The Wright “B” Flyer

In 1974 my grandfather, Thomas S. Sheetz, the Chief of Protocol Aeronautical Systems Division at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, first thought of the idea for a look-alike Wright flyer. He knew members of the Dayton Chamber of Commerce were working on ideas for the upcoming bicentennial celebration and because of my Grandfather’s great love of the Wright brothers, he suggested that a look-alike Wright Flyer be built to fly over the city of Dayton at parades and other popular events. With his friend and co-worker on base, aeronautical engineer, Charles Dempsey, they decided that the 1911 Wright “B” Flyer would be the safest airplane to design because it could be built with modern materials and conform to FAA standards.

The first step of the project was to design the aircraft and since there were no blue prints for the plane they worked with local high schools mechanical engineering and drawing classes to measure the Wright “B” Flyer in the Air Force Museum and make blue prints for all the parts of the plane. Next with the help of graduate students from the University of Dayton engineering department, preliminary designs and calculations for the aircraft were made and with the approval of the Dayton Chamber of Commerce the project could really began.

For the building to begin a space was donated by a local company where the plane could be assembled. Other materials and money for the plane were donated by area businesses and other aeronautical companies from around the country. The goal of the project was to make it community built and donated and it truly accomplished this goal.

Work on the plane began in 1976 and while the group had hoped to be finished before the bicentennial celebration production slowed and the deadline could not be kept. Creating a look-alike 1911 flyer with modern materials and modern restrictions proved difficult at times. Tests on certain aspects of the plane had to be completed and 40 hours of flight time would be need to be done for the plane to be approved by the FAA. Over the next five years advancement on the project was made, materials were donated and people of all backgrounds from all over the Dayton community aided in building the plane. By now the flyer project had grown and officially become Wright “B” Flyer Inc., providing further stability and assuring the community that the project could survive. In 1981, the airplane was finally completed and the inaugural Wright “B” Flyer flight occurred on July 21, 1982. It was an exciting moment that truly captured the essence of what the Wright brothers had accomplished.

At the end of the project over one hundred and sixty two different companies had donated materials. Hundreds of volunteers had worked on the project throughout the years. The project itself served as a way to unite the community and preserve and promote the lasting legacy of the Wright brothers. Today, the plane serves as a tangible symbol of the Wright brothers. The Wright “B” can be seen flying over the Dayton area and at local events. Additionally, it offers rides to visitors to its hangar at the Wright Brothers Airport. It gives guests a much more practical and real experience of the Wright brothers’ work and their legacy.

Thomas S. Sheetz Wright “B” Flyer Papers- Personal Collection