6FT Wright Brothers Glider Plane | ||
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Posted 12 years ago
mtruji
(1 item)
This Wright Brothers Glider plane is 6 foot wide in length. It's made of metal, wood and cloth. It's a beauty to see. I have no idea who made it, what it's worth or where its from.
Could anyone point me in the right directions?
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Where is it now, in your home ?
It's hanging in my home yes.
This piece looks to be motorized, with two propellers and a chain drive leading from a power source; not really a glider. As to who may have made it, or where it originated, I would suggest that you check with a few large hobby/model stores; could possibly have been built from a kit. They would be a likely source of info. As to value: radio-controlled kits this size and smaller often cost hundreds of dollars just for basic materials. They take a good deal of time to assemble, which also has a value. If it were mine (and I do have a few), I would value it at over $1,000 (minimum) just based on your photos, and likely a good bit more once I'd had a good look. Hope that helps.
Thanks for the info. Your correct, it isn't a glider, it does have chains to a motor of some kind. I've never gotten up there to toy with it and i've lived in my place for 5 years! The wood is really fragile, the metal is spotty and heavy. It's definitely made very well. I'm not sure if it has a motor or if it's there for looks. I've only found one picture on the internet of another one here:
https://wizardacademy.org/scripts/prodList.asp?idCategory=365
I can't find a kit like it anywhere. I think the unique thing about it is the cloth that is used. Most kits don't have cloth that I can see.
Thanks for the info.
Interesting. That would suggest that more than one was made, unless you own the same piece that Wizard Academy had. Have you ever tried contacting them to ask if they have any background info?
I sent them an email this morning requesting information regarding the piece. I'll let you know what they say. It's interesting they put the metal was hammered by a great craftsman, because the metal on my plane seems to be hand made. It's not curved like it came out of a machine, I think it's been hammered as well.
Have a look at this site: http://arizonamodels.com/product_info.php/cPath/22/products_id/38. they have kits of the Wright 'Flyer' available in different sizes. The parts for a 'Flyer' model just under 7' cost $895 by themselves.
I emailed the company and attached photo's asking if it's their work. I'll let ya know!
Thx for the link.
No luck from either source. Arizona Model Company said it wasn't their work. The academy doesn't have a clue about the model. They still have it which means there are two at least.
Man, I think it would be easier to build a full-scale model! What a kick a** conversation piece to have hanging around.
I did some further on-line searching. Couldn't find any current model makers that produced kits of a Wright Flyer that were close to the size of yours, other than the Arizona folks. The Wizard Academy gives measurements for theirs. I suggest that you take accurate measurements of yours and compare. Certainly, the photographs suggest that the two models could be from the same maker. If there are two, there might be more. From there, I'd try to make an educated guess as to its age, bearing in mind that the Wright Bros. flew the original in 1903. 50th anniversary = 1953; 75th = 1978; 100th = 2003. Possibly anyone making replicas might have done so in celebration of same. Just some thoughts. Good luck. Interesting piece to have whatever the outcome.