I think that there may be some misconceptions about the virtues of flying without direct roll control and the implications of wing warping or wing mounted ailerons.
I would suggest that these early and very under powered aircraft were flying perilously close to the stall, and that the qualitative and potentially dangerous behaviour of aerofoils up to and beyond the stall had been well established for many years.
Attempting to "pick a wing up" with warping or a wing mounted aileron close to the stall could well be disastrous, with the increase in angle of attack on that wing causing it to go through the stall, if it wasn't already in that state.
The European approach was initially primarily that of maintaining stability by ,for example, dihedral and/or sweepback. The aim was to get in to the air safely and with stability at first , before a degree of practical piloting experience had been accumulated
The Wrights, however , by using the catapult ,were perhaps able to get a fair excess flying speed initially ,well ahead of stall speed. As this bled off then certainly initially elegant turning could be accomplished without the risk of spinning in.
I note that the early aileron concepts included those for a separate flying surface to the main wing , thus obviating that main wing surface having the risk of a potentially dangerous increase of angle of attack on the upgoing side (i.e. that of the downwards moving aileron) Once flying speed ranges were increased then ailerons were a safer option.
Turning without aileron or wing warping is fairly straightforward and not so clumsy as some might like to imagine. An initial lead in with rudder induces bank as a secondary control effect. Rate of turn is then controlled primarily on elevator ( as in a modern aeroplane), wing lift holding the aircraft in the turn with rudder being used for balance. Thus it is that there are many pictures of early aircraft in controlled banked turns around pylons, without using wing warping or ailerons.
Mignet was later to dispense with direct roll control on his popular "flying flea" designs-without problems in that regard.
Last edited by Haraka; 7th Jun 2014 at 13:24.