This Wright Brothers Plane Has a FASCINATING Past

Calbraith Perry Rodgers—hardly a seasoned pilot—took on William Randolph’s 1910 challenge to cross the U.S. in under 30 days for a $50,000 prize, flying a Wright Model EX sponsored by Vin Fiz grape soda. His epic 49-day trek was full of crashes, repairs and near-misses, yet he somehow limped into history.

Today, that very plane is being lovingly prepped for display at the Smithsonian’s Udvar-Hazy Center. Museum specialist Pat Robinson teams up with Adam Savage to share the ups, downs and nuts-and-bolts of restoring this legendary aircraft to its new home.

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