufactured in Utah and are used in space shuttles, next-generation rockets and military aircraft. A Harley Davidson twin-cam 88B engine functions as USU's modern-day version of the engine originally built by Charles Taylor for the Wright brothers.
After two years and more than 10,000 hours of hard work from Utah State engineering and aviation technology students and faculty, the USU Wright Flyer has been tested and flown more than 100 times. The futuristic Flyer is more stable than the original, but still preserves the look of the Wright brothers' original plane.
NCC, based in Dayton, is providing funding and support for the USU Wright Flyer's month-long appearance at Inventing Flight Celebration. NCC is a leader in developing and linking advanced composite technology to the aerospace and defense, automotive, commercial and infrastructure markets in Ohio and the United States. In addition to producing new business opportunities and sources of income that are helping to expand the Miami Valley's industrial base, NCC is putting the pieces in place to build "Composite Valley" in Ohio.
To find out more about the USU Wright Flyer and see photos and video clips, visit the Web sites at www.usuwrightflyer.org.
