Been There
Senior Member
Inventing the airplane was probably one of the greatest inventions and gifts to mankind.
Katharine, the Wright Sister of Wilbur and Orville
- Thread starter Meanderer
- Start date
A few years ago I read David McCullough's biography, "The Wright Brothers" and there was plenty about their wonderful sister. The whole family was so impressive, hard working, selfless and of course brilliant.
I thought of them a lot during our year of Covid when students had to stay home. When Orville was a senior in high school, all set to go on to college, a boy hit him in the face with a hockey stick and knocked out most of his teeth. He never went back to school.
Dentistry wasn't that good back then and Orville spent the following year at home with pain and infection. His mother was dying at that time and he sat with her for much of that year. It was at that time that he became fascinated with flight, watched the birds out the window and read everything that had been written about the subject. I expect that without that year at home to just think, if he had been busy with college and career, we still would all be grounded.
I thought of them a lot during our year of Covid when students had to stay home. When Orville was a senior in high school, all set to go on to college, a boy hit him in the face with a hockey stick and knocked out most of his teeth. He never went back to school.
Dentistry wasn't that good back then and Orville spent the following year at home with pain and infection. His mother was dying at that time and he sat with her for much of that year. It was at that time that he became fascinated with flight, watched the birds out the window and read everything that had been written about the subject. I expect that without that year at home to just think, if he had been busy with college and career, we still would all be grounded.
Been There
Senior Member
This was a really well put together chronicle on Katherine Wright's contribution to not only flying, but also to women' suffrage. The whole Wright Brothers story, including Katherine makes an interesting read, but ended kind of on a sad note.
Meanderer
Supreme Member
A while ago, I posted about Charlie Taylor, in a separate thread, and cannot find it right now. It was celebrating "National Aircraft Aviation Maintenance Technician's Day.
Charlie Taylor: The Man Who Made The Wright Brothers Fly
"Taylor had an innate mechanical ability and was a respected toolmaker. He was working in his own shop when one day Orville and Wilbur Wright came in and asked him to make them some parts. Pleased with Taylor’s work, the Wrights continued to bring him special projects—the beginning of a decades-long relationship that would shape the course of aviation history."
Charles Taylor's contributions:
Build time: Only 6 weeks!
How: Used hammer, chisel and other hand tools, as well as basic tools, including a drill press and lathe
Power: 12 horsepower
Weight (engine block and crankcase): 152 pounds
Engine block and crankcase: Lightweight, cast aluminum-copper alloy
Cylinder material: Cast iron
Number of cylinders: Four
Cylinder size: Four-inch bore and four-inch stroke
Total displacement: 201 cubic inches
Cooling: Water-cooled
Quirk: No carburetor; instead, gasoline flowed into a shallow pan and engine heat vaporized it
Wind tunnel: Machined parts from workshop scraps for the Wright brothers’ wind tunnel, enabling their experimentation and data collection
Charlie Taylor was really the "nuts & bolts" guy who made the Wright Brother's plane fly. He made the engine by hand, in six weeks, because they couldn't find someone who could make it. He was the unsung hero of their story, who finally...late in life, found recognition and received the accolades that he deserved.
Charles E. Taylor (1868-1956): The First Aviation Mechanic
Charlie Taylor: The Man Who Made The Wright Brothers Fly
"Taylor had an innate mechanical ability and was a respected toolmaker. He was working in his own shop when one day Orville and Wilbur Wright came in and asked him to make them some parts. Pleased with Taylor’s work, the Wrights continued to bring him special projects—the beginning of a decades-long relationship that would shape the course of aviation history."
Charles Taylor's contributions:
1903 Wright Engine
Wright brothers’ specifications: Needed 9 horsepower and a maximum weight of 180 poundsBuild time: Only 6 weeks!
How: Used hammer, chisel and other hand tools, as well as basic tools, including a drill press and lathe
Power: 12 horsepower
Weight (engine block and crankcase): 152 pounds
Engine block and crankcase: Lightweight, cast aluminum-copper alloy
Cylinder material: Cast iron
Number of cylinders: Four
Cylinder size: Four-inch bore and four-inch stroke
Total displacement: 201 cubic inches
Cooling: Water-cooled
Quirk: No carburetor; instead, gasoline flowed into a shallow pan and engine heat vaporized it
Other Contributions
Wright Flyer parts: Handcrafted all the metal fittings and support wiresWind tunnel: Machined parts from workshop scraps for the Wright brothers’ wind tunnel, enabling their experimentation and data collection
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Kaila
SF VIP
Fantastic posts. Thank you, @Meanderer
plus each of you who have been adding to this thread.
plus each of you who have been adding to this thread.