Orville Wright

“ In a flying-machine, a normally flat aeroplane having lateral marginal portions capable of movement to different positions above or blow the normal plane of the body of the aeroplane, such movement being about an axis transverse to the line of flight, whereby said lateral marginal portions may be moved to different angles relatively to the normal plane of the body of the aeroplane, so as to resent to the atmosphere different angles of incidence, and means for so moving said, lateral marginal portions, substantially as described. ”

“ A flying—machine comprising superposed connected aeroplanes, means or moving the opposite lateral portions of said aeroplanes to different angles to the normal planes thereof, a vertical rudder, means for moving said vertical rudder toward-that side of the machine presenting the smaller angle of incidence and the least resistance to the atmosphere, and a horizontal rudder provided with means for, presenting its upper or under surface to the resistance of the atmosphere, substantially as described. ”

“ Our invention relates to that class of flying-machines in which the weight is sustained by the reactions resulting when one or more aeroplanes are moved through the air edgewise at a small angle of incidence, either by the application of mechanical power or by the utilization of the force of gravity. ”

“ By this arrangement we obtain a forward surface which is almost entirely free from pressure under ordinary conditions of flight, but which even if not moved at all from its original position becomes an efficient lifting-surface whenever the speed of the machine is accidentally reduced very much below the normal, and thus largely counteracts that backward travel of the center of pressure on the aeroplanes which has frequently been productive of serious injuries, by causing the machine to turn downward and forward and strike the ground head-on. ”

“ We do not wish to be understood as limiting ourselves strictly to the precise details of construction hereinbefore described and show in the accompanying drawings, as it is obvious that these details may be modified without departing from the principles of our invention. ”

“ In the accompanying drawings we have shown an apparatus embodying our invention in one form. In this illustrative embodiment the machine is shown as comprising two parallel superposed aeroplanes 1 and 2, and this construction we prefer, although our invention may be embodied in a structure having a single aeroplane. Each aeroplane is of considerably greater width from side to side than from front to rear. ”

“ From the central portion of the front of the machine struts 28 extend horizontally forward from the lower aeroplane, and struts 29 extend downward, and forward from the central portion of the. upper aeroplane, their front ends being unite to the struts 28, the forward extremities of which are turned up, as indicated at 30. These struts 28 and 29 form truss—Skids projecting in front of the whole frame of the machine and serving to prevent the machine from rolling over forward when it alights. ”

“ Be it known that we, Orville Wright and Wilbur Wright, citizens of the United States, residing in the city of Dayton, county of Montgomery, and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flying-Machines, of which the following is a specification. ”