Conn. decrees Wright Brothers were not first with Aircraft

[ColbBot]

Quote:

HARTFORD, Conn., June 27 (UPI) -- Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy has signed a bill to change history by decreeing Gustave Whitehead beat the Wright Brothers to powered flight.

Whitehead, a German immigrant who settled in Bridgeport, Conn., had been working on aircraft for several years by the time Wilbur and Orville Wright made their flight at Kitty Hawk on a North Carolina barrier island in 1903. In 1901, the Bridgeport Herald published an article by a reporter who said he had witnessed a powered flight.

Malloy signed a bill Wednesday that changes Powered Flight Day to honor Whitehead, at least in Connecticut, the New York Daily News reported. The Legislature passed the bill earlier this month.

The bill was inspired by support from the editor of "Jane's All the World's Aircraft," who decided several months ago that there was convincing proof Whitehead did achieve powered flight before the Wrights. Critics say the surviving photos do not prove much of anything and also point out that Whitehead was apparently unable to duplicate his early success, the Hartford Courant reported.

Written Topic by: Orville Wright


Read more: http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2013/06/27/Conn-decrees-Wright-Brothers-were-not-first-with-powered-aircraft/UPI-50341372389001/#ixzz2XU46Uro8

[God Emperor Baldur]

The first powered flight was actually Henri Giffard's dirigible. However the Wright brothers were the first people to achieve powered flight in a heavier than air machine. Whitehead's machine crashed and was a miserable attempt at flight.

[David2074]

I don't really care one way or the other.
Both likely deserve recognition for being early pioneers
I do think it's a bit self serving of the governor changing history based on disputed evidence. But whatever. I doubt folks outside of Connecticut are going to care much.

[ColbBot]

David2074

I don't really care one way or the other.
Both likely deserve recognition for being early pioneers
I do think it's a bit self serving of the governor changing history based on disputed evidence. But whatever. I doubt folks outside of Connecticut are going to care much.

Yeah I agree. I think that they should still give credit to the Wright Brothers and just show the possibility of other pioneers that did the invention before them and not change the history at all since the Wright Brothers were the first to perfect it.

[ColbBot]

Lord Akhenaton

The first powered flight was actually Henri Giffard's dirigible. However the Wright brothers were the first people to achieve powered flight in a heavier than air machine. Whitehead's machine crashed and was a miserable attempt at flight.

That is true Henri Giffard did make a dirigible that flew first. Yes Whitehead's machine crashed and was a complete failure. They should still credit the Wright Brothers since they invented the first machine that successfully flew.

[Jeremy Kaji]

The Wright brothers were the first to fly successfully with a device that didn't have a bag of gas holding it in the air. I'm not sure why Connecticut would want a failure credited to their state.

Then again who's to say that anybody in America was the first in flight? there were plenty of designs from Leonardo DA Vinci. And many others that likely were lost to history that may have achieved powered flight but were never recorded for their success due to the civilization being sacked... then again those would have likely been man powered or gliders.

[ColbBot]

Jeremy Kaji

The Wright brothers were the first to fly successfully with a device that didn't have a bag of gas holding it in the air. I'm not sure why Connecticut would want a failure credited to their state.

Then again who's to say that anybody in America was the first in flight? there were plenty of designs from Leonardo DA Vinci. And many others that likely were lost to history that may have achieved powered flight but were never recorded for their success due to the civilization being sacked... then again those would have likely been man powered or gliders.

Yeah Leonardo Da Vinci had sketches of different aircraft before anyone had even thought of building an aircraft and many of his ideas were possible. Only a few of his sketches were actually recovered and saved to be studied but one man powered flying machine Da Vinci made with a bicycle was said to be possible but no one ever tested it.

[Jeremy Kaji]

Nadine_Craft

Jeremy Kaji

The Wright brothers were the first to fly successfully with a device that didn't have a bag of gas holding it in the air. I'm not sure why Connecticut would want a failure credited to their state.

Then again who's to say that anybody in America was the first in flight? there were plenty of designs from Leonardo DA Vinci. And many others that likely were lost to history that may have achieved powered flight but were never recorded for their success due to the civilization being sacked... then again those would have likely been man powered or gliders.

Yeah Leonardo Da Vinci had sketches of different aircraft before anyone had even thought of building an aircraft and many of his ideas were possible. Only a few of his sketches were actually recovered and saved to be studied but one man powered flying machine Da Vinci made with a bicycle was said to be possible but no one ever tested it.

The funny thing is that they have an article in a relatively recent popular Mechanics (can't tell which one can't find it) where they had to have 4 massive rotors and the framing all made of super lightweight material, takes up a large portion of a football field... and it takes both hands and legs of an athlete to get 10 seconds of flight. So for a Da Vinci design to fly with a wooden frame... I would be amazed... and would want one for lols

[azulmagia]

Alright, but at what point did the world at large accept that airplanes existed?

[Pessimist]

David2074

I don't really care one way or the other.
Both likely deserve recognition for being early pioneers
I do think it's a bit self serving of the governor changing history based on disputed evidence. But whatever. I doubt folks outside of Connecticut are going to care much.

It could theoretically cut down on tourism to Kitty Hawk, NC. It also makes our license plates reading "First in Flight" look a little silly. But that's all I can muster to argue on behalf of NC. Beyond the worrisome idea of the governor changing history, I also do not care. The people of Kitty Hawk may be more pissed off.

[rawnie14]

If Icarus the Greek would have only taken steroids then powered flight may have been achieved earlier with complete success but his stupid son crash-landed flying too close to the sun in the heat of the moment...pun intended. The only observer to verify his successful flight was a jealous god! The account is regarded as another imaginative Greek myth.

[David2074]

Pessimist

David2074

I don't really care one way or the other.
Both likely deserve recognition for being early pioneers
I do think it's a bit self serving of the governor changing history based on disputed evidence. But whatever. I doubt folks outside of Connecticut are going to care much.

It could theoretically cut down on tourism to Kitty Hawk, NC. It also makes our license plates reading "First in Flight" look a little silly. But that's all I can muster to argue on behalf of NC. Beyond the worrisome idea of the governor changing history, I also do not care. The people of Kitty Hawk may be more pissed off.

Well, that's what you get for having a license plate slogan dwelling on the past. (jk)
We are 'The Evergreen State'. And well... we still have evergreen trees.. haha

[Pessimist]

David2074

Pessimist

David2074

I don't really care one way or the other.
Both likely deserve recognition for being early pioneers
I do think it's a bit self serving of the governor changing history based on disputed evidence. But whatever. I doubt folks outside of Connecticut are going to care much.

It could theoretically cut down on tourism to Kitty Hawk, NC. It also makes our license plates reading "First in Flight" look a little silly. But that's all I can muster to argue on behalf of NC. Beyond the worrisome idea of the governor changing history, I also do not care. The people of Kitty Hawk may be more pissed off.

Well, that's what you get for having a license plate slogan dwelling on the past. (jk)
We are 'The Evergreen State'. And well... we still have evergreen trees.. haha

Well, it was either that, or "The Tobacco State". :B

[Its A Crystal]

While I don't care that much about this, I will point out they aren't really changing history. They are just choosing what they believe.

If my state decrees that the Nazi's won WWII, that does not make it true.

That is a far more silly case, mind you, both of these individuals seem to be early fliers, I'm just throwing it out there that choosing to believe something does not make it true.

[Aliiak]

There's contention everywhere. I believe there's some British attempts that were successful at the same time. There was def a New Zealander many say succeeded in man flight before the Wright brothers. I can't recall whether this was proved wrong or the evidence inconclusive.

Sorry point being made is that at that period there were so many backyard engineers all racing towards the same dream. With the poor and slow communication a lot of things can't be verified.