Tuesday, August 26, 2014
DAYTON, Ohio (AP) — An anonymous donation of $50,000 will help build another replica of one of the Wright brothers’ earliest airplanes in Ohio.
An historic lookalike of the Wright brothers’ 1911 “B” Flyer has been flown out of the Dayton area by a nonprofit, volunteer organization since 1982.
Another replica is needed, organizers say, and is expected to cost more than $115,000.
Jay Jabour, president and acting chairman of the organization, Wright “B” Flyer Inc., tells the Dayton Daily News that a yet-to-be chosen experimental aircraft builder could start assembly in about a year.
Another replica of the “B” Flyer crashed during a test flight in July 2011, killing two experienced pilots.
A National Transportation Safety Board investigation determined a faulty weld on a propeller shaft may have contributed.