TWO WINGS !

They are the ones which allow flight, 2 principles combine to explain how lift is created in order to defeat gravity and allow the magic of flight : Bernoulli principle states that an increase in the speed of a fluid occurs simultaneously with a decrease in static pressure. The airflow that accelerates on the upper surface of the wing creates a decrease in pressure which “suck” the wing and the aircraft to the top. Newton’s 3rd law, as for her, states that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. The wing deflects the airflow downwards and an upward force arise as a result.

The Wright’s brothers were the first to understand the importance of creating sufficient lift to achieve flight, they made a wind tunnel to better study the airflow over the wing and tested more than 200 profiles before selecting the good one. They understood as well the importance of controlling their aircraft around the 3 axis and developed a sufficiently powerful engine to carry it all. They were the first in history to successfully achieve a motorized and controlled flight on December 17th 1903 !

After the difficulties encountered while building the fuel tanks, the rest of the wing seems almost easy. The flaps are completed in a few weeks, the ailerons follow the same building principle but are balanced by a quite heavy steel tube in the leading edge to avoid any flutter. The aileron control is similar to the elevator with rigid tube and bell crank. The last task consists of closing the 26 centimeters gap between the leading-edge tanks. A creative and interesting work that concludes in September the building of the wings. They are stored just on time for the arrival of the 3rd crate : The fuselage !

1.1 x 1.2 x 2.5 meters long, weighting 250 kilos, that’s heavy stuff ! With great pain we unload it but don’t even think about the ramp. The opening of the gift box will happen on the sidewalk and each element carried one by one to the workshop. The inventory takes a day, the organization and storage as well. The number of elements is simply amazing ! hundreds of parts : aluminium sheets, tubes, angles, profiles, fiberglass parts and at least 10 kilos of rivets, nuts, bolts and others…

 In a year, if all goes well, everything will have turned into a flying machine’s fuselage, off to work !

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