The '' Flyer '' was conceived as a control-canard , as the Wrights were more concerned with control than stability . However , it was found to be so highly unstable that it was barely controllable . During flight tests near Dayton the Wrights added ballast to the nose of the aircraft to move the center of gravity forward and reduce pitch instability . However the basics of pitch stability of the canard configuration were not understood by the Wright Brothers . F.E.C. Culick stated , " The backward state of the general theory and understanding of flight mechanics hindered them ... Indeed , the most serious gap in their knowledge was probably the basic reason for their unwitting mistake in selecting their canard configuration . " The Wright Brothers returned home to Dayton for Christmas after the flights of the Kitty Hawk '' Flyer '' . While they had abandoned their other gliders , they realized the historical significance of the '' Flyer '' . They shipped the heavily damaged craft back to Dayton , where it remained stored in crates behind a Wright Company shed for 9 years . The Great Dayton Flood of March 1913 covered the flyer in mud and water for 11 days
Great Dayton Flood
Great Dayton Flood
Wright Flyer