Which institution received the original 1903 Wright Flyer for permanent display in 1948?

The Smithsonian Institution received the original 1903 Wright Flyer for permanent display in 1948.

The aircraft had been displayed at the Science Museum in London after a long dispute between Orville Wright and the Smithsonian Institution over recognition of earlier aviation work. Orville sent the Flyer to the Smithsonian in 1948, after the institution acknowledged that the brothers’ machine had achieved the first controlled, powered flight.

The 1903 Flyer is now displayed at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., which is part of the Smithsonian Institution. It is one of the most famous artifacts in the history of aviation.

The National Air and Space Museum opened in 1976, so it is more precise to identify the Smithsonian Institution as the organization that received the aircraft in 1948.