Gift of the Morris Ertman Estate

This classic biplane glider, designed and constructed by Octave Chanute and August Herring, represents the beginning of heavier-than-air flying machines. Its rigid, lightweight structure became the basis for all externally-braced biplanes including the Wright Brothers'. Reasonably stable, though fragile, the design was braced much like a bridge (which is reasonable, since Octave Chanute was a civil engineer) and was controlled by moving your body. Originally a triplane, the lowest of the three wings was removed after early flights. Ultimately, distances of up to 359 feet and flights lasting 14 seconds were achieved.

This example is a reproduction constructed in 1985.

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