NO. 5 SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION AND WRIGHT BROTHERS I3 



APPENDIX I 



{Ames-Taylor Report) 

 LABEL 



LANGLEY FT.VING MACHINE 



THE ORIGINAL. LANGLEY FLYING MACHINE OF I903, RESTORED. 

 IN THE OPINION OF MANY COMPETENT TO JUDGE, THIS MACHINE 

 WAS THE FIRST HEAVIER-THAN-AIR CRAFT IN THE HISTORY OF THE 

 WORLD CAPABLE OF SUSTAINED FREE FLIGHT UNDER ITS OWN 

 POWER, CARRYING A MAN. 



THIS MACHINE SLIGHTLY ANTEDATED THE WRIGHT MACHINE 

 DESIGNED AND BUILT BY WILBUR AND ORVILLE WRIGHT, WHICH, ON 

 DECEMBER I7, I9O3, WAS THE FIRST IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD 

 TO MAKE A SUSTAINED FREE FLIGHT UNDER ITS OWN POWER. 

 CARRYING A MAN. 



Langley's machine was designed by Samuel Pierpont Langley, 

 Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, and completed in 1903. 

 The original machine was never successfully launched into the air : 

 attempts at launching with a catapult on October 7 and December 

 8, 1903, were failures owing to defects in the operation of the 

 catapult launching device, and the machine was damaged severely. 

 In 1914, using all available parts remaining, the machine was re- 

 constructed, with certain modifications, and with hydroplane floats 

 attached for the purpose of enabling it to rise from the water in- 

 stead of being launched by a catapult. In that condition, and carry- 

 ing a man, it was successfully flown with the original power plant, 

 at Hammondsport, New York, June 2, 191 4, and photographed in 

 flight. With a modified and more powerful power plant, it was 

 subsequently flown repeatedly. These tests indicated that the 

 original airplane would have flown if successfully launched in the 

 tests of 1903. After the Hammondsport flights the pontoons were 

 removed and the airplane was restored in accordance with original 

 drawings and data to its original condition, and is constructed in 

 the main of the original parts. 



