Photograph
Vin Fiz Flies Again?
| The 1911 Wright Model B rebuilt by Jesse Brabazon of Delavan and his partner-mechanic, Frank Shaffer. Brabazon, who is in the pilot's seat, is about to take off for the first time in the rebuilt plane. He had purchased the wreckage from the family of Calbraith Perry Rodgers in the understanding that it was the Vin Fiz, the first plane to fly across the country and that the Vin Fiz was the plane in which Rodgers died in 1912. In fact, Rodgers' crash took place in his backup plane not the Vin Fiz. Mrs. Rodgers presented the actual Vin Fiz to the Carnegie Museum, which in turn presented it to the Smithsonian Institution where it is currently on display. However, the plane on display is hardly the plane built in the Wright Brothers' factory. Repairs on the cross country flight were so extensive that only two original parts were still in use when the Vin Fiz arrived in California. |
| Image ID: | 10399 |
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| Creation Date: | 05 11 1913 |
| Creator Name: | Unknown |
| City: | Lima |
| County: | |
| State: | Ohio |
| Collection Name: | Subject albums, 1753?-1990? (bulk circa 1850s-circa 1950s) |
| Genre: | Photograph |
| Original Format Type: | photographic print, b&w |
| Original Format Number: | Album 24.43 |
| Original Dimensions: | 9 x 5.5 inches |
| In this photograph the propellers are turning and Shaffer, with his back to the camera, is priming the motor. This was necessary because the Wright Model B had no carburator. The canvas in the background was erected to keep out non-paying sightseers. As this event was a police benefit, Brabazon recalled, the entrance fee was $.50 rather than the customary $1.00. |
| Airplanes |
| Outdoor photography |
| Clothing and dress |
| Protective clothing |
| Hats |
| Fields (Agriculture) |
| Men |
| Attractions |
| This image is issued by the Wisconsin Historical Society. Use of the image requires written permission from the staff of the Collections Division. It may not be sold or redistributed, copied or distributed as a photograph, electronic file, or any other media. The image should not be significantly altered through conventional or electronic means. Images altered beyond standard cropping and resizing require further negotiation with a staff member. The user is responsible for all issues of copyright. Please Credit: Wisconsin Historical Society. |
| Location: | Wisconsin Historical Society Archives, 4th Floor, Madison, Wisconsin |
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