How could an unqualified man have designed and built an engine in 6 weeks?!
About the engine that powered "Flyer I 1903" various authors said that:
"
The Wrights wrote to several engine manufacturers, but none met their need for a sufficiently lightweight power-plant. They turned to their shop mechanic, Charlie Taylor, who built an engine in just six weeks in close consultation with the brothers."
The article about Taylor (
Charlie Taylor (mechanic) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ) also does not bring more light saying just that Taylor was a mechanic hired by Wright brothers to repair bicycles and "
He designed and built the aluminum water-cooled engine in only six weeks, based partly on rough sketches provided by the Wrights."
It is not uncommon for a mechanic to adapt a ready made engine to a specific purpose, but to design it from scratch and build it in 6 weeks is simply incredible.