Carroll,
Thank you for continuing to contribute to the ongoing chat .
Am I right in thinking that it was your good self who demonstrated that the photograph of the alleged " Whitehead machine in flight" was in fact most likely ( i.e. almost certainly) to be of the Montgomery glider suspended?
This helped enormously in closing an interlude in which "Jane's" was seen to be supporting Whitehead's claims: frankly, embarrassing all round.
I think that anybody who follows this thread and follows up on the links and references submitted, gains an appreciation of all of the pioneers, not least the Wright brothers who made an enormous contribution at a critical time, enhanced by the arrival of the internal combustion engine. The varying perspectives on this period in aviation history go to support fruitful discussion, during which all of us can hopefully learn something and consider our opinions.