Book & Web Sources

Primary Sources
1. Berry, Clifton F., Clines, Carroll V., and Zubkoff, Harry M. Flights: Beginning To The Future. Montgomery, Community Communications, 1994.

From this book I was able to obtain valuable primary resources such as original drawings comparing the designs of the Wright Flyer and The Curtiss Machine.


2. Bryan, C.D.B. The National Air and Space Museum. New York, Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1979.

This source contained written letters and diary entries by Wilbur and Orville Wright, which served as great primary sources for my website.


3. Carpenter, Jack. Glenn H. Curtiss: Founder of the American Aviation Industry. 29 Nov. 2003. < http://glennhcurtiss.com/id50.htm >

Incredibly helpful site that includes many primary sources, such as letters from the actual time period in Wilbur’s writing as well as newspaper clippings, stamps, posters, photographs, etc. from the early 1900s.


4. Carpenter, Jack. Pendulum II. San Juan Capistrano, Arsdalen, Bosch & Co, 2003.

This is quite possibly my most important resource because it is mainly all about the battle between the Wrights and Curtiss, which is a large part of my project. It also contains many primary sources such as pictures, letters and diary entries.

5. Crouch, Tom D. and Lakab, Peter L. The Wright Brothers and the Invention of the Aerial Age. Washington, Smithsonian Institution, 2003.

An incredibly helpful source which supplied me with most of the photographs I used for my site.


6. Freedman, Russell. The Wright Brothers: How They Invented The Airplane. New York, Holiday House, 1991.

Has a great many pictures of the Wright’s early life with their bicycle shop, as well as their gliders that came before their actual powered airplane.


7. NBAA Video Archives: First Century of Flight Video. 11 Dec. 2003.
< http://web.nbaa.org/public/cs/amc/2003/attendees/video.php >

A source from which I obtained the video of the Wrights taking flight that is found on my home page.


8. Sproule, Anna. The Wright Brothers: The Birth of Modern Aviation. Woodbridge, Blackbirch Press, Inc., 1999.

Short book with few primary resources but extremely easy to understand and goes right to the main points. It helped me achieve a better understanding of the whole situation without all the extra information to distract me.

Secondary Sources
1. Alter, Judy. Extraordinary Explorers and Adventurers. New York, Children’s Press, 2001.

This short but very informative article helped me greatly with the ‘early life’ and ‘what came before’ pages of my website.


2. Berry, Clifton F. Milestones of the First Century of Flight. Charlottesville, Howell Press, Inc., 2002.

This resource was a very helpful timeline of the important events in the history of flight, including the early years about the Wrights and others who were delving deeper into the exploration of inventing a successful powered airplane.


3. Bilstein, Roger E. “Wright Brothers.” World Book Encyclopedia 2002 Ed. Vol. 21. pp 508-510. Chicago, World Book, Inc., 2002.

This article was very easy to understand, being in an encyclopedia, and summarized the Wright brother’s early life as well as their flying experiments in a short two pages.


4. Chant, Christopher. Pioneers of Aviation. New York, Regency House Publishing Ltd., 2001.

Excellent photographs of the heroes of aviation, as well as a detailed timeline of aviation history.


5. Hise, Phaedra. How The Wright Brothers Blew It. 22 Nov. 2003.
< http://www.forbes.com/2003/11/19/1119aviation_print.html >

From this source I gathered a lot of information that I directly copied into my “Litigation” page since this is pretty much about the topic I am researching.

6. Joseph, Paul. The Wright Brothers. Minneapolis, Abdo & Daughters, 1997.

A very simple book with nice pictures and explanations.


7. Lyda, Elora. "Wright Brothers." Email to Jack Carpenter. 15 Dec. 2003.

This is the response to my email to Jack Carpenter, author of one of my most helpful sources. I asked him for his own personal opinion on the Wrights that I could add to my Different Viewpoints section, and he gave it to me. A quote from this email is now present on that page.


8. Mondey, David, ed. Aviation: The Complete Book of Aircraft and Flight. London, Octopus Books Ltd., 1980.

A comprehensive source of aviation history that details peoples’ thoughts on flight from the 1700s to the 1900s and the steps that humans took to take to the air and improve their invention.


9. Old, Wendie C. The Wright Brothers: Inventors of the Airplane. Berkeley Heights, Frislow Publishers, Inc., 2000.

Very detailed source of the life of the Wright brothers, from their birth to their death, and what impact they had on the world. Also includes explicable timeline as well as more primary resources (pictures, diary entries, etc.).


10. Parker, Steve. The Wright Brothers and Aviation. Newington Green, Chelsea House Publishers, 1995.

Full of pictures and organized in an orderly fashion with great information on the Wrights’ accomplishments and wonderful timelines.


11. Penn, Stuart. Stuart Penn 3D Graphics and Animation. 5 Dec. 2003.
< http://www.sapenn.demon.co.uk/lw3d/index.htm >

A site from which I found the animated Wright Flyer that can be found on my theme page.


12. Rinard, Judith E. The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Book of Flight. Buffalo, Firefly Books, 2001.

This book contained three helpful articles jam packed with original photographs, even one of the stopwatch the Wrights used to time their flights.


13. Santella, Andrew. The Wright Brothers: Inventors and Aviators. Chanhassen, The Child’s World, 2003.

A very straight to the point source, with many pictures that were helpful for my site gallery.


14. Tobin, James. To Conquer The Air: The Wright Brothers and The Great Race For Flight. New York, Free Press, Inc., 2003.

This was a very helpful source about the Wrights and their competition at that time, therefore I achieved a greater understanding from reading this book.


15. “Two Ordinary Men, One Extraordinary Dream.” Celebrating a Century of Flight. NASA Headquarters., 2002.

This small pamphlet contains a helpful article about the Wrights and offers a timeline as well as the telegram sent by Orville Wright to his father telling about their successful flight.


16. Wired News: Wright Flyer Replica Fails To Fly. 5 April. 2004.
< http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,61655,00.html >

This article contained information about the failed flight of the replicated Wright Flyer created for the centennial of flight.


17. Wright Brothers' Flying Machine. Dir. Bob Elfstrom. Videocassette. PBS/WGBH Educational Foundation, 2003.

This source was basically a video about the creation of an exact replica of the original Wright Flyer, and how it was so difficult to operate. Therefore, I achieved a greater understanding about the Wrights' risky invention from watching this program.


18. Wyborny, Sheila. The Wright Brothers: Inventors and Creators. Farmington Hills, Kidhaven Press, 2003.

From this resource I gathered pictures as well as a diagram of the Wright brothers’ plane and how it worked.

U.S. AIR FORCE DOCUMENTARY

Wright brothers go to the Moon: Pieces of the original Wright Flyer were on the Apollo 11 mission

Next, see The Making of this Site

Developing My Project

For History Day this year, I encountered many difficulties as well as points of success throughout the process of putting together my project. I chose this theme, “The Wright Brothers With The Wrong Idea,” because I was always interested in the first flight, and to me it fit perfectly with this year’s theme. The Wrights’ exploration of flight, their encounters with other inventors, and global exchange of new knowledge influenced history and shaped the world we live in today. However, after discussing it with my dad, he told me about their patent battles and I began to realize that there could be another side to this supposedly glorious moment in history.

The first step was of course, to gather resources. I headed to the Corona Public Library, obtaining valuable book sources from there. I then went online to search for additional information. I came across the “How The Wright Brothers Blew It” website and was thrilled for that was exactly what my topic was on, and it proved to be a precious source for me. Afterwards I had to sift through loads of information and pick out what was most important, which was a bit difficult.

Following the task of putting together the information, I had to create a layout for my website. That was tough as well since I didn’t really know how I wanted my layout to look, and had to play with colors and images until I came up with something I liked.

Putting up the website was another hurdle altogether. I knew basic HTML but I had no idea where to start. My friend Jane Chen assisted me in setting it up, answering my questions and helping me understand how to do it myself. When it was finally up, all that was left to do was copy the information into the pages and add complementary images as well.

My most valuable source of information was Jack Carpenter, author of Waldo, Pioneer Aviator and Pendulum II. His website, www.GlennHCurtiss.com [see Carpenter Collection], is packed full of photos and facts regarding early aviation. Mr. Carpenter personally provided encouragement for me and was quick to answer my questions. My father helped me understand much of the information as well, and my teacher provided great support along the way and told me exactly what I had to do to make my project better.

Before this project, I just thought of the Wrights as the two men who invented the airplane, and didn’t even think to go any deeper than that. However, now I know that there is an entire hidden story underneath what history leads us to believe. Everyone knows that the Wrights invented the first airplane, but many do not know that they slowed down the development of aviation with their constant battles with those who were moving ahead of them. Without the Wrights, aviation may have gone further in a shorter amount of time and technology may be even more advanced in this day and age.

Annoyed by the miracle of flight... this is totally hilarious

Next: Book & Web Sources

Reference Websites

[These links are more than ten years old, so most of them are useless now]

The following are related links to sites I have used as resources and others which are ideal for learning more about the history of aviation.

1. http://glennhcurtiss.com/ (see the Jack Carpenter Collection)

2. http://www.forbes.com/2003/11/19/1119aviation_print.html

3. http://web.nbaa.org/public/cs/amc/2003/attendees/video.php

4. http://www.centennialofflight.gov/wbh/index.htm

5. http://www.first-to-fly.com/

6. http://www.earlyaviators.com/

7. http://www.nasm.si.edu/exhibitions/gal107/gal107.html

8. http://newsobserver.com/collections/firstinflight/flight.html

Next: Developing My Project

Here's What I Think...

After all my research, I have come to a conclusion about the Wright brothers. I appreciate what the Wrights have done, and my purpose is not to give them a bad name. It is true that they were the first to prove that powered flight was possible and they basically started the aeronautic age. However, without them stopping anyone who was progressing, aeronautic technology might have gone a lot further back then, and would be even more advanced today.

Many others were working on developing flight at the same time as they were. The Wrights' invention was a complicated contraption and it was not as successful as many believed. While others were trying to move forward, sharing their ideas with the world so that even more people could expand on aeronautic development, there were the Wrights, standing in everyone's way, demanding to be paid for their troublesome invention.

Even today [see Centennial], when a team of engineers created an exact replica of the flyer, they found it incredibly hard to use and it had so many faults that it ended up crashing when they took it for a test flight. Flying the craft was such a huge risk, and a number of people piloting Wright airplanes died. Even when other inventors' designs were completely different, as well as better than, the Wrights', they would still insist that their design was being stolen. Because of this, I believe that they did indeed slow down the development of aviation.

In the spring of 1914, Wilbur wrote to a friend saying "We have been compelled to spend out time on business matters... during the past five years. When we think what we might have accomplished if we had been able to devote this time to experiments, we feel very sad, but it is always easier to deal with things than with men, and no one can direct his life entirely as he would choose."
(Hise, Phaedra http://www.forbes.com/2003/11/19/1119aviation_print.html)
[Current link: http://www.forbes.com/2003/11/19/1119aviation.html]

Next: Reference Websites

Topic: History Day 2004

EXPLORATION - ENCOUNTER - EXCHANGE

The Wright brothers were explorers in the quest to create a powered flying machine, and their success led to man's EXPLORATION of the skies and global air travel. They ENCOUNTERED difficulties in achieving their goal as well as fierce competition from other inventors and aviators. For many years, the Wright brothers refused to exchange their ideas, trying to keep their invention a secret until they could make a profit from it. But advances in powered flight by inventors in France, Germany and other countries forced a worldwide EXCHANGE of knowledge and competition that overshadowed their achievement.

Next: Here's What I Think...

Aviation Milestones

This is a compilation of the timelines from Judith E. Rinard's Book of Flight, Anna Sproule's The Wright Brothers, and Jack Carpenter's Pendulum. These are the most important dates in the history of aviation, beginning from the first hot-air balloon flight to Orville Wright's death.

This ambitious, high quality London Films production follows humanity's attempts to fly from ancient times through the first balloons, the Wright brothers, and other pioneers of aviation, employing dramatic reenactments with splendid working models of early flying machines. The accurate recreation of the Wright's first flight is quite impressive.

1783: First recorded human flight in a hot-air balloon invented by French brothers Joseph and Etienne Montgolfier

1804: Englishman Sir George Cayley invents and flies the first heavier-than-air craft, a model glider

1852: Henri Giffard of France invents and flies the first dirigible, powered by steam

1867 April 16: Wilbur Wright is born near Millville, Indiana

1871 August 19: Orville Wright is born in Dayton, Ohio

1891: German engineer Otto Lilienthal becomes the first person to pilot gliders and begins a series of glider test flights

1892: Wilbur and Orville set up their Wright Cycle Company in Dayton, Ohio

1896: Lilienthal dies after a glider crash

1899 July-August: The Wrights make successful experiments with "wing-warping" and a kite

1900: The Wrights' first glider trials are held at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina

1901 July-August: The Wrights' second glider trials are held at the Kill Devil Hills, four miles south of Kitty Hawk

1901 September: In Chicago, Wilbur addresses the Western Society of Civil Engineers. In Dayton, Orville starts wind tunnel experiments

1902: Successful trials of the glider based on the Wrights' wind tunnel research are held at the Kill Devil Hills

1903 September-November: At the Kill Devil Hills, the Wrights assemble their new, power-driven flying machine in readiness for their fourth set of flying trials

1903 October 17: Professor S.P Langley tries out his full-sized, steam powered airplane (called the aerodrome) over the Potomac River; it fails to fly. A second trial in December also ends in failure

1903 December 17: The Wright brothers achieve the first controlled, powered flight in their airplane, the Flyer, going 120 feet in 12 seconds

1904-1905: With improved machines, the Wrights continue their flying trials at Huffman Prairie, Dayton, Ohio

1905 January 18: Wrights try to sell to the U.S. war department for $100,000 but offer is rejected

1905 March 1: Wrights offer to sell flyer for 50,000 pounds to the British War office but they say the price is too high

1905 May 23: Wrights assemble Flyer no. 3

1905 October 9: Wrights renew offer to U.S. secretary of war

1905 November 4: Wright Flyer offered to France for $200,000 but it is rejected

1905 December 30: The Wrights sign a contract with France for 1 million francs and spend the time between October 1905--May 1908 applying for patents and trying to sell to the U.S., England, France, Germany, Italy, Russia, Austria, and Japan

1906: The Wright brothers patent their plane design

1907: American inventor Glenn Curtiss forms his own aircraft manufacturing company

1908 July 4: Glenn Curtiss flies his plane June Bug in the first public airplane flight in the United States

1908: The first airplane passenger, Charles W. Furnas, flies with Wilbur Wright

1908 September 17: Orville is injured in flying trials staged for U.S. Army. His passenger, Thomas Selfridge, is killed: the first fatality in airplane flying.

1909 July: Frenchman Louis Bleriot becomes the first to fly across the English Channel

1909 November: In the United States, the Wright Company is set up to build airplanes

1912 May 30: Wilbur Wright dies, aged 45, after sudden illness

1914: First scheduled airline flights, of a flying-boat service from St. Petersburg to Tampa, Florida

1914-1918: World War I gives dramatic impetus to aircraft design and production

1918: First experimental airmail service in the United States

1919: British pilots John Alcock and Arthur Brown fly first nonstop flight across the Atlantic Ocean

1923: First nonstop transcontinental flight across the United States by Kelly and Macready in 26 hours and 50 minutes

1924: Douglas World Cruisers Chicago and New Orleans make the first round-the-world flight, in about six months

1927: Charles Lindbergh makes the first nonstop solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean, flying 3,610 miles in 33 1/2 hours

1930: First U.S. coast-to-coast passenger airline service begins

1932: Amelia Earhart becomes the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean

1933: Wiley Post is the first person to fly solo around the world

1939 September 1: World War II breaks out with Germany's invasion of Poland and aircraft development is speeded up

1941 December 7: Japanese bomb U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii

1944 May 8: War in Europe ends with Hitler's suicide and Germany's surrender

1945 August 6: Beginning of the end of the war in Japan when an atomic bomb is dropped on Hiroshima from a U.S. Boeing B-29

1948 January 30: Orville Wright dies, aged 76

Next: Topic: History Day 2004

100 Years Later

[Photos & text are from a Wired.com article: December 17, 2003]

KILL DEVIL HILLS, North Carolina -- A 100th-anniversary attempt to re-create the Wright brothers' first flight flopped Wednesday when a delicate, wood-and-muslin replica of their airplane failed to get off the ground and splashed into a mud puddle.

On a rainy day when the winds on North Carolina's Outer Banks were uncharacteristically calm, a team of engineers tinkered with the plane and waited in vain for the breeze to pick up before they finally gave up trying to match the feat of the two self-educated bicycle mechanics from Dayton, Ohio.

"Well, if this were easy, I guess everyone would do it," said Tom Poberenzy, president of the Experimental Aircraft Association, a group of aviation enthusiasts that had a hand in building the painstakingly accurate reproduction.

In what was supposed to have been the climax of a six-day celebration of the historic Dec. 17, 1903, flight, the rickety Wright Flyer roared its engine and began the slow crawl down the 200-foot wooden launching track, rising just 6 inches for about a second before hitting the sand.

The plane, created at a cost of $1.2 million, twisted awkwardly before stopping with its right wing pushed into the sand, leaving a snapped crosswire and broken fitting.

The reproduction -- 605 pounds, with authentic spruce ribs and a wingspan of 40 feet -- matched the brothers' work down to the thread count of the muslin covering its wings, and the frustration it produced was also historically accurate.

Pilot Kevin Kochersberger, left, and the Wright Experience crew roll the 1903 Wright Flyer reproduction back to the hangar area after Wednesday's failed takeoff attempt.

Orville and Wilbur Wright crashed their flyer at least once before pulling off their successful flight at Kill Devil Hills, not far from Kitty Hawk. The contraption they built in their bicycle workshop back in Ohio took flight four times that day: The first flight lasted 12 seconds, while the final one was 59 seconds long and covered 852 feet.

The re-enactors had planned for years to launch the airplane at 10:35 a.m., 100 years to the minute from when the Wrights first ascended into the skies under motor power. That plan was scrapped not only because of the drenching, scattered rains, but also because winds on the normally breezy Outer Banks dipped below the minimum 10 mph needed.

http://archive.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2003/12/61655

Next: Aviation Milestones

Opposing Views

As with all opinions, there are those who voice their approval. Many saw the Wrights as heroes, accomplishing something never done before. Those who observed their public flights were especially interested. Today, those who give too much credit to the Wrights most likely do not know the full story.

I emailed Jack Carpenter, author of Pendulum II and GlennHCurtiss.com, and asked his opinion of the Wright brothers. This was his reply: "You've done a wonderful piece of work, which I commend you most highly for. As to the Wrights, they were interesting fellows that contributed their bit to the advent of manned flight after the development of the lightweight internal combustion engine -- and then, whether because of greed, ignorance, or simply human frailty, proceeded to destroy much of what they'd achieved."

A viewpoint to take into consideration is that of the Wrights themselves. They thought they were the best and no one could compete with their ideas. They tried selling their invention to numerous war offices in different countries, yet they were repeatedly rejected.

As the negotiations spun out fruitlessly, the Wrights' sales prospects started to dim. Yet they weren't worried about competition. Wilbur wrote to Chanute in late 1906, "...we are convinced that no one will be able to develop a practical flyer within five years."

(Hise, Phaedra http://www.forbes.com/2003/11/19/1119aviation.html)

No good came of the Wrights' demand for outrageous prices when trying to sell their invention to other countries. With their patent battles, the Wrights caused hundreds of people to resent them.

Even when a great majority of other inventors began to surpass them in 1907, Wilbur told an associate, "I want the business built up so as to get the greatest amount of money with as little work. Sell few machines at a big profit, so that we can close out..."

A French aviator, Louis Paulhan, returned to France commenting: "I am most happy to be safe in France. I have finally escaped the nightmare of the past few weeks" branding the Wrights "veritable birds of prey." (Carpenter, Jack p.253)

Next: 100 Years Later

Photo Gallery

Orville's diary in which he wrote about he and his brother's flight trials

A check from Wilbur to his sister, Katharine for $500, roughly $20,000 today

The Wrights' signatures

Drawings of their plans for their plane

The Wrights recorded the results of their flights and experiments in small vest-pocket notebooks like this one written in Orville's hand

This was the letter to the Smithsonian on May 30, 1899 written by Wilbur

Next: Opposing Views

Their Patent Battles

New York World, March 6, 1910 -- There seems to be much indignation in France about the attitude of Wilbur and Orville Wright over their patents. Some of the adverse opinion is real, some manufactured. On the other hand there is much public sentiment in the Wright's favor.

This is voiced in La Liberte, an evening newspaper, which says: "The Wrights ask only for royalty which certainly is due them. They have a perfect right to protect their patents. Sympathy should go out to them as inventors and pioneers, not as mere chauffuers or mechanicians who learn to pilot aeroplanes." (Quoted from: Carpenter, Jack p.253)

After several rejected applications, the Wright brothers finally achieved patent protection for "an alleged new and useful improvement in Flying-Machines." The detailed drawings at left accompanied a 1908 Wright patent application. (Crouch, Tom D. and Jakab, Peter L. p.141)

This was what the Wrights fought for -- their patents. Anyone flying and using their "wing warping system" was brought to the courts, since the brothers believed everyone flying at the time was stealing their idea, when this system was the only way to successfully take to the air.

     "The Wright Brothers were bitter. All around them pilots were profiting hugely from an invention which they had perfected for the world; without their wing-warping system none of it would have happened, certainly not as quickly. They held patents... in all the leading aviation countries and they demanded royalties from any pilot using the system and flying for profit. If the pilot did not pay up, and many did not, they went to the courts. They made no exceptions -- Paulhan, Grahame-White and others had writs served on them at air meets by Wright lawyers, and promoters of meets received demands for twenty per cent of the posted prize money and ten per cent of the gate receipts. But they reserved their harshest treatment for Glenn Curtiss who was selling aircraft in direct competition to them.
    "Litigation began to dominate their lives, and Wilbur especially spent long periods in the courts giving expert evidence against Curtiss. But it was a hopeless task. There were too many people flying, and even when they were awarded judgement the battles continued; there was always another pilot or promoter to sue or an appeal to attend. They would not settle out of court. It's hard to fathom what it was that made them go on; it had to be something more than money."

Ivan Rendall (Carpenter, Jack Pendulum II pp.288-289)

The Wright brothers were reluctant to share their triumph. Shy men who were happiest working in their garage workshop, they had no desire to become celebrities. Asked to make a speech, Wilbur said that he knew of only one bird -- the parrot -- that talks, and it didn't fly very high. They also did not want to let their competition know what they had accomplished.

In the next few years they modified and improved their design and took out patents on everything in their machines. Maybe they wanted to perfect the design themselves, and maybe they were trying to protect their inventions. Whatever the reason, their attempts to beat the competition hampered the development and improvement of aircraft. And their actions did not win them public support. (Alter, Judy p.195-196)

Next: Photo Gallery

Rivals for the Prize

When the Wrights were developing their flyer at the turn of the century, many other inventors were also exploring the same field, working on their own flying machines. Some of their ideas were very different.

Pierpont Langley

Pierpont Langley, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, nearly beat the Wrights and caused them to work harder and faster. His giant "Aerodrome" was 55 feet long and 48 feet wide, and an attempt to fly this machine on December 8, 1903 ended in failure and led to Langley's public humiliation that discouraged further attempts.

Incredibly, the original Langley aerodrome was restored by Glenn Curtiss and flown successfully at a distance of 10 miles in 30 minutes. This means that Langley actually built a working flying machine before the Wrights, which the Smithsonain Institution acknowledged. However, Orville Wright insisted that the museum change the label that credits Langley's invention.

LANGLEY AERODROME OF 1903 -- RESTORED
"In the opinion of many competent to judge, this was the first heavier-than-air craft in the history of the world capable of sustained free flight, under its own power, carrying a man. This aircraft antedated the machine designed and built by Wilbur and Orville Wright, which, on December 17, 1903, was the first in the history of the world to accomplish free flight, under its own power, carrying a man." (Carpenter, Jack p.368)

Alexander Graham Bell

Another famous competitor was Alexander Graham Bell, inventor of the telephone. For many years, Bell tried to perfect a flying machine based on "tetrahedral kites" -- a series of triangular cells that were supposed to provide lift.

Although Bell patented his design in 1904, it never really worked. However, Bell formed the "Aerial Experiment Association" (AEA) on September 30, 1907. This was a group of 5 talented individuals, including Glenn Curtiss who would succeed in a spectacular way.

Glenn H. Curtiss

On July 4, 1908, Glenn H. Curtiss made the "First Official Flight in the Western Hemisphere."

Curtiss went on to invent the hydroplane, and proved to be a major force in the development of aviation -- and he was continually battling the Wright brothers in court.

The Wrights always argued that Curtiss was stealing their ideas, when their plans were, in reality, very different. Curtiss' flyer was many times more efficient as well.

David Fairchild's description of the "first official flight" by Curtiss
"Suddenly the group of people around the machine scattered into the fields. Curtiss climbed into the seat in front of the yellow wings, the assistant turned over the narrow wooden propeller, there was a sharp loud whirr and a cloud of dust and smoke as the blades of the propeller churned in the air... The men holding the gigantic bird let go. It started down the track on its rubber-tired wheels going faster and faster. Then, before we realized what it was doing, it glided upward into the air and bore down upon us at the rate of 30 miles an hour. Nearer and nearer it came like a gigantic ochre-colored condor carrying its prey. Soon the thin, strong features of the man, his bare outstretched arms with hands on the steering wheel, his legs on the bar in front, riveted our attention. Hemmed in by bars and wires, with a 40-horse-power engine exploding behind him leaving a trail of smoke and with a whirling propeller cutting the air 1200 times a minute, he sailed with 40 feet of outstretched wings 20 feet above our heads."

Curtiss won the first leg of the Scientific American Trophy with this, the "First Official Flight in the Western Hemisphere." (Carpenter, Jack p.169)

And Others

There were many French pioneers who followed the Wrights' experiments, wanting to surpass them in success. Henri Farman was the first of these inventors to translate the "hops" of early French flights into real ones.

Avion Verdon Roe, a great British pioneer who was the creator of the Avro company.

Louis Bleriot adopted the tractor monoplane which made him world famous. He also flew across the English Channel in 1909.

Next: Their Patent Battles