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Article: AVIATION HISTORY: ; THE WRIGHT STUFF; West Virginia wood was key part of man-made flight
- Article from:
- Charleston Gazette
- Article date:
- October 15, 2009
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright 2009 Charleston Gazette. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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It turns out West Virginia contributed some essential components
when the Wright Brothers pioneered mankind's earliest airplane
flights.
A recently discovered letter from the Wright Cycling Co. reveals
spruce grown in West Virginia was used to build frames for the
Wright brothers' first flying machines.
The typewritten letter, dated March 5, 1904, and handsigned by
Wilbur Wright as the "Wright Cycling Co." in Dayton, Ohio, indicates
the brothers were searching for 500 feet of "the finest possible"
spruce, free of knots with grain "free from twist."
"We have found it impossible to obtain this lumber in our local
yards," the letter states. "Can you supply our need?"
Apparently the West ...