My favorite museum is the Curtiss Museum in Keuka Lake , one of the finger lakes in Central NY . Tons of early motorbikes, super early flying machines up to WWII aircraft plus tons of other inventions. Curtiss was a builder of bicycles, motorbikes and a motorbike racer that held a land speed record, made a v8 engine ...may have been the 1st to do this in the USA, a designer of ailerons , instead of making the actual wing bend ( Orville and Wilber's design). The aileron upgrade was critical in a truly controllable flight while Orville and Wilber were still gliding then crash landing. Curtiss was also the inventor of aircraft that could take off and land on water, he also had allot to to withe the first aircraft carrier and the tow behind camping trailer. This guy was ON all the time , just amazing. There is a large collection of early cycles , his and others. all kinds of aircraft engines... I just love that museum.
The surrounding area is all about wine , beer, the lake and a strange (to me) crop that farmers are growing. I don't know what this is. But it's pretty.
well, not entirely true.
The wright bros. are heroes of mine and your statement of roll control is not accurate.
First , the word "aileron" was a french word (little wing") first used in 1868 by Boulton as a means of lateral control. Since airplanes didn't exist, the concept was relegated to an afterthought.
The Wright Bros. were the first to understand that a successful, heavier-than-air machine would require control of 3 axis , not just of 2. They further understood that the machine could not be made overly stable as that would make precise control difficult. This was a mistake earlier inventors did not understand. There was a LOT these early inventors did not understand, which is why they failed.
Furthermore, in their patent they state how their aircraft is to be controlled and further stated that this control could be achieved by different mechanical devices but regardless, control required surface deflection of air in the horizontal, vertical, and lateral axis.
You can read the full patent, it's on line.
This post could go for pages, but to keep it as concise as possible:
Curtiss was a designer in his own right and as usual after someone first discovers and proves a concept, became an innovative designer, good for him.
However, due to his consistent patent infringement of the Wright Bros., and his refusal to pay license fees, they eventually had to sue in court.....They won, so enough said on that.
They eventually partnered. Curtiss-Wright.
Most people do not know, or forget, exactly what the Wright Bros are credited with accomplishing, what the dangers were, (people died trying to fly), and what is stated as their invention.
They were the first, heavier-than-air, sustained, CONTROLLED, flight , from a point equal to or lower than the end point.
Curtiss did not make the first seaplane.
and just for trivia.....when/where did the first all aluminum block engine show up in an aircraft.
we can start another thread.
