Wright Flight Festivals at The Franklin Institute Science Museum
The Wright Flight Festival is a celebration of the Wright Brothers that promotes awareness of the Wright Again project, the Wright Brothers Aeronautical Engineering Collection, the 2003 Centennial of Flight, and the upcoming re-creation of Aviation Hall at The Franklin Institute.
These celebrations include activities and presentations for the entire family. The first festival took place March 30, 2002. Other festivals will be held March 28-30, 2003 (during the National Science Teachers Association conference in Philadelphia) and in December 2003 to commemmorate the 100th anniversary of powered flight.
Named after one of Philadelphia's most famous citizens, Benjamin Franklin, The Franklin Institute is the most frequently visited museum in Pennsylvania. Its large Bartol Atrium serves as a gateway to the many wings and exhibits of the museum. Bright and welcoming, the atrium invites visitors to explore this great science museum.
During the March 2002 Wright Flight Festival, the atrium was transformed into a flight laboratory. Hands-on aviation activities at "Make and Take" stations in the atrium allowed families to experiment together. Children made paper airplanes and used a special machine to launch them. Which airplane flew the farthest? Paper helicopters were lifted high on columns of air to the delight of countless children. One of the most popular activities was the Magnus Flyer. Paper cups and an elastic band can transform common household materials into a flight experiment in a matter of minutes! Hundreds of visitors participated.
Presentations
Dr. Jani Macari Pallis, aeronautical engineer and principal investigator of the
Wright Again Project, discussed "The Wrights As Young Engineers." Encouraged by their parents even as young children, Orville and Wilbur Wright were experimenters and entrepreneurs. Following the timeline of the project, Dr. Pallis explained the Wrights' early experiments in flight. Young members of the audience were invited to come on stage and demonstrate models of the Wrights' early vehicles.
Surprises
Following Dr. Pallis' presentation, The Franklin Institute's senior curator, John Alviti, provided the audience with an extraordinary and rare opportunity. John brought several original, hand-written Wright documents to the theater for all to see, including "THE" original drawing of the 1903 Wright Flyer sketched by the Wright brothers. The audience was allowed to come up to the stage and view these documents—no display glass! To be that close to the actual work of Wilbur and Orville Wright's hands was a once-in-a-lifetime treat for everyone.
Flight Show
With the theater filled to capacity, Franklin Institute Interpreter Megan Lacomchik enthralled the audience with The Franklin Institute's Flight Show. Highly interactive, with lots of involvement from young volunteers in the audience, participants experienced the development of flight from early balloons to modern rockets.
Never Before On Public Display!
John Alviti and the curatorial staff of The Franklin Institute were very busy during the Wright Flight Festival. Outside Musser Theater, showcases displayed documents and artifacts from the Institute's Wright Brothers Aeronautical Engineering Collection. These national treasures were a gift from Orville Wright to The Franklin Institute. On display were airfoils (wing shapes) tested by the Wrights in 1901 and several of their journals. There was even a replica of the wind tunnel that the Wrights used in 1901. (More on wind tunnels.) Although the original Wright wind tunnel no longer exists, Orville Wright himself assisted the Franklin Institute in the creation of this very replica. Many of these items had never before been on public display!
Web Stations
Karen Elinich, Director of Educational Technology Programs at The Franklin Institute, demonstrated the new Wright Again website and The Franklin Institute's online collection of Wright Brother artifacts. Visitors took home information about the project and registered to receive information about future Wright Again activities.
The Wright Flight Festivals In 2003
We're already planning the March 2003 Wright Flight Festival. Register now and stay informed about all upcoming Wright Again project activities.
Cislunar Aerospace, in partnership with The Franklin Institute Science Museum, is pleased to present "Wright Again," a project that celebrates the work and achievements of Wilbur and Orville Wright and is made possible by generous support from the National Business Aviation Association.
"Wright Again," in collaboration with the High Performance Computing, Education, and Research Center (HPCERC) at the University of New Mexico and NASA Ames Research Center's Fluid Mechanics Laboratory, invites elementary, middle, and high school students to follow the technical development of the first successful powered airplane—the 1903 Wright Flyer.
