Wright Brothers Day- Dayton Wright Memorial 2015

Remembering the Wright Brother's accomplishments in Dayton, Ohio this December 17th, 2015, 112 year anniversary of first flight. Photos from First Flight Ceremony, Wright Memorial, beginning 10:10 AM this day.

Wreath Laying- Amanda Wright Lane, Stephen Wright, and Col. John M . Devillier

Gathering to honor the accomplishments of Wilbur and Orville Wright, 112th anniversary of powered flight.

Pictured below is the flyover of MACAIR Aviation: Multi-Plane formation of Piper Warrior aircraft.

Proposed revision to the State of Ohio seal, to include the Wright Flyer.

The Secret Orville Wright Lab Experiments

Orville Wright liked to "tinker" at his Lab at 15 North Broadway, Dayton Ohio. This is what has been written of Orville's activities there, by a vast number of historians. But the truth of what really went on has been hidden away, until now......

Photographic evidence of Orville Wright using a cell phone in 1946!

Twice you have visited the Wright home "Hawthorn Hill" in Oakwood and twice you have stumbled into the basement vault only to find yourself inexplicably transported back in time; to Orville Wright's Lab building in Dayton February 1942, and later to witness Wilbur Wright's flights at Governor's Island NY during the 1909 Hudson Fulton Celebration. (For these accounts, see "A Journey Back in Time- An Interview with Orville Wright" and "Great Scott!- It's Wilbur Wright back in 1909!")

Today, you are visiting the Wright-Dunbar Interpretive Center at West Third and South Williams Streets in West Dayton. Leaving the Center, you head west on West Third Street to the former location of the Wright Cycle Shop. Further west, to 15 North Broadway, you reach the former location of Orville Wright's Aeronautical Lab.

15 North Broadway, Dayton, Ohio. Former location of Wright's Aeronautical Lab, now with a replica of the building facade.

Orville's Last Workshop, the sign reads "Here, in the years following Wilbur's death, Orville perfected the split-wing flap and the automatic stabilizer. In 1976, Standard Oil of Ohio knocked down the former Wright Aeronautical Laboratory to use the property to sell gasoline- a gas station that was never built." In defense of Standard Oil, they offered the building to anyone who would remove the structure for relocation, and no one stepped forward.

Walking through the building facade, you turn to read the informational sign as pictured above, when the scene before you suddenly transforms into a swirl of grass and pavement, bricks and furniture, and with a flash, you find yourself standing in the vestibule of a building. A woman enters the room, scowls at you, tells you to take a seat, that Mr. Wright would be in shortly. Gaining your senses, you realize you have once again been pulled back through time to the early 1940's, now sitting in the small waiting room of the Wright Aeronautical Lab Building!

Orville Wright enters the room. "So I see you found your way back", he said. "Interested in my work at the Lab?"
You reply, "Yes, Mr. Wright, quite interested. Though your secretary didn't seem very pleased to see me again...".
"Oh, don't concern yourself about her" Orville explains, "She treats everyone that way, even my brother Lorin. But she serves her purpose. You know how ALF's can be."
You obviously look confused, and so Orville explains further.

"ALF's, Artificial life forms"

"Artificial.......you mean your secretary is an android??", you exclaim, "Mabel Beck?!"

Orville responds "Yes, I named her after the acronyms....the Multi-fiber Android Biochemical Ethernet Lattice cable connects the logic center to the....."

"The Multi-fiber android what?", you ask dumbfounded.

"The MABEL cable....please keep up with me," Orville explains, "And unfortunately there's the BECK Effect. The Bionic Entity Crabby Kinetics Effect...the unfortunate effect of the flow of the bio-genetic fluids through the android lattice personality circuits resulting in a rather unpleasant demeanor. Probably shouldn't have used the bicycle chains in her joints; seemed like a good idea at the time."
You look at Orville in disbelief. 

He continues, "Some kid peeking in the window caught me one day adjusting her brain stem Mabel cable. Thought I was kissing her. You should have seen the shocked look on his face! He took off running down the alley. Funniest thing ever!"

"It works fairly efficiently, but just never got that personality right. No one likes her much," Orville says with a chuckle, and then leads you back to the workshop area of the building. You notice what appears to be a nice cabinet record player with various broken LP's laying about in pieces, and ask Orville about it.

Orville Wright's record changer in basement of Hawthorn Hill.

"Record changer, yes, that's what I've been telling everyone it is. It does much more than that, I'll explain one day. Actually already did, but you haven't experienced that portion of the time line yet," Orville explains.

Not able to contain your curiosity any longer, you ask Orville "I hope I'm not out of line, but I really am amazed that I'm standing here talking to you, and I haven't a clue how it is possible. You say we've talked about the record changer before, but that I haven't experienced that time line...I'm really confused." Orville nods his head, and offers you a seat on one of the crates in the Lab. At this moment, Mabel Beck enters, stares at you, looks at her watch, rolls her eyes, and exits. Orville just sighs.
Orville explains "Wilbur and I were not just working on flight. We also delved into the possibility of time travel. Attempted the first experiments at Kitty Hawk in 1911, but too many reporters showed up. They thought I was there to test our automatic stabilizer," Orville chuckles again, "The flux capacitor was mounted right there in plain site, and.....".
Your jaw drops. "I'm sorry.... but did you just say the flux capacitor???"
At that you hear a phone ring. Orville reaches into his coat pocket and pulls out a cell phone. "Excuse me, I know that is rude", he says as he silences the device. "I forgot to deactivate the worm hole connecting me to a cell tower in 2023. Anyway, you were asking me something?"
"You invented the flux capacitor?" you ask, thinking he must be pulling your leg. You've read of Orville's sense of humor, and practical jokes.

Orville replies "Come now, you haven't seen the Back to the Future movies?" Orville reaches into the desk drawer, and withdrew a sheet of paper and hands it to you.

Plain as day, the flux capacitor is depicted in the center of this sketch from 1910, hand drawn by Wilbur Wright!

You can't believe your eyes as you compare the sketch on the 1910 sheet of paper to the device as depicted in the Back to the Future Movies.

The flux capacitor is real, Great Scott!

"I'm really confused now", you tell Orville, "How did your invention get into a movie trilogy from 1985...."

Orville interrupts, " Well, you're not the only one I've pulled back in time...have always been a Christopher Lloyd fan."

"Ok, right there, this is something that has also been confusing me....aren't you afraid of changing the time line, tearing the fabric of the space time continuum, creating a time paradox that will destroy the known universe...." you stumble over various scenarios.

Orville sighs again, and explains....."There is only one time line. What has been, has been. There is no changing the past."

You again look at Orville in disbelief, "Wait, but if I change an event in the past, it will alter the future....."

Orville shakes his head, "You've been watching too many Star Trek episodes. The time line is the time line. What happened, happened. If you go back to the past, it is only because you were there when the past occurred."

"Yes, but in Back to the Future II, Older Biff brings the sports magazine back in time and gives it to the younger Biff, and that changes the time line, and......" you attempt to explain.

"Those are just movies! I'm talking about reality here...."Orville interrupts.

"Ok, how about this scenario", you challenge Orville, "I travel back to 1912, January, and warn your brother not to eat shellfish. He takes my advice, doesn't eat the tainted meal, and doesn't come down with typhoid fever as a result, and therefore is alive yet today." You think you have Orville on this one.

Orville is shaking his head again, and responds, "I appreciate your concern for my brother Wilbur. But the fact remains is that you did not go to the past to warn Wilbur. If you had, he may be alive today, but he is not. The past has already occurred, and what you describe did not occur, so therefore, you will never go into the past and warn Wilbur to not eat shellfish."

You can't help but raise your voice a bit, "But if I wanted to, I could! This makes no sense!"

"Tis so", Orville replies.

"Tis not!", you respond.

Orville looks at you, and says, "I like a good scrapper. It's been a long time since I've had a good scrap".

The lab door swings open, Orville's secretary stomps in, stares at Orville, stares at you, reaches into the record changer cabinet, grabs something, and dashes out, slamming the door behind her.

"She's been acting rather odd today. Sometimes I wonder if she isn't a bit jealous of my having visitors from the future," Orville explains. 

The interior of the record cabinet, stripped of its electronics.

"But what did she just take?", you ask. 

"Oh, the flux capacitor", Orville says calmly.

"The flux capacitor?! You keep it in the record cabinet??", you asked amazed. You're standing up now, and run to the door only to find it locked. "She locked the door! She has the flux capacitor! This is bad isn't it??"

Orville shrugs, and agrees perhaps he'd better check things out. "I'll be right back", he says as he reaches into his pocket, pulls out a key to unlock the door, and exits the room. From your time perspective, he immediately returns to the room, but is dressed in different clothing, and appears a bit frantic. "Oh my, this is not good, this is not good..." he repeats.

"What's going on?", you ask as you're surprised to see Orville's mood change. 

"She traveled in time, she did some very disturbing things...." Orville says as he rushes about the Lab picking up various items and loading them into a wooden box.

"Ok, but you said that no one can change the time line, so what could she have done that was so bad?", you ask of Orville. 

"I said no one can change the time line by traveling into the past. What has been has been. I'll bet this is all because I disassembled her IBM electric typewriter. She never did forgive me for that one." Orville yells as he digs through a tool chest. 

"Ok........then....so if she can't change the past.........", you're not sure what to ask.

"She didn't go to the past....she went to the future!! The future isn't written yet, so she can do anything she wants!", Orville explains, as he runs to his office and grabs a number of worn notebooks from his desk drawer.

"And that would be......" you ask preparing for the worst.

"She activated the Beck Organic Reorganizing Gene sequencer! She must have read my notebooks.....", Orville says, as he heads for the front door.

"The Beck organic....what?", you ask of Orville as he runs down the front steps.

"The BORG sequencer!", Orville yells back, as he climbs into his Roadster, and peels away, heading east on West Third Street, leaving you standing there on North Broadway. 

Copyright 2021-Getting the Story Wright

Index of Topics

Buyer Beware When Collecting Wright Brother Items

This post has been re-written and updated as of July 2025. Refer to the following link:

Buyer Beware When Collecting Wright Brother Items- Revised 

 

 

 

In a previous post, I discussed Collecting historical items associated with the Wright Brothers. The post began with a number of suggestions, with the first two appearing below.

1. Know your subject. The more knowledgeable you are of the history of the Wright Brothers, the less chance you'll be fooled by misrepresented items, and the greater your ability to identify an item of historical significance.
2. Be aware that sellers don't always know their subject. They may unknowingly describe an item inaccurately.  I've lost count the number of pictures or postcards I've seen for sale on E-bay identified incorrectly by the seller as depicting a Wright aeroplane, or one of the Wright brothers.
3. Unfortunately, a third suggestion is offered- Know that there are also sellers with full knowledge they are selling forgeries. Further, and this is really unfortunate, sellers in this category can have a 100% positive feedback rating, and in fact, usually do have a 100% positive feedback rating, so don't use feedback rating as a guarantee of authenticity of products. Please, beware of the buy-it-now or best offer low price "deals", with either a lack of certificate of authenticity (COA), or a COA not worth the paper it is printed on. Don't read the statement "Guaranteed to pass any Authentication Service, or we will issue a full refund", and feel confident this is a genuine item. Any dealer can make that guarantee, and nine out of ten sales, the buyer will never send the item in for verification. 
4. I'll add one more suggestion. Know the value. Check my post "Value of Historical Items associated with the Wright Brothers". If you find items offered at half the price of what these items normally would sell, you likely have not found a bargain.

 

 

London Herald Friday 18th, December 1903. I've seen this modern print offered on E-bay mistakenly identified by the seller as an original 1903 document. How the London Herald obtained the Wright's first flight photo before it had even been developed by the Wright's from the glass plate negative, taken just the day before, must have involved time travel. The Wright's wouldn't develop this photo until after returning to Dayton, and the photo was not initially shared with the public as it would have revealed construction details of the Flyer to competitors. This obvious modern "reproduction" print is readily available from multiple sales sources as a "re-print", but is a total fabrication as this December 18th 1903 issue never existing as pictured.

 

As I routinely check E-bay, LiveAuctioneers.com, Invaluable.com, and other sites for Wright Brother related items for sale, I am constantly coming across material that is misidentified or questionable. By constantly, I mean, all the time, every time I check, every day. And I don't mean one or two examples, but rather dozens of examples on any given day. Over just the past five years, 2021 through 2025, framed "signatures" of Wilbur and Orville Wright have been offered by auction accompanied with a COA, and have sold for as little as a few hundred dollars, to thousands of dollars. These items would be useful for placing under a cat box to keep the floor clean.

 

***Warning***

LiveAuctioneers site has had an increase in the number of Wilbur and Orville Wright "signed" postcards and photos. The items are listed with bids beginning at $1, and tend to sell for perhaps 10% of the dealer's listed estimated value. All are provided with COA's. None of these items would ever pass certification by JSA, PSA/DNA, or Beckett. 

COA's are good, but they need to be from a highly respected authority such as those listed under E-bay's recommended COA list; more on this later.

I am in the habit of contacting sellers with errors in their listings and providing what I believe to be the correct information concerning the item, and often receive a kind response. Occasionally however, my comments are ignored, or rejected as inaccurate. It is disheartening when the item sells, for I know two things have occurred. First, that the buyer has unknowingly paid too much for an incorrectly identified item, and second, that this buyer will then continue the false history out of ignorance as he shows the item to friends, and eventually sells or passes the item on years later. I am not in the habit of contacting sellers that obviously are knowingly selling forgeries, as nothing is accomplished by doing so. 

Some of the commonly misidentified material I've observed:

• Photo of a bi-plane incorrectly identified as a Wright Brothers airplane. This occurs often. Many sellers simply identify a photo of any bi-plane as "a Wright Brother style of airplane". 
• Photo of a bi-plane with two men standing in front of it, and misidentified as Wilbur and Orville Wright. And if the bi-plane just happens to actually be a Wright model, then of course any two men standing near by must be Wilbur and Orville, right?? And if one has a mustache, or one is wearing a derby, then who else could the men possibly be? (Other than 10,000 other individuals).
• Postcards, photos, or envelopes with questionable Orville or Wilbur Wright signatures. I have seen so many of these, I'd estimate at least 50% of all the signed postcards, photos, or envelopes offered are forged. Beware of signatures on removed autograph book pages, or on scraps of paper or cards. How do you determine if they are genuine?
• Period press photos with forged Orville Wright signature. In what circumstance would a press photo be removed from the archives of a newspaper and brought to Orville Wright for his signature? I had not seen these listed prior to 2019. How interesting that suddenly many "signed" press photos have come to the market (sarcasm intended). And not a one of them authenticated by a trusted Authentication service.
• Books signed by O. Wright, or Orville Wright, where the book has no connection with aviation, and no connection with Dayton Ohio, yet it is assumed that this Orville Wright is the Orville of the Wright Brothers. Orville Wright was a common name! Even though the signature doesn't match the handwriting of the aviator Orville, people will throw money at these offers thinking they obtained a bargain.
• Historically inaccurate, impossible, or highly unlikely claims made concerning an item supposedly associated with the Wright Brothers. 
• Photo of bike shop and workers, which of course then must be Wilbur and Orville Wright and their brother Lloyd (I am not making this up), because again, who else could they possibly be? (Other than 10,000 other bike shops and work crew of the period).

The following are examples of items I've seen offered:

Photograph with fake Orville Wright signature- This item was simply offered as a photo of a Curtiss F8C-4 Helldiver Bi-plane. No mention was made of the Orville Wright signature, and the buy-it-now price was minimal. The seller obviously recognized the signature as faked, and so simply ignored it. I purchased this item for the sole purpose of including it in this post as an example of a forged signature. This is a really bad forged signature. If it isn't incredibly obvious to the reader to be a forged signature, then don't buy signed aviation items! Not only is the signature bad, the choice of photo is bad. This is a Curtiss bi-plane, and Orville Wright would never have signed a Curtiss bi-plane photo.

Forged Orville Wright signature

Unfortunately, where the above item is easily identified as forged, other forged items offered for sale are not so easily recognized. A photo of a bi-plane was offered at auction with what appeared to be Orville and Wilbur Wright's signatures. The photo had not been authenticated by a third-party "expert". The image of the bi-plane was small and the resolution was not sufficient to identify the model of the aeroplane, however, it did not appear to be a Wright model. The Wright Brothers would not have signed a patent infringing competitor's bi-plane photo. The placement of the signatures of Orville and Wilbur was odd, and the signatures did not appear to be correct. The event was not identified; the date of the photo was unknown; there was no provenance what-so-ever. Yet, the photo sold for over $8000.
It is not difficult to forge the Wright's names onto an old photograph, their signatures are not that complicated. Keep in mind that just because the item is a genuine photograph of the time period, doesn't mean that the signature's are genuine.

Signatures of the Wright Brothers on envelopes, postcards, and press photos-
Beware of postcards, press photos, and anniversary first flight covers. If a 1928 25th anniversary of the 1903 flight cover (envelope) with Orville Wright's signature across the top is offered for sale, does the reader know how to distinguish a genuine signature from a forged signature? There are plenty of genuine 1928 25th anniversary covers that are not signed by Orville Wright. How difficult would it be to add a forged signature? When the item is being offered at a low buy-it-now price, or best offer, be suspicious. And when the same seller has a new item like this week after week after week, be very suspicious.(1) I watched a sale with two bidders competing for a postcard supposedly signed by Orville and Wilbur Wright. The item was obviously forged, was not authenticated, and sold for under $550. A genuine dual signed postcard by the Brothers would normally sell for well over $5000. Another item was sold with both Orville's and Wilbur's signatures forged on a first flight photograph. This item sold for $1300, with 5 bidders competing for this obvious fake which included a COA not worth the paper it is printed on (The COA was not from the E-bay recommended list).  This is so frustrating, as I watch these fakes sell week after week. 

• Do not compare the signature with those on other covers or postcards as you will likely be comparing to another forged signature. Tens of dozens of forged Orville Wright covers and postcards all with the same forged OW signature have sold over the past several years and are continuing to sell.(5)
• A genuine signed Orville Wright postcard or cover sell in the range of $800 to $1200 or higher. When offered, these are often encased, certified by PSA/DNA, JSA or other reputable certifying company. Forged covers are at times being offered in this price range, without any item description or certification; high price does not imply the item is genuine.
• Forged Orville Wright postcards or covers are most often offered at a low buy it now price, with "make offer" accepted. These items are generally not certified. Unfortunately, these items are at times resold by the purchaser at a higher price.
• Beware of statements such as "Genuine signature. Item is not a reproduction or copy." All this really states is the signature is a genuine signature, (but by whom?), and that the cover or postcard is a genuine item from that time period in lieu of a modern print. A "genuine signature" simply means the signature is written in ink in lieu of a photocopy or print of a signature- genuinely written in ink by the forger. I have also seen sellers "guarantee" the signed item, by offering a refund if a third party determines the signature is forged. Don't let this sway you into thinking the item likely is the real thing. Anyone can make that guarantee, and so what if one out of five buyers returns the item. It will just be re-offered a month later to some other unsuspecting collector.
  
• A COA (Certificate of Authenticity) is only as good at the authentication company offering the services. E-bay provides a list of recommended authentication services on their policies pages. Further, E-bay provides a list of COA's (nearly two dozen) that are not allowed on their Autographed items policy page.  Click on "Read Our Full Policy", and then click on "Certificates of Authenticity" to get to the disallowed list of COA's. Despite the policy, sellers continue to list forged items using COA's  from the banned COA list. I have seen numerous obviously forged signed items for sale which included a COA not listed among the recommended authentication services. Often, the seller will simply indicate that a COA will be included, without even identifying the COA company. Please, check the E-bay list of recommended authentication services. A genuine Orville Wright signature is valued at more than $199 or best offer. I have record of a sketch of Wilbur and Orville with their "signatures" recently selling for $299, with one bidder. The artwork was bad, and the "signatures" were worse. Yet, the item came with a COA. A genuinely signed item by both brothers would sell for thousands of dollars, not for $299. This item, and many others are being offered with COA's that date back to the 1990's. Every item, and dozens and dozens were listed, were all forged, yet all offered with the same COA. The COA does not appear on the E-bay banned list, and does not appear in the FBI list, so the absence of the COA from these lists does not guarantee they are legitimate. (To emphasize this point, the E-bay banned list could easily be doubled or tripled in length, so don't make the mistake that if the COA is not included in the banned list, they're likely reliable.)  I contacted E-bay concerning a seller offering a number of "signed" items with banned COA, and E-bay did nothing about it. The seller continued to sell these items. A Wilbur Wright, Orville Wright set of "signatures" on a cut sheet of paper sold by this seller for $299 with a banned COA. Three guesses, two don't count, if this item was the real McCoy. Having said this about my failure to obtain action from E-bay directly, I have been successful in other ways to remove these sellers with E-bay's assistance. Bottom line, it is the Buyer's responsibility to check the acceptable COA list; in many cases E-bay is not going to do this for you.
• Avoid the 25th anniversary of the first airplane flight Capt. B. B. Lipsner covers with Orville Wright's "signature". I have seen a great number of these covers offered, and the majority are forged. These covers originally were prepared and signed by Lipsner. His name is printed on the cover, with the title "The first superintendent to blaze the air mail trail for the U.S. Post Office Department in 1918." He signed his name above his printed name. A forger has taken dozens of these period envelopes and signed Orville's name angled across the center. Of several dozen of these offered over the past few years, I've seen perhaps three of which Orville's signature appeared as possibly correct, and these were envelopes with hand written addresses to Lipsner's family. (2)

Genuine B.B. Lipsner 1928 cover. These were produced and signed by Lipsner. A forger can very easily take this cover above and add  Orville Wright's name to it, and offer it for sale.

 

Signatures of the Wright Brothers on scraps of paper- 
I witnessed a sale of an item claimed by the seller to be from an estate sale, and removed from the pages of an autograph book.
An obviously forged item with both fake Wilbur and Orville signatures received many bids. It was indicated to come with an authenticator's COA. A quick search on-line came up with some very negative comments from other collectors concerning the certifying company. Unfortunately, the item sold, and one more collector looking for a bargain has purchased a forged item. Worse, I suspect the item was simply purchased by another "dealer" with the intention to later relist the item at a higher price. A genuine dual signature of both brothers Wilbur and Orville would not sell for under $300 as this one did.

.,

When purchasing checks attributed to the Wright Brothers, in addition to being aware the signature may be in the hand of their brother Lorin Wright, be also aware the signature may be an intentional forgery. I had not witnessed the offer of a forged check, but one sold recently by auction dated June 15, 1924 with a really bad forged Orville Wright signature. It appears an old check was modified to add Orville's name. The main body of the check is not in Orville's or his secretary's hand (Mabel Beck), and the check is from a Dayton bank in which the Wright's had no checking account! Yet multiple bidders took the price to over $1000, overpaying even if the check had been genuine! Additionally, the named COA for this item is first on the list of E-bay's banned COA list. 

I'm amazed at times at the arrogance of some dealers, as a seller on E-bay was offering the exact same dated numbered Orville Wright check in two separate offers. One was obviously a reproduction, as both couldn't be original. I alerted the seller that he was offering a reproduction as an original check, and my comment was ignored. The reproduction check had mistakenly been authenticated and came with a COA, but anyone with common sense knows that two identical checks can not both be original. The process of certification is not a perfect art, and mistakes are occasionally made by even the best Certification companies. After a number of months, the seller finally deleted the offer to sell this reproduction check, asking price of $1500. But not until the original Certification company was able to convince the seller to do so.

Orville and Wilbur Wright checks should be from The Winters National Bank (& Trust Co.), The City National Bank (and Trust Company), The Union Trust, or the Fourth National Bank, and Farmers and Merchants Bank, all from Dayton Ohio. Again, know the history before making the purchase. 

For more on Wright Brother checks, including examples of non-genuine Wright Brother checks, see my post

Gleaning the History from Wright Brother Checks- Their Styles and Values

Orville and Charlie Taylor at Ft. Myer- This item was offered at auction on E-bay, with starting bid at $1800, with sellers estimate at $2500 to $3500. The photo was initially identified as Orville and Wilbur Wright at Simms Station. I contacted the seller with the information that this was in fact Orville Wright and Charlie Taylor at Ft. Myer. They thanked me, and indicated that someone else had also just sent them this correct identification. What threw them initially was that this press photo had a stamp on the back with the names Orville and Wilbur Wright. I have found that press photos occasionally have incorrect identification written on the back side as was in this case. A neat photo. The photo was eventually withdrawn.

Photo of Charlie Taylor and Orville Wright at Ft Myer, 1909.

Compare the above photo to two photos below as shown on page 188 of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum "The Wright Brothers and the invention of the aerial age" by Tom Crouch and Peter Jakab, 2003.

This picture is identified as "Wilbur greets old friend Charlie Taylor" at Fort Myer, 1909. Compare Charlie here to the picture above, and notice he is holding his jacket in the same arm when facing Orville. The photos were likely taken just minutes apart.

This photo is identified as at Ft. Myer, 1909, pg 188 of "The Wright Brothers" Crouch & Jakab book. Compare the hangar doors on the ground, ground features, and tree line in background to the picture above identified as at Simms Station. These photos were clearly taken at the same location, Ft. Myer.

I have seen numerous press photos with the wrong identification written on the back of the photo. Again, from the sellers description, it's not that they are trying to be deceptive, its just that they don't know what they have. Why would they doubt the information? I purchased the photo below identified as of the Langely Aerodrome, but as my knowledge in this area increased, I realized that this was in fact a photo of Henri Fabre in 1910. The confusion is understandable, as there are some similarities to this design and the Langely machine after Glen Curtiss altered it by adding pontoons such that it could be launched from the water surface in 1914.

This is a press photo of Henri Fabre incorrectly identified as the Langley Aeroplane. Henri Fabre is the inventor of the first seaplane to fly, March 28, 1910. 

Back side of the above picture of Henri Fabre. This press photo is identified as the Langley Aeroplane, and mentions " Langley, Samuel P. (1834-1906) US physicist, inventor, aeronautics pioneer; built early heavier-than-air craft" This photo has nothing to do with Samuel Langley or the Langley Aerodrome, and likely appeared in a number of newspaper articles incorrectly identifying it as such.

This next press photo is of Orville Wright at Kitty Hawk in 1911, where Orville conducted gliding experiments from October 10th through October 30th. Lorin Wright and nephew Horace joined him, as did Alexander Ogilvie. On October 24th, Orville soared for 9 minutes, 45 seconds, setting a world record that would stand for 10 years. Wilbur did not attend this visit to Kitty Hawk, yet he is identified as being the man standing next to Orville in the next press photo.(4)

Press photo incorrectly identifying man next to Orville Wright as Wilbur Wright. "This photograph from an original negative shows Orville Wright, left, with the late Wilbur Wright. Studying air conditions at Kitty Hawk, N.C." This photo is from October 1911 when Orville was experimenting with a motor-less glider. Wilbur Wright was not present.

Group Photograph, October 1911, Kitty Hawk N.C. courtesy of Wright State University MS-1 Wright Brothers Photograph Collection. "Seated, L to R, Horace Wright, Orville Wright, and Alexander Ogilvie. Standing, L to R, Lorin Wright, Van Ness Harwood, not identified, Arnold Krockman, not identified, and John Mitchell." Likely the man in the previous press photo adjacent to Orville Wright is Van Ness Harwood.

Another press photo shown here of Orville Wright in October of 1911 at Kitty Hawk performing gliding experiments. This photo is misidentified as of Orville Wright's 1903 flight.

Rear of photo above. This 1911 photo was printed in this news article in December of 1934 as showing Orville Wright's first flight from 1903. The paper reported "In 1903, Orville Wright...took off in this forerunner of the modern airplane on one of the first successful flights in a heavier-than-air craft. The flight pictured here was historic and caused wide comment, much of it skeptical."

It is unfortunate that there is such a vast amount of forged Wright Brother collectables on the market. My suggestion would be to avoid all signed postcards, envelopes, paper scraps, and photos unless they are accompanied by a COA from one of the recommended authentication services. Otherwise, I'd estimate your chances of buying a forgery are in the 80% range.
Also unfortunate, is that so many of these forgeries can be identified as fake in seconds. I can spot most immediately. I could explain in detail how this is possible, but that information in the forger's hand would simply be a tool for him or her to improve their "craft".(6)


In Summary-
Know your history, and understand that just because an item is labeled or certified, doesn't guarantee the information is correct.

Additional sources-
The FBI Operation Bullpen


Notes-
1. (2/3/18) Forged Orville and Wilbur Wright signatures are common place and I see them offered for sale every day. And they sell. And they are often then relisted and resold at a higher price. I have observed that one forger is responsible for a vast number of fake Orville Wright signed items. This is evident in that when these items are compared, the signature is noticeably in the same hand, but unfortunately, not Orville's hand. I was recently asked by a potential buyer to offer an opinion on one of these forged Orville Wright items. The seller had listed this item for $3000, and was under the belief that the item was genuine. This seller had a dozen or so other Wright Brother items for sale, all genuine, such that I'm convinced this seller was innocently offering an item he thought was genuine. He agreed to send the item to PSA/DNA for certification. PSA/DNA determined the item was not genuine. The sale listing was immediately removed from E-bay. A good lesson that even reputable dealers can be duped.

2. (2/3/18) As I find time, I hope to research the B.B. Lipsner covers and provide more information. These were prepared and signed by Lipsner. There is no indication that these were produced with the intention for Orville Wright to sign them. Lipsner's name is printed on these envelopes, and he signed his name above his printed name. There is no such similar arrangement for Orville. His name is not printed, but simply listed as "Wright Brothers", one section of two columns with the names of 19 other aviation notables. The back side of the envelope is stamped "This is to certify as a member and guest of the International Civil Aeronautics Conference, called by President Calvin Coolidge, to mark the first quarter century of human flight; I accompanied Hon. Orville Wright from Washington, D.C. to Kill Devil Hill, N.C.. On the entire pilgrimage I carried this commemorative cover and finally mailed it personally at the place and on the date as postmarked" (Signed) B. B. Lipsner. No where is it mentioned that Orville Wright also signed the cover.

4.  (5/3/19) Those accompanying Orville as recorded in Wilbur & Orville Wright  A Reissue of A Chronology Commemorating the Hundredth Anniversary of the Birth of Orville Wright August 19, 1871- by Arthur George Renstrom. Also confirmed from Milton Wright diaries, October 1911, and WSU Core Scholar photos.

5. (12/23/19) A majority of the forged signatures are easily identifiable if you know what to look for. Unfortunately many collectors don't know what to look for, and these fakes continue to sell.



Copyright 2021-Getting the Story Wright

Related Posts-

Gleaning the History from Wright Brother Checks- Their styles and values.

Value of Historical Items Associated with the Wright Brothers

The 1903 Wright Flyer Fabric and Wood Remnants 

Collecting Historical Items Associated with the Wright Brothers

Collecting Letters of Orville Wright- Their Historical Content and Values

Collecting Letters of Wilbur Wright- Their Historical Content and Values 

 

Collecting First Flight Photos Signed by Orville Wright

 

Collecting Pilot Licenses Signed by Orville Wright   

The Wright Brother 1903 Western Union and Postal Telegraph Telegrams

 
Index of Topics 

Orville Wright- A Genuine Friend

(Revised December 4, 2023) Orville Wright has at times been portrayed in a negative light and therefore treated rather unfairly by certain authors. One such example can be found in Lawrence Goldstone's book "Birdmen- The Wright Brothers, Glenn Curtiss, and the Battle to Control the Skies", 2014. The author writes in the Epilogue:
"For all his achievements and notoriety, it is difficult to view Orville Wright as anything but a sad and lonely man who never found his calling- and perhaps never sought it- and who died without ever making one genuine friend."
Why Lawrence Goldstone would write such a statement when the facts clearly show otherwise, I'll leave that for him to explain.

One of Orville Wright's genuine friends was Colonel Edward A. Deeds. In the book "Colonel Deeds Industrial Builder" by Isaac F Marcosson, 1947, Marcosson wrote "One of the closest friendships in the Colonel's life is for Orville Wright, his famous fellow Daytonian...Their kinship has ripened with the years."

Orville Wright and E. A. Deeds, good friends. (Carillon Historical Park)

As reported in the NCR Factory News, February-March 1948 issue, Colonel Deeds said, "In the passing of Orville Wright, the world has lost one of its great men, one whose contribution to its progress we have only begun to measure. It was our privilege to know him as a fellow citizen of our city, but he was no less a citizen of the world. Modest and capable, he was equally at home in the highest circles or in the workshop which has always been a part of his life.
I have known Orville Wright intimately for many years. He was one of my closest friends and his passing is a deep personal loss. There are no words which would adequately picture either the character or the achievement of this man who, from the most humble beginning, rose to world eminence."

NCR Factory News, Feb/March 1948. "He was one of my closest friends...."(3)

From "Wright Reminiscences", compiled by Ivonette Wright Miller, Colonel Deeds stated "I treasure Orville's friendship highly. He is one of those great men who remain unspoiled by adulation. He is witty and has a keen sense of humor. While he never makes a public speech, he is an interesting and entertaining conversationalist, especially if the subject is a scientific one."

Press photo of Orville Wright and Colonel Deeds, August 19, 1940, during the dedication of the Wright Memorial at Wright Brothers Hill, Wright Patterson AFB. Orville was presented honorary pilot's license No. 1, now hanging at the Engineer's Club in Dayton.(3)

Colonel Deeds wrote the following letter to the President of the Diamond Chain Company, Guy A. Wainwright, 6 months after Orville Wright's death. The letter concerns restoration of the 1905 Wright Flyer III. The Diamond Chain Company provided chains for the original construction of the Wright Flyers, and was therefore also involved in supplying chains for the restoration. This will be a subject of another post, but note that Deeds writes "...Mr. Orville Wright who I was privileged to know as a close and cherished friend."

Portion of July 29, 1948 letter from Edward A. Deeds to Guy A. Wainwright discussing the construction of Carillon Park in Dayton Ohio, and the restoration of the 1905 Wright Flyer III. "Orville Wright....a close and cherished friend."(3)

Orville and life long friend Charles Kettering. From the Dayton Journal, January 31, 1948.(3)

Rosamond Young and Catharine Fitzgerald in "Twelve Seconds to the Moon", 1983, wrote:
"Edward Deeds, Charles F. Kettering, and Orville often spent evenings together. After dining, they sat around spinning yarns. One of the men said he had heard it was a good idea to lie down after a heavy meal. Deeds and Kettering discussed the matter for some time, finally deciding that it was not a good idea because blood circulation needed for digestion slows down during a nap. Then Orville, who had said nothing, remarked, 'If what you fellows say is true, there must be a lot of sick dogs in the world.'"

Charles Kettering said of Orville, "We were quite good friends and talked a lot about aviation development. He was a very, very sound thinker on matters of engineering and mechanics."(5)

From "Wright Reminiscences", Orville's dentist of 24 years, Dr. Theodore E. Lilly wrote:
"With his passing, I felt a tremendous loss. We had become good friends through the many years of physical closeness and personality rapport."

 
Orville's cousin Jay R. Petree:
"Only his immediate family and the few close friends would ever see and love that fine inner self that he reserved for the few. From that time, our friendship grew and became a deeply moving experience for me and, later, for my wife and family."
 

Robert Hadeler in "Wright Reminiscences", tells of Orville's Lambert Island property on the Georgian Bay in Canada. Robert had a summer job helping with chores there from 1928 through 1932. Robert wrote "O.W. appeared to be shy, retiring and diffident in public places. He was not at all unsure of what he wanted and thought, but he was not aggressive or forward. He was always extremely polite and thoughtful. In private conversation he was interesting and really quite a talker....Usually during the summer we would visit the Williams who had the cottage on an island several miles away....Also, the McKenzies who had an island nearby would some years invite O.W. over for a visit...Mostly our visitors were O.W.'s nieces and nephews and their families....Lorin's children, Milton (and wife and two young boys), Bus Wright (and wife) and Ivonette Wright Miller (and husband)....his brother Reuchlin's daughter, Mrs. Russel, and her three children...The island had lots of blueberries which I would pick and O.W. would make wonderful pies....
Another visitor came over from England each year to visit O.W. He was Griffith Brewer, the first Englishman to fly or at least a ballooning and aviation enthusiast...His visits were always eagerly anticipated as were those of the other guests."

"Orville Wright smiles from his sleeping bag during a western camping trip with Edward and Edith Deeds"- Carillon Historical Park Archives

Fred Howard wrote in "Wilbur and Orville", 1987, "But the protective coloration that enabled Orville to disappear into the background in public did not extend to his private life. He was anything but shy with relatives and friends, willing at the drop of a hat to express an opinion on issues of the day that interested him...Among family and friends, Orville had a reputation as a tease and a practical joker."

Frederick J. Hooven wrote "Longitudinal Dynamics of the Wright Brothers' Early Flyers", as recorded in The Wright Flyer, edited by Howard S. Wolko, 1987. Fredrick wrote "As a schoolboy of 15...(the year 1920) I became a designer of a machine that was being built by a group of schoolmates. Orville Wright was a trustee of our school and it seemed sensible to talk to him about our design. He received us with the same grave courtesy he would have accorded any visiting group, and talked to us in grownup terms. We were charmed, and went back to see him many times. He loaned us a little fixture he had made to shape wing sections of wax, and we made wings and tested them in his wind tunnel. He clearly enjoyed our visits and was never too busy to see us, and we loved him....He had a wonderful sense of humor and was very sharp witted.
Alone of that group I went back to see him many times during the later years and we were good friends until he died in 1948."

Wilbur and Orville were brothers, but they were more than that, they were great friends.
Wilbur Wright, 1912- "From the time we were little children my brother Orville and myself lived together. We usually owned all of our toys in the common, talked over our thoughts and aspirations so that nearly everything that was done in our lives has been the result of conversations, suggestions and discussions between us."
Orville and his brother Lorin were also good friends.

In "The Bishop's Boys", Tom Crouch wrote "Fred C. Kelly ...had first met Orville as a young reporter...Kelly had actually been working as a newsman in Xenia at the time of the flights at Huffman Prairie in 1904-05, although he did not then know the Wrights. A free-lance writer and columnist, he published his first interview with Orville, 'Flying Machines and the War,' in the July 5, 1915, issue of Collier's. Kelly's sense of humor and way with words impressed Orville, and the two became fast friends. Over the years, Kelly would publish one article after another, many of them humorous, based on interviews and comments from the inventor of the airplane."
Fred Kelly wrote "The Wright Brothers: A Biography Authorized by Orville Wright", 1943.

Levitt Luzern Custer (as indicated in WSU MS-302) "was a Dayton-area aviator and inventor, and an associate of Orville Wright. During his lifetime he engaged in pioneering balloon experiments, served as an official timer for flight trials, collaborated with Orville Wright on various projects, and invented a wide range of mechanical machines from the statoscope to amusement park rides." Luzern had this to say concerning Orville, "My acquaintanceship with Orville Wright dates back to the days when he and his brother, Wilbur, operated their bicycle shop on W. Third St. He was one of my closest, personal friends and I had the highest respect for him. In his passing, I feel a keen personal loss. The world will yet come to a fuller appreciation of Orville Wright."(Dayton Daily News, January 31, 1948)

Paul E. Ackerman- "As a personal friend......it was my pleasure to accompany Orville Wright to the birthday celebration of Charles Kettering at Loudonville....You may be surprised to know that Mr. Wright himself drove me to Loudonville, and since we were the only occupants of the car, there were related to me by Mr. Wright many incidents and plans, purely personal, which had not been related to anyone else. On the return trip from Loudonville, Orville Wright became the passenger, during which time he engaged me in conversation constantly. He was a good friend who enjoyed and respected friendships." (The Dayton Herald, February 7, 1948, Rotary Club Speakers Pay High Tribute to Memory of Member, Orville Wright)

Frank D. Slutz- "I have cherished Orville Wright's friendship for many years. He has been an inspiration to me time and time again and was one of the men who was responsible for my coming to Dayton....One of the most gracious things about him was his ability to make his friends acquainted with each other. Many times he invited me to his home to meet the world renowned personages who were visiting him. He was willing to remain in the background, gaining his pleasure in the enjoyment of his guests. He was gracious beyond explanation...If I were to phrase my impression of Orville Wright, I would say, 'Quiet dignity is the badge of his spirit' ". (The Dayton Herald, February 7, 1948)



In December of 1933, during the 30th anniversary of first flight celebration, Col. Deeds said the following, "After we live a life, we have three or four or maybe five genuine, reliable friends. That's all of that type we can get out of life and I place Orville second on my list of such friends with Charles Kettering first." (4)

 
I could go on and mention more of Orville's friends, but I think I've made my point.

For more of Orville Wright, the "sad and lonely man", check out "Orville Wright's Sense of Humor" 

Index of Topics 

 
Copyright 2021-Getting the Story Wright  

Notes-
1. Revised January 26, 2016, letter of E.A. Deeds added.
2. Revised July 20, 2018, quotes italicized.
3. From Author's collection.
4. Dayton Daily News Dec 19, 1933, "Plane is Greatest Gift to National Defense, Says Pratt"
5. The Dayton Herald Jan 31, 1948. "Kettering Asserts Wright's Worth Never Fully Appreciated by City."

Getting the Story Wright- "Trust but Verify"

(Updated December 29, 2020)

Much research is required in writing a book about the Wright Brothers, and the odds are against the author in producing an absolute error free manuscript.(1) Sometimes the errors are simply typographical, but other times, the facts are just simply incorrect. Ideally, any errors missed during the editing process will come to light after the first printing, and corrections perhaps made in later editions.(2) I've read over 125 books on the Wright Brothers, and have often come across a passage that contradicts another author's writing, or I know does not agree with an original source of information. These can be very minor points, such as a date being incorrect by a year or two, or the errors can be major factual blunders. To begin with, the following are examples of errors I have come across from David McCullough's "The Wright Brothers", published 2015. These are minor factual points, but I offer them up as an example that even amongst the best authors and best titles, as readers, we need to "trust but verify".

David McCullough writes in Chapter Six, "Out at Huffman Prairie", the year is 1904, and the Wrights have designed a catapult "Its components consisted of a 20-foot tent-shaped tower, or derrick. Made with four wooden poles, it looked like a drilling rig. At the apex, over a pulley, hung by a single rope metal weights totaling as much as 1,600 pounds.....With a team of horses the brothers would haul the weights up to the top of the derrick. Then, when all was ready, the pilot would release the rope, the weights would drop, the machine would be pulled rapidly down to the end of the track, then shoot into the air..."

The next paragraph appears to get the facts wrong-

"On September 7, with scarcely any wind, Wilbur tested the new catapult for the first time, starting with only 200 pounds of weights. By day's end, having added another 400 pounds, he could take off with no difficulties and flew longer distances than ever..."
This error here is that the Wrights actually started with 600 pounds, and added 200 pounds, and then another 200 pounds. 

Catapult and Hangar reproduction as displayed at Huffman Prairie, Wright Patterson AFB, Dayton, Ohio.

James Tobin, in his book "To Conquer the Air", Chapter Eight, "What Hath God Wrought?", page 210, correctly states the following-

" With Kate and her friend Melba Stilliman watching, the brothers tried the catapult for the first time September 7, 1904. The wind was barely breathing. With 600 pounds of weight pulling it, the machine whizzed along the rail- nearly 100 yards in nine seconds- but it flew less than 150 feet. The brothers added 200 pounds to the weight and 'almost got a start'. They added 200 more pounds. Now Will shot forward and up, and stayed aloft for just over 2000 feet."

In a letter written by Orville Wright to John W. Wood, September 25, 1939, Orville offers corrections to a manuscript Wood has prepared, and writes the following-

" Page 3, under "Catapult": The weight used was generally either 1200 or 1400 pounds. I believe only one flight was made with a 600 pound weight." This one flight mentioned by Orville would correspond to the "less than 150 foot" flight mentioned by James Tobin, using a 600 lb weight. The additional flights that September 7th were made with 1000 pounds of weight, as written by Tobin, not just 600 pounds as written by McCullough.(3)

Next, David McCullough, in "The Wright Brothers", pg 127, states the following-

"On the afternoon of October 5, 1905, before more than a dozen witnesses, Wilbur circled the pasture 29 times, landing only when his gas ran out....By the time the experiments ended, the brothers had made 105 'starts' at Huffman Prairie and thought it time now to put their creation, Flyer III, on the market."

But then, on pg 128, McCullough writes
"By this time the brothers were routinely making controlled flights in their aircraft of 25 miles or more."
This sentence as written sounded very familiar. Searching my memory, I recalled I had seen this quote from Mark Bernstein's book "Wright Brother's Home Days Celebration, 1909", 2003, Chapter "The Welcome", pg 1, in which Mark wrote-
"By 1905, their aircraft was routinely making controlled flights of 25 miles or more."

This statement is incorrect. The last flight of October 5, 1905 by Wilbur Wright was 24 1/5 miles in length. One more flight of 970 meters was made October 16th. There were no more flights until 1908. There were no routine flights of 25 miles or more during this time. The flights were discontinued because the word was out that the Wrights were making substantial flights at Simms Station, and the brothers were concerned photographs and details of their Flyer would be made public.

As recorded by Wilbur Wright in his Diary, Thursday, October 5, 1905, "News of Oct 5th contained article; and Post of October 6th. Experiments discontinued for present."

From Aero Club of America, March 12, 1906 statement, flight lengths Huffman Prairie, 1905.

Next, on page 133, "The Wright Brothers", McCullough writes "On May 22, 1906, the patent applied for in 1903 was at last issued on the Wright Flying Machine, patent number 821,393, and through the rest of that spring and summer, preoccupation with a new engine for Flyer III went on, and flight tests continued at Huffman Prairie into the fall."
This perhaps should be worded differently. Flight tests were discontinued in 1905. Engine tests continued, but not flight tests.

Next, chapter Eight, "Triumph at Le Mans", pg 155, McCullough writes about the Wrights returning to Kill Devil Hills in 1908, "Though he had been forewarned that the camp at Kill Devil Hills was in shambles, what Wilbur found was worse than he had imagined. Of the original building, only the sides still stood. The new building was gone, carried off by violent storms or vandals.....Walking among the ruins he kept turning up pieces and parts of the 1901, 1902, and 1903 machines."
The error here, is the mention of the 1903 machine. The 1903 machine (the Wright Flyer) had been crated and sent back to Dayton Ohio, late December 1903. The glider that was used for practice in 1903 was the 1902 glider that had been left behind in 1902. There was no 1903 machine at Kill Devil Hills in 1908 of which to find pieces and parts.

Within the first group of photos within the book, Steele High School and the Main street bridge is shown. David incorrectly identifies the photo as "The Third Street Bridge over the Miami River, with the towered Steele High School on the right..."

Again, these are minor errors within a 267 page book. "The Wright Brothers" is an enjoyable read. David McCullough's positive portrayal of the brothers is refreshing and his book is welcomed as a defender of the Wright Brother's accomplishments.

Another enjoyable read is "Gentleman Amateurs- An Appreciation of Wilbur and Orville Wright" by Mark Bernstein. The pictures depicted throughout this book are a pleasure to view, as they are often full page, or spread across two pages. There are a number of quotes given however that could use correction or clarification, and those are offered here.

Under the section "The Bishop and His Lady", we read "In the mid-1800's Susan contracted tuberculosis, which is a slow death. Hers came on July 4, 1889. Wilbur was 22; Orville, 18. Milton wrote in his diary, "And thus went out the life of my home." Milton actually wrote "And thus went out the light of my home."

In section "A Propeller is a Spinning Wing", we read "Wilbur later wrote: 'Nothing about a propeller, or the medium in which it acts, stand still for a moment. The thrust depends upon the speed and the angle at which the blade strikes the air, the angle at which the blade strikes the air depends upon the speed at which the propeller is turning, the speed at which the machine is traveling forward, and the speed at which the air is slipping backward; (while) the slip of the air backward depends upon the thrust exerted by the propeller, and the amount of air acted upon. When any of these changes, it changes all the rest.'" This was actually written by Orville, not Wilbur, as discussed in McFarland's The Papers of Wilbur and Orville Wright, Vol 1, The Wright Propellers, page 596, quoted from Orville's 1913 Flying article.

In section "A Team No Longer", we read "Wilbur died early on May 30, aged 45.......Wilbur had several months earlier provided a sort of epitaph for himself. In a letter to Octave Chanute, he wrote:
"If there be a domineering, tyrant thought, it is the conception that the problem of flight may be solved by man. When once this idea has invaded the brain, it possesses it exclusively. It is then a haunting thought, a walking nightmare, impossible to cast off. If we now consider the pitying contempt with which such a line of research is appreciated, we may somewhat conceive the unhappy lot of the investigator whose soul is thus possessed." Wilbur died in 1912, and Octave Chanute died in 1910, so obviously, Wilbur did not write this in a letter several months prior to his death to Chanute. The quote was written by Louis Pierre Mouillard in his 1881 book "The Empire of the Air". Wilbur quoted Mouillard in an article published by Literary Digest April 27, 1912.

Page 234-235 of Gentleman Amateurs depicts a biplane passing through Tower Bridge, titled "The old meets the new"- In 1912, a Wright airplane made a demonstration flight in London, including a pass through Tower Bridge."  The picture however does not show a Wright biplane, but instead shows Frank McClean in a modified Short seaplane.

I'll add to this post over time with other examples.  
 


Notes:
(1) My intent in writing this post is two fold. First to point out that errors do exist in many of the historical books we read, and that given, we need to be watchful, and careful not to repeat any error. Second intent, is to simply correct the history.

(2) For the errors I mention, I don't know if corrections have been made in later editions. I am simply using the edition within my own library collection.

(3)  McFarland "The Papers of Wilbur and Orville Wright" as recorded in Wilbur Wright's Diary, 1904-1905, pages 13-17, Wednesday, September 7, 1904-

Derrick. Drop 16 1/2 (ft). Geared 3:1 = 50ft. Wind about 2 mi. 

(40.) 1st trial. Wt. 600 lb. Distance 136 ft. Time 6 sec. Slowed and stopped. 89 meters (in) 9 sec.

(41.) 2nd trial. Wt. 800 lb. Distance 200 ft. Time 7 sec. Wind about 2 mi. Almost got a start. 

(42.) 3rd trial. W.W. 1000 lbs. On track 77 ft. 2 4/5 sec. Distance 1,360 ft. Time 37 sec....K. W. & Melba S(illiman) (present).

Friday, September 9, 1904

(43.) Wt. 1,200 lbs.....

(44.) W.W. Wt. 1200 (lbs)....

Tuesday, September 13, 1904

Wt. 1,200 lbs., &c.

Wednesday, September 14, 1904

1,200 lb. wt.

Monday, September 26, 1904

(54.) 2nd flight. O.W. 1,400 lbs.....

Copyright 2021-Getting the Story Wright

For David McCullough's Miniseries parody script, see "Tom Hanks and the Wright Brothers Miniseries"

Also check out "American Genius- Wright Brothers vs. Curtiss- The True Story"

Index of Topics