Wright Brothers No Longer “First in Flight”

[altsym]

My apologies, for some reason I cannot post in the 'News' section. Please feel free to move this topic.


"On December 17, 1903, in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, brothers Wilbur and Orville Wright soared into history as inventors of the first successful airplane, which they called the Flyer. Since then, their "first in flight" status has been commemorated on the North Carolina license plate and in countless history books. Now, however, the state of Connecticut is poised to put a law on the books stating that the achievement of the first powered flight belongs not to the Wrights but to Gustave Whitehead, a German immigrant who is believed by some historians to have made the momentous first flight in Bridgeport, Connecticut, more than two years earlier."

Interesting stuff. Can anybody shed a little more light on this?

 

[Njaco]

First time I ever heard of this....

Gustave Whitehead - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Matt308]

His Story (no offence to Any Body) is a constant revision of facts and fiction. I'm not smart enough to weigh in one way nor another unfortunately. I have read that the origin of flight has been debated with claims coming all over from across the ocean.

 

[GrauGeist]

I've seen the debate and it's nonsense and revisionism more than anything.

There's no photographic proof yet there were reporters at the scene. The only way they can get "number 21" to fly, is with modern materials and modern propulsion, all made from plans since the historic aircraft doesn't exist.

From an article by the Bridgeport Herald, 18 August 1901:

Whitehead and another man drove to the testing area in the machine, which worked like a car when the wings were folded along its sides. Two other people, including the newspaper reporter, followed on bicycles. For short distances the Number 21's speed was close to thirty miles an hour on the uneven road...there seems no doubt that the machine can reel off forty miles an hour and not exert the engine to its fullest capacity.

Sounds pretty fantastic, really...but wait, there's more:
During his miraculous flight, he suddenly realized that trees had somehow gotten into his path, so Whitehead performed an amazing feat of navigation, according to the reporter:

He simply shifted his weight more to one side than the other. This careened the ship to one side. She turned her nose away from the clump of sprouts when within fifty yards of them and took her course around them as prettily as a yacht on the sea avoids a bar. The ability to control the air ship in this manner appeared to give Whitehead confidence, for he was seen to take time to look at the landscape about him. He looked back and waved his hand exclaiming, 'I've got it at last.

It was also reported that Whitehead tested his machine unmanned by using tether ropes and sandbag ballast...so was this an airship or aircraft?

I have seen photos of his world-famous #21 and it looks like a bird and nothing as described in the article, being capable of being driven like an automobile. Matter of fact, the majority of his gliders (and I assume powered airframes always seen on the ground) all looked like they were built by Leonardo DaVinci.

There's also more hype about his famous flights all over the country over the following years and yet evidence like photos of any powered flights or surviving airframes remain ellusive.

I remain very skeptical...

 

[Njaco]

Check this site out!..

Gustave Whitehead, Gustav Weißkopf

 

[GrauGeist]

A flying canoe that's also an automobile, and he technically flew years before that using steam power, but that doesn't count for some reason.
That site has the look and feel of UFOs and chemtrails, to be honest...

Also, during all this amazing work, his wife knew very little of what was going on and thought he should be spending more time at his job as a coal miner than spending his money on inventions. Way too many holes in the story from "reputable" sources.

I'm not buying it

 

[N4521U]

Check this site out!..

Gustave Whitehead, Gustav Weißkopf

Those look like some of my own early photo attempts.......... in fact?

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Leutershausen where Whitehead is from is right around the corner from where my house in Germany was. There is a museum there about him and his flying machines. They also talk about these claims at the museum.

When I go back over in a few weeks, I can try and make it to the museum and get some pics of docs, drawings and info.

 

[evangilder]

<cough cough> bullsh*t<cough cough>. There are more holes in that story that in a screen door. There are quite a few others that have claims to the first flight. The key is the documentation and proof.

 

[Njaco]

I'm still with the Wright Brothers for the first "controlled" flight. Even the articles state that as he approached some bushes he didn't know what to do until he shifted his weight. Still give it to Orville.

 

[Matt308]

Icarus

 

[altsym]

Well I dunno, some evidence is there. How long was it thought that Christopher Columbus discovered America? I guess time and more research will tell.

 

[GrauGeist]

So what happened to the steam-powered flight that happened years before?

He flew, albeit unsuccessfully landing in the end, but technically flew...shouldn't that be what everyone is looking for? A powered machine taking flight years earlier and with a steam engine, yet his legacy is a floating rowboat that you can drive...

 

[evangilder]

Well I dunno, some evidence is there. How long was it thought that Christopher Columbus discovered America? I guess time and more research will tell.

Well if he found "indians" here, then how could he have "discovered" it?

 

[Readie]

The continuing controversy over history's first aviator | DVICE


First Flight


Fascinating stuff.

 

[GrauGeist]

Maybe he discovered the Indians?

 

[Readie]

Maybe he discovered the Indians?

Mongolfier Brothers?

 

[Shortround6]

Well if he found "indians" here, then how could he have "discovered" it?

never EVER underestimate the power of a good press agent

Look at Paul Revere, far from making it to Lexington or Concord all he really managed to accomplish that night was to get somebody else to do the ride while he donated his horse to the British army

But a certain poem is written and perceived history will never be the same.

 

[Readie]

while he donated his horse to the British army

Top man

 

[GrauGeist]

Revere was captured at Lincoln by the British, so yes...technically, he never made the complete trip...

And his horse was "donated" to the British after they made it obvious that doing so would be good for his health...