The Wright Bros: Elora's Project - 02

The Wright Brothers made their first successful flight on December 17, 1903. To acknowledge the 100th anniversary of this event, Elora Lyda at age 14 decided to build a National History Day website about the beginnings of powered flight.

The webpages she created more than 10 years ago no longer exist, but I (her dad) was able to reconstruct them using a CD that preserved her original text and image files. To see her rejuvenated site, just go here: The WRIGHT Brothers With The WRONG Idea

Elora excelled at Science Fair and History Day projects. Below, she receives a Third Place Trophy at the Inland Science & Engineering Fair, Riverside County, California -- April 2000 

Her collection of awards -- January 2001

Elora's 2002 History Day Project -- See it here: Lewis & Clark Exhibit

Her examination of early aviation was comprehensive and very surprising. To tell her story, she needed to master the fairly new art of web design in 2003, and the History Day judges were suitably impressed.

Much of Elora's information came from the works of Jack Carpenter, a researcher and author who was a leading expert on the Wright brothers and the history of aviation.

Jack Carpenter, San Juan Capistrano, 2003

Elora studied his 500-page book, Pendulum II, which was published in 2003. It is the revised, expanded version of his earlier work, Pendulum, dedicated to setting the record straight about early aeronautical development.

The pendulum swings, slowly -- from ignorance and misinformation -- to truth and knowledge. -- Jack Carpenter

PREFACE

Three of mankind's greatest inventions occurred in the years beginning this story: the telephone, the automobile, and the airplane -- with all engulfed in momentous patent battles. The victors of two, Alexander Graham Bell and Henry Ford, then played crucial roles in the third, the epic fight between the Wright brothers and Glenn Curtiss. -- Jack Carpenter, Pendulum II

Another major resource for Elora was Carpenter's scholarly website, GlennHCurtiss.com, which unfortunately is no longer with us. However, I rescued many of the rare photos, art & documents from his site before it vanished, and you can find them here: The Jack Carpenter Collection

The above poster documents the first "official flight" in America in 1908 by Glenn Curtiss (in the circle). At that point, the Wright brothers were still trying to maintain the secrecy of their late-1903 achievement, while attempting to sell their imperfect concept to Europe & Japan. They wanted to enforce a strict monopoly on their invention, but many others were quickly improving & surpassing their dangerously flawed design.

Jack and I were friends. In fact, his daughter Wendy Carpenter and my brother Chuck Lyda had been high school sweethearts and were in a long-term relationship during the 1970s (see TrueTimeTravel). To celebrate Jack's birthday in 2003, I revised the "official flight" poster to place him in the historic Curtiss aeroplane (Photoshopped in the circle).

Here is a paragraph from one of Jack Carpenter's email Newsletters about the approaching anniversary of the Wright brothers' first flight...

From: Jack Carpenter

To: [Broadcast-email newsletter]

Sent: Tuesday, December 02, 2003

Subject: Science Fiction... Pulp Fiction


Everywhere one turns there's something being said -- or screened -- about the brothers Wright, virtually ad nauseam. Even Budd Davisson, editor of FLIGHT JOURNAL, comments that "we'll all be 'Wrighted-out' by the end of December. We'll have 'Centennial of Flight' coming out our ears" -- though he adds "we are guilty of serving up our own helping of Wright stuff (boy, will we be tired of that term by year's end!)."

After I read that, I felt a little awkward about sending him this message...

From: Grady Lyda

To: Jack Carpenter

Sent: Saturday, December 13, 2003

Subject: Wright Brothers and History Day 2004


Hi Jack!


How have you been? I hope you are doing well...


My daughter Elora (she'll be 15 on January 6) has just completed her "History Day 2004" project. A while ago, she asked me to suggest a topic and, considering the Centennial, I said it could be "Did the WRIGHT Brothers have the WRONG Idea?" Then I showed her your book and Website, and she took it from there. In the past, she has won first place in several History Day competitions. This year she decided to do a Website:

http://www.geocities.com/wright_brothers02/index.html [New link HERE]

She loved "Pendulum II" (now it is thoroughly dog-eared and worn out) and GlennHCurtiss.com (she was overwhelmed by all your information) and your newsletters (she also watched the PBS Wright Flyer special and enjoyed your evaluation of it).

PBS - NOVA Season 30, Episode 15, Release Date 11/11/2003

Elora was planning to call or email you to get expert feedback on some of her questions, and to include your comments on her site as a "primary authoritative source" -- but she ran out of time. Though her project was due on Friday, Dec 12, she will continue to update her site until the middle of January when the Corona/Norco District judging will take place.

If you get a chance, maybe you could check out her Website and give her your opinion. I just finished looking it over and (except for a few typos here and there) I think it's a terrific accomplishment. You'll also find your name prominently displayed among her pages.

Happy Holidays,

Grady

FIRST FATALITY: During a demo at Fort Myer, Virginia, on September 17, 1908, a Wright Flyer crashes. Lt Thomas Selfridge is killed & pilot Orville Wright is badly injured.

From: Jack Carpenter
To: [Broadcast-email to subscribers]
Sent: Saturday, December 13, 2003
Subject: What One 14 Year-Old Young Woman Accomplished

I get many emails, but this one was special, describing the website that a young woman (actually still a girl) of fourteen in Corona, California, created;

...as Grady Lyda wrote, my daughter Elora has just completed her "History Day 2004" project.

It's unique; some may feel a bit too truthful.

Take a look  http://www.geocities.com/wright_brothers02/index.html [New link HERE]  and realize what one person can accomplish (all while going to school and 'growing up'). It'll be worth your time.

Sincerely,
Jack Carpenter 13Dec03

In this assignment for Parker Aerospace, I (Grady) used a variety of sources to create a poster depicting the early history of aviation

From: Elora Lyda
To: Jack Carpenter
Sent: Saturday, December 13, 2003
Subject: Re: What One 14 Year-Old Young Woman Accomplished

Um... hello ^_^ This is Elora, Grady's daughter... He showed me the email he sent you regarding my website... I was very honored when I read what you wrote below. I would really appreciate it if you told me what your own opinion is on the Wrights (although I pretty much have an idea of what that is, but unfortunately I can't add your whole book to my site  ^_~  I have limited words ^^) so I can add it in the different views section. Thank you for writing such a great book! It was very useful to my research ^__^ Heehee! (sorry for all the smilies by the way... it's a habit of mine)

Thanks again!
Elora Lyda

Part of Elora's website as it appeared in 2004

From: Jack Carpenter

To: Elora Lyda

Sent: Monday, December 15, 2003

Subject: Re: What One 14 Year-Old Young Woman Accomplished

Elora, tell your dad he has quite a daughter! You've done a wonderful piece of work, which I commend you most highly for.

As to the Wrights, they were interesting fellows that contributed their bit to the advent of manned flight after the development of the lightweight internal combustion engine -- and then, whether because of greed, ignorance, or simply human frailty, proceeded to destroy much of what they'd achieved.

Cheers!

Jack Carpenter

During a special trip to Sacramento, Elora is awarded First Place at the 2004 California State National History Day competition

Waiting for breakfast in Sacramento: Elora's Uncle Chuck, his wife Carol, the Guest of Honor, and her mom Celia -- May 5, 2004

To visit Elora's complete Wright Brothers project, go here: Not So Wright
For more like this, go to Elora - 01 & 03 & 04 & 05 & 06 & 07 & 08