Wright, Wilbur

"Experiments and Observations in Soaring Flight." Offprint from Journal of the Western Society of Engineers 8 (misprinted "III" on front wrapper), no. 4, August 1903. Chicago: 1903



8vo (9 x 6 in.; 228 x 153 mm). Eight photographic illustrations. Original printed gray wrappers, in a half-leather clamshell box, gilt-stamped title on spine; tiny tear at foot of spine.

Orville Wright (executor's stamp and signature on verso of front wrapper)

Dibner Heralds 185; Norman 2267

First edition, offprint issue, the finest association copy obtainable as it belonged to the author. This is Wright's second report on his and Orville's flying experiments, read to the Western Society of Engineers on 24 June 1903. Having constructed a wind tunnel in Dayton that they used for systematic trials of various wing and bi-plane combinations, they constructed a new glider using a vertical rear rudder to counteract the twisting caused by wing warp. The one thousand trial flights made during the summer of 1902 with this glider are described in the present text, along with the brothers' observations of bird flight. These experiments taught them how to control the machine and six months later they made the first motorized flight in history near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.