This was about a decade before the Wrights' small wind tunnel.
so what.
the wrights were the first to put it all together in an aircraft that could be successfully flown in a figure of 8 flight path.
lightweight multi bay truss wings. control of roll, pitch and yaw. a workable aerofoil that performed according to measured experimental data.
stuff me they even had the first aviation fatality.
just as an aside. charlie taylor's engine was 200 cubic inches, developed 12 hp and could probably run for 20 minutes before it seized.
within 40 years continental had a 200 cubic inch engine that could develop 100hp and run continuously for 2,000 hours. amazing technological progress.