Free Republic

Marking 100 years of man's success in conquering the skies, 2003 saw milestones for both what has been done and what is yet to come. Celebrations throughout the year culminated in the Dec. 17 anniversary of the Wright brothers' first successful powered flight at Kitty Hawk, N.C., a feat which set in motion changes that are still being felt and improved upon today. In the century since that flight, worldwide air travel has become common; space travel has moved from science fiction to reality; and air power has altered warfare. Although the Centennial of Flight marked a success, the year...

At celebrations commemorating the 100th anniversary of powered flight this summer, there will be replicas of the famous Wright Flyer, and there will be many modern examples of flying machines. However, at three events in the Midwest in the coming weeks, there will be an aircraft that combines both. NASA's Active Aeroelastic Wing is an F/A-18 fighter jet modified to use the same wing-warping techniques employed by Orville and Wilbur to control their 1903 Wright Flyer. The aircraft, crew and engineers - based at Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base - will travel to Dayton, Ohio; Kokomo,...