1905 Wright Flyer III - Dayton, Ohio
Posted by: 
DougK
N 39° 45.843 W 084° 11.411
16S E 740686 N 4405346
This sculpture is a replica of the Wright brothers' 1905 Wright Flyer III, which they considered their best flying machine.
Waymark Code: WMFPD1
Location: Ohio, United States
Date Posted: 11/12/2012
Views: 44
After their early success at Kitty Hawk, the Wright brothers came back to Dayton and continued their flying experiments at a field near Dayton in 1904 and 1905. In 1904, the brothers made 105 flights which totaled only 45 minutes. On Oct 5, 1905, their flyer flew 24.2 miles in 38 minutes, 3 seconds, lifting the Wright Brothers to the pinnacle of aeronautical fame.
This sculpture is of a 1905 model of the Wright Flyer III, considered by the Wright brothers to be their best flying machine yet. This full-scale model of the Wright Flyer III stand near the Engineers Club on Monument Avenue overlooking the Riverscape park. Wilbur pilots the plane while Orville watches from below.
A dedication tile on the ground nearby reads:
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This sculpture represents the third
flyer that the Wright brothers
constructed to continue their flying
experiments at Huffman Prairie, East of
Dayton, within the boundaries of what
is now Wright-Patterson Air Force
Base. The Flyer is piloted by Wilbur
Wright while his brother Orville
watches from the ground. With this
Flyer, which Orville considered the
most important of the Flyers that the
brothers built, they learned to
control their aircraft and made
practical manned flight a reality.
in 1947 Orville Wright assisted in the
salvage and reconstruction of the
original Wright Flyer III, which is on
display at the Carillon Historical
Park in Dayton.
Dedicated
May, 2001
Larry Godwin
sculptor
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A story about the artist, Larry Godwin, can be found online at the Troy Messenger. Here's an excerpt:
Godwin was a likely choice to fabricate the flyer because of his previous experience with the Wright Brothers and their marvelous flying machines.
In 1985, Godwin fabricated a 1910 version of the Wright Flyer for Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery. From 1910 – 1911, the Wright Brothers set up and ran a flight training school in Montgomery at about the same location where the base is presently located.
He was also commission to fabricate a replica of the Wright Brothers’ First Flyer for Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach. This replica includes bronze figures of the brothers.
Godwin’s experience fabricating flyers and the skill and creativity displayed in his work gave him the nod for the 1905 Flyer for the Dayton project, which includes the flyer and bronze figures of the brothers.
The sculpture can be seen in Google Street View.