Wright Brothers NOT the First

Pish Tosh.

It was Jacob Brodbeck, of Fredericksburg, Texas, in 1865 (or, was it 1868?).

http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fbr63

sc14120wtmk.jpg
OOps..

http://drtlibrary.wordpress.com/2009/09/30/was-a-texan-the-first-man-to-fly-in-an-airplane/
 
olasek said:
I was beginning to think there could be something to the story but in view of this article I think at least for now I won't be losing sleep over Wright brothers place in history.

http://www.foxnews.com/science/2013/03/18/wright-or-wrong-smithsonian-enters-first-in-flight-fight/
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Um, I hate to break this to you but when the Wright Flyer was finally moved after 20 years from the London Science Museum to the Smithsonian in 1948, the Smithsonian contractually agreed to the following, which biases anything they have to say on the subject (a bit of irony given the history of the Smithsonian and Wright relations):

"Neither the Smithsonian Institution or its successors, nor any museum or other agency, bureau or facilities administered for the United States of America by the Smithsonian Institution or its successors shall publish or permit to be displayed a statement or label in connection with or in respect of any aircraft model or design of earlier date than the Wright Aeroplane of 1903, claiming in effect that such aircraft was capable of carrying a man under its own power in controlled flight." From:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wright_Flyer

I've been to the London Science Museum and seen the replica that replaced the original - and first learned the story there.
 
Morne said:
Seriously? Umm, they're dead. You could have a bonfire torching every piece of paper with their fame written on it and they're NOT going to even bat an eye.
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The Wrights are dead? Nnnoooo.....!
 
Jim Logajan said:
Um, I hate to break this to you but when the Wright Flyer was finally moved after 20 years from the London Science Museum to the Smithsonian in 1948, the Smithsonian contractually agreed to the following, which biases anything they have to say on the subject (a bit of irony given the history of the Smithsonian and Wright relations):

"Neither the Smithsonian Institution or its successors, nor any museum or other agency, bureau or facilities administered for the United States of America by the Smithsonian Institution or its successors shall publish or permit to be displayed a statement or label in connection with or in respect of any aircraft model or design of earlier date than the Wright Aeroplane of 1903, claiming in effect that such aircraft was capable of carrying a man under its own power in controlled flight." From:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wright_Flyer

I've been to the London Science Museum and seen the replica that replaced the original - and first learned the story there.
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This statement needs to be read in context to the issues it was intended to address (which had nothing to do with Whitehead or this renewed claim of first flight)
It had everything to do with Samuel P. Langley's attempts at flight in 1903. Yes, he was in competition with the Wright Bros. for first flight. Langley had successfully flown a small 14' unmanned model but was unable to get the fully sized airplane with a pilot off the ground. His final attempt was just a week prior to the Wright's first flight.
So why did the Smithsonian Institute have a display of Langley's " Aerodrome" falsely giving him credit for early aviaiton success? The Smithsonian gave Langley $20,000 to work on his invention.
Rightfully, Orville Wright refused the Smithsonian's request to display the Wright Bros. plane alongside the Langley display until they "corrected the record"
That is what the letter did.
 
That others may have preceded the Wrights is not in doubt, this story has been widely reported. What cannot be disputed is that the Wrights were the first to make repeated flights in various venues, and the first to execute their flights based on sound, detailed and recorded scientific experiment and research.

Others may have climbed the peak and staked the flag, the Wrights built the lookout and sold tickets.
 
TMetzinger said:
So, do we rename KFFA to "Second Flight Airport", and change the identifier?
Will the NPS tear down the statue and close the park?
Will the Smithsonian change exhibits?

Actually, I really would like to hear the Smithsonian folks weigh in on the subject. I'm sure that Jane's is just the beginning.
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They have. Basically, they say that there really isn't any solid evidence, no pictures and no repeatable flight. The only person who claims to have seen the event as an eye witness had significant financial incentive to make the claim. Earlier attempts at reproducing the Whitehead 21 wound up with an aircraft that was barely flyable using a modern LSA engine which is considerably lighter and more power than what was available in 1901
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The part that I find most convincing is, if he had invented the powered airplane, why didn't he ever fly again. I understand airplane #21 was damaged, but you built something and then couldn't repeat it? There are no pictures of him flying.

The only images that are purported to exist are show here: http://www.gustave-whitehead.com/ From my point of view, it could have been an airplane...or maybe just trees. A test flight towed by a horse? I don't know, but it isn't evidence.


I'm not sure what Jane is smoking, but please keep it away from me.
 
Cruiser said:
This statement needs to be read in context to the issues it was intended to address (which had nothing to do with Whitehead or this renewed claim of first flight)
It had everything to do with Samuel P. Langley's attempts at flight in 1903. Yes, he was in competition with the Wright Bros. for first flight. Langley had successfully flown a small 14' unmanned model but was unable to get the fully sized airplane with a pilot off the ground. His final attempt was just a week prior to the Wright's first flight.
So why did the Smithsonian Institute have a display of Langley's " Aerodrome" falsely giving him credit for early aviaiton success? The Smithsonian gave Langley $20,000 to work on his invention.
Rightfully, Orville Wright refused the Smithsonian's request to display the Wright Bros. plane alongside the Langley display until they "corrected the record"
That is what the letter did.
Click to expand...

The Smithsonian even paid to have a "slightly" (IOW very different) aerodrome built and flown so that they could claim that it was the first airplane. You cannot blame the Wrights fro being cheesed off!
 
Skylane81E said:
The Smithsonian even paid to have a "slightly" (IOW very different) aerodrome built and flown so that they could claim that it was the first airplane. You cannot blame the Wrights fro being cheesed off!
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Not a different Aerodrome, the same Aerodrome was heavily modified by Glenn Curtiss. The modified Aerodrome was flown in 1914 during the patent war and subsequently displayed by the Smithsonian as the first manned heavier-than-air powered aircraft "capable of flight."
 
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