On Feb 18, 10:55*pm, "
wrote:
The Wright Flyer was also known as the Flyer I and sometimes Kitty
Hawk.


Actually, I've never been able to document that either of the brothers
ever formally named any of thier aircraft. The name "Wright Flyer"
seems to have evolved between 1905 and 1908 from the brothers'
references to the 1905 machine as "our flyer". This was usually used
as an abreviation of thier formal term "our flying machine." The word
"aeroplane" had been used in Europe as a reference to European-
designed machines at the time. Our modern word airplane came later.
The first references to the term "Wright Kitty Hawk" seem to stem from
its days at the London Science Museum. That term was also used when
the Smithsonian moved the flying machine back to the United States.

However, I have found several references in the Wrights' letters and
notebooks from 1903 to the "whopper flying machine." This is of course
a reference to the 1903 powered machine. In comparison the the 1902
glider, the 1903 flying machine was 8' greater in span, 1 1/2' greater
in chord, had doubble-surface wings, doubble front rudders (cannard
elevators), much more massive landing gear, and was nearly 3' taller.
It also outweighed its older sibling by 486 lbs. By general comparison
(which I've had the opportunity to do several times), the 1903 machine
is about 1/3 larger than the 1902 glider, twice as large as the 1901
machine, and dwarfs the 1900 machine. It truly was a "whopper" in its
day.

Harry Frey
Wright Brothers Enterprises
Wright 1902 glider #8
Wright 1899 kite
Wright 1878 bat
Wright 1901 test bicycle