| National origin | United States of America |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Wright Company |
| Designer | Wright brothers |
| Number built | 1 |
| First flight | 1913 |
The Wright Model E was the first in the series of Wright Flyers that used a single propeller.[1] The aircraft was also the test demonstrator for the first automatic pilot control.
Design
The Model E featured 24 inch tires. It was flown with four and six cylinder Wright engines.
The model E was fitted with a prototype autopilot that used a wind driven generator and pendulums to drive the wing warping controls. The design was quickly eclipsed by a gyroscopic autopilot developed by Lawrence Sperry for the competing Curtiss Aeroplane Company.[2]
Operational history
On 31 December 1913, Orville Wright demonstrated a Model E with an "automatic stabilizer" flying seven circuits around Huffman Prairie field with his hands above his head.[3] The Model E demonstrations earned the Wright Brothers the 1913 Collier Trophy from Aero Club of America.
Albert Elton (1881–1975) purchased the sole Wright Model E for exhibition flights.[4]
References
- ^ "1913 Wright Model E". Retrieved 3 Feb 2011.
- ^ Tom D. Crouch. The Bishop's boys: a life of Wilbur and Orville Wright
- ^ "Wright Automatic Stabilizer". New York Times. 6 January 1914.
- ^ American Aviation Historical Society. American Aviation Historical Society Journal. 9-11