Wright Flyer II

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Orville(left) & Wilbur with the Wright Flyer II at Huffman Prairie May 1904.

The Flyer II was the second powered aircraft built by Wilbur and Orville Wright, in 1904. The design of the Flyer II was very similar to the original 1903 Flyer, but with a slightly more powerful engine.

The Wrights tested the new aircraft at Huffman Prairie, a field outside of Dayton, Ohio, which is now part of Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park and also part of the present-day Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. They flew the 1904 machine 105 times that season, ultimately achieving flights lasting five minutes. They succeeded in flying in full circles on some of these flights.

The Wrights disassembled the airframe of the Flyer II during the winter of 1904-05. They salvaged the propeller chain drive, its mounts, and the engine. The wing ribs, uprights and related wooden parts were reportedly burned in the early months of 1905. The salvaged propeller parts and the engine went into the new airframe of the Wright Flyer III.

1 Specifications (Flyer II)
2 References
3 External links
4 Related content

[edit] Specifications (Flyer II)

General characteristics

Crew: One pilot
Length: 21 ft 1 in (6.43 m)
Wingspan: 40 ft 4 in (12.29 m)
Height: 9 ft 0 in (2.74 m)
Wing area: 510.0 ft² (47.38 m²)
Empty weight: lb (kg)
Loaded weight: 925 lb (kg)
Max takeoff weight: lb (kg)
Powerplant: 1× water-cooled straight-4 piston engine , 15 hp (11.2 kW)

Performance

Maximum speed: mph (km/h)
Range: miles (km)
Service ceiling: ft (m)
Rate of climb: ft/min (m/s)
Wing loading: lb/ft² (kg/m²)
Power/mass: hp/lb (kW/kg)

[edit] References

Wescott, Lynanne, Paul Degen, Wind and Sand: The Story of the Wright Brothers at Kitty Hawk. Harry N. Abrams, Inc. New York, 1983. Includes excerpts from diaries and correspondence pertaining to the Wright Brothers and their experiments.