Carve the propellers, following as closely as possible the plans developed from their research. The team achieved excellent results using contemporary equipment on the 1904 and 1911 propellers. They then tried to unlock even more of the Wrights' secrets by hand-carving the 1903 propeller, using the same tools as the Wrights.

The Wrights' record here was sparse: only twice did the Wrights say anything about how they carved the propellers, and they didn't say much!

Download excerpts from Larry Parks' carving journal (.pdf file-8K).

Thanks to the generosity of BAE Systems' Space Electronics and Communications Division, The Wright Experience was able to benefit from the expertise of Mr. Larry Parks, an authority on circa 1900 woodworking tools and techniques. He was able to identify tools most likely used by the Wright brothers, and carved the 1903 propeller, documenting each step for further analysis. Click on the images below to follow the carving process.