Famous Flyers and Their Famous Flights Page 3

  CHAPTER III--The Wright Brothers

  The Captain had first to fill his pipe, and stretch his legs before hebegan his story.

  "Of course," he said, "we can't really say that the Wrights were thefirst men to fly, or to build a machine that would fly. Even in themiddle ages Leonardo da Vinci drew up plans for a flying machine. Justbefore the Wright's experiment Langley had stayed up in the air in amachine invented and built by himself. If he had not died at sounfortunate a period in his experimental life, perhaps he might havebeen the inventor of the airplane.

  "The Wrights invented the airplane in the same degree that Thomas Edisoninvented the electric light. Men had experimented with both inventionsfor many years. But it took the genius of the Wrights, the genius of anEdison to bring together these experiments, to think through logicallyjust wherein they were right and where they were wrong, and to add thebrilliant deductions that brought their experiments to a practical andsuccessful end. Edison's discovery was dependent upon the finding of theproper filament for his bulb; the Wrights' success hinged upon theirdiscovery of the warped wing, which gave them control over their plane.

  "The fact that the Wrights were not the first to fly does not detractfrom the thing that they actually did. At the time that they were makingtheir first flying machine, any man who tampered with the subject offlying through the air was looked upon as crazy. And this was not morethan a quarter of a century ago. Seems funny, doesn't it? But they werenot to be discouraged. They knew that they were right, and they wentahead. They had many set-backs. Their planes were wrecked. What did theydo? They just built them over again, and were glad that they had learnedof some new defect that they could re-design and correct.

  "You notice that I always talk of 'the Wrights' as though they were oneperson; everybody does. In fact, they almost were one person. They werealways together; lived together, played together, although they didn'tplay much, being a serious pair, and worked together. They neverquarreled, never showed any jealousy of each other, never claimed thelion's share of praise in the invention. They were just 'the Wrights,'quiet, retiring men, who did much and talked little.

  "From early childhood it was the same. Wilbur Wright, the elder of thetwo, was born in Milville, Indiana, and lived there until he was threeyears old with his parents, Milton Wright, bishop of the United BrethrenChurch, and Susan Katherine Wright. In 1870 the family moved to Dayton,Ohio, and in 1871 Orville Wright was born. From a very early age the twowere drawn to each other. Their minds and desires were similar.

  "When Wilbur decided that he would rather go to work after beinggraduated from High School, Orville decided that he, too, would give uphis formal education, and devote himself to mechanics.

  "They were born mechanics, always building miniature machines thatactually worked. They did not stop studying, but took to readingscientific works that were of more help to them than formal education.In this way they learned printing, and built themselves a printing pressout of odds and ends that they assembled. On this they began to publisha little newspaper, but they gave this up when another opportunitypresented itself.

  "Bicycles were coming in at that time, and the Wright brothers set up alittle shop to repair them. From the repair shop they developed afactory in which they manufactured bicycles themselves. Their businesswas very successful, and they were looked upon as young men who werelikely to get along in the world. This was in 1896.

  "That year Otto Lilienthal, a famous German experimenter, was killed inhis glider, just at the peak of his career. Wilbur read an account ofhis death in the newspaper, and discussed it with his brother. The eventrenewed the interest that they had always had in flying, and they setabout studying all of the books that they could find on the problem offlight. They soon exhausted all that they could get, and decided thattheir groundwork had been laid. From then on their work was practical,and they discovered principles that had never been written, and whichresulted in the first flight.

  "The first things that they built were kites, and then gliders that wereflown as kites. The Wrights were after the secret of the birds' flight,and felt that they could apply it to man's flight. Their next step wasthe construction of a real glider. But the country around Dayton was notfavorable for flying their craft. They wrote to the United Statesgovernment to find a region that had conditions favorable to theirgliding. That is how the obscure Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, came to bethe famous place that it is. It happened to have just south of it threehills, Kill Devil Hill, Little Hill, and West Hill. Between the hillswas soft drifting sand, that would provide a better landing place thanhard earth in case of a spill. The winds were steady and moderate.

  "To Kitty Hawk the Wrights went. Here they glided to their heart'scontent, until they decided that they had learned to control theirflights, and were ready to build a plane with power. They went back toDayton in 1902. They designed and supervised the building of the motorthemselves, one that would generate twelve horsepower. Satisfied, theyset out once more for Kitty Hawk, with the motor and parts of theirplane carefully stowed away.

  "They got down there in the early autumn, but found so many difficultiesto overcome, that they could not make the first tests until December. Inthe first place, they discovered that a storm had blown away thebuilding which they had built to work in when they first got to KittyHawk. However, everything was at last ready, the weather favorable, andthe plane was hauled up Kill Devil Hill, and guided toward the singletrack of planks that had been laid down the hill.

  "Who was going to get the first chance to pilot the plane? Who was goingto be the first man to fly? Orville insisted that Wilbur be the one;Wilbur insisted that Orville should be the first. They decided it byflipping a coin. Wilbur won. He got into the plane, unfastened the wirethat held the plane to the track, and started down. He ended in a heapat the bottom of the hill, uninjured, but with several parts of theplane damaged.

  "The Wrights were nothing daunted. They repaired the plane as quickly aspossible, and on December 17, they were ready for the second trial. Itwas Orville's turn, of course. He unloosened the wire; the plane starteddown the hill; at the end of a forty-foot run it rose into the air. Itkept on going, in a bumpy, irregular course, now swooping up, now divingdown, for 120 feet, then darted to earth. The flight had taken in alljust twelve seconds, but the Wrights had flown.

  "I suppose you've seen pictures of that first plane. It wasn't much morethan a box in shape, a biplane, with no cockpit at all, just the wingsheld together by struts, and a seat in the center for the pilot. A manhad to be tough to fly one of those planes. The wonder is that any ofthem escaped with their lives. They had to sit up there exposed to allthe elements, and pilot the clumsy planes. And yet they grew intoskilful and expert pilots, and could loop the loop and figure eight inthem! The Wrights themselves were excellent flyers. This seems onlynatural, with their natural born gift for mechanics. It was well thatthey were good flyers, because it was up to them to prove to the worldthat their craft was safe, and practical.

  "It was hard at first. People were skeptical as to whether the Wrightsreally had a ship that flew. Some of their tests were unsuccessful, andthey were laughed to scorn. However, France, who had been more advancedthan the United States in the matter of experimentation in flying,became interested in the new flying machine, and sent representativesover to the United States to inspect it. With the French approving ofit, the United States became more interested. The government offered aprize of $25,000, for anyone who would build a plane that would travel40 miles an hour, carry enough fuel and oil to cruise for 125 miles, andfly continuously for at least an hour, with two persons weighingtogether 350 pounds. The Wrights built such a machine, and thegovernment not only gave them the $25,000, but an additional $5,000besides.

  "In the meanwhile Wilbur Wright had gone to France, where heparticipated in many flights, and won the hearts of the French people bystaying in the air for an hour and a half. At the end of the year, 1908,he stayed in the air over two hours.

  "The Wri
ghts were showing what they could do. Flying became the rage.Society took it up, and traveled to the Wrights to see their planes. Butthe Wrights, no more impressed by this than they were by anything else,kept right on working. They were financed by a group of able financiersin the United States, and founded the Wright Aeroplane Company for themanufacture of planes, and they were content.

  "After 1909, their point proved, the Wrights did very little flying.They spent their time in engineering problems, making improvements onthe planes that they were designing and manufacturing.

  "They did some more experimenting with gliders, but this was in order toperfect the art of soaring.

  "In May, 1912, Wilbur Wright died, and broke up the famous partnershipthat had existed for so many years. Since his death his brother haslived quietly. He has not flown, and has acted as advisor to his companyas they turn out more and more modern planes. He is one man who haslived to see a thing that he started himself grow into a blessing tomankind. And if the airplane isn't that, I'd like to know what is."

  "I think so," said Bob.

  "Who are you to think so?" asked Bill, sitting up very suddenly.

  Bob was non-plussed for a moment, but then saw that his uncle wasjoking, and laughed. They were interrupted by the ringing of thedoorbell.

  "Well," said the Captain, "who could be out in weather like this?"

  They heard the front door open, voices, and then the closing of thedoor. In a short while the footsteps of Mrs. Martin sounded on thesteps, and she entered the library.

  "A telegram for you, Bill," she said, and handed it to him. "My, youthree look cozy up here. I suppose you've been yarning, haven't you?"She gave her brother a playful poke.

  Captain Bill, who had risen when his sister came in, offered his chairbefore he opened the telegram. "Join us, won't you, Sis?"

  His sister laughed. "I really can't go before I see what is in thetelegram," she said. "Of course, I suppose I should be polite andpretend not to be interested in it, but I am. We all are, aren't we,boys?"

  Bob and Hal grinned.

  "Well, then," said Bill, "I guess I'll have to see what's in it." Heopened the telegram, and glanced hurriedly over it. "Pat's landingtomorrow," he said. "He wants us to be out at the airport to see the_Marianne_ come in."

  "Hurray!" shouted Bob, and went into a war dance.

  His mother looked at him tolerantly. She was used to Bob's antics. "Whattime is Pat coming in?" she asked.

  "He didn't say. In fact, that's all he didn't say in this telegram. ButI guess he'll start out about dawn and get here around noon. Anyway,we'll be going down to the airport tomorrow morning to look around.We'll stay there until that Irishman rolls in."

  "What will you do about lunch?" asked the practical Mrs. Martin.

  "Why, we'll eat at the airport restaurant," said Bill. "Don't worryabout us, Sis."

  Mrs. Martin looked dubious. She glanced at Hal. She knew that Hal'smother liked to supervise her son's meals, and did not care to have himeat at strange places. Mrs. Martin felt that it would be a shame tospoil the expedition for such a trivial reason, so she said, "I have anidea. I'll pack a lunch for all of you tonight, and you can take it withyou tomorrow. How will that be? You can eat it anyplace around theairport. It'll be a regular picnic. There are some nice places aroundthe port that you can go to. How about that?"

  Bob answered for them. "That will be great. Gee, Bill, do you rememberthe picnic baskets that Mom can pack? We're in luck."

  "Do I remember?" said Bill. "How could I forget? You fellows had betterbe up pretty early tomorrow."

  "You bet we will, Captain," said Bob.

  Then Hal said, "I guess I'd better be going. My mother will be wonderingif I'm never coming home. I hope that I can come with you tomorrow."

  "Hope you can come with us? Why, of course you're coming with us. Wewon't go without you," Captain Bill said explosively.

  "I'll see," said Hal. "I'll ask Mother. Maybe she'll let me go. Butanyway, I'll let you know. I'll put up the flags in the workshop window.All right?"

  "Sure," said Bob, and walked out with Hal. He saw the boy to the door,and warned him again to be sure to come.

  When the two boys had left the room, Captain Bill turned to his sister."Say," he said, "do you think that Hal's mother really won't let himcome, or is the boy looking for a way out?"

  "Why, what do you mean?" asked Mrs. Martin.

  "Just this," said Bill, and puffed vigorously on his pipe. "I've beenwatching the boy, and I think that he's afraid."

  "Afraid of what?"

  "Afraid of actually going up in an airplane. I feel that a change hascome over him since there has been an actual chance of his learning tofly," explained the Captain.

  His sister looked pensive. "But he's always been so interested inflying. That's all the two of them ever talk about."

  "Perhaps. When there was no immediate chance of his going up in a plane.Now that there is, I think he'd like to back out."

  "There is his mother to consider, of course," said Mrs. Martin. "Shewould undoubtedly object very strenuously if he merely went to theairport. You must remember that he's all she has. She's always socareful of him."

  The Captain snorted. "Too careful," he said. "She's made the boy abundle of fears. Bob has helped him get over some of them, but I thinkthat they're cropping out now. It will be very bad for Hal if he funksthis. I think that it will hurt him a great deal. If he succeeds inovercoming his fears now for once and for all, if he learns to go up ina plane, even if he may never fly one himself, he will be a new boy.He'll never be afraid again. But one let-down now, and he will be setway back--even further back than when Bob first met him."

  "I think you're right, Bill," said his sister. "But what are we going todo about it?"

  The Captain shrugged his shoulders. "I think the best thing to do withthe boy is not to let him know that we know he's afraid. Treat him justas if he were the bravest lad in the world. I'll take care of that. ButI can't take care of his mother. I never was a lady's man," smiledCaptain Bill. "You'll have to attend to that."

  Mrs. Martin's brow wrinkled. "I think you've taken the easier task," shesaid with a wry smile. "I'd much rather teach a boy to overcome hisfears than teach a mother to overcome hers. But I'll try," she added,and hoped against hope for success.

  Bob burst into the room. "How about something to eat?" he said. "I'mstarved!"

  "As usual," said his mother. "I would like to hear you just oncecomplain about being not hungry."

  "All right, mother," said Bob. "If you want to hear me complain aboutthat, you just feed me a good dinner now, and I'll do my best tocomplain about being not hungry--after I finish it."

  "You're an impossible son," said his mother, but smiled fondly at him.She really didn't believe it.