The Flyer III was built in the winter of 1904 and 1905 and first flew on June 23, 1905. After a crash in July, the Wrights rebuilt it with bigger tail surfaces and a separate control for the rudder.
On October 5, 1905, Wilbur circled over Huffman Prairie for 24.2 miles. The flight lasted 39 minutes and 23 seconds. The Wrights thought of the Flyer III as their first practical airplane.
Its parts were held in Massachusetts from 1911 until Orville asked for them back in 1946. It was restored between 1947 and 1950, and craftsmen estimated that 60 to 85 percent of the original material survived. The wingspan is 40 feet 4 inches.