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The Original Buzz Bomb
In
1917, Orville was back in the airplane business again in Dayton after selling
the Wright Company in 1915. This time he didn’t own the company named
Dayton-Wright Airplane Company, but was a technical advisor. Six Dayton
businessmen formed the new company. The president of the company was Edward
Deeds, a vice-president and later president of the NCR Company. The
vice-president was Charles Kettering, the noted inventor. Both were good
friends of Orville. A new factory was built at Moraine City, just south of
Dayton. In addition, a flying school was formed and land procured just north of
downtown Dayton and named North Field.
In 1918, North field was leased to the Army and renamed McCook Field.
The new investors hoped to make Dayton the manufacturing center of the
United States using modern automobile production techniques to mass produce
airplanes.
Fortuitously, the United States declared war on Germany five days before the
new company was incorporated. Subsequently, the Dayton-Wright Company received
a contract to deliver 4,000 modified British De Havilland DH-4 combat planes
and 400 J1 trainers.
The DH-4 was a 2-bay airplane with a 42-½ foot wing span. Its fuselage was
about 30 feet long. It was armed with two Lewis guns in the rear cockpit, and
one or two Marlin forward firing guns.
Experiencing engineering and production problems, the first plane didn’t
reach France until August 1918. Three months later the war was over. The
cooling system is one example of the problems experienced. The American version
of the DH-4 replaced the British engine with a 400-hp American Liberty engine.
The Liberty engine was half again as large as the British engine it replaced.
The mismatch required a complete redesign of the cooling system.
The De Havilland plane indirectly still lives in Dayton through the name of
"Patterson" in the name "Wright-Patterson" Air Force Base.
Lt. Frank Patterson was killed in an accident flying the De Havilland plane in
1917 at the base. He was the nephew of John H. Patterson, founder of the NCR.
Another milestone occurred during 1918. Orville piloted an airplane for the
last time. It was an old 1911 Wright biplane in a demonstration flight along
side one of the Wright Company’s new De Havillands.
One of the more interesting projects that Kettering and Orville worked on
was the aerial torpedo, pilotless gyroscopically controlled wooden biplane
designed to deliver a 300-pound bomb. The bomb constituted the 10 feet long
fuselage. A 2-cycle, 4-cylinder 40-horsepower Ford engine powered the plane
that was launched from a track.
The vehicle was named the "Bug. "
The
number of engine revolutions was calculated by using target distance and
forecasts of wind speed and distance. When the engine had turned the set number
of times, a cam dropped into position, retracting bolts that held the wings to
the fuselage. The wings then detached and the single bomb containing dynamite
fell.
 On
one occasion the pilotless plane went out of control setting off a chase by 100
men in automobiles. The plane came down 21 miles from Dayton. When the chase
party arrived, puzzled people at the site were searching for the pilot.
The Bug was demonstrated to the U.S. Army Air Corps in Dayton, Ohio, in
1918. Also, in September 1918 a somewhat larger manned version of the Bug, The
"Messenger," was test flown successfully. But WWI ended before they
could be put into production.
The Bug received a patent and therefore was subject to public disclosure.
The Germans in WWII obtained the plans and used them build the Fi 103 missile,
better known as the V-1 "buzz bomb."
Dayton-Wright stayed in business for a while longer designing and
constructing experimental airplanes. One of planes they built was a racing
plane capable of attaining 200 mph known as the RB. Built with some help from
Orville, it was a monoplane with several innovations. It had a variable camber
wing and a notable innovation, retractable landing gear.
The company entered the plane in the Gordon Bennett International Aviation
Cup race in Paris on September 28, 1920. Unfortunately, during the race a
control cable failed jamming the leading edge flap that prevented the plane
from completing the race. (The RB today is on display at the Ford Museum near
Detroit, Michigan.)
Another airplane involving Orville, was the O.W. Aerial Coupe. The O.W.
initials represented Orville Wright. Built in 1918-19, The O.W. Aerial Coupe
was an enclosed passenger plane and the last original design by Orville Wright.
It carried three passengers and the pilot. The plane crashed and was totally
destroyed in Indiana in 1924 after it developed engine trouble.
In 1920, Deeds and Kettering sold the company to General Motors (GM) for
100,000 shares of GM stock.
GM didn’t see any future profitability in producing airplanes after the
war was over. They decided to close the Dayton Wright Airplane Company in the
early 1920s. Major aircraft manufacturing never again returned to Dayton.
First Flight at Ft. Myer
The Wrights had finally secured a contact from the U.S. Army to provide a
flying machine. Orville traveled to Ft. Myer in 1908 to perform the required
demonstration flights. This is one newspaper’s description of the event.
Springfield Republic, August 30, 1908:
Orville Wright has completed the assembly of his aeroplane, which was built
by the Dayton brothers for the U. S. government.
The motor was tried out yesterday and the first preliminary flight is
expected tomorrow.
Note: It took place four days later on Sept. 3rd .
The photograph shows how the Wright aeroplane looks.
 The
two main planes, each 40 feet long, look more than ever like a wide-stretched
pair of wings. Out in front of the machine extends a skeleton framework of
aluminum painted wood that curves up into the air, something like a bird’s
neck, and that bears the ascending and descending planes on this end. These are
operated by a lever from the aviator’s seat in the middle of the machine.
A second lever at the same point operates the inadequate looking little
vertical rudder in the rear. This is simply two planes not very much bigger
than open newspapers. The rudder can be tipped up and down in case there is
danger of its striking when the machine makes a landing.
Almost amidship is the engine. This is a chunky affair, a little larger and
more powerful than the engine that drives Capt. Baldwin’s dirigible. The
gasoline tank alongside, which holds naphtha for a 125-mile flight, is about as
big as the engine itself.
On the outboard side of the engine the radiator rises to the full height of
six feet between the upper and lower planes. It is built of brass or copper and
holds about 20 pounds of water.
Two little barrels at the top and two at the bottom not much bigger than two
pairs of binoculars are joined by four upright sections of the same metal, a
foot wide and less than an inch thick, set edge on to the wind. It has an
immense area of cooling surface for its weight and offers very little wind
resistance.
The operator and passenger sit on the lower edge of the forward plane
alongside the engine. The double seat is cushioned, but is not much bigger than
a baby carriage built for twins. There is a little footrest in the "neck
of the bird" for the operator and its passenger to dig their heels into,
and that is all.
Neither the operator nor the engine are exactly in the middle of the
machine. They are a little off the center on each side, and intended roughly to
balance each other, but -- and here is the remarkable fact to the novice --
there is no need for a nice adjustment of this balance. To be sure, the engine
and the operator are not very far off the center, so there is not much leverage
to be overcome, but there can be a discrepancy to 200 pounds in the two weights
without affecting the flight of the machine.
The aeroplane will carry considerable added weight, too. This particular
machine could lift about 400 or 500 pounds of added weight. That is to say, the
big bird could swoop down and carry off a couple of good sized or small steer
in its talons and not be more overloaded than a big eagle carrying off a small
dog.
Also it could drop this weight without upsetting its flight. This is
important in case it came to dropping explosives.
Mr. Wright said today he did not know that he could hit anything without a
great deal of practice, but that the mere carrying of a heavy weight and
letting it go suddenly would not tend to affect the machine in the least.
Both the propellers of the flying machine have been installed. They are of
aluminum painted wood, smaller of diameter and broader of blade than the
toothpick-like propeller of the Baldwin ship, but then each aerial propeller
has to be designed for the particular work it has to do, and the two on the
Wright machine have been calculated to a nicety for the particular function
they are to perform. The propellers are driven by crossed bicycle chains off
the main shaft of the engine.
The only two colors of the machine are white and silver, saving the gray
plush aviator’s seat and the brass radiator. It is possible, after flying
machines become a standard asset of the army, that there may be a special shade
of paint prescribed for them, as there is now for torpedo boats and warships,
as a protection against searchlights, but for the present this refinement has
been reached.
First Flight Demonstration at Fort Myer in 1909, Not
Impressive.
The Wrights returned to Fort Myer in 1909 to complete the Army acceptance
trials that had been interrupted the previous year by a crash that almost
killed Orville. Wilbur accompanied Orville this time, but Orville would do all
the flying.
After several days of delay, Orville first flew on Tuesday, June 29. There
were four attempts to fly that day. The first three were failures; the last
flight was partially successful.
The story was carried in the Virginia Pilot Newspaper. Here is that
story:
After making three unsuccessful efforts to get his new aeroplane into the
air today, Orville Wright made a short flight, encircling the Fort Myer
aerodrome.
Lack of power, due to a loose spark control, was finally determined upon by
the two Wrights as the cause of the refusal of the machine to fly for more than
a few hundred feet beyond the end of the starting rail.
"A flying machine is like a horse," said Wilbur after the
trail. "If it’s new you got to get used to it before it will go just
as you want it to. You have to learn its peculiarities. I am glad we learned
what the trouble is, and after a few more trials you will see some fun."
There was hardly a breath of air when the machine was taken out of its shed
and placed on the starting track shortly after 5 o’clock. The motor was given
a test and it worked very smoothly. The weight was then hauled to the top of
the starting tower and the rope to which it is attached was fastened to the
aeroplane.
Everything being in readiness, Wilbur Wright and Charlie Taylor, the
mechanic, each stationed himself at one of the propellers ready to turn it,
like cranking an automobile. Orville Wright turned the ignition and his brother
and the mechanic gave the propellers a twist. The latter whirred around at a
great fate as Orville took his place in the operator’s seat. Wilbur stationed
himself at the end of the aeroplane and ran along with it when Orville released
the weight, which pulls it down the track and gives it momentum.
The machine rose as soon as it left the rail, but appeared to be able to
mount into the air but a few feet. The right wing veered towards the ground and
struck the earth at its tip. The machine was swung around. Orville quickly
stopped the motor. It was found that the canvas at the tip of the wing had been
torn slightly by scraping on the ground. After the canvass had been repaired
the machine was returned to the starting rail. It had traveled about 200 feet.
"I didn’t have enough power," explained Orville. "Besides
the wind is coming from behind me." There was a slight movement of air
from the north but it was scarcely noticeable.
At 6:30 the machine started again, and the first mishap was repeated, with
the exception that this time the left wing scraped the ground.
The machine was returned for a third trial and the crowd cheered lustily.
Wilbur contended that the weight was not sufficient in front, and he gave an
illustration of his ingenuity by attaching a rather heavy vice on one of the
skids, forward of the machine and an iron clamp on the opposite side. Orville
stuck to his theory that the power was not sufficient.
The third attempt was even less successful, the machine refusing to rise at
all. The power was increased before the machine was brought back for a fourth
attempt.
At 7:45 on the final trial the machine rose to a height of about 15 or 20
feet. Shortly after it ascended from the ground it showed signs of losing
headway, but Orville kept on around the field, remaining in the air about 50
seconds and landing almost immediately in front of the starting track. As he
stepped out he called to his mechanic: "I found out this time what the
matter was, Charlie. The spark shakes back to zero."
Wilbur seemed to regard the difficulties encountered as rather amusing and
being Orville’s big brother had a few criticisms to make of him. Wilbur
refuses to make any flights at Fort Myer, saying that it is his brother’s
job, but he does most of the "bossing" and most of the
"tinkering."
Bishop Milton Wright, father of the two aviators with their other brother,
Reuchlin, arrived at Fort Myer in time to see the tests.
Tomorrow it is expected another flight will be attempted. (end)
Note: There were two design changes made to the control system of this
aeroplane. There was a spark-retarding pedal on the footbar for throttling the
engine. The other change was an addition to the wing-warping handle. The handle
contained a "bent wrist" control for the rudder. The pilot could turn
his wrist to activate the rudder, while moving the entire lever front or back
to warp the wing.
Reference: Virginia-Pilot, June 30, 1909.
Orville Continues to Set Records at Ft. Myer (1908)
The September 11, 1908 edition of the newspapers carried a story about
Orville’s flights at Ft. Myer outside Washington D.C.
The article contains several interesting items in addition to Orville’s
record-breaking flights. It notes a race with a pigeon. Wind forces its way
under Orville’s goggles and inflames his ideas. Orville receives a cable from
Wilbur that is written in code. Orville is quoted predicting aeroplanes will
carry up to seven passengers and perform loops the loops. Augustus Herring
requests an extension of time to submit his aeroplane, and Orville declines to
fly at amusement parks.
Concerning Herring, to everyone’s surprise, Herring was the low bidder for
providing a Heavier-Than-Air Machine for the Army Signal Corps. He bid $20,000.
That was $5,000 under the Wright brothers’ quote. The Army solved a possible
dilemma by accepting both proposals.
Orville and Wilbur knew Herring very well. He had attended the Wrights’
glider experiments at Kitty Hawk in 1902.
Herring said he would provide an airplane and fly it to Washington. After
the Army had given him numerous extensions of time, Herring stopped the charade
by formally requesting his contact be voided for reasons of non-delivery.
Here is the article: "Under adverse conditions Orville Wright, the
aviator, yesterday placed the world’s record for continuous flight in
heavier-than air machines a notch higher by remaining in the air for one hour,
five minutes and fifty-two seconds.
Comment: He also flew two figure eigths.
He has performed the unequaled feat of breaking the world’s record three
times in two days. The general opinion in Washington is that the present record
will remain untouched until one of the Wright brothers makes up his mind to
surpass it. It is believed that no aviator except the Wrights will be able to
equal it for some time.
Comment: The next day (12th) Orville broke his own record,
circling 71 times and set a duration record for the longest flight of 1908.
A light wind was blowing when the aeroplane was launched from the track on
the Fort Myer grounds, but it did not interfere with the ascent of the machine.
At 5:08 o’clock the launching weights were loosened and the aeroplane slid
down the track. In spite of the wind, Mr. Wright made wider circles than he has
before attempted since he began his experiments here.
Frequently he ventured off the parade ground toward an open field adjoining
the Arlington National Cemetery. Each time, however, he made a broad turn to
come back up to the parade ground before starting on his next circuit.
Mr. Wright also sought higher altitudes yesterday than he did in the earlier
flights. Once or twice the aeroplane reached a height of about 160 feet. He
made no attempt to remain so high in the air for any length of time, but
usually dropped back to his normal height of about fifty feet.
During one of the circuits of the parade ground a pigeon tried to keep pace
with the aeroplane, but it was soon distanced.
The engine did not work as well yesterday as it did in the two
record-breaking flights Wednesday. It missed about four explosions every
minute. This small percentage, however, did not affect the length of the
flight. When the machine landed near the starting point the bearings of the
engine showed no signs of overheating, and there was still sufficient fuel in
the gasoline tank to have enabled Mr. Wright to continue his flight some time
longer.
One reason he descended was that the wind had forced its way under his
goggles and inflamed his eyes. The wind gradually increased and at the
conclusion of the flight it was blowing at the rate of about twelve miles an
hour. The sky was cloudy and the air a bit cool.
The aeroplane made a total of fifty-eight circuits over the parade grounds.
They were much larger in diameter, however, than those of Wednesday. It is
estimated that the aeroplane covered about forty-five miles yesterday at an
average speed of approximately thirty-eight miles an hour.
Messages and telegrams of congratulation on his record smashing achievements
poured in upon Mr. Wright yesterday. Just as he climbed out of the machine
yesterday afternoon, a package of telegrams was handed to him by Charles
Taylor, his mechanic.
One was from the Aero Club of America. Another was from the Aeronautic
Society of America.
Mr. Wright said he had received a cablegram from his brother, Wilbur Wright,
who is in France, but he said it was written in code and in French and he had
not been able to decipher all of it. All he could understand, he said, were the
two French words "tres bien."
The official trials will probably not be held until next week. Mr. Wright
wants to fly more trials with an additional passenger before submitting his
aeroplane to the official trials. He will probably devote today and tomorrow to
this practice.
Mr. Wright expected to make only a ten-minute flight this afternoon. The
anemometer attached to the machine is graduated in the metric system and can
only register a maximum distance of ten kilometres.
"Aeroplanes to carry six or seven passengers can now be built,"
said Mr. Wright, in speaking of the observations which he has made during his
flight and experiment, "and it will not be long before some aviator will
be able to loop the loop in the air. In fact, some may do it without intending
to. Our machine is perfectly safe, the only danger being in the way we handle
it."
The chief signal officer of the Army received a telegram today from A. M.
Herring, who is under contract to deliver an aeroplane at Fort Myer, for which
he will receive $20,000, if the same conditions which Orville Wright will have
to fulfill are satisfactorily accomplished. Mr. Herring asked for an extension
of thirty days in which to do a little shop work on his machine.
It is very likely that the Secretary of War will grant Mr. Herring ‘s
request, as it would be impracticable to conduct the tests of both the Wright
brothers and the Herring aeroplanes at the same time.
Since making his record-breaking flights at Fort Myer, Orville Wright has
declined numerous offers from amusement managers for public flights. "I’m
not in that sort of business," said Mr. Wright." (End of Article)
U.S. Navy Interested in Wright Airplane (1908)
In the fall of 1908 Orville conducted demonstration flights for the U.S.
Army at Fort Myer outside Washington, D.C. His flights broke all aviation
records for distance and time. As might be expected, the U.S. Navy also became
greatly interested.
The Wrights had finally secured a contract from the Army to buy their
airplane for $25,000 if they could meet the Army specification that required
their airplane carry a pilot and passenger a distance of 125 miles at a speed
of 40-mph. It must remain aloft for at least one hour and land without damage.
Orville arrived at Ft. Myer on August 20, 1908 to begin the qualification
flights. Wilbur was already in France performing qualification flights for a
French syndicate.
Orville flew for the first time on September 3. The crowd was sparse. Since
it was his first flight at Ft. Myer, he played it safe and flew one and
one-half turns around the parade ground. His flight lasted 1 minute, 11
seconds.
A similar first flight at Le Mans by Wilbur caused great excitement. In
stark contrast, Orville’s flight was met with little notice. A local
Washington newspaper carried the story on page 3.
There was one important person who did see the flight. It was the
21-year-old son of President Theodore Roosevelt. I’m sure he gave a first
hand account to his father.
Orville flew every day over the next week and a half. His flights on
September 9, began to create great excitement as he set three world records.
The first flight was for 57 minutes, 13 seconds - setting a new world
endurance record.
Almost immediately he took-off again, flying for 62 minutes, 15 seconds,
breaking his previous record.
Next he flew with Lt. Frank Lahm as a passenger for 6 minutes, 24 seconds -
a new endurance record for a flight with a passenger. The flight lasted until
dusk and could probably qualify as the first night flight.
The following day, September 10, he set another record with a flight of 65
minutes, 52 seconds at an estimated altitude of 200 feet.
Edward Burkhart, mayor of Dayton, Ohio, sent Orville a letter of
congratulations.
The record-breaking flights got the attention of the U.S. Navy. The
following article appeared in a Washington newspaper on September 10.
 "The
two aeroplane flights made by Orville Wright at Fort Myer yesterday, which
broke all records for distance and time, have aroused the officers of the Navy
to action. Secretary of Navy Metcalf was one of the most enthusiastic
spectators and Assist Secretary Newberry has been following the Fort Myer tests
closely".
"Lt. George C. Sweet of the Bureau of Equipment has been detailed to
observe the Fort Myer tests for the Navy."
"Secretary Metcalf was asked if the Navy intended to buy an aeroplane
as a beginning in the application of aeronautics to that branch of the
service".
"I cannot say what we might do," he replied. "Of course we
would need funds for that purpose. There is only one reason I can see why Mr.
Wright’s machine impracticable for use in the Navy, and that is his starting
apparatus. An officer has been detailed to observe the flights and what we do
will depend on what is learned from these tests."
"Lt. Sweet has been present for every flight of the Wright aeroplane at
Fort Myer and was so impressed by its performance that he suggested that the
Navy Department keep in close touch with the progress in aerial flight.
"The airplane would prove invaluable in naval warfare," he
remarked to an Army officer, during Wright’s flight yesterday. "Mr.
Wright’s machine requires a speed of twenty-four miles an hour as an impetus
to rise into the air. It would, therefore, require no launching apparatus if it
were started from one of the scout cruisers, which makes twenty-two and
twenty-three knots an hour or about twenty-seven miles. It could fly over the
advance column of an enemy’s fleet and drop explosives or secure valuable
information."
"Instead of skids which Mr. Wright uses for land purposes the aeroplane
could be fitted with two light water skids similar to rowing shells, so that it
could land on water. After the machine made a flight, it could be brought
alongside of the ship and pulled out of the water by means of the davits."
(End of Article)
The demonstration flights were going according to plan when tragedy struck
on September 17. A propeller split during a flight with Lt. Thomas E. Selfridge
as a passenger. The airplane nosed down and hit the ground at full speed from a
height of 75 feet. Orville was seriously injured and Selfridge was killed.
The Army gave the Wrights an extension to their contract permitting them to
return the following summer to complete their demonstration flights.
Orville, along with Wilbur, did return the following year and completed the
Army requirements on July 30, 1909.
Wrights Do Wonders
On September 17, 1908, Orville crashed when a propeller split on his plane
while flying at Fort Myer. The split propeller caused his machine to go out of
control. Orville was seriously injured and his passenger Lt. Selfridge died.
The Army extended the required time to qualify for selling their machine to
the Army for a year to enable Orville to heal from his injuries.
Orville did return in 1909 to fly for the first time on June 29. He took
four cautious flights that day to get used to the handling of the flying
machine. His task was somewhat more complicated because a change in the design
of the controls had been made to provide for controlling the rudder by a twist
of the wrist.
Another design change provided a spark-retarding pedal on the footbar for
throttling the engine.
On July 2, he flew again but ran into serious problems when the engine
stopped running which caused Orville to hit a small thorn tree when he landed.
He was not injured but shaken up. The incident must have brought back bad
memories of the previous year. But that didn’t stop him from flying.
Wilbur saw a photographer taking pictures of the damaged plane. He reacted
by grabbing a piece of wood off the ground and threw it at him while demanding
the exposed film. This part of his personality was not revealed very often.
The worst part of the damage to the plane was to the fabric covering the
wing. That repair mandated a trip back to Dayton by Orville for repair. He
returned on July 2 and flew again on July 12. Things were going better now and
on July 20 he set new records.
The July 21, 1909 Portland Daily Press carried the following article, byline
Washington July 20.
Marvelous Flying by Ohio Aviators.
New Record Established.
Machine Soared and Cut Circles at Will of Operator.
A new record for aviation in America was established by Orville Wright, in
the Wright aeroplane late today, at Fort Myer by a spectacular flight of one
hour, 20 minutes, 45 seconds duration. The longest previous flight was in the
United States was 74 minutes, made by Mr. Wright at Fort Myer last fall.
During the entire flight the machine was under perfect control, but several
times appeared to the spectators to be on the point of diving to earth.
Several thousand people were given an exhibition which included the most
daring feats of aviation yet accomplished and at its conclusion a mighty cheer
went up.
The machine traveled a distance of about 70 miles and at one time during the
flight the height attained, between 260 and 280 feet, exceeded the highest
point ever reached by a heavier than air machine in this continent. The most
wonderful part of the flight was the execution of three complete "figure
eights," which required careful maneuvering in directing the machine. Not
the slightest mishap occurred during the flight, but there were moments when
the crowd almost breathlessly, fearing the aviator was losing control of his
artificial bird.
A thrill passed through the spectators as the white flyer, apparently
beginning to dive to the earth would regain its equilibrium and speed onward
around the oval above the parade ground. After rounding the course a half
hundred times the aviator directed the machine’s course around the small
double circle of a "figure eight." It was the first time this season
and the second time during his career that he has executed this maneuver.
To the amazement of the crowd the machine described a second eight and then
a third one, after which it was guided back to its former course of large
ovals.
After he had been in the air half an hour, making a complete round of the
field each time, Mr. Wright maneuvered the machine through several short
circles, some not more than 500 feet in diameter.
Having sufficiently satisfied himself that he could execute these circles,
he went back to making large ovals again and continued these for some time.
Than, after circling the field 54 times, the machine started cutting the
"figure eights,’ much to the delight of the crowd.
When he had completed these clever maneuvers the aviator started to make a
showing in regards to height. Slowly the aeroplane rose to a higher altitude on
each lap until it had soared to a distance of between 250 and 280 feet from the
ground. At this altitude the machine flew half a dozen rounds and then
gradually descended toward the earth. Mr. Wright made a successful and easy
landing after completing 83 rounds of the field.
In today’s flight, Mr. Wright met the requirements set forth by the
government, except that of carrying one passenger and making the five mile
straight away run. Both Wilbur and Orville Wright declared today that the
machine is working much better, but that they want to have several more trials
before the official test.
Wilbur Wright, replying to a comment the flight today would have covered the
width of the English channel, which Herbert Latham unsuccessfully attempted to
cross yesterday, said it would have been possible for his brother to have
crossed from France to England and to have returned to France again without
landing. He also remarked that it would have been easy to have continued today’s
flight as far as Baltimore.
Comment: On July 30, he completed the final demonstration to win the Army
contract. With Lt. Benny Foulois as his passenger, Orville flew a ten-mile
round trip from Fort Myer to Alexandria in an average speed of 42.583 miles per
hour.
Five days before, Louis Bleriot had flown 23.5 miles across the English
Channel.
Orville Wright Breaks World Flying Records
The Wrights had finally won an army contract to sell an airplane if they met
specified performance requirements. Orville traveled to Washington in the fall
of 1908 to fly their airplane while Wilbur was in France flying demonstration
flights for a commercial syndicate.
Orville’s first public flight took place on September 3rd
before 500 spectators at Ft. Myers, Virginia. President Theodore Roosevelt’s
son was among the spectators.
This was the headline of the newspapers on September 9, 1908 provided by the
United Press.
WRIGHT BREAKS WORLD FLYING RECORDS TODAY AT FORT MYER, VA.
Remains in Air 57 Minutes, 31 Seconds, Traveling at Rate of 35 Miles an Hour
and Turning Curves with Ease.
Wonderful Performance Means His Machine is Able to Stand Test Devised by the
Government and Will Be Accepted for the Army.
 To
America and Orville Wright, a modest young man of Dayton, Ohio, go the honor of
accomplishing the most marvelous feat in aviation yet recorded. The Wright
aeroplane, operated by the aviator, whose brother Wilbur has been conducting
successful tests in France, sailed today over and around the parade ground at
Fort Myer, Va., for 57 minutes and 31 seconds, exceeding by more than 26
minutes the world-breaking record made last Monday by Delagrange, near Paris.
Comment: Leon Delagrange was a fashionable Parisian sculptor who was one
of the early experimenters in glider and powered flight. He became one of the
most colorful aviators during 1908 and was a feature attraction at air meets in
Europe. He raised the world’s records for duration and distance four times in
five months during 1908.
During the flight, the Wright machine maintained an average speed of about
thirty-eight miles an hour or only two miles an hour less than that required
under the government contract for speed on a straightaway course.
Comment: Signal Corps Specification No. 486 required an aircraft capable
of carrying two men for 125 miles at an average minimum speed of 40 mph and
staying in the air for at least one hour and landing without serious damage.
Could Have Remained Up Longer.
Upon alighting, Wright expressed the utmost astonishment that he had
remained in the air so long a time and regrets that he had not made it an hour.
"I could have remained up ten or fifteen minutes longer," he said.
"I still had some gasoline left. The motor worked almost to perfection,
there being only an occasional slip. I shall try another flight, as soon as I
can load up the gasoline tank and look at the engine."
All Conditions Favorable.
This morning’s flight started at 8:15, the aeroplane being launched as
usual from a track laid upon the ground and by means of counterbalancing
weights.
Weather conditions could not have been more favorable. The sun was shining
brightly, the atmosphere was crisp and exhilarating, and only a slight breeze
was blowing.
Big Crowd Sees Performance.
Attracted by the announcement that Wright was to try for a record flight, a
crowd of army and navy officers and citizens had gathered in the parade ground.
Sailing along at express train speed, the bird-like craft responded
immediately to the slightest touch of the steering lever, and maneuvered higher
or lower, as the planes were managed by the operator.
Fifty-eight times Wright circled around the course, while spectators
breathlessly followed its evolutions.
Cheers at Every Minute Over Record.
When it became known that Wright had broken the world’s record of 31
minutes continuous flight and there was, apparently, no desire on his part to
return to earth, a rousing cheer went up. From then on, every person who owned
a watch kept tab and hurrahed as the minutes sped by.
Finally, when the aeroplane gently descended and poised expectantly above
the ground, the crowd rushed forward and as it came to a standstill as softly
as a bird alighting, every person present shouted congratulations to the
aviator.
Anemometer Goes Wrong.
Unfortunately, the anemometer, relied upon to register speed repeated itself
and no exact data is available as to the rate. Observers who have witnessed
previous flights express the option that it reached 38 miles an hour and
computing the distance of the parade ground circuit with the rate of speed, it
is estimated that during the 57 minutes and 31 seconds of his flight, Wright
covered a distance close to 40 miles.
Reaches Height of 120 Feet.
Since the present tests began, on September 4th, the machine had
not reached a greater altitude than half a hundred feet. Just to show its
possibilities, Wright soared up occasionally to double that height and at one
time reached 120 feet.
Wright Knew It Was In Machine.
While refilling his gasoline tank, Wright announced that he would fly again
this afternoon and make an attempt to break this morning’s record.
"I am not at all surprised with the record," he said, "for I
knew it was in the machine. Our best previous record was a flight of
thirty-eight minutes at Dayton, O. I do not know how high I went today, but
think it must have been considerably over 100 feet at times, for I was above
any of the trees surrounding the parade grounds."
"Of course, I have instruments within sight that are supposed to tell
me the speed, but when a fellow is as busy as I was, he does not have very much
time to make observations. The only evidence of great speed that one feels
while in the air is the way the tears come from his eyes."
Can Carry Three Passengers.
"If I fulfill the government requirements I shall remain here for some
time to instruct the officers in the use of the machine. My aeroplane will
carry three passengers, but, when I put a heavier load, my flight will be
considerably shortened, because it requires a great deal more gasoline to run
the motor. With only one person aboard, I can carry enough gasoline to operate
the machine for five hours."
When asked whether he intended cabling his brother news of his achievement
he said he guessed not, because he thought, "Wilbur would hear all about
it through the press dispatches."
Squier Thinks It’s Splendid.
"Have I anything to say?" asked George O. Squier, acting chief
signal officer today, when asked for a statement of the attitude of the war
department, over Wright’s record breaking flight, "well, I should say
so. It is splendid. We are greatly pleased."
Insures Acceptance of Machine.
This performance insures the acceptance of the aeroplane by the United
States government at the contract price of $25,000
Under the terms of the agreement, Wright was to have until the last of
September to comply with the government’s requirements, as to speed and
endurance. The machine was to make an average speed of 40 miles an hour on a
straightaway course of five miles and return, and was to be able to remain in
the air for one hour.
Comment: The contract specified that for every mile an hour above
40-mph, the Wrights would be paid an extra $2,500. On the contrary for every
mile an hour below 40-mph they would pay a penalty of $2,500. They later won a
$5,000 bonus by flying 42.58-mph.
Although today’s test for endurance was not official, no one who saw the
remarkable flight has any doubt that Wright can duplicate the feat at any time.
His average speed today was thirty-five miles an hour, but it is believed that
there is no question but that he can make 40 miles an hour on a straightaway
course, whenever he cares to.
Wright was not striving for speed today and necessarily had to lower the
momentum in taking the curves around the parade ground.
Comment: Wilbur flew two more flights that day. On his second flight he
broke his own record by remaining airborne for 62 minutes, 15 seconds. On his
third flight, he made his first passenger flight in public taking Lt. Frank
Lahm for a 6-minute, 24-second spin. It set a new endurance record for a flight
with a passenger.
Description of Aeroplane.
The aeroplane, which is an improvement on the one now being tested in France
by Wilbur Wright, weighs in the neighborhood of 800 pounds, exclusive of fuel
for passengers, and there are accommodations for the two of the latter. It
measures eight feet high, forty feet in width and thirty-three feet fore and
aft, and its planes have an area of 500 square feet.
The motor, especially invented by Wright Brothers, is rated at from 25 to 30
horsepower and is capable of 1,400 revolutions a minute. It operates two
propellers driven in opposite directions at the rear of the machine each of
which theoretically attains a speed of more than 500 revolutions a minute.
To remain in the air, the aeroplane must run at least 26 miles an hour.
The frame work of the machine is constructed of spruce and ash, strong and
yet light, covered with muslin nearly as heavy as regulation balloon cloth.
The planes form what Wright calls a "heliocord," or in other words
they are twisted down on the ends. The control of the upward or downward motion
of the machine is achieved by a box kite arrangement which projects a number of
feet in front of the main framework. It is also covered with muslin.
In the rear, a corresponding "tail" projects nearly the same
distance, forming the rudder. This, with the forward planes, are controlled by
an arrangement of three levers, two of which operate the lateral movement, and
the remaining one, the fore and aft.
The motor is located within a couple of feet of the operator’s seat in the
center of the framework, and Wright explained that it is unnecessary to touch
it after starting.
Comment, the rest of the story: Orville was not able to complete the
performance trials because of a crash. On September 17, flying with a
passenger, Lt. Thomas Selfridge, his airplane crashed as a result of a broken
propeller blade. Selfridge was killed and Orville was seriously injured.
The Army gave the Wrights an extension to their contract to permit them to
return in the summer of 1909 to complete their demonstration flights. Orville,
accompanied by Wilbur, returned to Ft. Myer in 1909 and on July 30th
Orville successfully flew the final demonstration flight.
As for Delagrange, he was present to see Wilbur’s first flight at the
Hunaudieres race course near Le Mans. The French said that the Wrights were a
pair of "bluffeurs." On Saturday, August 8, 1908 Wilbur flew for the
first time in France. His demonstrated that he could make graceful deep turns
in flight under total control. The French aviators in attendance were stunned.
Delagrange admitted, "Monsieur Wright has us all in his hands. We are
beaten."
Delagrange died in a plane accident in 1910.
Reference: The Union and Advertiser, Rochester, NY, Sept, 9, 1908
Wright Airplane Disaster
On September 17, 1908, Orville crashed with Lt. Selfridge as passenger
during a flight at Ft. Myers, Virginia. Selfridge died soon after and Orville
was left with injuries that pained him throughout the rest of his life.
They were circling the parade ground when, on the beginning of the third
circle as they were headed toward the wall of Arlington Cemetery at about 100
feet off the ground, Orville heard a slight tapping at the rear of the machine.
He turned and looked behind him, but couldn’t see anything. Sensing
something was wrong, he decided to cut the power as soon as he completed his
turn toward the crowd. Suddenly, he heard two thumps, followed by violent
shaking. He struggled with the controls as the machine dropped toward the left,
causing the nose to drop. The machine hit the ground at full speed and nosed
over, burying Orville and Selfridge.
The respected Scientific Journal published an article, Lessons of the
Wright Aeroplane Disaster in their September 26, 1908 issue. The article,
including my comments, follows below.
"Seldom has there occurred a more pitifully tragic disaster than the
sudden fall of the Wright aeroplane, involving the death of that promising
young officer Lieut. Thomas E. Selfridge, and inflicting shocking injuries on
the talented inventor, Orville Wright.
That the disaster should have occurred at the culmination of a series of
brilliant flights, and on the eye of winning that prize of government
recognition for which the Wright brothers had striven, unaided, through long
years of patient toil, renders the disaster extremely pathetic, and accentuates
that world-wide sympathy in which the Scientific Journal so sincerely shares.
But although the accident is deplorable, it should not be allowed to
discredit the art of aerospace navigation. If it emphasizes the risks, there is
nothing in the mishap to shake our faith in the principles upon which the
Wright brothers built their machine, and achieved such brilliant success.
The defect was purely of structural detail. The breaking off of the blades
of the propeller of an airship is comparable to bursting the tire on an
automobile. In each case there is the danger of an upset; but in neither should
the accident be taken to indicate that the principles and design of the whole
machine are at fault."
Comment: One of the propeller blades did break off although that is not
what caused the crash. Here is what really happened.
The right blade flattened when it developed a longitudinal crack. That
started a sequence of events.
The blade then lost enough power to cause unequal thrust between the two
blades. The resulting vibration is what Orville heard as a light tapping noise.
Next in the sequence of events was that that the vibration loosened a stay
wire fastened to the tube that housed the propeller axle. The axle moved enough
to bring the undamaged propeller blade in contact with the upper stay wire
attached to the vertical rudder in the tail.
The wire broke and wrapped itself around the propeller blade, breaking it
off, causing the loud thumping sound. That was the broken blade seen flying
from the machine.
The broken blade, however, was not the cause of the crash. It was the
vertical rudder that had been loosened by the loss of the stay wire. It caused
the Flyer to first swerve right toward the cemetery, then to the left, so that
it was heading north up the field.
At this point Orville moved the wingwarping lever to the right to straighten
the wings and at the same time moved it forward to move the vertical rudder to
the right in order to glide to the ground. The problem was that the rudder,
without its upper stay wire, was so tilted to the horizontal that it functioned
more as an elevator. This sent the Flyer into a fatal dive and ultimate crash.
Orville had been forewarned of possible trouble when on September 9, a
propeller developed an 18 1/2-foot split. Orville had to have Loren ship two
new blades from Dayton. The new blades had the same chord but were two inches
longer.
The Scientific American continued: "Nevertheless, it must be admitted
that if the demand for absolutely first-class design and material is strong in
the automobile, it is doubly so in the aeroplane.
Judged by the nature of the work it has to do, and in view of the tragic
penalties which may attach to the breakage of any one of its delicate and
nicely calculated parts, it would seem that a broader margin of safety should
be allowed in cutting down the size and weight to secure the necessary
lightness.
The supporting planes (wings) with their fragile wooden struts and hair-like
wires, constitute a trussed bridge, whose strength, like that of a chain, is no
greater that the strength of its weakest link.
Should a single strut or wire snap, the whole fabric must collapse.
Similarly, the equilibrium of the whole structure is so sensitive to
disturbance, that any sudden change in the opposed forces, such as was
occasioned by the snapping of one of the two propellers, must instantly upset
the delicate poise, and change the aeroplane suddenly, from a self-sustaining
machine to an inert mass, subject to the destructive force of gravity.
The lessons of this particular case are, first, that wood is too uncertain a
material to safely endure the complicated stresses due to thrust, high
centrifugal force, excessive vibration, or the possibility of contact with the
machine to which a propeller is subjected; and, secondly, that the distribution
of the thrust between two propellers, placed on either side of the center of
gravity, constitutes, as this terrible accident has too clearly shown, a
constant invitation to disaster.
Should one propeller break, become loose, or be disconnected from its chain
drive, the whole power of the engine becomes concentrated at a point several
feet to one side of the center of resistance of the machine, with the result
that it becomes immediately unmanageable, and is driven violently from its
path; whereas the breaking of a single, centrally-placed propeller would have
no greater effect upon the control than would the simple stopping of the motor.
Undoubtedly, it was the inevitable confusion created by the breaking of the
propeller on the vertical rudder wire that caused the disaster; for although
Wright made a gallant effort to bring the machine back to control, stopping his
motor, etc., the horizontal rudders appear either to have failed or to have
been pulled in the wrong direction; the aeroplane, after partially righting,
taking a sudden and steep plunge to the ground.
Perhaps the most important lesson of all, however, is, that, to render the
aeroplane reliable, some method of automatic control of both lateral and
horizontal stability must be devised. This control should automatically hold
the rudders and plane tips in the requisite position for equilibrium, any
deviation therefrom being made separate manual control."
Comment: The Wrights ignored the free advice. Wilbur was in France at
the time of the accident. When he returned and had time to examine what had
happened, he stated, "The splitting of the propeller was the occasion
of the accident; the uncontrollability of the tail was the cause."
In June 1909, they tested a replica of the failed 1908 propeller in a barn
behind Loren’s house. The first test blade cracked after less than two
minutes running. They concluded that the propeller had a weak spot on the
concave side that allowed the blade to flatten and split.
The blades were redesigned and made heavier at that point and canvas was
added down their concave sides. Also, the tubes supporting the propeller axles
were braced so that any vibration would not cause the propellers to reach the
wires bracing the vertical rudder in the tail. The problem was solved.
Wrights'
Perspective on the Role of Airplanes in War
We are now at war and the airplane has already played a significant
role in the war on terrorism. This article will look at what
the inventors of the airplane, the Wright Brothers, had to say
about the role of airplanes in war.
The Wrights Involvement in Warplanes
 In
1909, the Wright Brothers sold the first airplane to the U.S.
Army. The contract included training pilots. In the beginning,
the primary role
of the airplane in wartime was for observation. Before 1915,
when Orville (Wilbur died in 1912) left the Wright Company,
the company had sold a total of fourteen airplanes to the Army.
The notion that the
airplane would put an end to war was widely held at the time.
Dayton's Mayor Edward Burkhart characterized this attitude
during his presentation of medals to the Wright brothers during
Dayton's celebration of their accomplishments in June 1909.
"With the perfect
development of the airplane, wars will be only an incident of
past ages."
A float in the parade that
followed the presentations sponsored by the West Side Business
Men's Association, reiterated this theme with a banner that was
emblazoned with the message: "The Wright Brothers
Invention Should Prevent Further Wars And Insure Peace"
Not everyone shared this
belief. One was Lt. Frank Lahm. Lt. Lahm was influential in
arranging Orville's 1908 trials at Fort Myer, Va. The month
after the Dayton's Celebration, Lt. Lahm was the passenger with
Orville when he set a world record of one hour and 12-minutes
for two-person flight at Ft. Myer. In October he was one of two
officers trained to be a pilot by Orville.
Lt Lahm promoted flight to
his superiors in the Army as "unquestionably having
considerable military value." He retired in 1941 as a
Brigadier General one week before Pearl Harbor's vivid
demonstration of flight's military capabilities.
In 1911, Lieutenant Henry H. "Hap" Arnold learned
to fly at the Wright Flying School in Dayton. He rose to the
rank of five-star general and commanded the U.S. Army Air Forces
in World War II and later served as the first Chief of Staff
of the newly created U.S. Air Force.
Roy Brown was another pilot that trained at the Wright Flying
school. He was officially credited for shooting down Captain Manfred von
Richthofen, better known as the Red Baron, who
had 80 confirmed kills in WW I. Brown, a Canadian, wanted to
join the Royal Naval Air Service after graduating from high
school. One of their requirements was you needed a pilot's
certificate.
He found that the only
pilot school in Canada was already full, so his father paid for
his training at the Wright Brothers' school in Dayton, Ohio. The cost was $250 for 240 minutes in the air, plus living
expenses that could total $600 in 1915. He received his license,
number 361 on November 15, 1915.
In early 1917, a group of Dayton's businessmen formed the Dayton
Wright Airplane Company with the intention of creating a sport
of aeronautics. Orville was appointed a director and consulting
engineer.
On April 6, America declared war on Germany. The objective of
the fledgling company now changed from the manufacture of a
few sport planes to the mass production of airplanes for combat.
The company received a large contract from the government to
build the British de Haviland DH-4 airplane.
Orville was commissioned a major in the Aviation Section of
the Signal Officers Reserve Corps. He was assigned to work with
the engineers at Dayton Wright.
Orville's Thoughts
Orville's thoughts about the transformation were revealed in
a letter dated June 21, 1917 to C. H. Hitchcock in response
to an aircraft program laid out by the Aircraft Production Board:
"When my brother and I built and flew the first man-carrying
flying machine, we thought we were introducing into the world
an invention which would make further wars practically impossible.
That we were not alone in this thought is evidenced by the fact
that the French Peace Society presented us with medals on account
of our invention. We thought governments would realize the impossibility
of winning by surprise attacks, and that no country would enter
into war with another of equal size when it knew that it would
have to win by simply wearing out the enemy."
Orville went on to give his recommendations of what to do now
that America was at war.
"Nevertheless, the world finds itself in the greatest war
in history. Neither side has been able to win on account of
the part the aeroplane has played. Both sides know exactly what
the other is doing. The two sides are apparently nearly equal
in aerial equipment, and it seems to me that unless present
conditions can be changed, the war will continue for years.
However, if the Allies' armies are equipped with such a number
of aeroplanes as to keep the enemy planes entirely back of the
line, so that they are able to direct gun-fire or to observe
the movement of the Allied troops-in other words, if the enemy's
eyes can be put out - it will be possible to end the war. This
is taking into account what might be done by bombing German
sources of munition supplies, such as Essen (Krupp Works), which
is only about one hundred and fifty miles behind the fighting
lines. But to end the war quickly and cheaply, the supremacy
in the air must be complete as to entirely blind the enemy."
Orville's intention was to promote the concept that the Allies
could break the deadlock on the ground by using the airplane
to gain control of the air. He believed that the stalemate between
the two large armies was the result of the effectiveness of
the airplane for observation.
In a letter of August 1, 1917 to Frank Harris, a magazine editor
he amplified his ideas:
"An attempt to destroy the Krupp works at Essen could be
undertaken successfully only in the case the Allies have a preponderance
of fighting aeroplanes, so that the machine carrying bombs could
be safely conveyed. I have never been a strong advocate of bombing
from aeroplanes. I certainly would not like to see the Allies
adopt the German's barbarous policy of dropping bombs among
the civilians where no military advantage is to be gained."
Note: The Krupp factory
developed a giant, 43-ton howitzer, which could deliver a 2,200
pound shell more than 9 miles. The weapon was called "Big
Berths" after Gustav Krupp's wife.)
Orville continued, " In order to make bombing from aeroplanes effective, a vast number
of planes would be required, and these well protected, so that
the bombs could be dropped from a comparatively low height.
Bombs dropped from a height of two miles or more rarely hit
even near the mark for which they are intended."
Orville's comments received much attention in the New York Times
and were the most authoritative appraisal of the strategic use
of air power at the time.
World War I ended on November 11, 1919. In a letter to a well
wisher, Orville commented:
"The aeroplane has made war so terrible that I do not believe
any country will again care to start a war."
Before the war ended,
there were fighters, observation planes, and multi-engine
bombers which could carry thousands of pounds of bombs. The
Allies launched some 200,000 planes, the Germans 1/3 as many.
The Allies also suffered 3 times the air casualties.
At the beginning of World War II, Orville still hoped that the
airplane would be an instrument of peace. In a letter to Henry
Ford of April 22, 1942, Orville wrote:
"I quite agree with you that the aeroplane will be our main
reliance in restoring peace to the World."
In a letter of September 7, 1943 to Edward D. Smith, an executive
with NCR Corporation, he wrote:
"It was air power that made such a terrible war possible,
but it also is air power that we will have to depend upon to
stop it."
President Truman honored Orville with the Award of Merit for
distinguished service to the National Advisory Committee for
Aeronautics during the World War II.
On the occasion of his seventy-fourth birthday, Orville's life-long
optimism about the role of the airplane as an instrument of
peace began to fade. In an answer to a friend, Lester Gardner,
of August 28, 1946, Orville wrote:
"I once thought the aeroplane would end wars. I now wonder
whether the aeroplane and the atomic bomb can do it. It seems
that ambitious rulers will sacrifice the lives and property
of all their people to gain a little personal fame."
The
U.S. Army Belatedly Buys a Wright Airplane
Part 8, The Wright Brothers Find Success At Last
(This article is part 8 of series of 8 parts)
Orville's crash at Fort Myer on September 17, 1908 resulted
in the death of his passenger, Lt. Selfridge. Although the unfortunate
accident was frightening to the brothers, it was not entirely
unexpected. Flying was still a dangerous occupation.
Investigation of his Fort Myer crash revealed that the basic
cause was a longitudinal crack in one blade of the right propeller.
The damaged blade not only lost power, it also caused a vibration
that ultimately brought the other undamaged blade in contact
with a stay wire leading to the vertical rudder in the tail.
The wire was cut and wrapped itself around the blade causing
it to break off. The rudder without the stay wire tilted over
horizontally. In this position it functioned as an elevator
causing the Flyer to nose over into the fatal dive.
From his hospital bed, Orville, with sister Katharine's help,
requested an extension to their Army contract, which the Army
quickly approved. Both brothers returned in June 1909 to fulfill
the terms of the Army Signal Corps Specification. This time
Wilbur went along to help with the preparations.
The specification required an airplane capable of carrying two
men at a speed of 40 mph while staying in the air for at least
one hour. If successfully met, the Wrights' would be awarded
$25,000 plus $2,500 for each mph above 40.
The Army Signal Corps Flyer they brought with them in 1909 not
only had strengthened propeller blades, but also a reduced wing
area to increase speed, and a redesigned control lever used
for turning. The control lever was split into two controls that
allowed a separate fine-tuning of the rudder by turning the
wrist.
Flying commenced on Tuesday June 29, but quickly ran into trouble.
Orville had three aborted takeoffs and two minor accidents in
three days. On Friday, Orville almost suffered another significant
injury when the engine suddenly stopped while flying.
What should have been a routine glide in for a landing ran into
trouble when the right wing snagged a small dead thorn tree
at the end of the parade ground. The tree ripped through the
fabric and broke several of the wing's ribs. The Flyer made
a hard landing that collapsed both landing skids.
Orville was stunned, but uninjured. It had been only nine months
after his near fatal crash the year before.
When Wilbur reached the scene, he found a photographer taking
pictures of the damaged airplane. Angered, he grabbed a piece
of wood off the ground and hurled it at him; then demanded the
photographic plate.
After the bad start, events turned for the better. On July 27,
Orville fulfilled the specification requirement of a two-man
flight for one hour, breaking the world's record set by Wilbur
in France. His passenger was Lt. Frank Lahm who had reported
to the now deceased Lt. Thomas Selfridge.
The second specification requirement was for a ten-mile, two-man
speed test. The course was laid out to require a round-trip
to Alexandria, Virginia and back. The turning point in Alexandria
was called Shooter's Hill where the George Washington Masonic
Memorial is now located. At the time, the cornerstone had just
been laid.
Orville's passenger this time was Lt. Benjamin D. Foulois.
(In 1916, Foulois commanded the "1st Aero Squadron," the army's
first air force. Their first military action was to provide
support to General's Pershing's incursion into Mexico in pursuit
of Pancho Villa. Foulois would later rise to the rank of a major
general.)
Orville chose Foulois because he had experience in map reading
and, as a bonus he didn't weigh much (126 pounds). His skill
would be critically needed because the terrain in those days
was rugged between Ft. Myer and Alexandria, containing three
ravines and a forest. There would be no good place for an emergency
landing.
One has to marvel at Orville's fearlessness. Since 1902, he
had endured five serious crashes. Last year's crash was nearly
fatal. But, there was no hint of any hesitancy of going again.
Orville and Lt. Foulois took off from the parade ground at Fort
Myer on July 30th with President William Howard Taft and a crowd
of 7,000 spectators cheering them on. The Flyer climbed to 50
feet and circled the parade ground twice before heading off
to Alexandria.
When the Flyer flew out of sight, the crowd fell silent with
apprehension. They were aware of the rugged course. Wilbur estimated
what the time of travel would be, but when the Flyer didn't
appear at the appointed time, he grew concerned and beads of
sweat formed on his forehead and rolled down his checks.
A spectator shouted, "he's down!" Katharine gave him
a sharp reprimand. "How do you know he's down?" Then
there were cries of "there it comes," as the Flyer reappeared
over the treetops to the south.
Orville nosed the plane
down to pick up speed as it roared with a flourish over the
finish line to the cheers of the crowd and the honking of horns.
He went on to circle Arlington Cemetery, then turned off the
motor and glided in for a landing. Pandemonium reigned as the
two men were almost mobbed by the crowd.
President Taft congratulated Orville on the spot. Lt. Foulois
said it was the only time he ever saw Wilbur smile.
The next day they learned that the Flyer's average speed was
calculated to be 42.58-mph. That meant they earned a $5,000
bonus to add to their earned 40-mph price of $25,000. On August
2, 1909 the Signal Corps accepted the Wright Flyer for military
use. It was the first airplane purchased and placed in service
by any government.
This model, sometimes known as Signal Corps No. 1, now resides
in the Smithsonian Institution and is the only one of its type
constructed by the Wrights.
The
U.S. Army Belatedly Buys a Wright Airplane
Part 7, Orville Almost Dies in a Demonstration Flight at
Fort Meyer, Virginia.
(This article is part 7 of series of 8 parts)
In the fall of 1908, The Wright Brothers were scheduled to perform
demonstration flights in France and at the U.S. Army's Fort
Myer, Virginia, at the same time. Wilbur went to France and
Orville went to Fort Myer. It was the first time that the team
was not together for a major event. It may have had played a
role in Orville's almost fatal crash.
Orville's Military Flyer was delivered to Fort Myer eight days
before the Army's contract deadline of August 20 for required
demonstration flights.
On September 1, the first demonstration was successfully concluded.
The demonstration consisted of the airplane being successfully
moved to the parade ground in an Army combat wagon. Portability
was one of the Army's specification requirements.
The first public flight of the Flyer in America took place on
September 3 before some 500 spectators. President Theodore Roosevelt's
son was among them.
The Flyer took off from the parade ground. As it reached the
south end of the field, Orville turned east toward Arlington
Cemetery and followed the cemetery wall back toward the parade
ground. In attempting to make a second circuit of the field,
Orville pulled his steering lever the wrong way, necessitating
a quick landing to avoid hitting the top of a tent. He came
down just in time, damaging both landing skids of the airplane,
but otherwise unhurt.
No matter, the spectators cheered. The Scientific American enthusiastically
reported the event: "The Wright Brothers have followed closely
the soaring birds in the method of steering and maintaining
their transverse equilibrium; and that this method works goes
without saying."
On September 9, Orville set a new world's record for passenger
flight carrying Lt. Frank Lahm on a six minute flight circling
the field 6 ½ times. Lieutenant Lahm was the one who had first
interested the Army in the Wright plane. He later rose to the
rank of brigadier general in 1926 and became commander of the
Army Air Corps.
Three days later Orville set two new records. Flying with a
passenger, he flew nine minutes. Then flying alone, he achieved
a new distance record by circling the field 71 times in one
hour, 14 minutes and 20 seconds.
Summing up his successes, he had set nine new world records.
His speed was officially clocked at 38 mph.
That was the end of the good news. On September 17, Orville
was preparing to take-off with Charlie Taylor, his long time
mechanic, when a senior Army officer asked if he wouldn't mind
taking along an Army observer instead. Taylor, who was already
seated in the passenger seat, jumped out. The new passenger
was Lieutenant Tom Selfridge.
Lt. Selfridge was a member of the review committee, so Orville
didn't have much choice in the matter. He wasn't pleased because
he didn't trust Selfridge. He was a member of a group (Aerial
Experimental Association) that included Alexander Graham Bell
and Glen Curtiss, who were developing their own airplane. In
an unusual arrangement, President Theodore Roosevelt, at the
request of Bell, had assigned Lt. Selfridge to the project.
On the fourth circuit of the parade grounds before some 2,000
spectators at around 5:00 p.m., Orville heard a strange tapping
sound in the rear. He was flying at an altitude of at least
100 feet at the time. He turned and saw nothing, but thought
it best to immediately prepare to land.
Suddenly, there were two loud thumps and the machine began to
shake. Orville shut off the engine but found that the control
levers didn't work. The machine turned to the left, paused a
moment, made a complete turn and went into a dive. About 25
feet from the ground it seemed that he had regained some control
and the plane started to right itself, but it was too late.
 The
Flyer hit the ground with a terrific force near the gate in
the cemetery wall. Orville and Selfridge were pinned under the
wreckage, unconscious, with their faces buried in the dust.
Soldiers and spectators ran across the field and assisted in
lifting Orville and Selfridge from under the tangled mass of
machinery, wires and shreds of muslin.
Charlie Taylor leaned against the wrecked Flyer, buried his
face in his arms and cried after helping to remove the two men.
At the hospital it was found that Orville had fractured several
ribs, fractured his left thigh including a dislocation, and
suffered a scalp wound. While serious, miraculously, it was
not life threatening, although it left him with frequent back
pain for the rest of his life and his left leg 1/8 inch shorter
than the other.
Lt. Selfridge was not as lucky. His head was covered with blood
as he was lifted from the wreckage. He had been crushed under
the plane and died three hours later following surgery without
gaining consciousness. Selfridge, a 1903 West Point graduate,
was buried with appropriate military honors in Arlington National
Cemetery. He had the dubious distinction to be the first person
to die in the crash of a propeller-driven airplane.
Wilbur in Le Mans, France, when he heard the news of the crash,
blamed himself for not being there. He wrote his sister Katharine,
"--- I cannot help thinking over and over again if I had
been there, it would not have happened."
Wilbur, on September 21, determined to try for a record flight,
believing he could cheer his brother. He did. Before 10,000
spectators he flew 1 hour, 31 minutes, 25 seconds covering 61
miles for a new record.
At year's end Wilbur won the Michelin prize of 20,000 francs
and a trophy. The prize was established by industrialist Andre
Michelin to be awarded for the longest flight of 1908.
Next: Orville recovers and successfully completes Army trials.
The
U.S. Army Belatedly Buys a Wright Airplane
Part 6, Wilbur and Orville Return to Kitty Hawk
(This article is part 6 of series of 8 parts)
The successful negotiation of a contract by the Wrights with
the U.S. Army in February 1908 was followed almost immediately
with a contract with the French in March. The brothers would
be introducing the Wright Flyer on two continents at almost
the same time. The impact would be electrifying and make Wilbur
and Orville world famous.
It would be a sharp contrast to the editorial criticism in newspapers
and magazines across the country when the Signal Corps announced
it had advertised for bids for a military airplane in December
1907. Typically, one magazine sarcastically said "there is not
now a known flying-machine in the world which could fulfill
these specifications at the present moment."
Contracts in hand, the Wrights went to work to convert their
1905 Flyer to carrying a pilot and one passenger in a seated
upright condition. No more lying flat on the lower wing as was
the technique used during their experimental days. This meant
seats had to be installed and a new arrangement designed for
the maneuvering control levers. They also added a new more powerful
engine.
The changes required that they had to get used to flying with
the new controls and break in the new design. The new controls
consisted of a lever for maneuvering the front elevator at the
pilot's left hand and a lever that combined wingwarping and
tail rudder maneuvering in one control at the right hand located
between the seats. The motions required were so different than
the arrangement in the original 1905 plane that their operation
had to be completely relearned.
They decided the best way to accomplish this was to return to
Kitty Hawk once again to practice flying with the new controls.
They had not flown at all for 2 ½ years since October 1905.
It had been five years since they last visited Kitty Hawk and
the first time they had flown since the fall of 1905.
In April, Wilbur was the first to leave Dayton for Kitty Hawk
and experienced the usual problems getting there. The sailboat
that was to take Wilbur from Elizabeth City to Kitty Hawk was
two days late. Upon arrival at Kitty Hawk, Wilbur found the
building that housed the original Flyer was "pretty well wrecked"
by storms. The other building that they had used as housing
still stood but the roof and north end of the building was gone.
Both buildings had a foot of sand covering the floor.
Vandals (allegedly boys)
had ripped the burlap from the hammocks in the loft. Also, they
tore the cloth that covered the wings of the 1902 glider, which
had been stored there. On top of that, their water pump was
gone, having been moved by the lifesavers at Kill Devil Hills.
To worsen the situation, Wilbur became ill with diarrhea. He
was temporarily staying at the Kill Devil Hills Lifesaving Station
and the food he ate there was the probable cause of his distress.
Orville arrived two weeks later with the plane. By the time
everything was repaired, supplies gathered and the airplane
assembled, a month had gone by.
Their first flights didn't go well because they had difficulty
determining just how much movement of the hand levers produced
the desired amount of control. The left control lever controlled
the vertical movement and the right lever controlled turning.
Practice was the only way to learn how to do it correctly.
They made a total of twenty-two flights between May 6 and May
14. On the 14th, Wilbur made the world's first flight carrying
two men. Wilbur's passenger was Charlie Furnas, a mechanic from
the Dayton area who had journeyed to Kitty Hawk ten days earlier
to help the brothers.
Wilbur's last flight of the series was also the longest lasting
7 ½ minutes. But, it almost ended in tragedy. Wilbur pushed
the elevator handle, which controls vertical motion, forward,
when he meant to pull it back. The Flyer plowed into the ground
at a speed estimated at in the neighborhood of 52 to 54 mph.
He was thrown hard against the upper wing, which momentarily
stunned him, cut the bridge of his nose and bruised his left
hand, right forearm and both shoulders.
Orville was watching the flight at a distance through field
glasses. All he could see was a splash of sand when Wilbur crashed.
Orville became quite concerned when Wilbur didn't quickly appear.
The brothers had a prearranged signal that in the event of a
crash the pilot would immediately climb out if unhurt. Wilbur,
dazed by the crash, didn't immediately appear.
Orville and Furnas ran to the wreck and were relieved to find
that Wilbur was not seriously hurt.
Newspaper reporters, who had been hiding in the weeds observing
the flights, reported the "complete wreck", which became front-page
news throughout most of the country the next day. Actually only
the front framing and upper surface of the machine were wrecked.
The flights ended on that down note because Wilbur had to leave
for France for demonstration flights, arriving in New York on
May 19. Katharine, his sister, expressed his trunk to him from
Dayton.
(As a side note, when Wilbur got to France, he found a hatbox
with nothing in the box. He wrote Katharine that the next time
she packed a hat box to remove the lid and see if anything is
inside.)
Orville was left to make the demonstration flights for the Army
at Fort Myer by himself. He arrived back in Dayton on May 23
to begin preparations for the trip to Virginia for the Army
trials. It would be the first time that the brothers were apart
for a major event. It would have major consequences.
Next: Orville is almost killed in a crash at Fort Meyer.
The
U.S. Army Belatedly Buys a Wright Airplane
Part 5, The U.S.
Army Signal Corps Issues a Specification for a Flying Machine.
(This article is part 5 of series of 8 parts)
Four years after the Wright Brothers first flight at Kitty Hawk
in 1903, the brothers had still not earned a profit from their
invention. Originally, inventing flight was a hobby to them.
But now after investing much of their money and time, it became
a business.
Business didn't look good either in Europe or the U. S. But,
just when it seemed that their negotiations on two continents
were in vain, their luck changed.
In a period of six weeks in 1908, they not only received a contract
from the U. S. Army Signal Corps, but also from a French syndicate
to manufacture and sell their airplane in France.
The brothers were in Europe in late 1907 pursuing opportunities
when they received a letter from Lt. Frank Lahm Jr., U.S. Army
Signal Coops. Lahm had received permission from the U S. Army
Board of Ordnance and Fortifications asking whether it was too
late to make a deal. The Army at long last had awoken from their
long slumber concerning airplanes.
Orville responded that he and his brother would deal with the
Board if they could obtain assurances of fair treatment. Assurances
granted, Wilbur returned from Europe on November 22 and stopped
in Washington for a day on the way to Dayton and returned a
week later to confer with members of the Board. He offered to
supply an airplane capable of carrying two people for $25,000.
The board was not able to accept the offer immediately because
the Army decided to advertise for bids to forestall criticism,
even though the Wrights were the only source that was known
to have the capability to meet their requirements.
Before the Army issued the contract, the Wrights had the opportunity
to provide comments on the draft specification for a flying
machine and they provided several comments by letter to General
James Allen, Chief Signal Officer on December 18.
With extraordinary swiftness for the Military, the U.S. Signal
Corps advertised for bids for a military heavier-than-air flying
machine in accordance with Signal Corps Specification No. 486,
dated December 23, 1907. Bids were to be submitted to the Board
of Ordnance by February 1, 1908.
 The
Board did a good job of writing the specification. Unlike many
of today's military specifications, the signal corps specification
was simple, one page in length; specified performance rather
design requirements; and contained an incentive for performance.
I have cited this specification as a model of how to write specifications
in lectures to acquisition personnel at the Defense Management
System College in modern times.
Signal Corps Specification No. 486 sought bids for an aircraft
capable of carrying two men for 125 miles at a minimum speed
of 40 miles an hour and staying in the air for at least one
hour and landing without serious damage.
At the time, not everyone agreed that the specifications were
realistic. For instance, The American Magazine of Aeronautics
wrote, "There is not a known flying machine in the world
which could fulfill these specifications..." "Perhaps the Signal
Corps has been much influenced by the hot air of theorizers..."
A unique feature of the specification was that it included an
incentive clause that would add an extra $2,500 for each mile
attained above 40 mph. (also $2,500 would be deducted for each
mile below 40mph.) If the speed fell below 36mph, the offer
would be rejected.
There was also a requirement that the machine be capable of
easy disassembly and packed for transportation by Army wagon
and that it be capable of being assembled and put in operating
condition in one hour.
In addition it should be sufficiently simple in its construction
and operation to permit an intelligent man to learn to fly the
machine within a reasonable length of time.
The Wrights formally submitted their bid by letter of January
27, 1908
It was the only bid expected, but a surprising forty-one were
submitted. All but the Wrights and Augustus Herring's bid were
quickly eliminated as having no substance. One bidder even claimed
that "All things are possible through God."
Surprisingly, the low bidder was not the Wrights, but rather
Herring who bid $20,000, a significant $5,000 under the Wrights.
Herring was known in aeronautical circles and therefore could
not be routinely dismissed. The Signal Corps cleverly solved
the problem by awarding contracts to both Herring and the Wright
Brothers.
Before this could be done, however, the government procurement
rules required they get approval from the President. Fortunately,
President Roosevelt promptly gave his approval.
It turned out that Herring's nefarious scheme was to subcontract
the building of his machine to the Wrights. Herring made a visit
to Dayton to negotiate with the Wrights and not surprisingly
was quickly rebuffed.
His scheme might have worked but for the Signal Corps having
the foresight to award contracts to both parties. Herring, after
receiving a number of extensions of time from the Army, halfheartedly
tried to build a machine himself, but failed.
On February 8, 1908, four years and three months after their
first successful flight at Kitty Hawk, the Wright Brothers received
a contract from the U. S. Signal Corps for one heavier-than-air
machine. One of the first to congratulate them was Lt. Frank
Lahm.
Next, Wilbur Crashes While Using New Control Levers.
The
U.S. Army Belatedly Buys a Wright Airplane
Part 4, The Army Belatedly Expresses Interest
in the Wright Flyer
(This article is part 4 of a series of 8 parts)
The U.S. Army had turned down Wilbur and Orville Wright not
once, but twice in 1905 on their offer to sell them a "practical
airplane." They just couldn't believe that two bicycle
makers from Dayton had developed such a machine and they weren't
about to go out of their way to investigate if they had.
In April 1906, a new opportunity presented itself. Godfrey Cabot,
a relative of Senator Henry Cabot Lodge, wrote Lodge telling
him of the dreadful treatment the brothers had received from
the Army. Senator Lodge forwarded the letter to the Secretary
of War William Howard Taft, who in turn sent it to the Army's
Board of Ordnance and Fortification. This was the same board
that had turned the Wrights down twice before.
This time, however, there was a difference; Cabot paid a visit
to the chairman of the board, General William Frazier. Under
political pressure, General Frazier assured Cabot that any future
submissions from the Wrights would receive careful consideration.
It was an answer, but not one that required any action by the
Board.
The Wrights answered Cabot with courteous thanks for his effort,
but "we naturally have no intention of taking the initiative
again." The brothers were still miffed because they
perceived the Army rejections as a personal attack on their
integrity.
Some people might think that the brothers were naïve in their
business dealings by taking this attitude. But the Wrights had
been brought up in a strict moral household. Their father was
a Bishop in the United Brethren Church. They didn't drink, smoke
or fly on Sundays. Their word was their honor. They ran their
printing and bicycle business using the Protestant Ethic and
they had no intention of changing now with their airplane business.
The insult of the Army turndown still bothered the brothers.
In early 1907, the Wrights decided to try something extraordinary
to get their attention. A grand celebration was planned in honor
of the 300th anniversary of the Jamestown English settlement
in Virginia. Ships of the Atlantic fleet would be there. The
Wrights had the idea of flying their airplane over the anchored
fleet unannounced. That would certainly be sensational and prove
that their airplane had reached the stage of practicality.
Their plan was to fit their airplane with pontoons and take
off and land in the water of Currituck Sound near Kitty Hawk.
They began experiments with a pontoon-rigged machine on the
Miami River in Dayton on March 20. A story and photograph appeared
in the Dayton Herald the next day.
Unfortunately, It soon became apparent that taking off from
the water was more complicated than they at first estimated
and they abandoned the project.
Soon after, an unexpected influential person stepped forward
to intercede with the War Department on their behalf. It was
New York Congressman Herbert Parsons, who was a friend of President
Theodore Roosevelt. He had met Wilbur Wright through his brother-in-law,
who was president of the Aero-Club of America. Parsons became
interested in the Wrights' cause and wrote to President Roosevelt
on their behalf. Roosevelt forwarded the letter to Secretary
of War Taft with a recommendation to investigate the Wright
claims.
Again, the letter bounced down the now familiar chain of command
to the Board of Ordnance and Fortifications. This time the Board,
under increasing political pressure, and after an exchange of
letters with the Wrights asked the Wrights, for a formal proposal
on May 22. Orville responded on May 31, quoting a price of $100,000
for one machine and instructions in its operation.
The Board countered on June 8 wanting to know if the United
States would have exclusive rights to the machine. Orville responded
on June 15 that an exclusive contract was no longer possible
"since a recent contract precludes our offering such right."
(At the time the Wrights' had a contract with an agent who was
representing them in Europe). The Board did not respond and
once again the door seemed to be closed.
It was now four years after the Wrights' first flight at Kitty
Hawk; negotiations were ongoing to sell their airplane in European,
and the U.S. Army was still asleep at the switch.
Then, when least expected, a break occurred. The Army set up
a new Aeronautical Division under the U. S. Army Signal Corps
in August of 1907 and a Lieutenant Frank P. Lahm was assigned
to the new office. Lahm would become the change agent that would
ultimately result in the Army buying the Wright airplane.
Lahm's father, a wealthy American businessman from Ohio, was
a famous international balloonist and dean of balloon pilots
of the Aero-Club de France. He had visited Wilbur and Orville
in Dayton in 1906. He was so impressed after the visit, he had
written a letter to the Paris Herald vouching for the claims
of the Wrights.
The young Lt. Lahm was in Paris in August 1907 when his father
bought with him two guests for lunch - Wilbur and Orville. As
they say, the rest was history.
Lt. Lahm sent a letter to Brigadier General James Allen, the
Chief Signal Officer and second-highest member of the Board
of Ordnance and Fortification. Lahm strongly recommended the
Board's approval of Orville's proposal. "It would be unfortunate
if the United States should not be the first to take advantage
of the unquestioned military value of the Wright Flyer."
Lt. Lahm's letter worked. In October, the Board belatedly responded
to Orville's letter of June 15 that they were interested in
the Wright's proposal.
In the next article, the Wrights finally receive a contract
from the Army.
The
U.S. Army Belatedly Buys a Wright Airplane
Part 3, The U.S. Keeps Their Head In The Sand
(This article is part 3 of a series of 8 parts)
The Wrights' were incensed when the U.S. Army turned down their
offer of supplying a practical airplane in January 1905. The
Army's reply inferred that their "practical" airplane
didn't exist and that was tantamount to saying that the brothers
were dishonest.
A little research by the Army could have found eyewitnesses
and articles on the Wright's capability to fly. While the Wrights'
cherished privacy and discouraged newspaper reporters and publicity,
there was ample information available.
Altogether, hundreds of witnesses, including the farmers surrounding
Huffman Prairie, had viewed the flights of the Wrights.
One well-known person they could have contacted was Octave Chanute
of Chicago. Chanute was internationally known in aerial circles
and had chaired international conferences on aerial progress.
Chanute, a confidant of the brothers, had visited the Wrights'
in both Kitty Hawk and Dayton.
The Army didn't do any of these things because they were not
only shortsighted, but also were still smarting from the embarrassment
of the fiasco involving Dr. Samuel Langley in which the War
Department had invested $50,000 in Langley's failed attempt
to develop an airplane. Two highly publicized attempts to fly
had crashed into the Potomac River immediately after launching.
An upset Congress threatened to hold a hearing on the matter.
Representative Hitchcock accused the Army of "permitting
an expenditure for scientific purposes of thousands in a vain
attempt to breathe life into an air-ship project which never
had a substantial basis." Fellow Congressman Robinson
added: "the only thing he (Langley) ever made fly was
Government money."
After the Army snub, the Wrights' turned to the British. Wilbur
mentioned this to Octave Chanute. Chanute was shocked that the
United States would allow a foreign government to take the lead
in aircraft and urged Wilbur to try again with the Army. Chanute
offered to personally talk with the U.S. War Department. The
brothers ignored Chanute's offer to intervene but did decide
to try again by sending a letter directly to the Secretary of
War William Howard Taft, a fellow Ohioan, on October 9, 1905.
In the letter, the Wrights' explained that their earlier proposal
had received "scant consideration" but they did not
want to seek a buyer abroad "unless we find it necessary
to do so." As in their previous offer, they would provide
a series of demonstration flights with the contract price based
on performance.
Again, the secretary's office treated their letter as a "crank"
letter, and bureaucratically bounced it down the chain of command
until it reached the same Board of Ordnance and Fortification
that had rejected their previous proposal. The response from
the board was quick and predictable.
Major General J. C. Bates, the new board chairman, repeated
their previous statement to the effect that the board wasn't
interested in "funding experimental development of devices
for mechanical flight."
Bates' letter did slightly leave the issue open by asking for
additional information such as cost, delivery date, drawings
and description sufficient to understand the "practicality"
of the proposed machine.
The Wrights' responded clarifying again that they were not asking
for financial assistance for delivery of an airplane. "We
plan to sell the results of experiments finished at our own
expense." They concluded with a request for the board
to furnish performance requirements the Army wanted demonstrated
in official trials prior to acceptance of the machine.
 The
board responded on October 24. "--- The Board does not
care to formulate any requirements for the performance of a
flying machine or take any further action on the subject until
a machine is produced which by actual operation is shown to
be able to produce horizontal flight and to carry an operator."
The Board, as before, did no checking on the veracity of the
Wrights' claims. If they had, they would have found that three
weeks earlier in Dayton, Wilbur had set a new record for flight
by remaining aloft for thirty-nine minutes covering 24 miles
witnessed by some fifteen people. In the process he had flown
30 circles.
The Board had also asked for drawings. This the Wrights' didn't
possess. They had never reduced their designs to blueprints.
They built everything themselves and never had the need for
them.
The Wrights' took this turndown as final and decided to turn
to Europe for selling their airplane.
Wilbur wrote: "We have taken pains to see that opportunity
gave a good clean knock on the War Department door."
In the next article, the U.S. Army finally takes their heads
out of the sand.
The
U.S. Army Belatedly Buys a Wright Airplane
Part 2, The Army Is Not Interested In The
Wright Flyer
(This article is part 2 of a series of 8 parts)
The Wrights' considered their improved 1905 Flyer III, the first
practical airplane. They were now ready to offer their plane
for sale. They would soon find out that they may be ready for
the market, but the market wasn't ready for them
The first government official to inquire about the availability
of a Wright airplane was not an American; rather it was Lieutenant
Colonel John Capper of the British Royal Engineers. He had been
sent to America to assess the state of aeronautical developments.
He visited the Wrights' in Dayton in October 1904.
The Wrights' would not allow Capper to witness any flights,
for fear that he might discover design secrets that had resulted
from their innovative research and hard work, but did shown
him pictures of their flights. Cappers was impressed with what
he had learned and encouraged them to offer a proposal for the
sale of their airplane to the British War Office.
The Wrights were interested, but their patriotism dictated that
they first offer to sell their airplane to their own country.
Wilbur wasn't sure how to proceed so he decided to visit his
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