Letter written by Octave Chanute, on January 19, 1908. He believed that the Wrights controlled their machines by "shifting the weight"!!!
This belief of Chanute demonstrates he did not know too much about the construction of the Wrights' planes. His value as a witness is close to zero.
1908-01-19, Octave Chanute, "Letter to W. Wright", Chicago, January 19, 1908.
"... I was asked by a Chicago newspaper for my opinion of the Farman performance and I enclose the result. I suppose that the Voisin design was based upon a description by Fordyce of the photographs which you showed him of your machine in the air, but that he is no further ahead than you were in 1904. Danger, however, looms up from two communications in the last Aerophile (December). One from Goupil, which is weak, and one from a Mr. Lucien Doudin (don't know about him) who has tumbled to the idea that centrifugal force must be overcome and proposes four methods, while he recommends "shifting the weight." I have believed for the last 18 months that this is what you do, but forbore from asking questions. Let me know if I am wrong ?1 ..."
1908-01-27, Wilbur Wright, "Letter to Octave Chanute", Dayton, January 27, 1908
"... You are quite mistaken as to the matter of shifting of weight in our machines. We do not shift weight. We combine right and left wings of variable inclination with means of preventing movement about a vertical axis. ..."