Wright Model R
| {{Infobox Aircraft Begin
| name=Wright Model R | image=Wright Model R at Belmont Park, 1910.png | caption=The "Baby Grand" at Belmont Park. }}{{Infobox Aircraft Type | type=Racing aircraft | national origin=United States | manufacturer=Wright Company | designer= | first flight=1910 | introduced= | retired= | status= | primary user= | more users= | produced= | number built= | program cost= | unit cost= | developed from=Wright Model B | variants with their own articles= }} |
The Wright Model R was a single-seat biplane built by the Wright Company in Dayton, Ohio, United States, in 1910. Also known as the Roadster or the Baby Wright, it was designed for speed and altitude competitions.
Design
The Wright Model R was derived from the Wright Model B, and was a two-bay biplane with rear-mounted twin rudders mounted in front of a single elevator and carried on wire-braced wood booms behind the wing. It was powered by a {{convert|30|hp|abbr=on}} Wright four-cylinder inline water-cooled engine driving a pair of pusher propellers via chains.Munson 1969, p.42
Operational history
Two examples were flown at the International Aviation Tournament at Belmont Park in November 1910, one being a standard model flown by Alec Ogilvie and the other being a special competition model known as the Baby Grand, which had a {{convert|60|hp|abbr=on}} V-8 engine and a reduced wingspan of 21 ft 5 in (6.53 m). Orville Wright succeeded in flying the Baby Grand at a speed of nearly {{convert|70|mph|abbr=on}}. Both aircraft were entered for the second Gordon Bennett Trophy competition which was held at the meeting, but the Baby Grand, flown by Walter Brookins, suffered an engine failure during a trial flight on the race day and crashed heavily. Ogilvie's aircraft also had engine problems, having to make a stop of nearly an hour to make repairs, but was nevertheless placed third.[http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1910/1910%20-%200919.html "The American International Meeting"]Flight 5 November 1910
Ogilvie also flew his aircraft in the 1912 Gordon Bennet competition, re-engined with a {{convert|50|hp|abbr=on}} N.E.C. engine.
Specifications
{{Aircraft specs
|ref={{cite web|url=http://www.wright-brothers.org/Information_Desk/Just_the_Facts/Airplanes/Model_R.htm|title=1910 Wright Model R|accessdate=20 May 2012}}
|prime units?=imp
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|crew=1
|length m=
|length ft=27
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|span m=
|span ft=26
|span in=6
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|wing area sqft=185
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|eng1 number=1
|eng1 name=Wright Vertical 4
|eng1 type=water-cooled piston engine
|eng1 kw=
|eng1 hp=30
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|prop blade number=2
|prop name=x2 chain driven pusher
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|prop dia ft=8
|prop dia in=6
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References
;Notes
{{reflist}}
;Bibliography
- McFarland, Marvin (ed), The Papers of Wilbur and Orville Wright vol. 2. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1953, p. 1199.
- Munson, Kenneth, Pioneer Aircraft 1903-1914. London: Blandford, 1969.
External links
{{commons category|Wright Model R}}
- [http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1911/1911%20-%200063.html "Mr Ogilvie's Wright Biplane"] Flight 28 January 1911.
{{Wright aircraft}}
Category:1910s United States experimental aircraft