Wing rib from 1908 Wright Military Flyer. One of two wing ribs surviving from the aircraft that crashed at Fort Myer, Virginia, on September 17, 1908, during U.S. Army Signal Corps flight trials of the Wright aircraft. The crashed severely injured Orville Wright (pilot), and Lieutenant Thomas E. Selfridge (Army observer) died from his injuries. Selfridge's death was the first in a powered airplane. The Wright brothers returned to Fort Myer in 1909 with a new airplane to complete the flight trials and secured a contract with Army for the airplane, making the 1909 Wright Military Flyer the world's first military airplane.
Display Status
This object is on display in Wright Brothers & The Invention of the Aerial Age at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC.
Object Details
Date
1908
Country of Origin
United States of America
Type
CRAFT-Aircraft Parts
Manufacturer
Wright Brothers, Dayton, Ohio
Physical Description
Varnished wood wing rib made up from cap strips and wooden blocks. Metal strap used to attach rib to wing leading edge fastened to front of rib with tacks.
Dimensions
3-D: 186.7 × 11.4 × 3.3cm (73 1/2 × 4 1/2 × 1 5/16 in.)
Materials
Wood
Metal
Inventory Number
A19571012000
Credit Line
Gift of Col. Henry Berliner
Data Source
National Air and Space Museum
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
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