Simplex says "... the 1905 pictures showing Flyer III in flight could have been made after May 1908
Ridiculous.
You contend that the Wrights were merely “gliding” in 1903 and 1904, and still weren’t flying from 1905 to 1908. Through speculation, and aggressive innuendo, you accuse the Wrights of modifying their 1908 flyer to take dozens of fake in-flight photographs so that, for some unspecified reason, they could contend that they were flying in 1905 even though they first began to fly at some unspecified time after 1905 and, apparently, closer to 1908.
Total hogwash.
The Wrights had negotiations from 1905 to 1907 with various governments, but due to their unwillingness to reveal their design in advance, none came to fruition.
In January of 1905, the Wright’s offered to fly for the British government if they would simply agree in advance to pay 500 British pounds per mile covered, and also made a similar proposal to the U.S. government. Neither government accepted. Must have been a "bluff."
On October 9, 1905, the Wrights wrote again to the U.S. Government and offered to demonstrate a flying machine that could fly for “one hundred miles” if the government would agree to compensate them based on performance. The U.S. did not accept. Must have been a "bluff."
Finally, on December 23, 1907, the U.S. government requested bids for a flying machine and offered to compensate the winning bidder based on superior performance. The government requested a $2,500 deposit to obtain only serious bids. Oddly, 41 proposals were received, but only 3 included the required deposit. In January 1908, the Wrights submitted a proposal, including the $2,500, drawings and a photograph of their 1905 flying machine (see proposal below). At public demonstrations from September 1908 to October 1909, the Wrights repeatedly set endurance records and ultimately earned a $30,000 bonus. (full disclosure: they also had a crash that was fatal to the passenger)
Nonetheless, in your view from prior posts, the Wrights were “
bluffing” from 1905 to 1908.
Since you say “bluffing,” let’s have fun with a poker analogy.
The Wrights partially turned their cards over in their proposal to the U.S. on January 1908 and, they revealed their entire hand in September 1908 when they began to fly for great distances, on command.
If a poker player implies that he’s got a winning hand when he pushes his chips into the center of the table - but you call him with your weak little hand - and then he kicks your sorry rump with a Royal Flush, was he really “bluffing”?
If you contend that the poker player is a cheater because he did not really have that royal flush when he made his bet, and he made it appear from up his sleeve just in time for the showdown, you’d better have proof, not mere innuendo and speculation.
