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Replica Flyer Foiled By Weather

Posted by timothy on from the first-one-took-a-few-tries-too dept.

An anonymous reader submits: "A replica of the Wright Brothers' 1903 flyer failed to fly yesterday afternoon at a demonstration in Chicago. Organizers blamed the measly 5 MPH winds. Kitty Hawk had 25 MPH back on December 17, 1903. IIRC, isn't Chicago the 'Windy City?'" Here's an earlier story about the various groups attempting to re-enact the Wright brothers' pioneer flight.

4 of 238 comments (clear)

  1. 100 years of aviation and this is what we get? by civilengineer · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Anyone saying getting there is half the fun did not fly on modern commercial airlines. -someone's quote I forgot who

    --

    New year Resolution: Don't change sig this year
    1. Re:100 years of aviation and this is what we get? by SheldonYoung · · Score: 4, Insightful

      100 years of aviation and we get air travel very safely at unbelievable speeds, where going through the airport often takes longer than the flight itself. It's become so routine nobody even thinks of how amazing flying is.

      100 years of aviation and we get safe, affordable high performance airplanes that you can buy and build yourself.

      100 years of aviation and we get piston engine airplanes with greater than 1:1 thurst to weight ratio.

      100 years of aviation and we feel confident enough to land airplanes without being able to see the ground.

      100 years of aviation and we find the next 100 years is decided by laywers and the insurance industry.

  2. Trouble for the Wrights? by YouHaveSnail · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Should we continue to give the Wrights credit for the first powered flight when they had to rely on 25mph winds? Seems the 1903 Wright flyer was more like a glider.

  3. Catapults by blitz487 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Should we also then assert that navy jets are not really airplanes because they cannot get off the carrier deck under their own power and without the carrier steaming full blast into the wind?