Expert Witness
Chanute on the Wright Brothers' Achievement in
Aerial Navigation.
To the Editor of the Scientific American:
Upon my return last evening from a ten days' trip
to New Orleans I received your letter of 19th and
telegram of 29th instant, asking me for a verification
of the statement in the Illustrirte Aeronautische Mit-
teilungen, that I witnessed a flight of about half a
kilometer by the aeroplane machine of the Wright
brothers.
This is quite true. The Wright brothers have for
the past two years been in possession of a successful
flying machine driven by a motor, to my certain knowledge,
and have been gradually perfecting it.
On the 15th of October, 1904 , I witnessed a flight
of 1,377 feet performed in 23 4-5 seconds, starting from
level ground and sweeping over about one-quarter of a
circle, at a speed of 39 miles per hour. The wind
blew at some six miles per hour, but in a diagonal
direction to the initial course. After the machine had
gone some 500 feet and risen some 15 feet, a gust of
wind struck under the right-hand side and raised the
apparatus to an oblique inclination of 15 to 20 degrees.
The operator, who was Orville Wright, endeavored to
recover an even transverse keel, was unable to do so
while turning to the left, and concluded to alight.
This was done in flying before the wind instead of
square against it as usual, and the landing was made
at a speed of 45 to 50 miles an hour. One side of the
machine struck the ground first; it slewed around and
was broken, requiring about one week for repairs.
The operator was in no wise hurt. This was flight
No. 71 of that year (1904), and on the preceding day
Wright brothers had made three flights-one of 4,001
feet for less than a full circuit of the field, one of
4,903 feet covering a full circle, and one of 4.936 feet
over rather more than a full circuit, alighting safely.
The illness of a near relative, who had to be taken
to the seashore, prevented me from being present at
the greatly longer flights of September and October,
1905, but I visited Dayton in November, on my return,
and verified the absolute accuracy of the statements
which the Wrights have since made, over their own
signatures, to the Aerophile of Paris and to the Aero
Club of New York. There is no question in my mind
about the fact that they have solved the problem of
man-flight by dynamic means.
Believing that this solution had a money value, they
have, until recently, preserved whatever secrecy they
could, particularly when those who chanced to learn
of their experiments made inquiries as to the construction
and details of their apparatus; but since the
French papers have published that negotiations were
pending for the use of their machine, they have given
some particulars of their performances. As the first
use will be in war, it is my belief that the various purchasers
will desire to preserve such secrecy as may be
practicable concerning the further developments.
In addition to the great feat of inventing a practical
flying machine the Wright brothers have, in my judgment,
performed another improbable feat by keeping
knowledge of the construction of a machine, which
can only be operated in the open, from the incredu·
lous but Argus-eyed American press.
I send you a page cut from The Car of London,
which may prove of interest. The Aerophile of Paris
for December, 1905, and January, 1906, contains fuller
accounts. O. CHANUTE.
Chicago, Ill., March 31, 1906