There was a documentry on the History channel that examined all the claims for the first powered flight.
It came down on the side of the Wright brothers because their flight was so well documented and witnessed.
They did admit that on the balance of probability Pearse and Whitehead did do a powered flight before the Wrights, but the evidence was scant, affidavits and such not taken untill years later ect.
The Wright brothers also ran a very effective campaign to keep other names out of the running, that was the prime reason as I stated above the Wright Flyer was in a British Museum for years and not in the Smithsonian, they demanded that no other person get any credit for powered flight, the Smithsonian refused to comply to this demand for year.
It is a month or so since I watched this program, and Drapers memory only last about three weeks, but that basicly I think that is what the document said. <img src="wink.gif" border="0">
[ 16 January 2002: Message edited by: tony draper ]</p>