Gustave Whitehead the 1st to powered flight,not the Wright's
Discussion
So now it was not the Wright brothers who were the first to powered flight in 1903, It was Gustave Whitehead two years earlier in 1901
"Early 1901, Gustave Whitehead built his 21st manned aircraft. He called it the “Condor”. That summer – more than two years before the Wright Brothers – he made history's first manned, powered, controlled, sustained flight in a heavier-than-air aircraft. A photo and other proof exists. As a result, on March 8, 2013, the world's foremost authority on aviation history, "Jane's All the World's Aircraft", formally recognized Gustave Whitehead's claim."
from http://www.gustave-whitehead.com
And Jane's
http://www.janes.com/products/janes/defence-securi...
"Early 1901, Gustave Whitehead built his 21st manned aircraft. He called it the “Condor”. That summer – more than two years before the Wright Brothers – he made history's first manned, powered, controlled, sustained flight in a heavier-than-air aircraft. A photo and other proof exists. As a result, on March 8, 2013, the world's foremost authority on aviation history, "Jane's All the World's Aircraft", formally recognized Gustave Whitehead's claim."
from http://www.gustave-whitehead.com
And Jane's
http://www.janes.com/products/janes/defence-securi...
Simpo Two said:
Don't forget that bloke in NZ as well.
Although all else being equal, no doubt the ones with the best PR and solicitors would take the win.
I thought of the NZ guy while reading through the links plus somebody in Brazil as well although I don't know the years, so maybe Whitehead would still beat them.Although all else being equal, no doubt the ones with the best PR and solicitors would take the win.
Seems that the Wright Brothers made it a legal condition of the Smithsonian museum getting the Wright flyer that the museum NEVER disputes the Wrights claim of first to (powered) flight. Would seem an odd thing to do if you WERE the first, but not if you thought somebody else had possibly beaten you.
The Wrights had a massive argie bargie with the Smithsonian. The Smithsonian had sponsored the efforts of Samuel Langley and even though each of his attempts at flight ended up in the Potomac, the Smithsonian refused to recognise the Wrights as the first flyers. They insisted it was Langley for years.
That is why the Wrights donated their original Flyer III to the Science Museum in London and not the Smithsonian. It was only after World War 2 that Britain agreed to give the Flyer III to the US - as a sort of thank you for helping out in the war.
Samuel Langley's Aerodrome going for a "drink" - again -
That is why the Wrights donated their original Flyer III to the Science Museum in London and not the Smithsonian. It was only after World War 2 that Britain agreed to give the Flyer III to the US - as a sort of thank you for helping out in the war.
Samuel Langley's Aerodrome going for a "drink" - again -
richie slow said:
I've always thought that Gustaf Weisskopf (German immigrant/ name changed) was the first. The establishment could never admit they were wrong.
Except that the Wrights were anything BUT establishment.As I explained above, the Wrights had real trouble convincing the US scientific establishment of the validity of what they had done. They had far more acceptance in Europe - especially in France.
From the moment the Wright Flyer III made its first properly controlled flight on 17 December 1903, there have been challenges from all sorts of quarters claiming that the Wrights were not the first. NONE of these challenges really stand up not because they may not be true, but because the documentary evidence of the claims is sorely lacking in crucial areas - like photographs, films and, most importantly, independent witnesses. Coupled with all that is that, within months of achieving their first controlled flight, the Wrights took their aircraft "on the road" so that they could demonstrate in front of thousands of people their mastery of controlled flights.
None of the other claimants seem to have thought that this would be a good idea - which seems very strange.
Simpo Two said:
Eric Mc said:
None of the other claimants seem to have thought that this would be a good idea - which seems very strange.
Perhaps because they were aeroplane boffs and not marketing boffs. Then as now, he who shouts loudest for longest seems to win.
I suspect that most of the early aviation pioneers were doing it for the challenge and to further their own, and mankind's, knowledge. I think possibly only the Wright brothers had the commercial importance of claiming pre-eminence toward the top of their agenda.TheLastPost said:
Simpo Two said:
Eric Mc said:
None of the other claimants seem to have thought that this would be a good idea - which seems very strange.
Perhaps because they were aeroplane boffs and not marketing boffs. Then as now, he who shouts loudest for longest seems to win. I suspect that most of the early aviation pioneers were doing it for the challenge and to further their own, and mankind's, knowledge. I think possibly only the Wright brothers had the commercial importance of claiming pre-eminence toward the top of their agenda.And their aircraft actually worked - and they could prove it. When they took their plane to France, the French were totally gobsmacked with its capabilities. French pioneers had been experimenting for almost 30 years and by 1905 or so had managed semi-controlled long hops. The Wrights arrived and were staying aloft for over an hour, flying figures of eight etc.
The Wrights were also extremely methodical in their planning and design. They even built their own wind tunnels in order to test out wing cross sections etc - which was way ahead of what most of their contemporaries were up to.
The Wrights were also extremely methodical in their planning and design. They even built their own wind tunnels in order to test out wing cross sections etc - which was way ahead of what most of their contemporaries were up to.
Edited by Eric Mc on Monday 11th March 11:16
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