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Gustave Whitehead: First in Flight breaking news

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Old 17th Jun 2015, 02:24
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parabellum

I said MAJOR advancement.
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Old 17th Jun 2015, 03:46
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And, it does so happen that every major aviation triumph was american. Anyone care to offer another opinion?

Yes, my opinion is that this is the most blinkered, nationalist and wildly untrue statement I have ever read on PPRuNe !
Have to agree joy ride. The cousins do have a tendency to beat their chests and proclaim, "We are the greatest", never mind the contributions made by others. The Collier trophy is an American award made only to Americans. The Wrights were not an all American endeavour, in as much they corresponded world wide to other experimenters in order to crystallise their thought on how to proceed. The P-51 would not have existed without the British, and it's famed cooling system was the direct result of research by one British engineer by the name of F. W. Meredith. Also used on the Spitfire, so the P-51 was not the "first" to use the system to reduce cooling drag. The Meredith effect led to research by the Americans on the aero-thermodynamic duct, or ramjet due to the similarity of their principles of operation. Advances are due to international cooperation. As Isaac Newton said, "If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants".
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Old 17th Jun 2015, 08:04
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the P51 would not have existed except for the british, interesting.

would the british exist if not for the P51? Or the lockheed hudson, or B17, B24, or the Harvard? And certainly would not exist if it had not been for the C47/dakota.


Again, MAJOR , not minor things

surprised you have not taken credit for the overhead reading light , or the wemac.
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Old 17th Jun 2015, 08:10
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It seems from this thread that the criteria have now been "stretched" so that only those with a scientific background qualify as important pioneers.

So for those who want "Aviation Science" to be a criterion for determining pioneering achievements, learn about Cayley here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/?title=George_Cayley

He set down the scientific principles for flight in 1799, quite a long time before Wright, Whitehead, Ader and others.

Look too at the Royal Aeronautical Society, founded in 1866:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_...utical_Society

Look too at Stringfellow:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Stringfellow

If these are not American enough to be considered as significant to Flight, consider that Chanute and the Wright Brothers, and many other pioneers were avid readers of every paper published by RAeS.

(These links happen to concern British aviation, but I do not ignore or dismiss the contributions and achievements of many others around the world!)
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Old 17th Jun 2015, 12:34
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I seem to recall that the wright plane was on display in england for many years, up until 1942 I think.


thinking about flying is one thing

DOING flying is the criteria. (sic)
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Old 17th Jun 2015, 12:42
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Traditionally, I like the AHN bit of PPRuNe because most people talk sense. Occasionally a skewed or myopic view is presented and, despite the balanced inputs of others, that view remains; this undermines the ordinarily mature discussion that can be found here..

The true irony is that skyhighfallguy is probably of British/Irish/Spanish/Italian/Etc descent and is quite possibly proud of his family heritage.
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Old 17th Jun 2015, 13:12
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the P51 would not have existed except for the british, interesting.
You need to read up on your history me lad.
skyhighfallguy is probably of British/Irish/Spanish/Italian
I very much doubt he is a native American Indian.
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Old 17th Jun 2015, 14:10
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And the bit about german technology and research was interesting, but they seemed to borrow heavily from Goddard's work on rockets.

Goddard was fully aware of the British Army's use of Congreve's explosive rockets a century or two previously, and of Chinese ones dating back to centuries earlier.

the montgolfiers didn't invent hot air!


Correct. Likewise the Wrights did not invent air, aerodynamics, wings, tailplanes, propellers internal combustion engines, and under-carriage. Furthermore, birds and insects have used wing warping for millions of years. In fact, once the IC engine had been invented, and was providing better power to weight ratios than other power sources, then Powered Controlled and Sustained flight was INEViTABLE, thanks to science and experiments by RAeS and others.

Exclude the Montgolfiers by that Criterion, and you logically exclude the Wrights!

I agree strongly with Cows getting bigger, I love AHN, I love good discussion and I am happy to learn new facts and even be proved wrong occasionally, but myopic nationalism and xenophobia spoil the discussion.

Last edited by joy ride; 17th Jun 2015 at 14:30.
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Old 17th Jun 2015, 17:41
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myopic nationalism and xenophobia spoil the discussion.
To these factors I would politely suggest that we can now comfortably add,
abysmal subject ignorance Regarding the current exchange I think this is emphatically supported . For example regarding elementary topics , this individual is fully demonstrating his lack of knowledge of Frank Whittle's flying qualifications ( he was an R.A.F. pilot of course), zero comprehension of the established history of the P.51's origins ( U.K. purchasing etc.) and evident confusion regarding the actual chronology ( and reasons for) the various locations of the alleged Wright "Flyer" - seven years out regarding the U.K. residence history.
So perhaps we best take the good advice offered and not deign to "feed the troll".
It's a waste of time.

Last edited by Haraka; 18th Jun 2015 at 12:08.
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Old 17th Jun 2015, 19:02
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Thanks for mentioning the RAeS joy ride. Can't say I was that familiar with the organisation, so forced to do a bit of research. Interesting that it was formed way back in 1866, and that it presents awards to anyone in the world who they deem worthy, the first Gold Medal being awarded to the Wright Brothers.
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Old 17th Jun 2015, 19:08
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I think you guys just don't get it.

I know the history of the P51 quite well, I know all about the mating of the merlin with the north american airframe. I understand how the purchasing commision was in need of airplanes and wanted north american to build the P40 on license and that North American offered them better! I am all for the special relationship that WC spoke between the US and England.

You didn't get it when I mentioned that without the P51 you might not have England. But then we tend to only understand what we want. You might want to re-read my post.


What the Wrights did was to put everything together and FIGURE OUT HOW TO OVERCOME WARP DRAG (we would call it adverse aileron yaw now a days) thus allowing coordinated turns. No one had figured that out until the Wrights.

AS to Rockets, anyone could make a simple solid fuel (gunpowder type) rocket. A liquid fueled rocket made history just west of boston, many years ago.

And those who speculate upon my heritage, I was born and raised in the USA. My grandparents on both sides came from greece, you know that country, Dadelus was the first to fly, right?

I think you should all go and watch, "those magnificient men in their flying machines" and try to feel much better .


But the Wrights invented the airplane

Lindbergh proved what it could do

And doolittle provided us a way to fly ''blind''.


pressurization, cookies, flight attendants,jet engines, hydraulics are all the nice things.

But flying could have been done without the nice things.

Mt Rushmore of Aviation, settled.

Last edited by skyhighfallguy; 17th Jun 2015 at 19:46.
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Old 17th Jun 2015, 20:46
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But the Wrights invented the airplane
There you go again, no they didn't.

The Wrights never claimed to have invented the airplane, or even the first airplane to fly. In their own words, they made the first sustained, powered, controlled flights. Their patent was for "new and useful improvements in Flying-Machines."
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Old 17th Jun 2015, 21:24
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There patent was worded in a way to protect the Wrights. I'm sorry it does not comport to your understanding.

and

there is a very nice book, called:

How We Invented the Airplane. An illustrated history. BY ORVILLE WRIGHT

Published, even listed with an ISBN 0-486-25662-6

It must ache you megan and others but there is the book. By the first flyer his own self.

CIP 87-33037

I'm glad you are all for doctoring history in your own way. It is amusing.

So thanks for all the good laughs folks. Just suck it up and motor on.
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Old 17th Jun 2015, 22:31
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There patent was worded in a way to protect the Wrights
That's the reason for patents. I repeat, their patent is not for the invention of aircraft, but for "new and useful improvements" to aircraft. That is what they say on the patent, unless you can point to anything on the patent referring to invention of aircraft.
By the first flyer his own self
No it's not. The book was put together and given the title by Fred C. Kelly, and first published in 1953. The book is made up of Wright Brothers material including letters to Mr. Kelly from Orville and Milton Wright; photostatic copies of correspondence of the Wrights with each other and to and from others; diagrams; legal documents; photographs and writings by and about the Wrights.

Best suck it up and motor on lad.
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Old 17th Jun 2015, 23:21
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megan

if you have your copy of the aforementioned book, look on page 11 and read the first 8 words on the page.



unless you have actually read the book, or have it in your hands, you are just reading some review.

And an interesting tidbit is on page 12, footnote 1 in which courts acknowledged that the wrights had priority on any method for presenting the right and left wings at different angles. (aileron principle)

Care to read the book, or even prove you have it in your hands?

oh and the smithsonian:
http://airandspace.si.edu/exhibition...line/fly/1903/

Last edited by skyhighfallguy; 17th Jun 2015 at 23:41.
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Old 18th Jun 2015, 00:27
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Sorry, my copy is Kindle - no page numbers, so you'll have to quote page 11.

The patents and courts do not say they invented the airplane, once again for the third time "new and useful improvements" was the patent, which was all about the means of control. A list of all their patents,

1. Flying Machine, Construction and Design of 1902 Glider (the "new and useful improvements"), Patent No. 821,393
2. Flying Machine, Automatic Stabilizer, Patent No. 1,075,533
3. Flying Machine, Yaw Control, Patent No. 987,662
4. Flying Machine, Vertical Rudders, Patent No. 1,122,348
5. Mechanism for Flexing the Rudder of a Flying Machine, Horizontal Rudder, Patent No. 908,929
6. Airplane, Split Flap, Patent No. 1.504,663
7. Toy, Type of toy in which and object was projected through the air and caused to be engaged and supported by a swinging bar, Patent No. 1,523,989

Everyone, including the Smithsonian, has jumped on the "they invented the airplane", and they can shout it from the roof tops for all it matters, because it's not the case, and the Brothers never claimed it to be the case. Just a little nationalism coming to the fore on their part.
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Old 18th Jun 2015, 01:13
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go to the part that says:

HOW WE INVENTED THE AIRPLANE BY ORVILLE WRIGHT

ok, who did invent the airplane?

by the way, the control mechanism patent was based on the 1902 glider and not the powered plane

did the british invent radar? no, radio waves have been bouncing off things for years , but we say they invented the device we call RADAR.

The smithsonian didn't have to say anything. They could be as stubborn as you. But they did say it.

the inclined plane, one of the first simple machines of man has been around for thousands of years

is that the invention of the air plane?
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Old 18th Jun 2015, 06:36
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Haraka: ......QED, no further comment !
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Old 19th Jun 2015, 02:11
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So perhaps we best take the good advice offered and not deign to "feed the troll".
It's a waste of time.
joy ride and Harake, your advice is well taken. Converse with idiots and they only drag you down to their level, and beat you through experience.
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Old 19th Jun 2015, 04:16
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thanks for the kind comments. I'm no idiot. the wrights invented the airplane.

but you didn't answer my question about who did invent the plane if the wrights didn't? and why did the us govt form a way of paying the wrights royalties on their patent in an expedited way?

and why does every US airman certificate have pictures of the wright brothers and their plane?

yeah, some people on pprune are going to rewrite history to make themselves feel better.
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