Research Visit: Dayton, OH

I was excited to explore the many historical sites in Dayton, OH that had to do with the Wright Brothers.  I started my visit at Carillon Park.  This interesting historical park featured all sorts of unique elements. 

They had a reproduction of the Wright's Cycle Shop and an original Wright Flyer that Orville helped to restore shortly before his death.

Here is Orville working at the lathe.

Here is the Flyer.  I thought it was interesting that the brothers painted the spruce spars silver.  This was done to deceive those who viewed the Flyer into thinking that it was made of aluminum or steel. 

The bowler hats the Wright's became famous for are found throughout the city.

This photo showed Orville tinkering in his workshop.  I was fascinated to learn that he continued inventing until the end of his life.  



He created many mechanisms to benefit aviators including an automatic landing device to help pilots land in difficult weather.

I visited several other sites in the city including the site of his final workshop.

On the site where his final workshop was located, there was this handsome bronze sculpture that showed the "Professor of the Propeller" at work.

I ended my visit where the Wright's lay at rest.  I visited their grave site at Woodland Cemetery.  It was actually kind of hard to find.

Orville was crushed when his older brother passed away in 1912 from Typhoid Fever.

Orville lived another 36 years.  He sold his interests in the Wright Company several years later, but continued to have a major impact on aviation through is work with NACA (National Advisory Committee on Aviation), the predecessor to NASA.