the french engines hp were superior to those the wright brothers claimed they built less than hp being more powerful the brothers used the same catapult the same extra boost as in in all their witnessed flights performed in in conclusion more powerful engines were logically not needed preceding unsigned comment added by correct they didn't need more powerful engines in but were probably glad to have them however your conclusion that therefore their statements about their previous flights are their own fiction is merely your own fanciful opinion to which you're entitled but which flies in the face of more than years of published information and yes the wb own documentary proof undisputed by all reputable historians the minute second flight you mentioned was wilbur's very first in france about a month later he flew minutes after orville had made hour long flights in the u s i base all my affirmations on primary sources and not latter judgements the so called reputed historians are just pro wright brothers propagandists who simply selected what they liked from primary sources and made up a nice story for the public disregarding all evidence that throws serious doubts regarding the claimed flights preceding unsigned comment added by interestingly the primary sources of which you're fond include voluminous amounts of documentation by the wb themselves of their work and their success try some affirmation based on that you're right though propaganda does existnot in the writings of respected historians but in misguided scribblings that sometimes show up on these pages there is mention of the seven french engines of here they are intended to be delivered as seven perfect copies of the model brought by the american aviator strange picture on dec w wright flew with the two propellers on the left side of the plane one of them not connected to the engine the picture labeled lc w see from the library of congress shows w wright just after he landed the plane on dec damaging the front rudder the canard double wing the flight was powered but the airplane landed below the altitude where it had taken off the strange thing about this picture is that the plane see one of the large size versions of the image has both propellers on its left side the leftmost propeller being not connected to the engine there is simply no logical explanation about this oddity there is simply no logical explanation about this oddity indeed a perfect description of the posts above and below i recommend an optometrist ok it was my mistake i was mislead by the optical illusion the image contains i should have studied the photography more carefully preceding unsigned comment added by the sec flight made on dec was a power assisted descending flight at best another pi