Ohio's Aviation Heritage Audio Tour

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Ohio's Aviation Heritage Tour: Kettering “Bug” Jul 30, 2015

Show notes

Next, move so that you are standing in front of the Kettering “Bug.” Ohioan Charles Kettering was an inventor, engineer, businessman and the holder of more than 180 patents. In addition to the spark plug and the electric cash register, one of Kettering’s many innovations was the Kettering Aerial Torpedo, like this full-size replica built by museum personnel. Developed in 1917 and nicknamed the “Bug,” this torpedo was launched from a four-wheeled dolly that ran down a portable track. The Bug’s system of internal pre-set pneumatic and electrical controls stabilized and guided it toward a target, and after a predetermined length of time, a control closed an electrical circuit, which shut off the engine. Then, the wings were released, causing the Bug to plunge to earth — where its 180 pounds of explosives detonated on impact. The war ended before it could be tested in combat.

Ohio's Aviation Heritage Tour: SPAD XIII Jul 30, 2015

Show notes

Stand near the SPAD XIII, the biplane with the red nose and the famous “Hat in the Ring” insignia. This aircraft is painted to represent the one flown by America’s “Ace of Aces” Eddie Rickenbacker, who was from Columbus, Ohio. Rickenbacker is credited with shooting down more German airplanes during World War I than any other American pilot. You’ll learn more about Rickenbacker when we reach the exhibit where his Medal of Honor is displayed.

Ohio's Aviation Heritage Tour: McCook Field Wind Tunnel Jul 30, 2015

Show notes

Go to your left to the large McCook Field Wind Tunnel. McCook Field, near Dayton, was an airfield and aviation experimentation station used from 1917 until the new Wright Field opened in 1927. This wind tunnel was designed and built at McCook Field in 1918 and was used for calibrating airspeed instruments and testing airfoils. The airfoils to be evaluated were placed in the choke-throat and viewed through the glass door as air moved over them. During operation, the air was drawn into the small end of the tunnel and exhausted from the large end where the fan was located.

Ohio's Aviation Heritage Tour: Nieuport 28 Jul 30, 2015

Show notes

Next, move to the nose of the Nieuport 28. This is the biplane with the blue and white striped nose. Many American aces flew the Nieuport 28 during World War I, including Columbus natives Eddie Rickenbacker and Fred Norton. Norton, who flew with the 27th Aero Squadron during the Chateau-Thierry Campaign, was severely wounded by ground fire while strafing a column of German troops. He was able to land his Nieuport behind Allied lines, but it took two days to get him to a hospital, and he contracted pneumonia. His last conscious act before he died was to scribble a note to his uddies: “Twenty-seventh, more power to you.” Displayed near this exhibit are some of Norton’s personal effects, including a flying jacket and his French hospital tags.

Ohio's Aviation Heritage Tour: Frank Lahm Jul 30, 2015

Show notes

Stand near the Flying Schools exhibit, located on the wall in front of the Wright Flyer. A native of Mansfield, Ohio, Frank Lahm was rated as both a balloon pilot and airplane pilot in the U.S. Army. On September 9, 1908, the Wright brothers took their 1908 Flyer to Fort Myer, Virginia, for military acceptance trials, and on its second flight Lahm accompanied Orville as a passenger on a 6 minute, 24 second flight, becoming the first U.S. military officer to fly in a powered airplane. Following the military’s acceptance of the 1909 Flyer, aviation activities moved to College Park, Maryland, where a larger flying field was available, and after taking flying lessons from Wilbur Wright, Lieutenant Lahm flew solo on October 26.

Ohio's Aviation Heritage Tour: 1909 Wright Flyer Jul 30, 2015

Show notes

Go to the front of the 1909 Wright Flyer. The 1909 Military Flyer became the first military heavier-than-air flying machine when the Signal Corps purchased it from the Wright brothers on August 2, 1909. The airplane on display is an exact reproduction constructed by museum personnel in 1955. It is equipped with an engine donated by Orville Wright and chains, sprockets and propellers donated by the heirs of the Wright estate.

Ohio's Aviation Heritage Tour: Wright 1901 Wind Tunnel Jul 30, 2015

Show notes

Move to the 1901 wind tunnel. While living in Dayton, Ohio Wilbur and Orville Wright experimented using wind tunnels like this to observe how wind moved over airplane wings. Inside the tunnel is a model of a Wright lift balance used to measure the lift of a test surface. This wind tunnel is a replica constructed under the personal supervision of Orville Wright prior to World War II.

Ohio's Aviation Heritage Tour: Wilbur and Orville Wright Jul 30, 2015

Show notes

Let’s begin in the Early Years Gallery near the Wright Bicycle. In 1893, Dayton residents Wilbur and Orville Wright opened up the first of their several bicycle shops. Three years later they began building bicycles of their own design. Their successful bicycle business funded flight experiments, and it expanded their knowledge of building machines. The Wright brothers read everything on flying they could obtain, even though most of the material then available was based only on theory. The two brothers first worked with kites and gliders, and in the summer of 1903, they built a 40-foot, 4-inch span airplane that incorporated all their aerodynamic knowledge and incorporated the theories and ideas of German glider Otto Lilienthal. On December 17, 1903, Orville made the first successful powered, heavier-than-air flight in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. During 1904 and 1905, the Wrights continued researching the mysteries of flight at Huffman Prairie, which is now part of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.

Ohio's Aviation Heritage Tour: Introduction Jul 30, 2015

Show notes

I’m Amanda Wright Lane, great-grandniece of Wilbur and Orville Wright. Since the beginning of time, the mystery and majesty of flight have fascinated people. Many Ohioans have played a major role in the development of aviation. All challenged the course of history, and some risked their lives for that progress. Much as we watch birds in flight, Orville Wright also watched them and studied the exact motion of their wings while they flew. He used those observations as he and his brother Wilbur designed and experimented with their flying machines. This tour highlights several Ohioans who have played an integral role in the history of the United States Air Force and its predecessor organizations.

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