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On 2 August 1909, the US Army Signal Corps received the first Wright Military Flyer. Officially designated Signal Corps No. 1 and commonly known as Aeroplane No. 1, it became the world’s first military aeroplane.
The aircraft originated from the Wright brothers’ Model A, developed between 1907 and 1909. It was the first production aeroplane to be built in more than one example. It was a pusher-configured biplane, powered by a 32 hp four-cylinder engine driving two propellers via a chain transmission. Like earlier Wright aircraft, it featured a skid undercarriage and required a launching rail with a falling-weight catapult for take-off.
In June 1909, Wilbur and Orville Wright demonstrated the aeroplane to representatives of the US Army at Fort Myer, Virginia. The Signal Corps agreed to purchase the aircraft for USD 25,000, provided it could carry two people, remain airborne for at least one hour and reach a speed of 40 mph (64 km/h). After successfully completing the required trials, the aircraft was accepted into military service on 2 August 1909.
The Wright brothers also trained the first US military pilots. Lieutenant Frank P. Lahm became the first military officer to qualify on the new aeroplane, followed by Lieutenant Frederick E. Humphreys. Benjamin Foulois, who would go on to become one of the pioneers of American military aviation, also received instruction from Wilbur Wright and, eventually, became the principal pilot of Signal Corps No. 1.
The aircraft remained in service until April 1911, when it was replaced by the improved Wright Model B. After its retirement, Signal Corps No. 1 was restored to its original configuration and transferred to the Smithsonian Institution, where it remains on display until today.
Although only a single example was built for the US Army, the Wright Military Flyer marked the beginning of military aeroplane operations and opened a completely new chapter in the history of aviation.
Cover photo: The Wright aeroplane at Fort Meyer, 1909 (photo: Library of Congress, LC-USZ62-16716, cropped)
