Wright Model EX

The Wright Model EX is an early biplane built by the Wright Brothers. It was a smaller, single-seat version of the Wright Model B, made just for exciting exhibition flights, which is why it is called "EX." Only two of these planes were ever made.

One of these special planes, called the Vin Fiz Flyer, made history in 1911. It became the very first airplane to fly all the way from one side of the United States to the other. This amazing trip took almost three months to complete.

Design

The Model EX was a small, three-part biplane with wings of the same size placed one above the other. It had a tail with two small vertical rudders at the back, supported by an open frame. The pilot sat close to the engine at the front of the lower wing, and the plane used two propellers pushed forward by chains. The landing gear had long skids stretching out in front, each with two wheels, and a small skid at the very back.

This model was special because it was the first plane the Wright Brothers made entirely in their new factory.

History

William Randolph Hearst had offered a US$50,000 prize to the first aviator to fly coast to coast in less than 30 days. Calbraith Perry Rodgers, after a short lesson from Orville Wright, bought a Wright Model B airplane and modified it, calling it the Model EX. With support from J. Ogden Armour, who named the plane after his new grape soft drink Vin Fiz, Rodgers began his journey from Brooklyn, New York, on September 17, 1911.

The flight had many stops and challenges, but Rodgers finally landed in Pasadena, California, on November 5, just missing the prize deadline. He continued flying until December 10, when he completed the trip by landing on a beach and carefully driving the plane into the Pacific Ocean. The Vin Fiz Flyer was later acquired by the Smithsonian Institution and is displayed at the National Air and Space Museum. Special airmail stamps were sold to support and celebrate the flight.

Specifications (Vin Fiz Flyer)

Data from NASA

The Wright Model EX, also known as the Vin Fiz Flyer, was a small, single-seat biplane. It had a length of 21 feet, a wingspan of 32 feet, and a height of 7 feet. It was powered by a 35 horsepower Wright Aero engine and could travel at an average speed of 51 miles per hour.