First to fly?

Air Classics, Feb 2002 by Jensen, Megan, Pahl, Gerard

Herring continues: "...I know that when you come to sift the evidence down you will see that I was the originator of the Dune Park two-surface machine (biplane) - among the evidence on this score is the old-power model of this machine, which antedates the glider...Now I recognize your invention and ingenuity in developing your power machine, and I think you will recognize too that my work has contributed to a tangible amount of your success, because my work with the two-surface machine gave you your interest in the problem, and to a certain extent a starting point." This information surfaced in letters transcribed by Pearl I. Young of Hampton, Virginia for Albert Zahm who was basically trying to "prove" that the Wrights were NOT the first to succeed in sustained and controlled flight.

Since the Wright brothers' first powered flight of 17 December 1903, lasted only twelve seconds (just-a couple of seconds longer than Herring's) and covered 120 feet - a little less than twice the distance, perhaps Herring had a reasonable argument that the Wrights should share in their victory over the vapors. Wilbur Wright even wrote to Octave Chanute in 1900 that his craft "in appearance it is very similar to the 'double-deck' machine with which the experiments of yourself and Mr. Herring were conducted in 18967." To the authors' knowledge the Wrights did not consider, much less accept, the offer by Herring to become a 1/3 member in a Wright-Herring company.

Perhaps this is as it should be as the Wrights went so much further than Herring. Again, in-the words of Tom Crouch from his book The Bishop's Boys, "For the first time in history, an airplane had taken off, moved forward under its own power, and landed at a point at least as high as that from which it had started - all under the complete control of the pilot" (author's italics). And one should add that the Wrights performed in-depth experiments to resolve all of the problems of controlled and sustained flight - documenting everything they had done. In essence they became the first successful aeronautical engineers, and self trained out of necessity!

Again, the prominent Herring historian Eugene Husting zeroed in on the critical criteria: "While it is virtually certain that Herring did become airborne in a powered machine, if ever so briefly, before the Wrights, four flights of 17 December 1903, others had done so in Europe as early as 1874. None, including Herring, achieved sustained and controlled flight." The words sustained and controlled are those most critical to the quote, as this last point should not be taken lightly. The Wright brothers conquered Europe. Though other men such as Alberto Santos-Dumont and Clement Ader, were experimenting with flight, it was obvious that the Wright's succeeded in sustained flight whereas the former had developed machines that could only hop into the air for short distances.

Likewise, the Wrights could fly their aeroplane in circles and figure eights whereas the former had little control. Charles Harvard Gibbs-Smith, first Lindbergh Professor of Aerospace History at the National Air and Space Museum in his booklet The Wright Brothers, A brief account of their work 1899-1911 quoted French pioneer pilot Leon Delagrange: "Well we are beaten. We just don't exist!" Likewise Rene Gasnier said, "...who can now doubt that the Wrights have done all they claimed?...We are as children compared with the Wrights." Even the great Louis Bleriot exclaimed, "For us in France and everywhere, a new era in mechanical flight has commenced...it is marvelous." Adding to these accomplishments of the Wrights is the fact that they went on from there immediately building more aircraft, reinforcing their achievement of the first practical aeroplane.