Wright brothers' witnesses. Recent discovery!

[simplex]

A. I. Root, the liar number four after the Wright Brothers and their mentor, Octave Chanute

This is a book like no other that has ever been written about the alleged Wright brothers' flights performed between December 17, 1903, and October 5, 1905.

I know that few people have heard about Amos I. Root of Medina, Ohio, USA, but this owner of a factory for beekeeping supplies is the main witness of the two aeroplanists, his account being the principal story on which the myth of the Wright brothers, as inventors of the airplane, is based.

In a January 1, 1905, article, published in his periodical "Gleanings in Bee Culture", Root claimed he had seen Wilbur Wright flying in a circuit somewhere near Dayton, on September 20, 1904.

However, if you read the letters of Amos I. Root to the Wrights plus the numerous articles in which he mentions them (all these texts are attached to the present book), you remark that this man from Medina did not see any powered flight on September 20, 1904. He was just a victim of the lies spread by the two Daytonians and, at the same time, of his own obsession with heavier than air flying machines. Root was also a person who wished to get a (fraudulent) place in the history of aviation believing that the effort of reminding repeatedly his readers, he had witnessed the first circular flight ever performed by a man carrying plane, would make his account more credible and finally his story would become an accepted truth.

Fortunately, Root's lies have been uncovered.

The addresses from where you can download the book:

Link 1

Link 2

 

[FLYBOYJ]

So he lied in 1904. It will ALWAYS be an arguable debate if the Wrights were the first to fly. Until someone builds a time machine, this will be debated for ever. Unless someone could come up with undisputed evidence, powered flight began December 17, 1903.

You've tried to beat this horse to death before.

 

[simplex]

The contribution to aviation of the Wright brothers before August 8, 1908 is just NOISE IN NEWSPAPERS

As an example, read the text below, dated October 6, 1905, which talks about a lot of witnesses, including authorities from different towns, admiring, on a daily basis, the Wrights flying. Needless to say that no name is mentioned. The credibility of such SF articles is zero.

The Flight of a flying Machine
——
Was in the Air Twenty-Five Minutes Thursday Afternoon Near Simms Station.
——
WRIGHT BROTHERS HAVE PERFECTED INVENTION.
——
Have Been Experimenting All Week on the Huffman Prairies, East of Dayton, With Their Aeroplane.
——
LARGE PARTY SEES TESTS.
——
The Inventors and Builders of the Machine Have Built a Shed on the Prairie for Storing the Big Air Ship — Flights Have Startled the Residents of the Neighborhood. Great Interest Manifested.
——​

With improvements innumerable made to their craft, after months of work, Orville and Wilbur Wright, the youthful Dayton inventors, are making a series of flights in the vicinity of Simm's Station, on the Dayton, Springfield and Urbana electric road, several miles from Dayton. These trials have been undisputedly some of the most successful expeditions that flying machines have ever made.
Residents of the locality where the experiments have been lately carried on turn out en masse at each ascension, and predict great results from the enterprise of the two Daytonians.
Likewise, many from Dayton and a number of authorities from different towns are daily witnesses of the remarkable flights, and are similarly profuse in their predictions of success.
Thursday afternoon a flight was made, and according to reliable witnesses, the machine soared gracefully for some 25 minutes, responding to all demands of the pilot. At the expiration of this time, fear that the machine could not be sustained aloft much longer, a descent was made by one of the inventors.
Every day this week flights have been made, almost, with equal success.
The expectations of the Wright brothers have been decidedly surpassed by their most recent experiments, and they feel that their craft is in the immediate neighborhood of perfection.
The brothers have been experimenting for the past two years. Their first successes attracted wide attention and were chronicled throughout the country.
Several Dayton people went out to the Huffman prairies Thursday afternoon to witness the trials. Some time ago the Wright brothers, who are both expert mechanics, conceived the idea of building a flying machine. They made some of their drawings in this city and from here they went to South Carolina to build the machine and try it out. They worked diligently to perfect their plans and finally succeeded in building a machine which would fly.
They gave the machine a severe tryout on one of the long stretches of beach in the south, and after a stay of over two years they returned to Dayton and built a shed on the Huffman prairies, where they are giving their machine a thorough test.

Source: "The Flight of a Flying Machine", Dayton Daily News, Ohio, US, October 6, 1905, Scrapbook - Library of Congress, US.

 

[pbehn]

If the Wright brothers had not flown at all on the days in question their place in aviation would be almost the same just not so famous. In the way that most British people don't know about George Cayley but the Wright brothers did. The Wrights were aviators BTW.

 

[simplex]

Definitely on November 18, 1907, the flying machine you can see in the attached picture was nearly a practical plane. Orville Wright witnessed it flying. Pictures and technical drawings of the Wright planes became available starting with August 8, 1908.

The November 19, 1907, Paris edition of the New York Herald dedicated an extensive article to the attempts of H. Farman to perform a 1-kilometre flight in a circuit. The trials were witnessed by many known personalities of the aeronautic world like Santos Dumont and Louis Bleriot. Orville Wright was also there and even gave an interview to a Herald reporter. Here are some relevant extracts from this text illustrated with a few pictures, one of them showing the Farman plane flying and another Orville Wright standing:

"Mr. Orville Wright Sees Mr. Henry Farman Compete for Deutsch-Archdeacon Prize.

THE AEROPLANE TAKING THE VIRAGE

… Mr. Henry Farman came within an ace of winning the Deutsch-Archdeacon prize of 50,000fr. with his aeroplane at Issy-les-Moulineaux yesterday afternoon. Had his motor worked with a trifle more regularity the money was his. He made at least ten excellent flights, but each time at the critical moment, when the apparatus with perfect balance was describing the curve the motor appeared to lack the necessary force, and the apparatus touched the ground.
The first flight, which took place about half past two, was one of some 600 mètres, finishing with a semi-circular movement, during which the wheels touched the ground. This was followed by half a dozen similar flights, all with the same result. …

The Prize Nearly Won.
Just before dusk a final effort was decided upon. This time the machine left the ground easily and traveled down the field to the turning point at a good rate of speed. In the turning the wheels touched for an instant and again a few seconds later, but after this the rest of the circle was completed with ease. For a moment the spectators appeared to think that the prize had been won, but this was not so. To win this Grand Prix de l'Aviation it is essential to complete the kilomètre in a closed circle without touching the ground in any way. …

Among those present were: … Mr. Orville Wright, of Dayton, Ohio; M. Santos-Dumont, M. Esnault-Pelterie, M. Deutsch (de La Meurthe), M. Archdeacon, M. Decugis, M. Delagrange, Mr. Maurice Farman, Captain Ferber, …, Mr. O. Berg, …, M. Blériot, …

MR. HART BERG, MR ORVILLE WRIGHT, MR SAVAGE LANDOR

Mr. Orville Wright's Opinion.
Asked by a HERALD correspondent to give his impression upon Mr. Farman's flights, Mr. Orville Wright said he did not care under the circumstances to say much on the subject. In his opinion the flights accomplished by Mr. Farman were excellent, though he was surprised that the Deutsch-Archdeacon prize had not been won some months ago.

He thought that so far as flying in France was concerned, Mr. Farman easily took the lead over everyone else. He considered Mr. Farman an ideal aeronaut, and one who would probably help to develop the art of flying in a very great degree. …"

(Source: "Mr. Orville Wright Sees Mr. Henry Farman Compete for Deutsch-Archdeacon
Prize", New York Herald, Paris, November 19, 1907)

The Wright brothers contributed nothing to the development of powered flight before August 8, 1908. The aviation appeared in 1906 without their help. They are just relatively late aviation pioneers.

 

[pbehn]

The wrights filed a patent application


Thus did three-axis control evolve: wing-warping for roll (lateral motion), forward elevator for pitch (up and down) and rear rudder for yaw (side to side). On March 23, 1903, the Wrights applied for their famous patent for a "Flying Machine", based on their successful 1902 glider. Some aviation historians believe that applying the system of three-axis flight control on the 1902 glider was equal to, or even more significant, than the addition of power to the 1903 Flyer. Peter Jakab of the Smithsonian asserts that perfection of the 1902 glider essentially represents invention of the airplane.[63][64]

They produced an engine to power their glider and improved propellers by a huge amount, apart from that and making the first plane to carry an actual payload, they had little to do with early aviation.

 

[simplex]

1) The ailerons were not invented by the Wright brothers. Their description appears in a 1868 patent.

See: Matthew Piers Watt Boulton's 1868 aileron patent, No. 392

2) Henri Farman flew without ailerons of any kind for up to 42 km, in close circuit. It is a myth that Wing Warping or ailerons in general were essential for making turns.
- January 13, 1908---the first complete circuit of 1000m, 1:28 min.
- March 21---DURATION AND DISTANCE RECORD flight of 2004.8 m in 3:31 min.
- July 6, 1908---At Issy, Farman flew 20 km in 19:6 min.
- September 29, 1908---42 km in 43 min. at Mourmelon.
- September 30, 1908---34 km in 35:36 min. at Mourmelon.
- October 2, 1908---40 km in 44:32 min. at Mourmelon.
- October 28, 1908---M. Painleve carried about two km and other flights made up to 40 km. Ailerons put on.

 

[pbehn]

George Cayley - Wikipedia

 

[stona]

You should propose a documentary on the subject to the History Channel.

With its rigorous research behind you a convincing programme could be made.

Cheers

Steve

 

[Shortround6]

While wing warping or ailerons aren't essential for making a turn they do make things a lot easier and a whole lot safer when close to the ground and the wind may not be in a cooperative mood.

There is a difference between controlled flight and barely controlled flight.

In controlled flight the flight path can be repeated a number of times with only minor variations due to varying wind conditions (within reason)

 

[gumbyk]

1)
2) Henri Farman flew without ailerons of any kind for up to 42 km, in close circuit. It is a myth that Wing Warping or ailerons in general were essential for making turns.
-Ailerons put on.

Even after ailerons were fitted, they were seen as secondary to turning with the rudder. Turn with rudder, and balance with ailerons.

 

[pbehn]

From another thread which I cannot remember the title, not using ailerons was not necessarily a technical decision, there was also issues of patents and licences. The V1 had no ailerons and flew perfectly well, in a straight line and not being required to land. There are probably thousands of pictures on this forum of battle damaged aircraft with control surfaces missing that made it "home". No one ever used a picture of these to say that those control surfaces were not needed. In 1985 a jumbo jet flew for 32 minutes without a tail, that is no argument for jumbos without tails or research into large airliners without tails.

Japan Airlines Flight 123 - Wikipedia

 

[FLYBOYJ]

Definitely on November 18, 1907, the flying machine you can see in the attached picture was nearly a practical plane.

Considering you don't understand the function of ailerons, perhaps you want to explain what a "PRACTICAL PLANE" is???

 

[pbehn]

Definitely on November 18, 1907, the flying machine you can see in the attached picture was nearly a practical plane.

Considering you don't understand the function of ailerons, perhaps you want to explain what a "PRACTICAL PLANE" is???

FBJ the important part of the sentence is "very nearly". I am very nearly as quick as Usain Bolt, just a few seconds slower that's all. Similarly any aeroplane that "very nearly" gets to where you want it to is a sure winner.

 

[FLYBOYJ]

Definitely on November 18, 1907, the flying machine you can see in the attached picture was nearly a practical plane.



FBJ the important part of the sentence is "very nearly". I am very nearly as quick as Usain Bolt, just a few seconds slower that's all. Similarly any aeroplane that "very nearly" gets to where you want it to is a sure winner.

Just like a Piper Cub could "very nearly" kill you!

 

[stona]

The Wright brothers contributed nothing to the development of powered flight before August 8, 1908. The aviation appeared in 1906 without their help. They are just relatively late aviation pioneers.

Surely you mean 1907, the first flight of the Voisin design (a version of which is pictured in your post) was in March.....just saying.

Santos-Dumont flew in 1906. Any Brazilian will tell you he beat the Wrights into the air, but as someone already mentioned, this debate will continue unresolved in perpetuam.

Any Kiwi will tell you that Richard Pearse was the first, and so on, ad nauseam.

Cheers

Steve

 

[pbehn]

Dear me, Bleriot flew the Channel in 1909 in a plane that everyone would today recognise as a modern aeroplane design. As with any new technology huge leaps forward were made in months and what was modern one day was obsolete the next. Most of the progress was actually in engine power output. The text above states that Farmans design had sufficient power to fly straight but not to turn, that says to me it can only fly in still air or a headwind and is therefore as limited as an airship.

 

[simplex]

105 flights in 1904! All of them close to a streetcar station.

The big problem is that Octave Chanute did not believe the two inventors from Dayton, who, in 1904 especially, wrote many letters to this aviation pioneer from Chicago reporting their progress. This lack of confidence can be clearly seen from Chanute's ironic answers:

- "I am glad to see that the newspapers have not yet found you out." (1904-05-26, O. Chanute, "Letter to W. Wright", Chicago);
- "I hope that your immunity from premature publicity may continue." (1904-06-08, O. Chanute, "Letter to W. Wright", Chicago);
- "I hope that you will use great caution in your experiments, and will not run into a cow." (1904-06-25, O. Chanute, "Letter to W. Wright", Chicago);
- "I hope you will have good luck, and keep out of the newspapers." (1904-07-04, O. Chanute, "Letter to W. Wright", Chicago);
- "I expect … to receive a letter from you advising me of your final success." (1904-07-31, O. Chanute, "Letter to W. Wright", Chicago);
- "I feel confident that once you get a good start you will make a phenomenal flight." (1904-08-14, O. Chanute, "Letter to W. Wright", Chicago);
- "I … congratulate you on the good progress you have made." (1904-09-05, O. Chanute, "Letter to W. Wright", Chicago);
- "I also enclose a French clipping which lays down the rules for the $10.000 prize for a power flying machine. This prize you can win if you choose to go to France to do so." (1904-11-19, O. Chanute, "Letter to W. Wright", Chicago);
- "I have been thinking it not unlikely that you should be called upon to go to Japan. It could well afford to give you and your brother $100.000 for a few months work in reconnoitring. Santos-Dumont would preferably be called upon by Russia, as that country follows the French lead." (1904-12-26, O. Chanute, "Letter to W. Wright", Chicago).

It is evident that O. Chanute highly doubted the two brothers could fly their plane so often without being remarked by the entire press in the United States. The letters are too long to be quoted in full here but, excepting those excerpts which have been already listed a few lines above, O. Chanute appears to simply ignore the impressive progress reports coming from Wilbur, preferring to talk about other things in his replies and looking like somebody who politely answers the letters of a storyteller.

Possibly, the most visible piece of evidence, regarding the lack of faith that Chanute had concerning the, out of the 1904 world, accomplishments claimed by W. Wright, is the fragment of his December 26, 1904, reply where he expressed his thoughts that Wilbur and Orville might be paid $100,000 to do aerial reconnaissance work for Japan, that time in war with Russia which could also take advantage of a similar help coming from Santos-Dumont. Honestly, such an ironic answer was absolutely normal after the December 20, 1904, letter of the two brothers which stated they had circled their field 2 1/4 and almost 4 times on November 16 and December 1, 1904, respectively.

Like A. I. Root, who fails to convince, with what he wrote in his letters, that he witnessed the elder brother flying on September 20, 1904, Octave Chanute's letters, sent to Wilbur, also do not provide evidence this old engineer saw a flight on October 15, 1904, as he claimed later in "Chanute on the Wright Brothers' Achievement in Aerial Navigation" (Scientific American, April 14, 1906, col. 1, p. 307). More his letters demonstrate he did not take the two inventors into serious regarding their powered flights.

 

[pbehn]

Did the Wrights keep these letters to discredit themselves or did the writer keep copies, if it was the writer can you prove they were sent at the time stated not knocked up years later to be the subject of a book?

 

[Shortround6]

That may be a slur on Octave Chanute but there was an ongoing dispute between Chanute and the Wright brothers in that Chanute was all for publishing any advancements and not keeping them secret. He did advocate any of the inventors patent their inventions when possible but thought that the exchange of information was the best way to advance aviation and not keeping secrets.

Looked from that perspective Chanute's comments may not be quite as critical or disbelieving as they are being made out here. He may have been trying to nudge the Wright Brothers into being more open in the interest of furthering aviation as whole.