by James Tobin
Chanute’s collaboration claim, 267
death of, 362
defends Chanute, 230
from father, 319–20
from Kate, 267
from Orville, 297
in Flyer, 221, 327
injury as a teen in ice hockey accident 40, 376, p. 40
kite flying, 55
1900 field notes, 84
1900 glider tests, 80–85
1902 glider, 132
New York City flights, 349–52
on aeroplane motor, 291
on aerial flight, 51–52
over Les Hunaudières, 307
relationship with Orville, 88–92
self-education, 41
to Octave Chanute, 130, 138, 174, 227, 229–30
to Aldo Corazza, 238
to Ferdinand Ferber, 240
to George Spratt, 159, 160, 174, 175–76
to Kate, 293, 294–95, 295, 296, 297, 311, 319, 322–23, 324, 335
to Lou, 93–94
to father, 46, 76–77, 79, 103, 108, 149, 190, 305, 323
to Orville, 293, 294, 295, 305, 310, 314, 319
to Western Society of Engineers, 121–22
scalded arm and side, 296–97
scrapping with Orville, 90
speech at Western Society of Engineers, 164
stopped flying, 359
work atmosphere in New York City, 346
“Wright Aeroplane and Its Fabled Performances, The” 263
Wright brothers, 381, p. 89
advice from father, 262
and Patrick Alexander, 160
and American government, 225–30
and British government, 225–30
and John Capper, 223–25
and Octave Chanute, 360
and Chanute at at 1902 tests, 144–45
and Glenn Curtiss, 247, 358
and French government, 228–30
and Samuel Langley, 36
and lawsuit against Curtiss, 361, 362
and Charles Manly, 239
and Thomas McMechan, 303
and Amos Root, 214–19, 220
at Huffman Prairie, 193
aversion to self-promotion, 262
biplane designs, 340
bird study, 146–47
bicycle tests of Lilienthal figures, 124
contract with French syndicate, 273
contract with U.S. Army, 273
demeanor, 224
desire for financial independence, 222
desire for freedom to experiment, 222
Wright brothers (cont.)
flight lessons for French officers, 337
flights together, 359
Fort Myers flight trials, 304
from Samuel Langley, 154
gliding, 156
marketing the Flyer, 222–23, 225, 335, 260, 261–62
mechanisms of balance, 231
military use for planes, 223
no acrobatics, 246–47
patents granted on Flyer, 265
press coverage of, 210–11
problem solving approach, 231
received Langley Medals, 360
statement to Associated Press, 202
theory of control, 218–19
Wright Company, 361, 363
Wright Cycle Company, 36, 45–46, 126, 384, p. 126
Wright family and publicity, 291–92
Wright family nicknames, 47
Wright Flyer, 196, 221, 224
on cart in France, 305
Wright glider, 74–77
and French aviation, 228, 229
Yarrow, H. C., 171
yaw control, 110
ILLUSTRATION CREDITS
Note: Credits below are for in-text photos only; photos in insert are credited alongside each image.
The A. I. Root Company, page 212
David Messing, page 55
David Messing, David MacArthur, page 110
Harper’s Weekly, pages 339, 351
Langley Memoir on Mechanical Flight, pages 7, 22, 50, 57, 167, 169, 182
Langley, The New Astronomy, page 13
Library of Congress, pages 1, 81, 88, 132, 193, 221, 246, 255, 259, 271, 274, 298, 343
Santos-Dumont, My Airships, pages 133, 134
Scientific American, page 26
Smithsonian Institution, pages 188, 358
The Washington Post, page 199
Wright State University, pages 36, 115, 204, 282, 300, 305, 307, 317, 327
FREE PRESS
A Division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
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Copyright © 2003 by James Tobin
All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.
First Free Press trade paperback edition 2004
FREE PRESS and colophon are trademarks of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
Book design by Ellen R. Sasahara
The Library of Congress has cataloged the hardcover edition as follows:
Tobin, James.
To conquer the air : the Wright Brothers and the great race for flight /
James Tobin.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1. Wright, Orville, 1871–1948. 2. Wright, Wilbur, 1867–1912.
3. Aeronautics—United States—History—20th century.
4. Flight—History—20th century. I. Title.
TL540.W7T63 2003
629.13'0092'273—dc21 2002044778
ISBN 0-684-85688-3
0-7432-5536-4 (Pbk)
ISBN 978-1-4391-3549-5 (eBook)
