“Gustave Whitehead: First in Flight” Table of Contents
Table of Figures………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..7
Acknowledgments……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………13
Preface……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………17
1. Intro …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..23
• First Powered Flight………………………………………………………………………………………………………………23
• The Preparations…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..24
2. First Flights on August 14, 1901……………………………………………………………………………………………..33
The Evidence…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..33
Journalist Eyewitness Account………………………………………………………………………………………………….35
• Richard “Dick” Howell……………………………………………………………………………………………………………35
• The “Flying” Article………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..41
Illustrated with Earliest Aviator Symbol…………………………………………………………………………………….47
First Flight Locations and Conditions………………………………………………………………………………………..49
Later Flights of August 14, 1901…………………………………………………………………………………………………63
More on Witnesses to the First Flight…………………………………………………………………………………………68
Newly Unearthed Local Articles Confirms Flights………………………………………………………………………. 74
Herald Confirms Eyewitness Report ………………………………………………………………………………………….81
Gustave Whitehead Confirms Herald Article……………………………………………………………………………….85
Issue of Control………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..87
Photo Questions……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..102
Newspaper Coverage of First Flight…………………………………………………………………………………………..110
3. Next Steps…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..115
Promises Flight to New York…………………………………………………………………………………………………….115
Whitehead and “No. 21” Go to Atlantic City………………………………………………………………………………..116
First Flying Machine Factory……………………………………………………………………………………………………120
• “No. 22” Improved Design……………………………………………………………………………………………………..120
• Problems Surface…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..143
4. A New Goal: The World’s Fair Aerial Contest………………………………………………………………………….147
Whitehead First Entrant…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..149
Early Planning of Aeronautics at the Fair……………………………………………………………………………………155
The Aerial Contest……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………157
Chanute, the Wrights, Whitehead, and the Fair…………………………………………………………………………..160
News of Whitehead and the Fair………………………………………………………………………………………………..165
Aerial Competition Problems…………………………………………………………………………………………………….168
The Eight Major Contests………………………………………………………………………………………………………….169
Criticism of Rules and Regulations…………………………………………………………………………………………….171
The California Arrow and the Whitehead Motor………………………………………………………………………….173
Whitehead Prepares for the Fair………………………………………………………………………………………………..176
Flying Machines at the Fair………………………………………………………………………………………………………182
Whitehead at the Fair………………………………………………………………………………………………………………183
5. Other Notable Whitehead Flights………………………………………………………………………………………….189
Significant 1902 – 1904 Flights ………………………………………………………………………………………………..189
• First Circuit: January 17, 1902……………………………………………………………………………………………….189
• Milford Circuit 1902……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..193
Earlier Flight Experiments, 1894-1901……………………………………………………………………………………..196
• 1900-1901 Connecticut Flights………………………………………………………………………………………………196
• 1899 Pittsburgh Flight………………………………………………………………………………………………………….200
• 1897 New York/New Jersey Flight Experiments …………………………………………………………………….204
• 1894-96/97 Massachusetts Flight Experiments ……………………………………………………………………..206
6. Key Testimonies…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………209
Eyewitnesses………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….209
• 1899 – 1902 Flights………………………………………………………………………………………………………………210
• 1903-1911 Flights………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….218
Scientific American on Early Flights…………………………………………………………………………………………219
7. Later Years…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………227
1904 – 1908 Flight Experiments………………………………………………………………………………………………227
1909: A Falling Out with Stanley Yale Beach……………………………………………………………………………..238
1910-1915 Helicopters, Lawsuits, Final Inventions…………………………………………………………………….249
8. Frequently Asked Questions………………………………………………………………………………………………..263
Whitehead designs – Why did they change?………………………………………………………………………………263
• Designs Timeline…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………265
Why did Whitehead’s much larger aeroplanes fail to fly?…………………………………………………………..266
Why are there gaps in the historical record?…………………………………………………………………………….268
Why wasn’t Whitehead recognized from the beginning?……………………………………………………………270
Did Whitehead conduct scientific experimentation?…………………………………………………………………274
Did the Wrights Visit Whitehead? ………………………………………………………………………………………….274
What was Mrs. Whitehead’s involvement?………………………………………………………………………………281
9. Funding and Finances ………………………………………………………………………………………………………283
10. Whitehead Historic Sites…………………………………………………………………………………………………..287
Where Whitehead Flew………………………………………………………………………………………………………….287
Whitehead Shops…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..292
Whitehead Homes…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………297
Whitehead’s Gravesite……………………………………………………………………………………………………………302
11. Legacy……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..307
The “Firsts”…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..307
Whitehead’s Main Accomplishments………………………………………………………………………………………309
12. Kitty Hawk Revisited………………………………………………………………………………………………………..311
Kitty Hawk “First” Flights………………………………………………………………………………………………………311
Wrights’ Flight Problems……………………………………………………………………………………………………….313
Wrights’ Flights Less Successful……………………………………………………………………………………………..314
Wrights’ Witness Statements………………………………………………………………………………………………….314
Gaining Recognition as First in Flight – Who really was “first”?………………………………………………..316
Little Known Facts About Kitty Hawk……………………………………………………………………………………..317
The Smithsonian-Wright “Contract” Crediting Orville Designed by Whitehead Detractors…………..318
13. Conclusions……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..333
14. Gustave Whitehead Timeline…………………………………………………………………………………………….337
Endnotes……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..355
Appendix……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..391
Bibliography………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..423
Resources…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….425
Index…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..429
Gustave Whitehead: “First in Flight”
© Susan Brinchman, 2015