Secretary Norton Accepts Gift to Build
Reproduction of Historic Wright Flyer

Reproduced Flyer to be on permanent display at Wright
Brothers National Memorial in Kill Devil Hills, N.C.

WASHINGTON -- In a ceremony today at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, Secretary of the Interior Gale A. Norton accepted a gift that will provide for the construction of a full-scale, authentic reproduction of the Wright Flyer. The reproduction of the plane, used during Orville and Wilbur Wright's historic first flight, is being built with funds donated by noted pilot, author and former Learjet President Harry B. Combs.

"We are extraordinarily grateful to Mr. Combs for this generous gift," Secretary Norton said. "The Wright Flyer serves as an important reminder of a remarkable benchmark in our nation's aviation history, which inspires all Americans."

Planning for the construction of the flyable reproduction started in January 2002, to ensure that it would be ready for the 100^th anniversary of flight. The plane will be on permanent display in the Visitor Center at Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kill Devil Hills, N.C., starting December 2003.

"Our national parks are windows to America's past and doors to her rich history and cherished heritage," Norton said. "This fascinating reproduction will go a long way in aiding the National Park Service in interpreting this rich history and in preserving the important impact it had on our nation's transportation."

The reproduction of the 1903 Wright Flyer is under contract with The Discovery of Flight Foundation and is being built by The Wright Experience, both organizations are located in Warrenton, Va.

The flyer is being built using reverse engineering based on the Wright brothers' writings, letters and photographs. The cost for building the reproduced flyer is about $1 million. Upon completion, the reproduced flyer will be presented to the National Park Service as part of the First Flight Centennial Celebration in Kill Devil Hills. The intent is to fly the reproduced model prior to placing it on permanent display at the Visitor Center at Wright Brothers National Memorial in December 2003.

"Visitors to the site of history's first powered flight will see an exact reproduction of the original airplane, the Wright Flyer, that flew there in 1903," said Harry Combs. "Only then can they fully appreciate the genius of the Wright brothers, whose remarkable invention not only changed the world, but also sparked many other scientific and technical advances as well. It will be my pleasure and privilege to give this authentic reproduction to the nation on Dec.17, 2003, the 100^th anniversary of our first steps to the stars."

Combs, who learned to fly at the age of 15, is a former president of Gates Learjet Corporation. He built and tested his first airplane in 1930. At the age of 25, he founded Mountain States Aviation, a fixed-base operation that later became Combs Aircraft. During World War II, his company turned out 9,000 military aviators. In addition to training pilots, Combs joined the U.S. Army Air Force Air Transport Command and flew C-54 troop transports over the North Atlantic, Africa and India.

"The authentic re-creation of mankind's first powered airplane is a story filled with nostalgia and inspiration for the future," said Ken Hyde. "At The Wright Experience, we are deeply grateful that Harry Combs has continued to take such a major interest in this story. An aviation pioneer himself, Harry is also the first person who looked at the Wright brothers as engineers and scientists---not as lucky bicycle mechanics."

Combs, a highly respected businessman and noted pilot, has received numerous honors and awards for his work in aviation, including being recognized as "General Aviation Man of the Year," elected to the National Aviation Hall of Fame and awarded the Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy.

He is the author of numerous books and articles on aviation and western history. In 1980, he was presented with America's highest aviation writing award, the James J. Strebig Memorial Trophy, by the Aviation/Space Writers Association for his 1979 book, "Kill Devil Hill: Discovering the Secret of the Wright Brothers."

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