Comments on: they say wright brothers plane caries a 16 hp engine.?

By: CharlieQ

CharlieQ — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 23:40:59 +0000

Yes, but the 250cc engine has to rev to many thousand rpm to produce that power, and that would require some sort of gear reduction to get the drive-speed of the props down to their efficient operating range, only a couple of hundred rpm.

The additional weight of a drive-speed reducer would prevent the machine from flying with that engine!

The Wright home-made engine turned only about a 800rpm and used a light-weight sprocket and chain drive (a’la their bicycles) to get the necessary drive-speed reduction.

Also, the fuels available then were pretty wretched. That 250cc engine might not even run on it! But even it did, it certainly wouldn’t produce anywhere near its rated hp.

The Wright design was far from perfect, and the machine barely flew, but it was better than anything else in the world in 1903!

Now, if you could design a machine that could put a payload in earth orbit for $100 per pond, you could garner equal fame and fortune as the Wrights!

Good luck!
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Glasair flyer

By: lightningfastfords

lightningfastfords — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 23:06:59 +0000

in what way ?
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By: iamamidnitoker

iamamidnitoker — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 22:42:59 +0000

first of all, the wright brothers engine was a 12 horse power engine. first of its kind with its external combustion chambers, and also the lightest engine in that time for the power it gave out.
with todays technology, it couldnt possibly keep up with a lawn mower engine, never mind a 250 cc bike.
but in comparison, for the technology they had back then, it would actually be about the same power availible.
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By: Fish <><

Fish <>< — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 22:19:59 +0000

Actually it was 12hp,and there has only been over 100 YEARS of technology since then,so of course a modern engine would be far more efficient.
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By: Beeman11

Beeman11 — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 21:35:59 +0000

Modern day ultra lights fly with a couple of chainsaw engines,120 cc total.their plane had to be so big to carry such a heavy engine but it was as light as they could make it with the technology of the time.
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By: rescueteam5

rescueteam5 — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 21:30:59 +0000

a modern 250 cc bike engine would destroy the wright bros. engines, which were home-made by the wrights themselves. No existing engine at the time was light enough.
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