The first time true thermal flying was actually accomplished,,, (many envisioned it prior to the Wrights, think Icarus)was in the 1930's when Wolf Hirth was slope soaring at Elmira NY (South mountain, not Harris Hill)at an international soaring competition. He ventured out away from the slope and expected to land at the airport below, when seemingly miraculously he started ascending. The rest is history... Certainly there were most likely simultaneous similar experiences around the world, and it is difficult to be didactically sure about any "firsts", but this one is in the books, for what it is worth.
The Wrights gave up on canards too late to do themselves any good, they saw that conventional tailed craft were the immediate future after stubbornly sticking to their design too long. Their contribution was three axis control, and for that they should get the big credit. After that, it was anyone's game, and history has proven that out. Advances in technology always grow exponentially building on the research of previous pioneers. The Wrights happened to be in the right spot in history to get credit for inventing something that had been in existence for many years, they made a pivotal improvement, and others that followed superseded their accomplishments with innovations of their own. JD Endless Mountain Models http://www.scalesoaring.net email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] -----Original Message----- From: Chuck Anderson [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Tuesday, December 23, 2003 2:39 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [RCSE] Wright Brothers on Thermal Soaring. The Wright brothers not only started with slope soaring, they were aware of thermal soaring. In an intervier in 1910, when ask what is the best they could do for the plain business man after an exhausting day downtown, Orville answered, "If he didn't want to make a trip to any particular place he could fly up to a great height, shut off the motor and soar about on ascending currents of air as the great birds do." From an interview by Kate Carew published in the January 1910 issue of the New York World. The complete interview can be found at www.wright-brothers.org. There is also descriptions and photographs of all airplanes they build. The Wright brothers gave up on canards after 1910 and also build tractor airplanes that looked like most other airplanes of the era. Another interesting fact is that the army officer killed in the Ft. Myers crash was a member of Alexander Bell's group that included Curtis and others who were trying to get around the Wright brothers patent. Chuck Anderson RCSE-List facilities provided by Model Airplane News. Send "subscribe" and "unsubscribe" requests to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Please note that subscribe and unsubscribe messages must be sent in text only format with MIME turned off. RCSE-List facilities provided by Model Airplane News. Send "subscribe" and "unsubscribe" requests to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Please note that subscribe and unsubscribe messages must be sent in text only format with MIME turned off.
