IHS Jane's has shared on their website that the 100th anniversary edition of Jane's All the World's Aircraft will credit Gustave Whitehead as the first man to build a successful heavier-than-air aircraft. Once any clamor from enthusiasts of the Wright Brother wanes, there is an interesting (and entertaining) story here about flight, industrial history and, most of all, the press. The Wright Brothers should continue to rest in peace for their contributions; at the same time, it is wonderful that others who have made contributions are being recognized. The Wright Brothers and their documented flights at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina (USA) are simply too ingrained in the western psyche to be displaced quickly, but anything is possible and time will tell if the reputation of others, even beyond Whitehead, are elevated.
Among others, Glenn Curtiss never got his moment in the sun (and in his lifetime was shredded by the Wright brothers for patent infringement). Nonetheless, when both companies faltered after the WW I boom and the Roaring 20's started to wane, Curtiss got top billing (much to the Wrights' consternation) when the bankers merged the businesses and formed Curtiss-Wright Corp. Curtiss knew how to make engines and the Wrights knew how to make flight-worthy structures employing 'lift'; in short, it took both (and more) for flight to become a commercial reality. The rest is just public posturing and the Wrights (actually Wilbur since Orville died in 1912) won the popularity contest because of Wilbur's tenacity and lifespan.
Thomas Alva Edison won the popularity contest for the light bulb (he also had tenacity and lifespan on his side) but there is still a crowd brow-beating for Westinghouse. And, Westinghouse/Tesla certainly have many achievements that outshine Edison, but it is Edison whom we remember. (And, again, it was the bankers who really made GE a success after Edison drove the company into the ground with his insistence that direct current was the only way to power the world.)
Fulton didn't invent the steam engine and Whitney didn't invent the cotton gin any more than Ford invented the automobile. But, to their credit, they each brought something to the party that did give them a commercial leg up and at the very least a footnote in history.
If it weren't for journalism, we might never have heard of Charles Lindbergh (what is it exactly that he did to make our world a better place?) and the same could be said of all the others mentioned here. But, creating heroes touches our imaginations and is still a way to garner some good press; it probably always will be. Even Homer did it. Shakespeare, too.
Ahh, but the Baseball Hall of Fame has acknowledged that Abner Doubleday did not invent baseball as it evolved with contributions from many others over time. And, that's just the way it is in all things.
Read more:
http://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Aviation-bible-Whitehead-first-to-fly-4348050.php#ixzz2QAZu9zEc
http://timelinepedia.wikia.com/wiki/Charles_Lindbergh
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