An iconic piece of aviation history returned to the San Diego Air & Space Museum earlier this month when a refurbished reproduction of a 1903 Wright Flyer was put on display in the Museum’s Rotunda.

Damaged several years ago, the Flyer was transported to Gillespie Field when restoration commenced, but was soon quickly discontinued with the onset of the pandemic. Once the pandemic restrictions were lifted, work resumed at the Gillespie site, and a decision was made to keep it uncovered to demonstrate the intricate woodwork. The Flyer has now been re-hung in the Rotunda, and is the only Wright Flyer with no fabric covering on display in the world.

A little more about the history of the Wright Brothers Flyer:

On December 17, 1903, the Wright Brothers‘ Flyer made the first successful powered flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.. Four times that day, the Flyer left the ground. The first flight was made by Orville who was airborne for twelve seconds. The instant of the first takeoff was recorded on film by a volunteer using a camera system set up by the Wright brothers, recording one of the most famous images in human history. The longest flight that day was Wilbur’s 59-second flight which carried him 852 feet. Thus, the dream of sustained, powered, controlled flight became a reality and world would never be the same.

The Wright Brothers first flight on December 17, 1903.

The configuration of the Wright Flyer was similar in design but larger than their 1902 glider. Made with a spruce framework, the wings and control surfaces were covered with muslin. The two counter-rotating propellers were carved from laminated spruce and driven with a system of sprockets and chains. Like the Flyer itself, the engine was quite simple. It was designed and built with the help of their brilliant assistant, Charles Taylor, who was a master machinist.

The original Flyer is on display at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. The San Diego Air & Space Museum’s reproduction was crafted by the Valentine Aero Company of San Luis Obispo, California. The project was sponsored by the Dayton-Hudson Foundation and the Flyer was originally installed in the Museum in 1980 Volunteers at the Museum built a separate operational Wright engine that is demonstrated to the public once a year on December 17.