 |
Serial Activities The Invention Problem Solving Flying Machines In The News Online Explorations |
Up in the Air:
The Story of the Wright Brothers
Chapter Thirteen: The Wrong Numbers (September 1901)
To design their wings, Wilbur and Orville have used an equation and tables of numbers from the writings of Otto Lilienthal. Now they fear that the numbers representing air pressure, numbers on which they´ve staked their lives, are wrong. They are determined to find a way to test them.
|
2. Tables and charts were important to the Wright brothers and they are still used today to show a wide variety of information. Collect as many different types of tables and charts as you can from The News-journal. Then ask teachers, friends and family member to help you read them.
ON THE WEB: Wings That Bend And Stretch -- The Wright brothers flew the first planes. They made their planes roll and turn by using their bodies. The pilot would lay face first on a saddle seat. He would move his hips from side to side to turn the plane.
ON THE WEB: Lift and Drift -- Once in a great while a significant scientific advance will go unnoticed because there are greater, more exciting things afoot. Such is the case of the Wright brother´s wind tunnel and the fundamental research they did in aerodynamics in the winter of 1901-1902.
ON THE WEB: Centripetal and Centrifugal Forces -- When speaking about the gravifugal force we in fact refer to a certain sort of centrifugal force created by rotation in which gravity acts as centripetal force. Direction of the gravifugal force is always opposite to that of the gravipetal (gravity).
Otto Lilienthal (1848-1896) -- If Cayley is aviation´s grandfather, Otto Lilienthal is its uncle. From statements and writings left by the Wright brothers, it is clear Lilienthal was an important source of inspiration for their efforts.
Serial Story: UP IN THE AIR -- The 18-part serial story ran in the Daytona Beach News-Journal each Monday from January 13 through May 19 (except for April 14). Text and illustrations for the serial copyright © 2003 by Brian Floca. Sponsored in part by Inventing Flight, Dayton, Ohio. Reprinted by permission of Breakfast Serials, Inc. www.breakfastserials.com.
Copyright © 2008 NIE WORLD (www.nieworld.com). All content copyrighted and may not be republished without permission. The News-Journal has no control over and is not responsible for content on other Web sites. Privacy Policy.