Wright Flyer III
Wright Brothers · United States · first flew 1905 · light aircraft
The Wright Flyer III was the third powered aircraft built by the Wright brothers, in the winter of 1904 to 1905.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, fuselage-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 8.54 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | No tailplane |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Biplane with a forward elevator and a rear rudder
- Two propellers driven by chains from a single engine
- Pilot lying prone on the lower wing, with a longer tail than earlier Flyers
A spruce-framed biplane with a canard elevator and twin chain-driven propellers; it has no fuselage.
Specifications
- The Wright Flyer III has a length of 8.54 m (28 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 12.29 m (40 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 56 km/h (35 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Orville Wright made the first flight on 23 June 1905. It used the engine and hardware of the scrapped Flyer II after major modifications.
Variants
A single example was built, developed from the Flyer II. It had a longer tail for better directional stability, and the rudder was moved to its own control.
Where you'll see it
It gave much greater performance than the first two Flyers and was flown until 1908. The restored aircraft is the only fixed-wing aircraft designated a National Historic Landmark.
Related aircraft
- Wright Flyer II
- Wright Flyer
- Wright Glider (1902)
- Santos-Dumont 14-bis
- Blériot V
- Esnault-Pelterie R.E.P. 1
- Voisin 1907 Biplane
AircraftIQ — the aircraft field guide: 8,606 recognition guides, live overhead identification, works offline.