The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1928-12-28
WRIGHT BROTHERS
FACED MANY TRY
ING OBSTACLES

The story of the Wright brothers
success is a narrative of perseverance
In the face of almost insurmountable
obstacles, revealing a brotherly at
tachment between Orville and Wilbur
remarkable in character as it was
marked by sacrifices they made not
Only Tor their great experiment, but
for each other.
For years the brothers had been in
terested in flight. Success of their
glider experiments in 1902 convinced
them of the efficiency of their sys-
tenn of maintaining equilibrium and
accuracy of their laboratory work on
which the design of the glider was
based. That year they began work on
the general design of a new machine
which they proposed to operate with
engine-driven propellers.
Many New Engineering Problems
They wrote automobile and engine
builders stating the purpose for which
they desired an engine. They wanted
one which would develop eight brake
horsepower, with maximum weight
of 200 pounds. None was available,
so the brothers decided to build one
themselves. Then came the study of
propellers. Eventually they had both
an engine and two propellers. The
engine was placed to one side of the
pilot so in case of a plunge headfirst
the engine could not fall on them.
Several times in their glider planes
they had landed upon one wing, but
the crashing of the wing had absorbed
the shock. To provide against the
machine rolling over forward in land
ing, they designed skids like sled run
ners, extending out in front of the
main surfaces.
In Stepember, 1908, the brothers
shipped the plane from Dayton to
Kill Devil Hill, N. c. Endless diff
culties ensued. The first run of the
motor developed flaws. Just as the
machine was ready for the test bad
weather set in. Monday, December
Ia, they got the machine up the hill.
A track was laid $50 feet up the side
of the hill on a nine degree slope.
The brothers tossed a coin to see who
would make the first trial. Wilbur
won and Orville took a position at one
of the wings, intending to help bal
ance the machine on the runway. At
ter a 40-foot run the machine lifted
from the rail, climbed few feet and
stalled, after being in the air three
seconds. Several parts were damag-
ed, but the brothers were not discour-
aged.
The Successful Flight
On December IT a biting cold wind,
blowing "a miles an hour, blew across
the level area chosen for the second
attempt. Wilbur, having used his
turn in the unsuccessful attempt on
the fourteenth, the right to the next
trial belonged to Orville. After run
ming the engine to heat it up, he re-
leased the wire which held the ma
chine to the track and the machine
started forward into thewind. Wilbur
ran at the side, holding the wing to
balance the craft. He stayed with it
for 40 feet when the machine lifted
from the ground.
The course of the flight up and
down wa crratic, due to irregularity
OF the ldIF 5Nld lack of experience in
handling The machine. The machine
would rise suddenly to about ten feet;
then as suddenly dart for the ground
A sudden dart to point 120 feet from
the point at which it rose into the
air, ended the flight. AS the wind We
locity was over 35 feet per seconC
and the speed of the machine over the
ground against the wind 10 feet PEI
second, the length of the flight wa
equivalent to $40 feet in calm air
This flight lasted only twelve seconds
but it was the first time in which
machine, carrying a man, had raise
itself by its own power into the air i
full flight, had sailed forward withou
reduction of speed, and had final
landed at point as high as that fror
which it started.
Wilbur and Orville were jubilan
They knew the engineering principle
were sound and they looked into til
future to see the day when mortal
would fly as the ancients had dreame
through the ages.