The Launch Rail & Dolly
The soft sand was not a good “runway.” The brothers build a 60-foot wooden rail with metal stripping to provide a hard and smooth surface for takeoff. A dolly of wood and bicycle hubs was placed on the rail to hold the flyer above the sand as it accelerated forward to liftoff.
Getting off the Ground
After four years of scientific research and rigorous experimentation, and with their 1903 Flyer on the rail, the Wrights are set to fly. In unison, they each pull down on a propeller. The engine roars to life and the propellers whip through the air; only a restraining wire keeps the flyer in place. Orville climbs onto the machine and positions himself into the hip-cradle. He releases the restraining wire and the machine slowly moves forward. Wilbur runs alongside to steady the machine. After traveling 40 feet down the rail, the flyer lifts into the air, ushering in the Age of Flight.
Exhibit Description
The exhibit panel is filled with a large drawing of the 1903 flyer as if it were in motion about to lift off. The view looks down the length of the launching monorail at the rudder and rear of the flyer. The propellers are blurred, indicating movement. Orville can be seen lying down, piloting the flyer in the center, while Wilbur is running along the right wing, holding on as it takes off. There are callouts pointing to the dolly, located below the flyer, and the Launch rail, which is below the dolly.
