Another site on the Aviation Trail:
The 17 sites listed on the website "Trail Sites" page make up the “Wilbear Trail” and are part of the passport system where visitors can collect stamps to earn a Wilbear Wright teddy bear. But there are many other area locations that are officially designated as Aviation Trail sites by Aviation Trail, Inc. These other sites are notable for interesting connections and contributions to the development of aviation in Dayton and the surrounding area. Even though there is no “visitor stamp” involved, they offer a chance to learn more about the rich aviation history of the area. A few of them are listed under "additional trail sites" on the Aviation Trail website.
Let's visit one now:
Wright Seaplane Base, Inc.
Represented by an Historical Marker located at the site of the "Wright Seaplane Base" at the bend of the Great Miami River in West Carrollton, Ohio off I-75 exit 47. http://www.wrightseaplanebaseinc.org/
One of the least known aspects of the Wright Brothers’ research work was the development of a hydro-aeroplane. Wilbur died in 1912, but Orville and Co. continued to test several versions of a Wright seaplane. Starting with pontoons added to versions of the Wright "B" Flyer, the company went on to develop an entirely new seaplane with a hull like a boat - the Model "G" Aeroboat. The Aerobat had a solid hull or fuselage with an enclosed cockpit, twin pusher propellers, and the engine in the rear. The Aeroboat was 28 feet long, had a wingspan of 38 feet, and weighed 1,250 pounds. It was powered by a 60 horsepower engine and could attain a maximum speed of 60mph. The Model G "Aeroboat" was their most successful seaplane. Test flights took place between 1912 and 1914 on the “S” bends in the Great Miami River, south of Dayton, between two current cities of West Carrolton and Moraine, Ohio. A historical marker has been erected in West Carrollton at the Miami & Erie Canal Park in the area where these flights took place, the home of the Wright Seaplane Base. Orville flew the varied seaplanes in and out of the Miami River between Moraine and West Carrollton over 100 times.
Wright Seaplane Base, Inc.’s primary mission is preserving and sharing the Wright Brothers' philosophy of flight and Orville’s efforts that contributed to the development of Hydro-aeroplane technology. Wright Seaplane Base, Inc. is an educational non-profit 501(c)(3) organization founded in 2007 to preserve the memory of aviation activities contributed by Orville and Wilbur Wright. Wright Seaplane Base, Inc. is dedicated to recovering this lost piece of Americana in aviation history, the Wright Model "G" Aeroboat. (photo: public domain)
Explore their website to for fascinating history, vintage photos, and an interesting blog page, to learn more about Orville's contribution to hydro-aeroplane technology:
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