Wright Field
Encyclopedia
Wright Field was an airfield of the United States Army Air Corps
and Air Forces
near Riverside, Ohio
. From 1927 to 1947 it was the research and development
center for the Air Corps, and during World War II a flight test
center.
Today, officially termed Area B, it is part of the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
complex and is the location of the National Museum of the United States Air Force
.
, followed shortly by the creation of the adjacent Fairfield Air Depot, in what is today Fairborn, Ohio. The flying field extended more than two miles to the west and included nearly all the prairie and flood plain behind Huffman Dam. The Fairfield Air Depot was built in a triangular between the field's administrative and barracks buildings and the Fairfield Cemetery, inside the right angle formed by what are now Wright Avenue and Schuster Road. In nearby Dayton
, McCook Field
was built as a wartime facility for aviation engineering purposes, but was small (its runway was less than 2000 feet (609.6 m) in length), had no room for expansion, and its facilities were cheaply made of wood and considered a fire risk.
In 1924, the Dayton community purchased 4500 acres (1,821 ha) that included all of the leased area on which Wilbur Wright Field was located and 750 acres (303.5 ha) of new property in Montgomery County
to the southwest, now in the present city of Riverside
. The combined area was named "Wright Field" to honor both Wright Brothers. A new installation (with permanent brick facilities) was constructed on the new ground to replace McCook Field and was dedicated 12 October 1927. Transfer of 4,500 tons of engineering materiel, office equipment and other assets at McCook to Wright Field began on March 25, 1927, and was 85% complete by June 1, moved in 1,859 truckloads.
On 19 June 1918, Lt. Frank Stuart Patterson, son and nephew of the co-founders of National Cash Register, was killed in the crash of his Airco DH.4M, AS-32098, at Wilbur Wright Field during a flight test of a new mechanism for synchronizing machine gun and propeller, when a tie rod broke during a dive from 15,000 feet (4,600 m), causing the wings to separate from the aircraft. Wishing to recognize the contributions of the Patterson family, the area of Wright Field east of Huffman Dam (including Wilbur Wright Field, Fairfield Air Depot, and the Huffman Prairie) was made a separate air station and renamed Patterson Field on 6 July 1931, in honor of Lt. Patterson. Patterson Field became the location of the Materiel Division of the Air Corps and a key logistics center. Wright Field, incorporating the remainder of the base west of the Huffman Dam, became synonymous in the 1930s and World War II as the research and development
center of the Air Corps.
Early in 1941, anticipating the testing of the Douglas B-19
heavy bomber, the decision was made to install two concrete runways at Wright Field (Northwest-Southeast next to the flight line, and East-West along the southern edge of the property). The Army Corps of Engineers was assigned the project, with the Price Brothers Company of Dayton named the prime contractor. Construction began in June 1941 and was completed by the middle of February 1942. During construction, intelligence reports indicated that the German Luftwaffe was experimenting with inclined runways, and construction of an inclined runway with a 10% grade was added to the Wright Field project, more or less perpendicular to the NW-SE runway. Completed shortly after the standard runways, it became a familiar sight to Dayton residents. A triangular arrangement of runways was completed in 1944 with the addition of a SW-NE runway connecting the other two, on which the present National Museum of the United States Air Force
is located.
On December 15, 1945, the bases administratively merged again, along with Dayton Army Air Field
in Vandalia, Ohio
, and Clinton County AAF
in Wilmington, Ohio
, collectively called the Army Air Forces Technical Base. The latter two bases were discontinued in 1946, and the base briefly became the Air Force Technical Base in December 1947.
On January 13, 1948, the two fields formally adopted the name Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
. The former Wright Field became Area B of the combined installation, the southern portion of Patterson Field became Area A, and the northern portion of Patterson Field, including the jet runway built in 1946-47, Area C.
In 1951, congestion at the base forced all local flying activities to be limited to the Wright Field (Area B) flight line, which in February 1958 was closed to all jet aircraft. Even so, the next year Area B still experienced 44,699 takeoffs and landings, or 24% of the air activity at WPAFB. Finally, noise and congested airspace forced all military aircraft operations at Area B to cease in 1963. General aviation activities, typically of single-engine civilian aircraft, continued until the early 1970s. The flight line has been temporarily opened since 1971 on a case-by-case basis to accommodate the final flights/arrivals/landings of aircraft destined for the collection of the Air Force Museum, now the National Museum of the United States Air Force. The museum opened its present location in 1971 in the triangular runway area of the base and has since expanded, and maintains an annex in a hangar on Wright Field proper.
United States Army Air Corps
The United States Army Air Corps was a forerunner of the United States Air Force. Renamed from the Air Service on 2 July 1926, it was part of the United States Army and the predecessor of the United States Army Air Forces , established in 1941...
and Air Forces
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
near Riverside, Ohio
Riverside, Ohio
Riverside is a city in Montgomery County, Ohio, United States. The population was 23,201 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Riverside is located at ....
. From 1927 to 1947 it was the research and development
Research and development
The phrase research and development , according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, refers to "creative work undertaken on a systematic basis in order to increase the stock of knowledge, including knowledge of man, culture and society, and the use of this stock of...
center for the Air Corps, and during World War II a flight test
Flight test
Flight test is a branch of aeronautical engineering that develops and gathers data during flight of an aircraft and then analyzes the data to evaluate the flight characteristics of the aircraft and validate its design, including safety aspects...
center.
Today, officially termed Area B, it is part of the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base in Greene and Montgomery counties in the state of Ohio. It includes both Wright and Patterson Fields, which were originally Wilbur Wright Field and Fairfield Aviation General Supply Depot. Patterson Field is located approximately...
complex and is the location of the National Museum of the United States Air Force
National Museum of the United States Air Force
The National Museum of the United States Air Force is the official museum of the United States Air Force located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base northeast of Dayton, Ohio. The NMUSAF is the world's largest and oldest military aviation museum with more than 360 aircraft and missiles on display...
.
History
In 1917 Wilbur Wright Field was opened to train pilots and gunners during World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, followed shortly by the creation of the adjacent Fairfield Air Depot, in what is today Fairborn, Ohio. The flying field extended more than two miles to the west and included nearly all the prairie and flood plain behind Huffman Dam. The Fairfield Air Depot was built in a triangular between the field's administrative and barracks buildings and the Fairfield Cemetery, inside the right angle formed by what are now Wright Avenue and Schuster Road. In nearby Dayton
Dayton, Ohio
Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
, McCook Field
McCook Field
McCook Field was an airfield and aviation experimentation station operated by the Aviation Section, U.S. Signal Corps and its successor the United States Army Air Service from 1917-1927...
was built as a wartime facility for aviation engineering purposes, but was small (its runway was less than 2000 feet (609.6 m) in length), had no room for expansion, and its facilities were cheaply made of wood and considered a fire risk.
In 1924, the Dayton community purchased 4500 acres (1,821 ha) that included all of the leased area on which Wilbur Wright Field was located and 750 acres (303.5 ha) of new property in Montgomery County
Montgomery County, Ohio
Montgomery County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. The population was 535,153 in the 2010 Census. It was named in honor of Richard Montgomery, an American Revolutionary War general killed in 1775 while attempting to capture Quebec City, Canada. The county seat is Dayton...
to the southwest, now in the present city of Riverside
Riverside, Ohio
Riverside is a city in Montgomery County, Ohio, United States. The population was 23,201 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Riverside is located at ....
. The combined area was named "Wright Field" to honor both Wright Brothers. A new installation (with permanent brick facilities) was constructed on the new ground to replace McCook Field and was dedicated 12 October 1927. Transfer of 4,500 tons of engineering materiel, office equipment and other assets at McCook to Wright Field began on March 25, 1927, and was 85% complete by June 1, moved in 1,859 truckloads.
Research and development
The phrase research and development , according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, refers to "creative work undertaken on a systematic basis in order to increase the stock of knowledge, including knowledge of man, culture and society, and the use of this stock of...
center of the Air Corps.
Early in 1941, anticipating the testing of the Douglas B-19
Douglas XB-19
|-See also:-External links:* * * * * Popular Mechanics, December 1940* Popular Mechanics, July 1941*...
heavy bomber, the decision was made to install two concrete runways at Wright Field (Northwest-Southeast next to the flight line, and East-West along the southern edge of the property). The Army Corps of Engineers was assigned the project, with the Price Brothers Company of Dayton named the prime contractor. Construction began in June 1941 and was completed by the middle of February 1942. During construction, intelligence reports indicated that the German Luftwaffe was experimenting with inclined runways, and construction of an inclined runway with a 10% grade was added to the Wright Field project, more or less perpendicular to the NW-SE runway. Completed shortly after the standard runways, it became a familiar sight to Dayton residents. A triangular arrangement of runways was completed in 1944 with the addition of a SW-NE runway connecting the other two, on which the present National Museum of the United States Air Force
National Museum of the United States Air Force
The National Museum of the United States Air Force is the official museum of the United States Air Force located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base northeast of Dayton, Ohio. The NMUSAF is the world's largest and oldest military aviation museum with more than 360 aircraft and missiles on display...
is located.
On December 15, 1945, the bases administratively merged again, along with Dayton Army Air Field
Dayton International Airport
James M. Cox Dayton International Airport , also referred to as simply Dayton International Airport, is a public airport located nine miles north of the central business district of Dayton, a city in Montgomery County, Ohio, United States. The airport is situated in Vandalia and it is owned and...
in Vandalia, Ohio
Vandalia, Ohio
Vandalia is a city in Montgomery County, Ohio, United States, and a suburb of Dayton. Its population was 15,246 during the 2010 census. The James M. Cox Dayton International Airport is located in the city...
, and Clinton County AAF
Clinton County Air Force Base
Clinton County Air Force Base was a United States Air Force base located two nautical miles southeast of the central business district of Wilmington, a city in Clinton County, Ohio, United States.-History:...
in Wilmington, Ohio
Wilmington, Ohio
Wilmington is a city in and the county seat of Clinton County, Ohio, United States. The population was 12,520 at the 2010 census. At city entrances from state routes, county roads, and U.S. highways, the city slogan of "We Honor Our Champions" is seen, accompanied by signs that highlight various...
, collectively called the Army Air Forces Technical Base. The latter two bases were discontinued in 1946, and the base briefly became the Air Force Technical Base in December 1947.
On January 13, 1948, the two fields formally adopted the name Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base in Greene and Montgomery counties in the state of Ohio. It includes both Wright and Patterson Fields, which were originally Wilbur Wright Field and Fairfield Aviation General Supply Depot. Patterson Field is located approximately...
. The former Wright Field became Area B of the combined installation, the southern portion of Patterson Field became Area A, and the northern portion of Patterson Field, including the jet runway built in 1946-47, Area C.
In 1951, congestion at the base forced all local flying activities to be limited to the Wright Field (Area B) flight line, which in February 1958 was closed to all jet aircraft. Even so, the next year Area B still experienced 44,699 takeoffs and landings, or 24% of the air activity at WPAFB. Finally, noise and congested airspace forced all military aircraft operations at Area B to cease in 1963. General aviation activities, typically of single-engine civilian aircraft, continued until the early 1970s. The flight line has been temporarily opened since 1971 on a case-by-case basis to accommodate the final flights/arrivals/landings of aircraft destined for the collection of the Air Force Museum, now the National Museum of the United States Air Force. The museum opened its present location in 1971 in the triangular runway area of the base and has since expanded, and maintains an annex in a hangar on Wright Field proper.