100 Years of Ford Motor Company History Comes Full Circle At Wright Brothers First Flight Re-Enactment

- Ford has made it possible for the reproduction 1903 Wright Flyer to successfully fly, by using the same testing equipment it uses to build great cars and trucks. - Edsel B. Ford II, Henry Ford's great-grandson, joins aviation pioneer descendants on the Centennial of Flight ground crew. - Ford Motor Company has a rich history in aviation. Henry Ford not only put the world on wheels, he also put the world on wings.

KITTY HAWK, N.C., Dec. 16 -- Paying tribute to the friendship between Henry Ford and the Wright brothers, Edsel B. Ford II will walk the ground of the Wright Brothers National Memorial tomorrow. Ford is celebrating 100 years of shared history, as the only authentic reproduction of the Wrights' 1903 Flyer re-enacts the Wright Brothers' first flight.

"My great-grandfather would have loved to see this day," said Ford, great-grandson of Henry Ford and a member of Ford's Board of Directors. "I'm here for him, to mark innovations and shared spirit of determination championed by my great-grandfather and the Wrights 100 years ago."

Henry Ford noted 1903's significance for transportation innovation in a telegram to the Wrights: "The year nineteen hundred and three has special significance for both of us. It heralded man's conquest of the air and made the name of Wilbur and Orville Wright immortal. It also marked what we feel was a step forward in land transportation, the founding of the Ford Motor Company. I wish to add my greetings and best wishes to the many others you will receive today ... "

Three descendants re-create Wright Flyer ground crew

Edsel B. Ford II will join Amanda Wright Lane, great-grandniece of the Wright brothers, and Erik Lindbergh, grandson of legendary pilot Charles Lindbergh, in re-creating the ground crew that supported the Wrights' first flight. The three descendants of aviation pioneers will help position the reproduction 1903 Flyer for flight. Henry Ford and the Wright brothers were friends and kindred spirits in their passion for innovation, as documented in their frequent correspondence. Lindbergh was Ford Motor Company's chief pilot in 1927 and took Henry Ford on his first airplane ride.

Ford Motor Company will take ownership of the Flyer and donate it to the Henry Ford Museum in early 2004, bringing to fruition Henry Ford's dream of displaying the original plane. Ford has supported the building of the 1903 Wright Flyer reproduction with technical analysis, engineering advice, information technology and machine shop tools.

Henry Ford put the world on wheels ... and wings

As one of the premier innovators of his generation, Henry Ford not only put the nation on wheels, but helped put the world on wings through his efforts to develop aircraft to serve the public. He then built public confidence in their safety, reliability and necessity and laid the foundation for the world's modern system of commercial aviation.

Ford is credited with building the first modern airport and concrete runway, advancing radio beacon navigation and popularizing all-metal aircraft with the Ford Tri-Motor. In the 1920s, Henry Ford applied his automotive assembly-line production method to aircraft -- making Ford Motor Company the world's largest manufacturer of aircraft. For his pioneering efforts, Henry Ford was enshrined in the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 1984 and recognized as an aviation pioneer by the U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission in December 2002. A full timeline of Henry Ford's contributions to aviation and photographs are available at Ford's media site, http://media.ford.com/ .

Ford Motor Company team helps uncover elusive secrets of the Wright brothers

Ford Motor Company played a key role in ensuring the authenticity of the reproduction 1903 Flyer, including consulting on engineering issues and giving specialized equipment to The Wright Experience to craft parts for the plane. Using the same sophisticated testing facilities it uses to develop automobiles, Ford analyzed historic materials and tested an authentic reproduction of the engine the Wright brothers used to make their first flight on Dec. 17, 1903.

A team of a dozen Ford Motor Company engineers, technicians and supervisors worked with the engine builders to test and analyze their authentic production of the Wrights' 1903 engine. Tests on the engine were performed at Ford's sophisticated Dynamometer Laboratory in Dearborn, Mich. -- the first time anyone saw the historic engine in full operation. At the same time, the testing revealed fascinating details about the Wrights' historic achievement. More details on the engine testing can be found at http://media.ford.com/ .

Earlier in the process, Ford tested materials from the Wrights' 1903 test engine and original Flyer to determine their physical and chemical characteristics. These results helped ensure the authenticity of the materials used in the reproduction 1903 Wright Flyer.

In addition, Ford Motor Company Information Technology, in collaboration with its supplier partners Documentum, Oracle and Hewlett-Packard, developed a searchable, computerized database that enables The Wright Experience to retrieve historical documents as it creates the 1903 Wright Flyer reproduction and other Wright aircraft.

Limited 2003 Lincoln Aviator Kitty Hawk Edition honors spirit of Wright brothers

Lincoln created an all-new package for the Aviator SUV to honor the historic first flight of the Wright brothers. The limited 2003 Lincoln Aviator Kitty Hawk Edition is the official vehicle of Experimental Aircraft Association's (EAA) Countdown to Kitty Hawk presented by Ford Motor Company.

"This is an SUV for those with a flair for traveling in style and a desire for an effortless ride like the wind -- all aspects that are in the heart of every pilot and give Aviator its name," said Jan Valentic, vice president, Global Marketing, Ford Motor Company.

Ford and Discovery Channel team up for documentary

The Discovery Channel will air a documentary with exclusive footage of the Dec. 17 re-enactment, including Ford Motor Company's crucial role, titled "Return to Kitty Hawk: One Hundred Years of Flight." Scheduled broadcast times are Dec. 17 at 8 p.m. EST, repeating at 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. and Dec. 21 at 11 a.m.

Ford and Discovery Channel School produce multimedia kits for middle schools

Ford Motor Company partnered with Discovery Channel School to publish a hands-on, standards-based multimedia kit entitled "The Science of Flight, The Spirit of Innovation." The kit was distributed in early October to every middle and junior high school in the United States. Materials in the kit are also available to download from http://school.discovery.com/ford/

About EAA's Countdown to Kitty Hawk presented by Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company is the presenting sponsor of EAA's Countdown to Kitty Hawk, a yearlong series of events honoring the innovation and determination of the Wright brothers; it culminates in the re-enactment of the Wrights' first flight on Dec. 17. The celebration is supported by Microsoft Flight Simulator, Eclipse Aviation and Northrop Grumman.

  Visitors to the Countdown to Kitty Hawk pavilion Dec. 12-17 will see:
  -- 1903 Wright Flyer reproduction
  -- The 2003 Lincoln Aviator Kitty Hawk Edition
  -- Exhibits depicting the history of Henry Ford, Ford Motor Company and
     the Wrights
  -- Microsoft's Flight Simulator cradles of the 1903 Wright Flyer and a
     kiosk of the Ford Tri-Motor, both of which allow visitors to virtually
     "fly" the historic aircraft
  -- A live presentation area featuring skits and experts on the Wright
     brothers and flight
  -- Digital reproductions of Wright documents from the Library of Congress
     archives