True 1903 Wright Flyer Reproduction to Land At Henry Ford Museum After Re-Enacting First Flight

- Ford Motor Company will donate the authentic reproduction of the Wrights' 1903 Flyer to the Henry Ford Museum, bringing to fruition a longtime dream of Henry Ford's. - Ford Motor Company has a rich history in aviation and played a fundamental role in bringing air travel to the masses.

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DEARBORN, Mich., Dec. 12 -- Henry Ford would be so proud. After the only authentic reproduction of the Wright brothers' 1903 Flyer re-enacts the first flight near Kitty Hawk, N.C., Ford Motor Company will donate the historic airplane to the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Mich.

At the Wright Brothers National Memorial on Dec. 17 -- the 100th anniversary of flight -- Edsel B. Ford II will take ownership of the Flyer from the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) on behalf of Ford Motor Company, just before the airplane re-creates history.

In the first quarter of 2004, visitors to the new "Heroes of the Sky" exhibit at the Henry Ford Museum will get an intimate look at the history- making aircraft. Ford, a friend and admirer of the Wrights, for years lobbied Orville Wright to let him preserve and display the Wrights' original plane.

"We are still hoping that one day the plane with which you originated this great new course of history will come home to the United States," Henry Ford wrote in a letter to Orville Wright in 1943. "I think you know how warmly and reverently we would welcome it to a shrine at Dearborn. It is my thought that you should send it to Dearborn. The plane should be separately housed in a building of its own just east of the Wright home in Greenfield Village ... ."

The 1903 Wright Flyer reproduction was built for EAA's Countdown to Kitty Hawk presented by Ford Motor Company, a centennial celebration of the Wright brothers' first flight Dec. 17, 1903. This yearlong series "counts down" to the 100th anniversary re-enactment of the first flight with inspirational events honoring the innovation and determination it takes to make world- changing dreams a reality. It culminates in the exclusive re-enactment of the Wrights' first flight at the Wright Brothers National Memorial at the same time, day and place 100 years later.

Henry Ford was very serious about collecting artifacts that reflected the progress and spirit of the era. The reproduction Flyer will join other invaluable historical pieces at The Henry Ford, such as the Wrights' bicycle shop, Thomas Edison's phonograph and the first automotive assembly line.

As one of the premier innovators of his generation, Henry Ford not only put the world on wheels, but helped put the world on wings through his efforts to develop aircraft to serve the public. Ford laid the foundation for the world's modern system of commercial aviation, including the first modern airport and popularization of all-metal aircraft with the Ford Tri-Motor. A full timeline of Henry Ford's contributions to aviation and photographs are available at Ford's media site, http://media.ford.com/ .

"The stories of the Wrights' first flight and how Henry Ford brought land and air travel to the masses are universally inspirational because they're about dreams giving way to passions and achievements changing the course of history," said Jan Valentic, Ford Motor Company vice president, Global Marketing.

Visitors to the "Heroes of the Sky" exhibit in Dearborn will get a close- up view of the reproduction 1903 Wright Flyer, which is actually more authentic than the original plane in the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum. That plane had been damaged by wind and flood and used for parts before it was repaired for display. The 1903 Flyer being used for the centennial re-enactment was painstakingly reconstructed as a totally authentic reproduction -- down to the thread count on the muslin for the wings and the engine torque. No other flyer captures more of the original plane's exact specifications.