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Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland 20771

ENGINEERING COLLOQUIUM

Monday, November 17, 2008 / 3:30 PM, Building 3 Auditorium

photo of full scale Wright biplane replica

Ken Hyde "The Wright Experience's 1908 Ft. Myer Flyer"

ABSTRACT -- Ken Hyde, Founder of The Wright Experience, will speak on the Team's incredible restoration projects completed over the last 15 years. In 1992, the Army Aviation Museum commissioned Ken to build a reproduction of the 1911 Wright Model B that had become the Army's first practical airplane. When it was discovered that the meticulous Wrights had put very little of their work on paper, Ken took up the responsibility to tell the entire story of what the two brothers accomplished. After the 1911 Model B was delivered, Ken and his Team devoted all their time to research, documentation, and duplication of other Wright constructions. They built the 1903 Wright Flyer for the 100th anniversary of flight on December 17, 2003 at Kitty Hawk. The Team was then commissioned to construct a second 1903 Flyer for permanent display at the Wright Brothers Park in North Carolina.

Local residents can see one of their other Wright reconstructions on display at the College Park Aviation Musuem at the airport in College Park, Maryland.

SPEAKER -- Ken Hyde, a native of Nokesville, Va., earned both his pilot's and mechanics' licenses while still a high school student from Charlie Kulp at the Manassas Airport. In 1961 he joined the team at Bendix as a co-pilot/mechanic for the operation of instrumented aircraft for calibrating worldwide tracking stations for Projects Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo. During his 33 year career as a pilot for American Airlines, he founded Virginia Aviation and gained national attention as the restorer of vintage aircraft, some of which are on display at the National Air and Space Museum, the Cradle of Aviation Museum, EAA Museum, and the College Park Aviation Museum.

For Ken it is important that 100 years from now the Wright Brothers' work is preserved for future generations to study and understand. It is the eye for detail and determination to get things right that separates The Wright Experience from all others. It is also why the Wright family fully endorses Ken and his Team. Said Marianne Miller Hudec (great-niece of the Wrights), "I know the Wright brothers would be particularly gratified by (The Wright Experience's) efforts to prove their scientific creativity."




Engineering Colloquium home page: https://ecolloq.gsfc.nasa.gov