The Wright Brothers

The aim in this book has been to satisfy the curiosity of the average, non-technical reader regarding the work of the Wright Brothers, and to do so as simply as possible. No attempt has been made to go into minute technical details. Nor does the book cover the scientific researches and numerous inventions by Orville Wright since the death of his brother.

To give credit to everyone who has been gracious with help in the preparation of what I have written would require so long a list, with risk of names being unintentionally omitted, that I shall not attempt it.

But one name naturally and obviously comes first and foremost--that of Orville Wright himself. He has read my manuscript and given generously of his time in verifying the accuracy of various statements and in correcting inaccuracies which otherwise would have appeared.

Next in importance to that of Orville Wright has been the help received from his secretary, Miss Mabel Beck, whose memory and knowledge of Mr. Wright’s voluminous files enabled her quickly to produce documentary evidence to make certain of accuracy.

FRED C. KELLY

Peninsula, Ohio

CONTENTS

Author’s Preface vii

Prologue 3

I. BOYHOOD 5

II. BACKGROUND 19

III. PRINTING--AND BICYCLES 29

IV. FIRST THOUGHTS OF FLIGHT 45

V. GLIDING AT KITTY HAWK 58

VI. FIRST POWER FLIGHT 84

VII. AFTER THE EVENT 112

VIII. EXPERIMENTS OF 1904-’05 120

IX. IT STILL WASN’T “NEWS” 139

X. U. S. ARMY NOT INTERESTED 147

XI. EUROPE DISCOVERS THE WRIGHTS 166

XII. THE WRIGHTS IN EUROPE 194

XIII. A DEAL WITH THE U. S. 207

XIV. END OF DISBELIEF 226

XV. WHEN WILBUR WRIGHT WON FRANCE 233

XVI. FURTHER ADVENTURES IN 1909 254

XVII. IN AVIATION BUSINESS 268

XVIII. PATENT SUITS 287

XIX. WHY THE WRIGHT PLANE WAS EXILED 300

Index 335

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

THE FIRST CAMP AT KITTY HAWK 52

THE 1902 GLIDER 53

INSIDE THE 1902 CAMP 84

FROM ORVILLE WRIGHT’S DIARY 85

FIRST FLIGHT 116

THE FIRST POWER PLANE 117

THE HUFFMAN PASTURE 148

THE WRIGHT PATENT 149

THE U. S. ARMY TEST 180

AT FORT MYER 181

THE WRIGHT PLANE IN FRANCE 212

THE WRIGHTS AND WILBUR’S FRENCH PUPILS 213

THE OLD AND THE NEW IN TRANSPORTATION 244

DEMONSTRATION AT PAU 245

TWO ACES AND KING 276

THE WRIGHT HOME AND SHOP 277

THE WRIGHT BROTHERS

PROLOGUE

In a corner of the Pullman smoking compartment, by the window, the man who had been explaining the whole economic system mentioned inventors as an example of the fortunate relationship between desire for money and scientific progress.

“Take the Wright brothers,” he said. “Would they have worked all those years trying to fly just for their health?”

Another passenger ventured to ask: “Don’t people sometimes become curious about a problem and work to see what they can find out?”

The man by the window chuckled tolerantly as he replied: “Do you think those Wright brothers would have kept on pouring money into their experiments and risking their lives if they hadn’t hoped to get rich at it? No, sir! It was the chance to make a fortune that kept them going.” Most of the other passengers in the compartment nodded in agreement.

Not long afterward, one of those who had overheard that conversation was in Dayton, Ohio, and inquired of his friend Orville Wright: “Do you think the expectation of profit is the main incentive to inventors?”