Transcript

The Wright Brothers | Fliers or Liars | American History Tellers | Podcast

From American History Tellers · Episode page · Watch on YouTube

· 41 min · 6,956 words · 43 timestamped sections

This is the full, timestamped transcript of "The Wright Brothers | Fliers or Liars | American History Tellers | Podcast", an episode of American History Tellers published January 8, 2025 (41 min, about 6,956 words). It mentions 14 people, works and ideas, including Orville Wright, Wilbur Wright, Kittyhawk, Charlie Taylor, Samuel Langley.

What this episode is about

The narrative explores the competitive atmosphere of early aviation in December 1903, highlighting the tension between the well-funded efforts of scientists like Samuel Langley and the emerging innovations of the Wright brothers, who were achieving success with homemade gliders. It contrasts Langley's ambitious yet ultimately unsuccessful flight attempt with the Wright brothers' grassroots experimentation and ingenuity, setting the stage for their monumental achievements in aviation history.

Key takeaways

  • Langley's Aerodrome flop proves that even well-funded science can crash while amateurs soar.
  • As winter ice looms, ambition sometimes weighs heavier than common sense—hello, cold water!
  • The Wright brothers turned a mechanic into a hero; sometimes, it takes a 'hired man' to lift dreams.
  • Public expectations can drown ambitions—just ask anyone who watched a $70,000 flying machine belly-flop.
  • While Langley floundered, the Wrights discovered that creativity often flourishes in garage workshops, not grand institutions.

Who speaks in this episode?

What is discussed, and when

  1. – 5:00: Curtis Wayne Wright, Kittyhawk, Samuel Langley, Smithsonian Institution
  2. – 10:00: Charlie Taylor, Kittyhawk, Samuel Langley, Katherine Wright
  3. – 15:00: Kittyhawk, Curtis Wayne Wright, Orville Wright, Wilbur Wright
  4. – 20:00: Charlie Taylor, Kittyhawk, Huffman Prairie, Orville Wright
  5. – 25:00: Huffman Prairie, Curtis Wayne Wright, Kittyhawk
  6. – 30:00: Huffman Prairie
  7. – 35:00: Curtis Wayne Wright, Wilbur Wright, Kittyhawk
  8. – 40:00: Orville Wright, Birdman

Notable quotes from "The Wright Brothers | Fliers or Liars | American History Tellers | Podcast"

  • Creating a self-propelled machine that could be controlled in the air by a pilot at Kittyhawk North Carolina Wilbur and Orville Wright had flown their gliders longer and…
    about Kittyhawk · at
  • Taylor who came to the right's rescue after they failed to find a suitable engine by offering to build a small four-cylinder engine from scratch using tools the brothers had…
    about Charlie Taylor · at
  • Friend and supporter octave shanut invited Wilbur to give a talk to the Western Society of Engineers Wilbur chose not to mention their work on a powered glider he wanted to…
    about Wilbur Wright · at
  • Too late at 10:35 a.m. on December 17th 1903 at Kittyhawk North Carolina Orville Wright pulled a rope that released the machine named flyer down at 60-ft launch track Wilbur held the end of One Wing and ran alongside his brother keeping.
    about Orville Wright · at
  • Wright received the telegram from his sons and showed it to his daughter Katherine they were so excited they rushed to send their own telegram to octave shenut meanwhile a…
    about octave shenut · at
  • Propellers they decided they no longer needed the Sandy slopes and Gusty Winds of Kittyhawk instead they set out to find a flat open testing ground closer to home and soon…
    about Huffman Prairie · at
  • Public before large crowds French Brazilian Aviator Alberto Santos deal had given public demonstrations making short Hops and one 700 foot long flight outside Paris becoming an…
    about Alberto Santos-Dumont · at
  • Flyer was in good enough shape to be moved in the middle of the night to avoid any press attention ble helped Wilbur tow the aircraft to a racetrack 5 miles outside the town of…
    about Lal · at

Who and what is mentioned in this episode?

People

  • Orville Wright — Person · Co-protagonist; pilot/inventor referenced in key milestones · 5 mentions · first at
    Depicted as first pilot on Dec 17, 1903; later involved in patents, business negotiations, and U.S. military demonstration preparations.
  • Wilbur Wright — Person · Co-protagonist; lead demonstrator in Europe · 3 mentions · first at
    Key to the episode’s arc about skepticism and proof: he withholds details pre-patent, then performs public demonstrations in France that convince European observers.
  • Charlie Taylor — Person · Referenced key collaborator (mechanic/engine builder) · 6 mentions · first at
    Credited with building the lightweight gasoline engine enabling the 1903 Flyer and later engines; also manages the bicycle shop as the brothers pivot to aviation.
  • Samuel Langley — Person · Referenced competitor; cautionary foil · 4 mentions · first at
    His well-funded Aerodrome failures contrast with the Wrights’ approach and shape public/media skepticism about flight claims.
    Drome built by Samuel Langley of the Smithsonian institution was making headlines but in 19 3 Langley's $70,000 Aerodrome crashed into the patomic river nearly taking its pilot…
  • octave shenut — Person · Referenced mentor/supporter (misspelled in transcript; Octave Chanute) · 3 mentions · first at
    Acts as a mentor figure urging openness and publication; tension arises because the Wrights keep details secret until patents are secured.
  • Katherine Wright — Person · Referenced family member; witness and supporter · 3 mentions · first at
    Shown running the shop in the brothers’ absence, observing disputes, receiving the telegram, and later attending Huffman Prairie where she witnesses Orville’s crash.
    Became the source of argument between the brothers Charlie Taylor and sister Katherine Wright witnessed many loud and heated exchanges between Orville and Wilmer at one point…
  • Curtis Wayne Wright — Person · Referenced family member (father); moral authority figure · 13 mentions · first at
    Receives the success telegram and later warns his sons about temptations in Paris, illustrating family involvement and values amid growing fame.
    And Wilbur walked four miles to the Kittyhawk weather station to send a telegram to their father in abbreviated language it read success four flights Thursday in forign press…
  • Alberto Santos-Dumont — Person · Referenced competitor/peer aviator in Europe · 3 mentions
    Used as evidence that European aviators were flying publicly and gaining fame while the Wrights remained secretive, fueling skepticism about the Wrights’ claims.

Books & papers

  • David McCullough — Book · Referenced work · 2 mentions
    Book about the Wright brothers mentioned in the episode.
    Spectators show up in New York Harbor to witness a thrilling flight if you'd like to learn more about the rright brothers we recommend the rright brothers by David McCulla and…
  • Birdman — Book · Referenced work · 1 mention · first at
    Book about the Wright brothers mentioned in the episode.
    Spectators show up in New York Harbor to witness a thrilling flight if you'd like to learn more about the rright brothers we recommend the rright brothers by David McCulla and…

Companies & orgs

  • Smithsonian Institution — Company · Business focus · 3 mentions · first at
    Organization where Samuel Langley worked and developed his aerodrome, competing with the Wright brothers.
    They weren't the only ones working toward the first powered flight for years Samuel Langley an astrophysicist and engineer at the Smithsonian institution in Washington had been…

Places & events

  • Kittyhawk — Place · Setting · 12 mentions · first at
    Primary location where the Wright brothers conducted their early flight experiments.
  • Huffman Prairie — Place · Setting · 7 mentions · first at
    Location near Dayton where the Wright brothers conducted later flight tests.
  • Lal — Place · Setting · 3 mentions
    Town in France where Wilbur Wright demonstrated the flyer.

Full transcript with timestamps

wondering imagine its late afternoon on December 8th 1903 you're sitting at top a houseboat on the IC pomac River a few miles south of Washington DC you're a mechanic and test pilot and you're about to climb into the cockpit of an experimental flying machine called the aerrow Drone the brainchild of your boss Samuel Langley of the Smithsonian institution you previously tried to launch the steel framed bird with its 48ft wingspan back in October but back then it Dove straight into the river so today you're hoping the engine you built will Propel the aerody Drone into the sky and into the record books but unfortunately the wind has kicked up I'm not sure about this wind boss maybe we'd be safer to postpone no with this cold if we wait any longer the river might ice over completely and maybe we should wait till spring not a chance I've spent four years and $50,000 of Public Funding on this plus another 20,000 I raised

myself the investors and the public want to see something you look out at the crowds lining the shore and boats filled with the journalists scientists and Military Officers langly invited so it's now or never yeah if we wait until spring the funding will have dried up entirely we have to fly now but you're not in a hurry because of the R Brothers are you you and Langley have both been following the success of the Wright brothers who've been flying their homemade gliders off the dunes of North Carolina's Outer Banks bicycle makers from Ohio they've had some luck yeah but they're amateurs it will be well-funded scientists and Engineers like you and me that will lead the way all right then Professor I guess we should go ahead and fly this Beast Langley climbs down a ladder shoves off in a small boat you turned your assistant fire up the engine in an instant the 52 horsepower engine you helped build is humming beautifully then

you raise your right arm all right when I drop my arm hold the release okay let her go the aerody Drone rolls down the 60ft Catapult track but as soon as it clears the rails you feel it jerk backwards looking up at the dark winter sky as it flips over a sudden blur of noise and splintering wood the cold water of the river engulfs you you're wearing a cork jacket for flotation but it's snagged on a piece of metal and the sinking machine is pulling you under you rip off the jacket and kick toward the surface swimming through a tangle of wires and wood and finally into Open Water you see Langley's small boat up ahead begin to swim for it he reaches out towards you pulls you aboard then Langley throws a blanket over your shivering shoulders you see the look of shock and disappointment on his face for the the second time in 2 months this machine has failed miserably you know if you're going to compete with the R Brothers

you'll need to build a better flying machine and fast from Wonder I'm Lindsey Graham and this is American history tellers our history your story through the end of the 19th century daring inventors had made progress in the pursuit of human flight by developing balloons Kites and gliders that soared through the sky but by the early 1900s the challenge had become creating a self-propelled machine that could be controlled in the air by a pilot at Kittyhawk North Carolina Wilbur and Orville Wright had flown their gliders longer and farther than any other Pilots but try to keep the details of their flights and their flying machine largely Under Wraps meanwhile in Europe other inventors and adventurers were launching their own experimental aircraft often in full view of the public and elsewhere in the United States a highly publicized and well-funded machine known as the aerody Drome built by Samuel Langley of the

Smithsonian institution was making headlines but in 19 3 Langley's $70,000 Aerodrome crashed into the patomic river nearly taking its pilot with it just days later the rright brothers would make history this is episode two of our three-part series on the R Brothers flyers or Liars by early 1903 willber Wright and his younger brother Orville had begun working on a new glider which they planed to test at Kittyhawk later that same year but it was going to be different from the gliders they'd flown the previous 3 years at North Carolina's Outer Banks instead of being carried by the strength of the wind alone it would have propellers that were powered by a gasoline engine the brothers knew that if it succeeded they'd become the first inventors to achieve motorized heavier than air flight but first they needed a powerful lightweight engine and January of 1903 the rights began contacting automobile makers but none of them could

provide an engine that could be mounted onto the wing of a glider then they got some unexpected help several years earlier the brothers had hired Charley Taylor a farm mechanic from Illinois to help around their bicycle shop when the brothers started traveling to North Carolina for their glider experiments Charlie Taylor stayed in Dayton to help the right sister Katherine run the bike shop but Katherine did not appreciate the help she thought Taylor was an insufferable know-it-all and would write to complain to her brothers that Taylor who she called The Hired Man was making her too weary for words but it was Taylor who came to the right's rescue after they failed to find a suitable engine by offering to build a small four-cylinder engine from scratch using tools the brothers had ADM mased in their workshop including a drill press and metal lathe Taylor managed to craft a noisy Smoky 150lb gas powerered motor

that could deliver 8 horsepower Taylor had provided the rights and engine but now the brothers had to design craft something entirely new to them propellers which would spin like fans and carry their glider into the air but the challenge of crafting the propellers became the source of argument between the brothers Charlie Taylor and sister Katherine Wright witnessed many loud and heated exchanges between Orville and Wilmer at one point Katherine threatened her brothers if you don't stop arguing I'll leave home but the brothers kept at it arguing constantly while they studied boat propellers and conducted research at the Dayton Library by the summer of 1903 they had crafted two 8-ft propellers made of hand shaved Spruce these propellers would be mounted behind the wings of their glider and were designed to spin in opposite directions one clockwise one counterclockwise propelled by engine driven chains the

brothers were growing confident that their engine and propellers would work so that same summer when the right's friend and supporter octave shanut invited Wilbur to give a talk to the Western Society of Engineers Wilbur chose not to mention their work on a powered glider he wanted to make sure it worked first before telling other inventors because the rri brothers knew they weren't the only ones working toward the first powered flight for years Samuel Langley an astrophysicist and engineer at the Smithsonian institution in Washington had been experimenting with motorized gliders by 1903 Langley and his team had built a large multi-wing machine with a 52 horsepower engine that he dubbed the aerody Drome and October 7th 1903 Langley watched as his test pilot and engineer Charles Manley took the controls and attempted to launch the aerodrome into the sky above the pomac river outside Washington unfortunately

the machine instantly crashed into the river two months later on December 8th Manley tried again but with the same result this time though Manley nearly drowned in the wreckage and Langley was ridiculed in the press for his costly failures by that time the writes were back at Kittyhawk the had spent the entire fall working out kinks in their new machine but experienced setbacks the engine kept breaking at one point Orville had to travel back to Dayton to get more parts he was on his way back to Kittyhawk when he learned about Langley's latest crash but rather than joining in ridiculing Langley Wilbur and Orville defended their competitor crediting Langley for his moral courage and for advancing the progress of Aviation and influencing their own work Langley Would Die 3 years later humiliated by his failures and Wilbur would decry the shameful treatment of him by the press and perhaps to avoid

their own mistreatment in the press the rri brothers continued making their test flights in the remote Dunes outside Kittyhawk far from the reporters and photographers whose news stories had mocked Langley but they did want evidence of their success so they purchased a state-of-the-art camera that captured images on 5x7 in glass plates and brought it with them to Kittyhawk in order to take photos of their test flights and by mid DEC M after a stormy October and a snowy November they were finally ready to launch in their new flyer at 600 lb it was more than 10 times heavier than the glider they tested in 1900 but as in years past they still plan to drag it up to the top of the high Dunes known as Kill Devil Hills but they couldn't carry the heavy glider themselves so they Enlisted the help of three lifeguards from the Kill Devil Hills life saving station imagine it's 10:00 a.m. on December 17th 1903 it's a freezing cold

morning on the Sandy Bluffs above Kittyhawk and you and two other men from Kill Devil Hills life saving station have just helped the R Brothers carry their 600lb glider up the big hill now you're hanging around eager to see them take it out for a spin warville approaches you thanks for your help today we finally got the new engine working we flipped a coin and I'll be the one to fly first but we need someone to take a photograph we want solid evidence of our first powered flight I was hoping you might know how to operate a camera I think you may be asking the wrong crew I've never even seen a camera any you you turn to the other lifeguards who just Shrugged well it's not as difficult as it might sound let me show you or will lead you to the camera a leather covered box on top of a wooden tripod near the end of the launch track now this camera works by capturing images on glass slides that fit into the

back here what do I do pretty simple when I get into the air all you need to do is squeeze this bulb here the bulb sends a pulse of air that opens the shutter for a split second and the image gets captured on the glass plate that's it just squeeze the bulb that's it it's all set up and aimed in the right direction just wait until I've left the launch track and gained some altitude you give the contraption a once over and decide to give it a shot well seems simple I guess I'm ready when you are you take the bul from oral and watch him walk uphill to the top of the launch track you're excited to be helping the brothers at could be an important moment in history but you're also nervous you don't know about this camera business and you hope you don't miss the shot you watch the brothers start the engine and Shake Hands oral make some adjustments and then climbs aboard and lays flat on the lower wing he then yells out to you

ready I'm about to release the restraining rope yeah I'm ready in an instant oral is sliding down the track while Wilbur runs alongside it's thrilling and terrifying because suddenly Orville is in the the air and that's when you remember to squeeze the shutter bow you just hope you weren't too late at 10:35 a.m. on December 17th 1903 at Kittyhawk North Carolina Orville Wright pulled a rope that released the machine named flyer down at 60-ft launch track Wilbur held the end of One Wing and ran alongside his brother keeping the machine steady as it slid into a strong headwind as Orville reached the end of the track he pulled on the rudder and the Machine lifted it Rose then dipped rose then dipped again then a wing hit the sand and it landed hard John T Daniels The Lifeguard they enlisted to take a photograph cheered and clapped along with his companions Orville had traveled just 120 ft but the

12-second journey would stand as the first controlled powered flight in history afterward Orville rushed over to Daniels to ask if he got the photograph Daniels had been so excited he said wasn't sure and the glass plate couldn't be developed until the brothers got back to their dark room in Dayton in a few weeks wanting to be certain they captured evidence of their achievement Orville loaded the camera again and the brothers made three more flights this time operating the camera themselves Wilbur made the longest flight that day covering 852 ft in 59 seconds at one point lifecard John Daniels was helping drag the aircraft back uphill for another flight when a gust of wind caught it and tossed him in the plane Daniels got tangled in the machine but escaped without Serious injury in his diary that night Orville wrote his Escape was miraculous as he was in with the engine and chains but for Daniel he

would later boast that he had survived the world's first plane crash the flyer however was ruined and would never lift off again at the end of the day Orville and Wilbur walked four miles to the Kittyhawk weather station to send a telegram to their father in abbreviated language it read success four flights Thursday in forign press home for Christmas at home in Dayton Bishop Wright received the telegram from his sons and showed it to his daughter Katherine they were so excited they rushed to send their own telegram to octave shenut meanwhile a telegraph operator in norick Virginia intercepted the Wright brothers Telegram and passed it on to a reporter friend at the local newspaper the Virginia pilot the next day a front page story appeared beneath a headline that declared flying machine Soares three miles in teeth of high wind over Sand Hills and high waves at Kittyhawk this story was then picked up

by the Associated Press and appeared in dozens of newspapers across the country though it was filled with inaccuracies which infuriated the Wright brothers but despite the reporter's Fabrications the story's first line rang true the problem of aerial navigation without the use of a balloon has been solved at last after their achievement the wres returned to Ohio in late December they hoped to be able to see the photos they had taken but they discovered that the water pipes at home had Frozen which prevented them from developing the glass plate negatives when they were finally able to print the photographs in early January they found that the images they had taken themselves were blurred but the picture snapped by lifeguard John Daniels was perfect but they decided not to share it with the press or the public right away instead on January 6th 1904 the writes issued a press release to counter the many inaccuracies that have

been reported in what they called a fictitious story incorrect in almost every detail in their release the brothers described the events of December 17th but also stated we do not feel ready at present to give out any pictures or detailed description of the machine the brothers had discussed whether or not to share details during the long train ride home from North Carolina they calculated that they had spent roughly $1,000 building their flying machines and traveling to City Hawk over the years but the bicycle shop had been struggling they wanted to turn their flying hobby into a business and find a buyer for their invention but to do that they would need to fly more regularly stop traveling so far from home to do it build a stronger and more reliable aircraft their financial future their reputation and the future of flight was at stake

in early 1904 weeks after their successful flight at Kittyhawk Wilbur and Orville Wright began building a new aircraft which they would call the flyer 2 they again turned to the manager of their bicycle shop Charlie Taylor to build them a new engine the brothers wanted the new plane to be heavier sturdier and more powerful than the Prototype they'd left behind at Kittyhawk Charlie Taylor would later say that the brothers were always thinking of the next thing to do they didn't waste much time worrying about the past and now in 1904 as Wilbur later put it they were at a fork in the road for years they had divided their time between running the bicycle shop and building and testing their flying machines but the brothers decided it was time to turn day-to-day management of the bicycle shop over to Charlie Taylor they also hired a lawyer to help them file a patent that would protect their investment this lawyer advised the

rights not to publicly discuss their flying machine with the press or any potential competitors until the patent was granted this put a strain on the rights relationship with their friend and Mentor octave shenut who encourag the brothers to give public demonstrations and talks and write articles about their success but the right Brothers had resolved to keep their machine Under Wraps until they had the patent in hand the brothers also decided to stop traveling to North Carolina with the success of their machine and its engine-powered propellers they decided they no longer needed the Sandy slopes and Gusty Winds of Kittyhawk instead they set out to find a flat open testing ground closer to home and soon chose a 100 Acre cow pasture less than 10 miles Northeast of Dayton this field called Huffman Prairie was owned by torren Huffman president of Dayton's fourth National Bank he agreed to let the rights use his pasture free

of charge as long as they moved his cows and horses into an adjacent field when they flew but Huffman had his doubts about these flying experiments telling a nearby farmer they're fools and what at first seemed like an ideal location did turn out to have some issues Wilbur and Orville soon discovered that the Huffman Prairie was full of gopher holes so through the spring of 1904 the brothers spent hours trudging around the field with shovels and sides knocking down gopher Mounds then building a shed on the property by may they finally had a level Runway and were ready to start flying they found that the plane took off reasonably well on Windy days but they wanted to develop a launch system that would as Wilbur put it render us independent of wind their solution was to build a 250 ft launch track with a small lip at the end designed to provide a boost and help the machine lift into the sky yet by Midsummer 1904 they were

still managing to make only short flights just a few feet off the ground Wilbur would later say they'd become a little rusty Charlie Taylor who observed these attempts was convinced the brothers were Fearless but also Reckless with each fly he watched Taylor wondered if it would be their last but other observers were less impressed by the flights themselves than by the brother's patient perseverance their calm faith and ultimate success and their Mutual consideration of each other the local high school teacher who wrote these words also said the brothers always took turns and he felt they were getting nearer and nearer to sustain flight and now that Wilbur and Orville were flying closer to home their father Milton and sister Katherine began to play a bigger role often making their way out to Huffman Prairie to watch the brothers in action imagine it's August 24th 1904 today you and your father have traveled

to visit the field where your brothers have been testing their latest flying machine you're standing with a group of Spectators including a few newspaper reporters watching your brothers tool with the aircraft they call the flyer too your father wanders off to speak with a member of his church and that's when you notice the man next to you is taking notes in a small notepad excuse me are are you a journalist yes managing editor of the Dayton Journal are you a subscriber no actually our family prefers the date and Daily News but what brings you here I teach a writing class twice a week at a school nearby and I usually stop here after class to watch oh I'm a teacher as well I teach Latin and English at steel high oh that's a good school what brings you here then you decide not to let on that you're related to the right Brothers oh just curious I suppose yeah I've been hearing about the wres ever since the news broke

last year yes well they were very successful in North Carolina not so much this summer I'm afraid the engine of the flyer 2 revs up and you notice your brother Wilbur is taking off you and the newspaper man both watch as the flyer 2 accelerates down the track and launches but only gets about 8 ft off the ground after 10 yards of flight Wilbur lands hard in a spray of dirt and grass well I guess they're still working out the Kinks the newspaper and smirks yeah I feel sorry for them they they seem like decent young men and and they're persistent I give them that but but I'm surprised they keep coming here day after day to waste their time on that ridiculous machine and why is it ridiculous you know you people in the Press are always always ridiculing or ignoring my brothers h so you're the sister I am and I'm proud to be their sister because you'll see someday they'll make you eat your words look

Miss I'm happy to be proven wrong but I hear there's great progress being made in Britain and France it's clear by comparison your brothers are just hobbyists they're amateurs you're about to protest some more but then you see that your brother Orville is taking a turn in the machine he Rockets down the runway lifts up into the air and it's beautiful you smile smugly at the reporter until a sudden gust of wind kicks up and you watch oral struggle to maintain control your face Falls as you realize he's going to crash many of the Wright brothers early flights at Huffman Prairie were only short hops barely making it off the ground but on August 13th Wilbur finally managed to fly a distance of a th000 ft the brother's longest flight up to that point but then 11 days later Orville was hit by a gust of wind and crashed at 30 m an hour while his sister Catherine looked on he was bruised and badly

shaken and couldn't Fly for a month the rits had hoped their new engine would be powerful enough to fly without the aid of the steady Winds of Kittyhawk but they couldn't get the momentum they needed they knew they would have to think of something else to get them the height and speed to really fly so they came up with an ingenious solution they called a starting apparatus made with tall wooden poles it used a system of Weights ropes and pulleys to propel the flyer two down the launch Track by early September their catapult system was working and Wilbur was able to make longer flights even on days with light wind then on September 15 with Orville still on the sidelines recovering from his recent injuries Wilbur took off and managed to stay airborne for an astounding half a mile 5 days later he did even better he flew his first ever complete circle a flight that lasted nearly a mile unfortunately there were

no reporters to witness this feat the Press had stopped coming to Huffman Prairie to watch and only one riter still seemed interested in the R Brothers experiments Amos root was an eccentric and deeply religious be beekeeper from outside Cleveland who wrote essays and travel articles for a beekeeper's trade journal and in his 60s he developed an interest in scientific inventions root had begun exchanging letters with the wrs in early 1904 and later that same year started visiting Huffman Prairie in December root got the rri brothers permission to publish an article about them in his beekeepers Journal Root's breathless account of the flights he witnessed at Huffman Prairie became one of the first comprehensive stories about the Wright brothers describing being watching Wilbur fly four complete circles around the field as one of the grandest sites of his life Ru also sent a copy of his story to

Scientific American offering to let them reprint it but his article was ignored and the mainstream press continued to shun the R Brothers many believing they were merely cranks and could not really be achieving anything of significance despite this lack of public recognition though the brothers felt confident that the new machine they were building the flyer 3 would be their first truly reliable aircraft a machine someone might actually want to buy although they received some initial interest from the British government the brothers really hoped to sell their machine to the United States and in early 1905 they met with a local Congressman Robert Nevan seeking his advice on how they might promote their flyer to the US military Nevan encouraged them to write a letter describing their aircraft and he deliver it to then Secretary of War and future President William Howard Taft but Taft's war department declined to buy the

rights machine machine stating that it has not yet been brought to the stage of practical operation meanwhile the brothers waited a response to their patent request and they began to perform longer and more complicated flights achieving circles and figure eights and increasing their distance from 10 to 15 and then 20 miles on October 5th Wilbur circled the pasture 29 times later that month their father was on hand to watch Wilbur make a 24 Mile flight their longest yet their achievements during the summer and fall of 1905 at Huffman Prairie further convinced the brothers of the commercial value of their invention the Press was turning around too they had all but drifted away in 1904 but now a year later began to pay attention again the Daton Daily News described witnessing one of the brothers soar away like an eagle and a correspondent from a German aeronautical Journal came to write a series of

articles but by the end of 1905 despite this newfound interest in the Press commercial possibil ities seemed to be waning the interest from the British army had stalled and even though the rights again wrote to the US war department stating we do not wish to take this invention abroad again they were rejected but then just days after Christmas the rights received a visit from a French businessman expressing an interest in buying their right flyer on behalf of the French military the deal was contingent on the rights demonstrating their machine abilities but if it went through they could receive up to a million Franks or 200 ,000 an astounding offer worth around 7 million today but the brothers remained determined to wait until their patent was approved before giving any official demonstrations to potential buyers as a result the French Representatives hesitated they wanted proof that this

machine actually worked the way Wilbur and Orville said it did but wary of others infringing on their designs the rights refused to give demonstrations until any potential buyer offered a contract first this hesitancy prompted the Paris Herald to publish an editorial publicly questioning the rights claim saying the rights are in fact either flyers or Liars it is difficult to fly it is easy to say we have flown so with many openly doubting they had a machine capable of actually flying and lucrative contracts on the line the two inventors would be forced to become businessmen in order to keep their dream alive

in 1906 the right brothers were approached by more potential buyers but after years spent in isolation trying to build and refine flying machines they struggled with the business side of Aviation years earlier Wilbur had written to his older brother Lauren that he felt that he and Orville weren't aggressive enough to be good businessmen he describe business as a form of warfare in which each combatant strives to get the business away from his competitors and at the same time keep them from getting what he already has but by May 1906 the US patent office had finally approved the applications the rights had filed for 3 years earlier they had already received patents in England France and Belgium and were waiting on one in Germany and with this development new potential investors began to emerge a New York firm called flinton company which sold guns cars and submarines in Europe approached the

rights and offered them $500,000 for the excl exclusive right to sell their plane outside the US then Germany floated an offer of the same amount for 50 right Flyers these offers each worth roughly 17 million today seemed absurd for a pair of bike makers who so far had only Built one airplane at a time nevertheless the brothers traveled to New York to negotiate a deal with the head of the Flint company Charles Flint but before an agreement could be reached the Flint company's European representative insisted that one or both brothers come to Europe to meet with potential buyers in Germany and France it was decided that Wilbur would make the journey by himself so in April shortly after his 40th birthday Wilbur traveled to Paris the French viewed Wilbur as a bit of an odity he didn't smoke or drink and showed little interest in women and he faced tough questions from potential buyers in France who also insisted that the rights

demonstrate their plane before any deal be struck but Wilbur was encouraged by all the interest being shown in their flying machine machine as he traveled to assorted meetings that summer he reported to Orville by letter the pot is beginning to boil pretty Lively in Late July Orville joined Wilbur in Paris but their father Bishop Wright wrote to his sons warning them to avoid the Temptations the city offered Orville wrote back to jokingly reassure him that they'd been well behaved saying we have been in a lot of the big churches and haven't gotten drunk yet while in Europe the brothers met with more prospective buyers in France and Germany but by November they still had not secured a deal finally they decided it was time to go back home and confident that they'd return and finalize a sale in the new year they left their flyer three in its crates inside the customs house West of Paris in late 1906 Orville and Wilbur

were by no means the only people in the flying machine game they had stiff competition aviators in France had made their own progress developing dual and single-wing planes powered by engines and propellers and unlike the rright brothers these Pilots often flew in public before large crowds French Brazilian Aviator Alberto Santos deal had given public demonstrations making short Hops and one 700 foot long flight outside Paris becoming an aviation hero in France and in late 1907 just before the R Brothers left Europe Orville had joined a crowd outside Paris to watch cycling champion on re farman fly a dual Wing aircraft a distance of almost 5,000 ft nearly making a complete circle meanwhile the Wright brothers had yet to give any official public demonstration and many people remained skeptical but in 1908 the brothers finally got an offer from the US war department of $25,000 for one flyer machine and a

month later the brother signed an agreement with a French company but again both the French and the US buyers insisted on a public demonstration first by this point the brothers hadn't flown since late 1905 years prior so they traveled back to Kittyhawk for some much needed practice they had a newly built flyer similar to the one sitting in crates in France but this one included a few modifications instead of being controlled by a pilot lying prone on the lower wing this flyer had two upright seats side by side and soon enough this model was ready for its debut on May 6th 1908 the Press descended on Kitty Hawk to witness Wilbur flying with a first ever passenger a local lifeguard sitting in the seat beside him kier's magazine would soon publish a photograph of the rights in Flight the first picture to ever be shared publicly of their machine in action the brothers had finally proved to remaining Skeptics in the US

that their aircraft actually flew now Wilbur headed back to Europe to prepare for more demonstrations knowing that the future of the company and the brother's reputation rested on his success imagine at 6:00 on July 4th 1908 you're a car manufacturer and Aviation Enthusiast in lall France and for 2 weeks you've been watching Wilbur Wright reassemble his flyer 3 machine which has been in storage for the past year you've let Wright use a warehouse next to your car factory so he can work in private away from Curious newsmen you've also loaned him one of your factory workers but Wright doesn't speak French and mostly prefers to do all the work himself you've been amazed at his work ethic and meticulous Focus tonight he's got the engine mounted and in a few weeks he's scheduled to give flying demonstrations the European public will finally get their first look at the wri Brothers Machine in action and now it

has two seats you've been secret hoping for a ride ah Wilbur I don't suppose you'd let a big man like me fly with you would you well I'm afraid not I want to make these first flights alone maybe later sure yeah I just know I'm happy to help what I really need help with is keeping those reporters away I didn't ask them to come here they're just being protective of French Flyers they're dubious about what you and your brother have done yeah what is it they call us blur well in a few weeks we'll show them we're not bluffing suddenly the room fills with the Roar of the engine much louder than the engines on your Factory's automobiles ah is it always this loud yeah it's it's in rough shape I got damaged by custom agents when they was sitting in store you watch as Wilbur adjusts a radiator hose on the engine suddenly the hose breaks loose and shoots a jet of steaming water scalding Wilbur's arm and chest you rush over and

help him to the ground then get up to grab a first aid kit Wilbur Wilbur stay still this is a vial of piic acid we keep it on hand for burns it will help but it will also hurt you dab the acid on his red and blistered left arm then wrap the burn in a bandage we need to get you to a doctor I think you're right but just make sure no French reporters see me they'll have a field day I will try to make sure they don't hear anything about it you're relieved that Wilbur wasn't more badly hurt but still you can't help but Wonder with these Burns will he be able to fly when Wilbur returned to Europe in 1908 to finally give his first flying demonstrations on the continent he was shocked to find his flyer which had been in storage since the previous year back ly damaged pieces were cracked or missing the wings torn the radiator smashed custom agents had opened the crates and damaged the parts but despite

this apparent sabotage he found others who were Keen to show their support Leon ble a wealthy automobile manufacturer offered Wilbur Workshop space to reassemble his aircraft but in Late July while testing the engine a radiator hose broke and sprayed Wilbur with scalding water badly burning his arm and chest ble treated Wilbur's wounds but it took weeks for his arm to heal by August 4th he was not quite fully recovered but his flyer was in good enough shape to be moved in the middle of the night to avoid any press attention ble helped Wilbur tow the aircraft to a racetrack 5 miles outside the town of Lal for weeks Wilbur had been followed Everywhere by reporters some found him and his work habits amusing and still more had nicknamed him VI baret or old oil can he lived up to this name when impatient reporters kept asking him when he would fly and he snapped I did not ask you to come here I shall go when I'm ready

Wilbur was in fact eager to begin flying but bad weather during the first few days of August kept him grounded then on August 8th he announced gentlemen I'm going to fly there was a brief delay when the Press complained about Wilbur's insistance that no photographs be taken but by 6:00 that evening he and the Press were ready wil turned his cap backwards started the engine then climbed into the left side seat Spectators observed that Wilbur wore no special Pilot's Helmet or jacket just his regular gray suit and starched high collar shirt minutes later he pulled a cord that released a weight that catapulted him and his aircraft down the launch track the flyer 3 became Airborne at first it seemed headed straight for a row of tall popler trees but at the last moment Wilbur pulled up and banked to the left making a graceful turn before swooping back around toward the crowded grandstand as cheers arose he made

another bank turn and sailed back to where he started Landing just 50 ft from the launch spot he had stayed in the air for a minute and 45 seconds covering just under 2 miles stunned Spectators were amazed at his control of the aircraft and his ability to make banked turns and to land so gently they erupted in cheers and rushed onto the field waving hats in the air French Aviator Lou blero was in the crowd and declared that a new era of mechanical flight has commenced over the next few days Wilbur made a series of technically challenging flights before large crowds including figure eights demonstrating his skills as a pilot and the capability of his flying machine the Press went wild some reporters actually cheered and shouted this man has conquered the air and he is not a bluffer rapturous headlines appeared declaring at a Triumph of Aviation and a marvelous performance European skepticism has dissipated and

for old oil can Wilbur's testy demeanor was softened a bit by the rapturous response he now smiled at reporters and was even seen whistling he wrote to his sister Katherine I cannot even take a bath without having a hundred or two people peeking at me but while Wilbur was celebrating his successful flights in Europe Orville Was preparing to give his own demonstration for US military officials in Virginia Wilbur wrote to his brother advising oral to avoid all unnecessary personal risk further cautioning him do not let yourself be forced into doing anything before you were ready these were wise words and Orville took them to heart but still a violent crash and a high-profile casualty would threaten to destroy everything the right Brothers had built from wondery this is episode two of our three-part series The R Brothers from American history tellers in our next episode epis an accident in

Virginia cast doubt on the wri brother's success they find further headwinds in patent fights and lawsuits and a million Spectators show up in New York Harbor to witness a thrilling flight if you'd like to learn more about the rright brothers we recommend the rright brothers by David McCulla and Birdman by Lawrence Goldstone American history tellers is hosted edited and produced by me lindsy grah Airship audio editing by Christian paraga sound design by Molly Bach music by lindsy Graham this episode is written by Neil Thompson edited by Dorian Marina produced by Alita rosanski managing producers Desi block and Matt Gant senior managing producer Ryan lore senior producer Andy Herman executive producers are Jenny low Beckman Marshall Louie and Ain o FL for wondering

Questions about this episode

Who speaks in "The Wright Brothers | Fliers or Liars | American History Tellers | Podcast"?

Lindsey Graham (Host), Samuel Langley (Guest), Wilbur Wright (Guest), Orville Wright (Guest), Charlie Taylor (Guest), Katherine Wright (Guest), John T. Daniels (Guest), Octave Chanute (Guest).

What is "The Wright Brothers | Fliers or Liars | American History Tellers | Podcast" about?

The narrative explores the competitive atmosphere of early aviation in December 1903, highlighting the tension between the well-funded efforts of scientists like Samuel Langley and the emerging innovations of the Wright brothers, who were achieving success with homemade gliders. It contrasts Langley's ambitious yet ultimately unsuccessful flight attempt with the Wright brothers' grassroots…

What is mentioned in this American History Tellers episode?

14 people, works and ideas are mentioned, including Orville Wright, Wilbur Wright, Kittyhawk, Charlie Taylor, Samuel Langley, Smithsonian Institution. Each one on this page links to its own page with every episode that mentions it.

How long is "The Wright Brothers | Fliers or Liars | American History Tellers | Podcast"?

The episode runs 41 min; the transcript is about 6,956 words in 43 timestamped sections.

More from American History Tellers

About this transcript: the episode's spoken words as captioned on YouTube, split into timestamped sections. Reclip.Me locates every person, work and idea in the text, keeps the time it is first named, and quotes the words around it verbatim. Last updated January 24, 2026.