Unlocking the Sky (24 page)

Garfield, James, 115, 116

Gary, George H., 138

Gaynor, William, 202

Genung, Harry, 142, 144, 149, 187, 207, 227, 228

aeronautical work with Glenn Curtiss, 31, 137–38, 147

Genung, Martha, 31, 142, 144, 149, 187

German Wright Company, 159

G. H. Curtiss Manufacturing Company, 87

Gibbs-Smith, Charles H., 134n.

Gliders

G. Cayley’s, 96–97

C
ygnet
, 129–30

Gold Bug
(aircraft), 53, 147, 159

Gordon Bennett Trophy race, Rheims, France event (1909), 160–66

Grande Semaine d’Aviation,
Rheims, France (1909), 144–66

G. Curtiss airplane
Rheims Racer
entered in, 150, 155–56, 160–64

G. Curtiss’s journey to attend, 144–49

Gordon Bennett Trophy race in, 160–66

Wright brothers’ lawsuit at time of, 158–60

Graphophone, 115

Grey, Charles, 222

Gyroscopic automatic stabilizer, 208

Hallet, George, 74

Hamilton, Charlie, 57

Hammondsport, New York, Curtiss operations in, 25, 27–28, 130

Hammondsport Herald
(periodical), 216

Handlebar throttle control, G. Curtiss’s motorcycle, 31

Hargrave, Lawrence, 98

Hawley, Allan R., 138

Hazel, John Raymond, Wright lawsuit and rulings of, 173–79, 182, 183, 206, 210

Herring, Augustus, G. Curtiss’s business relationship with, 146–47, 170–71

Hewitt, Fred, 16–17

Hill, Thomas A., 173

Hitchcock, Gilbert, 15

Hot air balloons, 82, 165

Houseboat and catapult launch for S. Langley’s aerodrome (1903), 3, 4–5, 6, 9, 14, 18

Howard, Fred, 57

Hubbard, William H., 196

Hudson-Fulton Prize, G. Curtiss’s solo flight to win, 186–204

Hudson River flight.
See
Albany-Manhattan flight, G. Curtiss’s solo

International Harvester Corporation, 61

Iron lung, invention of, 116

Isham, William B., 199

Johnson, Walter, work on aerodrome restoration, 35, 49

Jones, Charles Oliver, 131

Jones, Ernest L., 138

June Bug
(aircraft), 122–29, 137–43, 145

design and engine of, 123–24, 137–38

flight of (1908), 124–25, 138–43

Scientific American
trophy won by (1908), 124, 126–27, 142–43

Keller, Helen, 115

Kimball, Wilbur R., 139

Kleckler, Henry, 31–32, 207, 227, 228

Aerial Experiment Association and role of, 122, 125, 140, 147, 149

aerodrome restoration and work of, 26, 33–35, 220

G. Curtiss’s Albany-Manhattan

flight and role of, 188, 190, 181, 193, 194, 195, 197

Lake, Simon, 138

Lambert, Comte de, 158

Landing gear, retractable, 208

Langley, Samuel Pierpont, 97, 146, 205.
See also
Aerodrome (aircraft); Aerodrome restoration

departure of, from aeronautics, 15–16, 20–21

first test flight of aerodrome and, 1–21

information provided to Wright brothers by, 54

Langley Medal, 38, 210

Latham, Hubert, 154

Lawsuits, Wright brothers’, against Glenn Curtiss, 41–46, 57–59, 68–70, 72–73, 158–60, 171–85, 186–87, 205–6, 210–12, 224

Le Bris, Jean-Marie, 98

Lefebvre, Eugene, 158

Lenormand, Sebastian, 92

n. Leonardo da Vinci, 94, 172

Lilienthal, Otto, 81, 97–98, 135

Lloyd George, David, 157–58

Lloyds of London, 75–76

Loening, Grover, 44, 47, 179, 206

Longwell, Lewis, 32

Louisiana Purchase Exposition, St. Louis (1906), 89–90

McClure’s
(periodical), 7

McCormick, Samuel B., 38, 61

McCurdy, Douglas, Aerial Experiment Association and role of, 109, 110, 119, 122, 133, 146

McEwan, James B., 202

McKinley, William, 8, 66, 174

Macomb, Montgomery M., 18

Manly, Charles, 138, 227

aerodrome engine design by, 11–12, 34–35

aerodrome restoration and, 61, 212, 219, 220

as pilot in aerodrome test flight (1903), 5, 6, 13–14, 16–17

Masson, Katherine, 74–75

Maxim, Hiram, 99–100, 146

Military interest in aviation, 2–3, 8–9, 18, 93, 225

Montgomery, John, 97

Motorcycles, Glenn Curtiss designs for, 30–31, 87–89

Motors.
See
Engine(s) Mouillard, Louis-Pierre, 98, 135, 172

Mozhaisky, Alexandr Fyodorovich, 99

Munn, Charles, 127–28, 203

Nash, Francis, 3, 4–5, 17

NC-4
(aircraft), first transatlantic crossing by, 225

Newcomb, Simon, disbelief in aviation possibilities, 1, 10

New York City, G. Curtiss’s flight from Albany to, 186–204

New York City Auto Show, 105–6
New York Evening Mail
(periodical), 201

New York Herald
(periodical), 66

New York Sun
(periodical), 67, 68

New York Times
(periodical), 9, 15, 20, 42, 48, 59, 216

G. Curtiss’s Albany-Manhattan flight and, 190, 201, 204

New York Tribune
(periodical), 68

New York World
(periodical), 67

G. Curtiss’s Albany-Manhattan flight and, 189–90, 199, 201, 202

Northcliff, Lord, 72

Number 14-bis
(aircraft), 134

Number 22
(aircraft), 163

Parachutes, invention of collapsible, 92

Passion for Wings: Aviation and the Western Imagination 1906–1918
(Wohl), 53

Patent Office, U.S., 46

Patent, Glenn Curtiss’s, for ailerons, 210

Patent, Wright Brothers’, 42, 44–46, 50–51, 135, 159

lawsuits to protect, 41–46, 57–59, 68–70, 72–73, 158–60, 171–85, 186–87, 205–6, 210–12, 221, 224

Paulhan, Louis, 154

Wright court injunction against, 180–81

Pegoud, Adolphe, 37n.

Penaud, Alphonse, 6

Penaud tail, 6

Pfitzner, Alexander L., 131

Pilcher, Percy, 97

Pilot license, first (1908), 142

Polignac, Grand Marquis de, 150

Pontoons, 63–65, 207

Porte, John Cyril, 74, 75, 225

Post, Augustus, 131, 138, 191–92, 193, 213

Press

G. Curtiss’s relations with, 49, 67, 139, 189–90, 193, 201–2

interest of, in aerodrome restoration, 66–68

interest of, in aviation, 139, 143, 157, 189–90, 193, 201–2

at S. Langley’s aerodrome test, 1–2, 15

Wright brothers’ relations with, 52–53, 127–28

Progress in Flying Machines
(Chanute), 98

Propeller blades, 65

Public interest in aviation, 67, 150–51, 157, 193, 200–201

Pulitzer, Joseph, 187

Hudson-Fulton Prize offered by, 187–204

Randolph, Wallace F., 2

Read, Albert, 225

Red Wing
(biplane aircraft) 131–32

Rheims, France, aviation tournament.
See Grande Semaine d’Aviation,
Rheims, France (1909)
Rheims Racer
(aircraft), 150, 152, 158

design, 155–56

engine, 149, 156

performance of, in trophy race, 160–64

Richardson, Holden C., 47

Robinson, Elmer, 194

Robinson, Thomas, 15

Roosevelt, Edith, 93

Roosevelt, Teddy, 89

Root, Amos, 52

Root, Elihu, 2

Roseberry, C. R., 31, 47, 143

Royal Aeronautical Society, 218–19

Santos-Dumont, Alberto, 81–82, 86, 90, 134

Scientific American
, 83, 127

Scientific American
aviation trophy,
June Bug
craft as winner of(1908), 124, 126–27, 142–43

Seaplanes, 61, 188–89, 207–8

Sea sled, 70

Seely, Lyman, 69, 176, 209

Selden, George, motorcar patent and lawsuits involving, 70, 174–75

Selfridge, Thomas

Aerial Experiment Association and role of, 110, 119, 122, 125, 127, 129–30, 132, 133

death of, 145–46

Wright patent and, 183

Shaw, George Bernard, 114

Shriver, Tod, 147, 149, 156

Smellie, Jim, 30

Smithsonian Institution, 2, 38, 66

aerodrome restoration and support of, 26–27, 219

Langley Aerodynamical Research Laboratory at, 39, 49

O. Wright’s feud with, 226–27

Spanish-American War, 8

Sperry, Elmer, Jr., 208

aerodrome restoration and, 61

Stunt aviators, 36–37, 67

Sullivan, Anne, 115

Swope, Herbert, 67

Taft, William H., 203

Tail(s), aircraft

aerodrome, 6, 14

Penaud, 6

Tandem-wing design, 6, 12, 40, 217, 218

Technological advances of early twentieth century, 36

Ten Eyck, Jacob, 190, 194

Tissandier, Paul, 158

Towers, John, 72

Toy, Joe, 67

Triad
(aircraft), 208

Trowbridge, J. T., 118

Vanderbilt, Cornelius, 44

Van Tassel, Park A., 91–92

Voisin, Gabriel, 154

Walcott, Charles, 33, 38, 47

aerodrome restoration and role of, 48–49, 61, 63, 66, 212, 217

Wall Street Air Trust, 44

Wannamaker, Rodman, 71, 72–73

War Department, U.S., support for Langley’s aerodrome project from, 2–3, 8–9, 18

Warner, A. P., 32

Watson, Thomas A., 117

Wheeler, Monroe, 87, 159, 184, 207, 227

White, Clarence, 194

White, Henry, 164, 165

White Wing
(aircraft), 136–37

Wildman, Francis, 63

Williams, J. Newton, 131

Wind tunnel, 137

Wing(s), aircraft

flaps on.
See
Ailerons (wing flaps) Langley’s tandem-wings, 6, 12, 40, 217, 218

Wrights’ wing-warping design, 44–46, 135, 172, 178, 205

Wohl, Robert, 53

World War I, 78, 224–25

Wright, Katharine, 46, 47, 56

Wright, Lorin, 49

Wright, Milton, 46

Wright, Orville.
See also
Wright brothers

demonstration flights of, in Germany, 159

his feud with Smithsonian, 226–27

on S. Langley’s work, 8

opposition to and discrediting of aerodrome restoration, 46–49, 64, 217–19

personal obsession with G. Curtiss, 42, 179–80, 205–6, 211, 228–29

public flight (1908) piloted by, 145–46

rift with supporters and family, 56–57

skepticism of, toward aviation researchers, 120–21

Wright, Wilbur, 6, 54.
See also

Wright brothers

death of, 42, 210

Wright brothers, 41–59

aeronautical contributions of, 29

aircraft of.
See Wright Flyer
aviation industry alienation against, 44, 57–59

aviation monopoly sought by, 43–44, 68, 223

contribution of, to aviation, 220

first public flight (1908), 145–46

flight at Kitty Hawk, N.C. (1903), 15, 50

lawsuits filed by, 41–46, 57–59, 68–70, 72–73, 158–60, 171–87, 206, 210–12, 221, 224

meetings and contacts between G. Curtiss and, 81–85, 100–102, 120, 179, 184, 229

myths surrounding, 43

patent of, 42, 44–46, 50–51, 135

press challenges to, 127–28

public sentiment against, 69–70, 181

refusal to participate in Rheims aviation tournament, 148

secrecy and proprietary attitude of, 50–57, 82–84, 101, 127–28, 210–11

wing-warping design of, 44–46, 135, 172, 178, 205

Wright Company, 44, 46

appropriation of Curtiss designs, 210

merger with Curtiss company, 228–29

Wright Company Ltd., 47–48
Wright Flyer
(aircraft), 53, 101

aviators’ ranking of, 170

evaluation of viability of, 222

first public flight of, 145–46

at Rheims tournament (1909), 158, 163

takeoff and sled runners, 128

O. Wright’s feud with Smithsonian and donation of, 226–27

Zahm, Albert, 223, 227

as head of aerodynamics lab, 39–40, 49

launch of
America
and, 74, 76

oversight of aerodrome restoration by, 33, 48–49, 60–67, 212, 214, 215, 217, 218, 219, 220