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The Wright brothers designed and constructed the world's first practical fixed-pitch propeller and developed the aerodynamic theory to calculate its performance during the process of creating their historic 1903 Flyer. Conceptualizing the propeller as a rotating, twisted wing moving in a helical path, the brothers used airfoil data obtained from their wind tunnel to design blades able to convert power from their small engine into thrust.

Believing that "the propeller should in every case be designed to meet the particular conditions of the machine to which it is applied," the Wrights designed their propellers (they used two on the airplane) for one specific performance regime. Using a drawknife and hatchets, they shaped the propellers from two laminated pieces of spruce, covered the tips with linen, and sealed them with aluminum powder suspended in varnish. Overall, these two propellers produced 66 percent efficiency, enough to get off the ground at Kitty Hawk.

This original propeller was used on the 1903 Wright Flyer on December 17, 1903, during its first flight.

Display Status

This object is on display in Wright Brothers & The Invention of the Aerial Age at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC.

Wright Brothers & The Invention of the Aerial Age
Object Details
Date 1903 Country of Origin United States of America Type PROPULSION-Propellers & Impellers Manufacturer Wright Brothers, Dayton, Ohio
Physical Description Type: Two-Blade, Fixed-Pitch, Wood Diameter: 259.1 cm (102 in.) Chord: 19.2 cm (7.6 in.) Engine Application: Four-Cylinder, Horizontal Inline, Water-Cooled, 9 kw (12 hp) Dimensions Rotor/Propeller: 259.1 x 19.2 x 8.9cm (102 x 7 9/16 x 3 1/2 in.)
Materials Kiln-dried spruce in two pieces
Silver coating
Inventory Number A19830381000 Credit Line Gift of Harold & Ivonette Miller and others Data Source National Air and Space Museum Restrictions & Rights Open Access (CCO)
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