McCook Field in Dayton in Montgomery County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

The Solution: Wing Warping

Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., August 2, 2009

1. The Solution: Wing Warping Marker

Inscription.
By the late 1800s, a handful of experimenters around the world were closing in on the riddle of powered flight. They could fly a plane into the air, but they still couldn't control it - keep it from pitching forward, turning side to side, or rolling. The Wright Brothers solved pitching and turning, but rolling eluded them. One day in the cycle shop in 1899, Wilbur picked up an empty bicycle tube box and adsentmindedly twisted either end. In that instant, he saw the solution: warping one wing down while warping the other up would keep the plane from rolling. Four years of study and experimentation lay ahead, but the Wrights were on their way to being the first to fly a heavier-than-air machine.

Erected by Inventing Flight and Dayton Power & Light Company Foundation.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Air & Space • Education • Exploration • Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1899.

Location. 39° 46.082′ N, 84° 11.2′ W. Marker is in Dayton, Ohio, in Montgomery County. It is in McCook Field. Memorial is in Centennial Park, within Deeds Point MetroPark, off Webster Street, about 300 feet NE of the confluence of the Mad and Great Miami Rivers. Touch for map

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. Marker is at or near this postal address: 510 Webster Street, Dayton OH 45402, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. J. Bradford Tillson (here, next to this marker); Sir George Cayley (a few steps from this marker); Huffman Prairie (a few steps from this marker); Montgolfier Brothers (within shouting distance of this marker); McCook Field (within shouting distance of this marker); Leonardo da Vinci (within shouting distance of this marker); Wright-Patterson AFB (within shouting distance of this marker); Colonel Edward Deeds (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Dayton.

Also see . . .
1. Wright Brothers Aeroplane Company. (Submitted on March 26, 2010, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
2. Wright Brothers. (Submitted on March 26, 2010, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
3. Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park. (Submitted on March 26, 2010, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)

The Solution: Wing Warping Marker and Statuary image. Click for full size.

Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., August 2, 2009

2. The Solution: Wing Warping Marker and Statuary

Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., August 2, 2009

3. The Solution: Wing Warping Marker

The Wright Brothers and friend

Centennial Park Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By William Fischer, Jr.

4. Centennial Park Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on February 4, 2023. It was originally submitted on March 26, 2010, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 675 times since then and 7 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on June 23, 2022, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.