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About Colington

The Wright brothers chose the Kill Devil Hills area in which to conduct their experiments because of its consistent winds and sandy terrain. The Wrights built a wind tunnel here, as well as a shed for gliders, near what is now called "Wright Brothers National Memorial". In 1903–1904 the Wrights made over 100 flights with their glider from this location. They also tested many of their mechanical inventions here during this time period. In addition to testing equipment they also conducted extensive tests on themselves (including eating only one meal per day) in order to survive while conducting these experiments over an extended period of time without any outside help or support system beyond that provided by each other and occasional assistance from locals who were not aware that they were dealing with two famous inventors at work nearby until after the fact when news had spread about what was going on at Kill Devil Hills/Kitty Hawk.