Wrights-Whitehead

Dear Mr. Schlenoff, I’m the historian to whose findings you refer in your June 13, 2013 commentary on Connecticut’s commemoration of Gustave Whitehead: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=recent-bill-connecticut-proclaims-gustave-whitehead-first-fly-not-wright-BrothersWhile I applaud many of your observations, (particularly those regarding the Wrights’ pre-1905 flight claims and their patent litigation), others need commentry themselves. Citing “first and second place revisionism” by “partisan supporters”, […]

Dear Editor, In a June 28 Op.Ed. piece on the first flight claim of Gustave Whitehead, http://www.courant.com/news/opinion/hc-op-sikorsky-whiteheads-flight-never-happened-06-20130628,0,438644.story Sergei Sikorsky, an aviation consultant of famous pedigree, opines “Whitehead’s Only Flight Was One of Fancy”. Calling it “pure fiction, not fact”, he suggests it was “born in the imagination of [the…] Editor of the Bridgeport Sunday Herald”. […]

Dear Ms. Mitchell, In today’s Wall Street Journal, http://online.wsj.com/article/  you’re quoted as stating that the Smithsonian Institution, “has extensively researched Mr. Whitehead’s claims over several decades.” “None of the material Mr. Brown has presented is new—it has all been thoroughly researched by members of our staff and other aviation historians.” (I’m the “Mr. Brown” you’re […]

The daughter of FJ writer William O’Dwyer, Sue Brinchman, has taken up the cause of her father, i.e. to establish Whitehead as the first to fly and is demanding that the Smitshonian be forced to invalidate the above mentioned contract. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Smithsonian Requested to Nullify Wright Brothers First in Flight Contract Bridgeport, Conn […]

Ladies & Gentlemen, On your website, you have entered the Wright/Whitehead debate citing ” an effort at maintaining a neutral position”. I am the historian who uncovered a photo of Mr. Whitehead in powered flight in 1901: click here My website details the history of Mr. Whitehead: www.gustave-whitehead.com and it adds 83 contemporary newspaper articles […]