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G0TEZ > TODAY 18.12.12 10:42l 47 Lines 1975 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 020181G0TEZ
Read: GUEST
Subj: Re: Today in History - Dec 17
Path: IZ3LSV<IK2XDE<ON4HU<CX2SA<GB7CIP
Sent: 121218/0311Z @:GB7CIP.#32.GBR.EU #:4677 [Caterham Surrey GBR] $:020181G0T
From: G0TEZ@GB7CIP.#32.GBR.EU
To : TODAY@WW
I have two comments to make re: the Wright brothers.
1. No one ever mentions that the 1903 flight was the first Powered flight
which was successful.
2. The main success with the Wright Flyer was not so much the rudder, that
had been tried on many attempts at aeroplanes. The problem the solved was
controlling roll which is how an aeroplane, be it glider or powered
actually turns. When you want to turn you do it by using the stick to roll
right or left and use the rudder to control sideslip.
The Wrights used wing warping, which became popular before ailerons were
invented a few years later.
It is a pity that you couldn't get around to the Paris display in 1908.
Despite the fact that the Wrights could control roll, most of the
exhibitors hadn't realised this and continued to try to fly on rudder
alone
Many of them crashed, a lot carrying passengers and a prince from some
European country was killed, sad really but, when I read about it many
yeears ago now, it had me smiling. Still hindsight is 20/20 as they say.
The book did mention that the Wrights kept flying around in full control.
They were very sensible to keep their ideas secret. There were plenty of
people like Edison who were only too ready to steal someone's ideas and
market them as their own. Edison is known outside the USA as the man who
invented plagiarism, though we are prepared to believe that he did invent
the phonograph. Definitely NOT the electric light bulb though, that got
him into a court case brought by Joseph Swan who was rich enough to take
him on.Swann won. He had fitted lights in a mansion known as Cragside,
built by another inventor who had his own hydro electric power supply.
Queen Victoria visited it and was very impressed, so the stories of Edison
demostrating mains power in London are a bit exaggerated.
73 - Ian, G0TEZ @ GB7CIP
Message timed: 03:04 on 2012-Dec-18 GMT
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