Orville Wright to Patrick Alexander 17-Nov-1905
Orville Wright describes airplane trials in fall of 1905 on a "field of experiment" 8 miles east of Dayton. He writes that rain prevented flights over most of the summer, but that more was done after 6 September, and on 26 September they flew 11+ miles. On 30 September they flew 12.2 miles; on 3 October, 15.33; on 4 October, 20.75, and on 5 October, 24.25 miles. Speed, 38 mph. By the last of these flights they were limited by the amount of fuel they could carry.
Wright adds: "We had intended to place the record above the hour, but the attention the flights were beginning to attract compelled us to suddenly discontinue our experiments in order to prevent the construction of the machine from becoming public."
According to Berriman, Alexander transmitted this information to the Aeronautical Society of Great Britain on 15 December. The letter was republished in the Society's journal in January.
Sources
- Berriman, 1913, Aviation, pp. 216–217
- Aeronautical Journal, January 1909, p3
| Sender | Orville Wright |
|---|---|
| Recipient | Patrick Alexander |
| Date sent | 17-Nov-1905 |
| From location | Wright Cycle Co., Dayton |
| To location | GB |
| Communication type | |
| Language | English |
| Refers to flight? | 1 |
| Tech fields | airplane, fuel, engine |
| Length (in words) | 350 words |
| Full text available |
