Horizontal Engine #3
Image credit: The Dayton Engineer's Club

Engine #3 on floating testing platform
Image credit: Wright State University

"They knew ahead of time how good their engine needed to be and designed it accordingly." (Jakab 1990, p. 193)

The Wrights' engine was one of the last components designed and built before the successful flights of 1903. After their success in Kitty Hawk, the Wrights built two further horizontal engines for their continuing experiments. One was used on the 1904 and 1905 Flyers, the other, pictured at left, was used as a "guinea pig" for engine development.

As shown below left, the third engine was fitted to a floating platform and tested on the Miami River. The results of these tests led Orville to investigate a new engine design in 1906. The new design was the Vertical Four.

As the Wrights' aircraft improved, so did the requirements of their engines. In each case the Wrights determined ahead of time how much power was required. Although it evolved into a six-cylinder version, the Vertical Four was the final production engine design of the Wrights and powered most of their aircraft through 1912. (Wald, p.42)

For more information, read the press release about the Wright Experience's conservation treatment and restoration of this engine.