SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. -- North Carolina is the birth place of many historical events. This month marks the 113th anniversary of the very first flight by the Wright Brothers at Kill Devil Hills in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.
On Dec. 17, 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright made the first successful flight in history. After the first attempt failed, both Wright brothers headed to their camp to try again.
Though the wind was stronger than expected, they proceeded anyway. With a sheet they signaled to the volunteers helping that day, that they were about to try again.
Orville took control of the aircraft for the second attempt. As he released the restraining wire, the flyer moved down the rail as Wilbur steadied the wings. Into the 27 mph wind, the Wright Brothers successfully took flight.
Without this historical day Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, home to the F-15E Strike Eagle, may not be here today.
On modern aircraft the elevator and rudder are combined in the tail, but on the Wright Flyer they are separated: elevator in front, rudder behind. The two elevator surfaces generate lift. They also provide a handy reference point to the horizon, and give the prone pilot some protection in the event of a crash. The two propellers, mounted at the rear of the wings, rotate in opposite directions to cancel torque, which tends to pull an airplane in the opposite direction of its propeller’s rotation.
Capt. William Slater, 4th Fighter Wing executive officer, is an instructor pilot for the 336th Fighter Squadron and has more than 600 F-15E flight hours.
“[The Wright Flyer and F-15E] both have a power plant to generate thrust and wings to produce lift to enable flight,” said Slater. “Besides those two fundamental similarities, both aircraft are very different from one another. The Strike Eagle is a supersonic fighter aircraft with a gross weight of 81,000 pounds while the Wright flyer had a weight close to 750 pounds, including the pilot.”
The evolution of aircraft over the past 100 years has allowed traveling thousands of miles in a short period of time possible. The first aircraft was constructed of cloths and wires, with the pilot laying on their stomach to steer and guide the aircraft. It traveled 26 knots, or approximately 30 mph. The fastest aircraft today is the North American X-15, which travels at speeds up to 4,520 mph.
Modern aircraft are technologically more advanced. The cockpits are big enough for a pilot and copilot, and the exterior of the aircraft is primarily made of aluminum or other metals such as steel and titanium.
At Seymour Johnson AFB the mission revolves around the Strike Eagle and the KC-135R Stratotanker. With the Strike Eagle’s sleek appearance and capability to travel at speeds up to 1,875 mph, it is a high threat to all enemies.
The Stratotanker on the other hand is not used for its high speeds, but for its refueling capability. This unique asset enhances the Air Force's capability to accomplish its primary mission of global reach, and helps expand travel time for military aircraft. This means less landing and more flying.
The KC-135R is also capable of transporting litter and ambulatory patients using patient support pallets during aeromedical evacuations.
According to Dr. Roy Heidicker, 4th Fighter Wing historian, the legacy of the Wright Brothers allows us to continue with our mission, not only at Seymour Johnson, but throughout the world.
“The creation of the aircraft has enabled us to make some big impacts on history,” said Heidicker. “We defeated the Nazis in World War II, defeated the Japanese empire, and even went to the moon. But it’s not just those things, not just our high performance military aircraft, it’s the fact that aviation, as a method of travel, is commonplace now.”
Slater has flown the F-15E for more than one year, and said the flight at Kitty Hawk laid the foundation of powered flight.
“It didn't take very long before aircraft were being used in warfare and greatly influencing every conflict since World War I,” said Slater. “Through the use of modern combat aircraft, the U.S. Air Force is able to maintain air superiority for our coalition forces operating on the ground while simultaneously delivering precise kinetic strikes in order to degrade and defeat Islamic state of Iraq and Levant. The combat aircraft continues to be an indispensable part of modern warfare.”
The creation of aircraft have further helped with the fight against terrorism. According to the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. has conducted 16,806 air strikes in Iraq and Syria as of Dec. 15, 2016. Additionally, the U.S. and 12 coalition partner nations have flown an estimated
127,764 sorties in support of operations in Iraq and Syria.
“Flight has taken on many different forms since 1903 and has inspired mankind to achieve amazing feats,” said Slater. “In the 20th century we saw flight evolve from propeller powered aircraft to jet aircraft, we've heard the sound barrier broken, and relied on air transportation to quickly move people across the globe.”