A century of advancement in flight noted on new ASME Web site

Emily M. Smith
ASME NEWS

Nearly 100 years have gone by since the Wright Flyer took off in Kitty Hawk, N.C., on its first successful flight.

The links between that 12-second experience in the air and the advancements that led to the current explorations of space are being documented on an ASME Web site that was launched in May.

The Web site — http://www.asme.org/events/flight/ — offers access to articles, historical references and how-to sections related to flight. Links to listings and information about television programs that pertain to the centennial of flight can also be found there.

In its first few weeks, the site averaged approximately 1,000 visits per week.

The Web site also has materials that teachers can use to bring the mechanics of flight into the classroom. The Teacher Resources section offers lesson plans and teacher guides.

That section currently offers information about the Apollo moon landing, the airplane generally and the engineering that explains "Why Do Planes Fly?"

ASME's celebration of flight will continue throughout the year with two other events: the publication of "100 Years of Flight," a commemorative issue of Mechanical Engineering magazine; and "Celebration of Flight," a special event at this year's International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Research, Development and Design Exposition in Washington, D.C. There will be no charge to attend the event and a reception will follow.

Both events will occur in November, a month before the 100-year anniversary of the Wright Flyer's first successful flight on Dec. 17, 1903.

For more about the 2003 International Mechanical Engineering Congress and the Research, Development & Design Expo, visit http://www.asme.org/congress.

 

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