The Wright Brothers by Pulitzer Prize winner David McCullough
“We couldn’t help thinking they were just a pair of poor nuts. They’d stay on the beach for hours at a time just looking at the gulls flying, soaring, dipping.”
This way the Wright brothers are being described by a citizen of Kitty Hawk, the small town where they not only watch birds to understand the mechanisms of flying, but also test their flying machines year after year.
Not having any college eduacation, no technical training, no financial support or subsidaries, the Wright brothers – fascinated by birds and the growing interest in aeronautics during their time – start their own calculations and constructions in their bicycle store in Ohio. Much information is available from pinoeers such as Lilienthal and Chanute, but the brothers are setting off with their own ideas. Based on their own experiments at Kitty Hawk, the brothers start to doubt other publications more and more and finally start to “crack the codes of aeronautics themselves”. A small wind tunnel is set up in their bicycle store (another innovative thing of the days they jump on) in which they test 38 wing surfaces in nearly 2 months. In 1902 they manage flights of around 200 ft and conclude they got the general construction right and now only miss a motor. Together with the local mechanics Charlie Taylor who was to become a steady member in their team eventually a 4 cylinder motor is built delivering 12 horsepower. But soon as this is fixed, the design of propellers needs to be understood. Again months of investigations and discussions follow, until finally on 17.12.1903 Wilbur manages the very first flight lasting 12 second covering 120 feet. Not enough time to even start being scared, as he later recalls. From here on, flying times and distances are growing – always carefully evaluated to improve not only constructions but also their own piloting techniques.
However, the brothers still operated at the remote Kitty Hawk beach, the location they thought suitable for soft grounds and steady winds while others are subsidized heavily and work in focus of public and newspapers. To reduce costs future tests have been moved to fields outside their hometown Dayton during summer and autumn 1905 where finally friends, family and citizens are able to see them flying a powered machine in a controlled way. Still not acknowledged by the American institutes, the Wrights turn to French connections and on 08.08.1908 at the Le Mans racetrack, Wilbur Wright is not only flying, but also turning his Flyer III for more than 2 miles in nearly 2 minutes in front of interested public and journalists. From here on, the fame of the the brothers begins with record breaking achievements of Wilbur in Europe and Orville back in the US. The two moderate sons of a bishop are the centre of attention everywhere and after years of financial struggle face attention and goodwill of nobilty, kings and the general public.
The book describes their ways impressively and detailed without getting boring along the read. Not only do we learn about their characters, but also about their struggles of understanding the basics of flying so normal for us today. As the story includes many diary entries, parts of letters being send forth and back between the brothers, their sister and father as well as newspaper clippings and photos, it is a great read with personal insights as well. You feel part of the excitement of the days and struggle along with Orville and Wilbur when they suddenly are thrown into their fame when all they really want to do is fly and improve their constructions. A book well worth reading for historic background, technical understanding as well as for the social and personal picture is gives of times and people involved.
ISBN 978-1-4767-2875-9