Jamestown, Williamsburg and Kitty Hawk

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June 27th 2009

Published: June 28th 2009

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Chiefy

Marily

Ship replica.

Alright now class, let's talk about the founding of Jamestown in 1607. Okay that's good enough. This and Williamsburg are worth a a visit if you like history and all but they are both a bit commercialized. There are a few original buildings but mostly they are reproductions and that is okay but I prefer to see and original if at all possible. One has to keep in mind that things weren't built to last back then and the occassional hurricane as well as other severe weather has taken it's toll. Here a few pictures of both locations and as you can see they do a good job of staying in the period with proper dress. Most of the guides there are very good. We both particulrly liked the guy in the slave shack He was knowledgable and entertaining as well.
Now I also drove down to Kitty Hawk North Carolina to see where the Wright Brothers first flew in 1903. This was very much worth while and not just because I am an aviator. I had always thought they flew right on the beach here on the outer banks. They did not. It is in a half a mile or

Gunsmith

These guys do all their own work as it was done then.

so. The old pictures look like the beach because at the time there was only sand and no trees. They were looking for soft sand to crash in and an obstruction free area with steady winds. That is what it was like at the time. Now there is grass and trees all around due to the conservation corps planting them. Kill Devil Hill is where they did their glider testing which were unmanned. Smart way to do it because numerous guys were killed trying to fly in their machines right off the bat. The fatality rate was close to 100% at the time. The hill had the upslope lift created by the constant breeze. Once a controllable plane was built as a glider then an eingine and propellers was added. These guys were born engineers and very mechanical. They were bicycle builders and many parts on the Wright Flyer were bicycle parts. They built their own wind tunnel. They designed and built their own propellers that were about 80% efficient. Todays propellers are only about 85% efficient so that says a lot about them. One must remember that ships propellers are very different so of no help in design. No

Ship replica. Nobody knows what happened to the originals. It's been 400 years.

engine manufacturer could build something to the specs needed so they even designed and built their own engine. They new they needed 12 horsepower to fly and they built an engine that developed 18. The airplane flew at about 33 mph. It ran down a single rail for takeoff since it was in the sand. They always took turns flying and started with the flip of a coin. Four flight were made the day of December 17th 1903. It was 30 degrees and with the wind chill, it felt like 7 degrees. They didn't bring that much in the way of warm clothes because they were supposed to be done back in the fall but of course had several delays like an engine that burned up and propeller shafts that broke not to mention a few crash repairs. Life guards came over from the beach each day to help lift it and carry it back to the launch point. The last flight lasted 59 seconds and went 852 feet. The gas tank held less than a gallon. Anyway, it was worth the 2 and a half hour drive for me to come down here from where we are parked in