Dayton Landscapes in Aviation History

Letter from Wilbur Wright to Octave Chanute, May 13, 1900.

Part of Octave Chanute papers, 1807-1955, Library of Congress

"For some years I have been afflicted with the belief that flight is possible to man. My disease has increased in severity and I feel that it will soon cost me an increased amount of money if not my life. I have been trying to arrange my affairs in such a way that I can devote my entire time for a few months to experiment in this field."

- Wilbur Wright to Octave Chanute, May 13, 1900

During the late 19th century, several individuals attempted to invent a heavier-than-air powered flying machine. Otto Lilienthal, a German engineer, was the first to create a manned glider capable of sustained flight in the mid-1890’s.^[1] Around the same time, astronomer Samuel Langley created a steam-powered plane, called an aerodrome. Although the War Department, likely motivated by the start of the Spanish-American War, commissioned Langley to further develop his aerodrome in 1898, his efforts proved unsuccessful.^[2] However, these inventors’ contributions provided valuable technical aviation information, which engineer Octave Chanute collected and published in his book Progress in Flying Machines in 1894.^[3] The Wright Brothers used this book along with other aeronautics publications provided by the Smithsonian in 1899 for their early glider designs.

On October 5, 1905, Wilbur Wright flew the world’s first practical airplane, the Wright Flyer III, for an unprecedented 39 minutes and 23 seconds at Huffman Flying Field in Ohio. This accomplishment represented the inception of modern aviation.

Front view of 7 Hawthorn Street, the Wright home, with bare trees and a bicycle resting by the right gate of the front fence (ca. 1900).

Wilbur and/or Orville Wright. Part of: Glass negatives from the Papers of Wilbur and Orville Wright, Library of Congress

The city of Dayton, Ohio contains several historic landscapes associated with inventors Orville and Wilbur Wrights’ accomplishments and the development of aeronautics. These include Huffman Prairie Flying Field, West Third Street Historic District, and the Wright Company Factory, with periods of significance around the turn of the 20th century. The distinct features and opportunities related to the Dayton landscapes enabled the Wright Brothers to test and produce variations of their flying machine. These included a secluded test site, access to an efficient transportation network, and the presence of an innovative industrial community.

Wilbur Wright working in the bicycle shop, 1897.

Wilbur and/or Orville Wright. Part of: Glass negatives from the Papers of Wilbur and Orville Wright, Library  of Congress

The Wright Brothers spent their youth in Indiana and Ohio. Orville and Wilbur’s parents, Milton and Susan Wright, moved their family of seven permanently from Indiana to Dayton in 1884. The Wrights’ parents supported strong family bonds, piety, and intellectual pursuits.^[4] In 1889, Orville Wright, then a teenager, started a newspaper business, the West Side News at 1210 West Third Street. Wilbur later joined his brother in publishing the weekly local newspaper. In 1892, the Wright Brothers started another business, the Wright Cycle Exchange, where they repaired and sold bicycles eventually including their own designs.

The Wright Cycle Exchange originally operated out of 1005 West Third Street, then moved to 1034 West Third Street, 22 South Williams Street, and finally 1127 West Third Street in 1897. In 1895, at the 22 South Williams Street location, the Wright Brothers hand-crafted a small numbers of their bicycle designs. The popularity of their Van Cleve and St.Clair bicycles reflected high public demand for “safety” bicycles, which consisted of two wheels of the same size. The Wright Brothers’ bicycle business not only provided funds for their aviation experiments, but also likely helped them acquire mechanical knowledge useful for airplane design.

Experimentation and Invention

Like their predecessors in aviation, the Wright Brothers sought to design a controllable machine capable of operating in unstable conditions – similar to how the bicycle works. They used the scientific method to first identify the main issues preventing sustained flight and made observations about aeronautics using kites. The Wright Brothers alternated between the conceptual and practical application of their ideas to work towards a better understanding flight dynamics. Early on, Wilbur Wright made an important discovery about roll: by twisting or warping a wing to achieve a greater angle the more lift occurred on that side. The Wright Brothers wanted to test their roll-and-pitch control system on an unpowered full-sized glider, which required a hilly landscape with consistent wind. They decided on Kitty Hawk, North Carolina and traveled there in 1900.

These trials revealed critical issues related to the glider’s control and lift, so the Wright Brothers returned to Dayton and continued to revise their design at their bicycle shop at 1127 West Third Street. They also constructed a wind tunnel to verify the accuracy of lift and drag equations.

Wilbur (left) and Orville (right) fly a glider during testing at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, 1901.

Wilbur and/or Orville Wright. Part of: Glass negatives from the Papers of Wilbur and Orville Wright, Library of Congress

Over the next three years, the Wright Brothers made significant advancements in the contemporary understanding of aerodynamics and applied their findings to their airplane design. Most notably, they corrected the Smeaton coefficient of the lift and drag equations and overcame adverse yaw by adding a movable rudder to their plane. Adverse yaw occurs when banking and the increased lift caused by the raised wing proportionately increases drag. They also added a propulsion system composed of an engine, propellers, and transmission system to their invention.

The Wright Brothers’ familiarly with bicycle mechanics contributed to their propeller design, which relied on a chain-and-sprocket system to transfer power to the propellers from the engine. In 1903, they took their powered airplane, the Flyer, back to Kitty Hawk and managed a sustained flight for 59 seconds and over a distance of 852 feet. Shortly after this flight, a gust of wind destroyed the Flyer and it never flew again. However, because of the accomplishment made that day by the powered aircraft, some consider North Carolina “first in flight.”

Wilbur and Orville Wright with their second powered machine at Huffman Prairie, May 1904.

Wilbur and/or Orville Wright. Part of: Glass negatives from the Papers of Wilbur and Orville Wright, Library of Congress

After 1903, the Wright Brothers found additional trips to Kitty Hawk cost-inhibitive and chose to continue their flights experiments exclusively in Ohio, which required less reliance on weather and terrain conditions. Huffman Field—a cow-pasture at the time—served as their experimentation site. Torrence Huffman, owner of the field, allowed the Wright Brothers to use it rent-free.

The field, while relatively flat with a meadow character, contained small hills or “hummocks.” Corn fields and a tree line surrounded the field while a large locust tree defined the center. These experiments required a space not only large enough to practice flying, but also highly accessible for repeated trials.

In the late 19th century, electric interurban lines increased in prevalence and expanded the Dayton market by connecting the city to rural areas. A nearby railway line at Simms Station made travel efficient via electric passenger car from the Wright's home and businesses in West Dayton to Huffman Field. In the spring of 1904, the Wright Brothers first transported materials on the electric interurban line and constructed a simple hangar in which to develop the Wright Flyer II and launching device. The Wright Brothers overcame the lack of consistently strong wind by dropping a weight from a tower at one end a monorail track, which pulled their plane fast enough for take-off.

Design for the "Flying Machine" was filed by the Wright Brothers on March 23, 1903 and patented May 22, 1906.

Part of the Wilbur Wright and Orville Wright papers, 1809-1979, Library of Congress

Through their continued trials at Huffman Field, the Wright Brothers progressed towards a more practical and durable airplane. The Wright Flyer III included features to control all three principal axis of rotation: a front elevator, rear rudder, and wing-warping system, as well as twin propellers and long skids for landing. This design was capable of advanced maneuverability and multiple take-offs and landings. After their revolutionary 39 minute flight on October 5, 1905, the Wright Brothers flew only once more in 1905 in part due to poor weather. They then focused their efforts on securing rights to their intellectual property by applying for a patent. The U.S. Patent Office granted one in 1906 for their 1902 glider design. In the following years, the Wright Brothers aggressively pursued what they believed to be patent infringement. This likely suppressed the growth of the U.S. aviation industry compared to other countries.

Wright Company Operations

Both a French syndicate and the United States Army negotiated deals with the Wright Brothers in 1908. The Wright Brothers also formed the Wright Company, which coordinated the Wright Exhibition Team and Flying School at Huffman Field. The Wright Exhibition Team operated only briefly from 1910-1911, while the Flying School lasted through 1916. The Flying School trained both civilians and military personnel. Famous aviators who trained at the school included Henry H. (“Hap”) Arnold, Roy Brown, and Marjorie and Edward Stinson.

The Wright Company Flying School, constrained by the topography and size of Huffman Field, required students to follow a set course with only a few areas for take-offs. However, the field’s proximity to the interurban line, by then known as the Ohio Electric Railway, again helped mitigate its disadvantages. During the time of the Flying School’s operations, the interurban ran every thirty minutes from downtown Dayton to Simms Station. At the beginning of the 20th century, Dayton was one of the largest interurban centers in the U.S. This made travel convenient for flying students and spectators.

Large crowd of spectators gathered at the edge of a field at Simms Station, Dayton, Ohio, where a series of flights were conducted from May through July, just after the opening of the Wright Flying School. A trolley car is visible in the background, 1910.

Wilbur and/or Wilbur Wright. Part of: Glass negatives from the Papers of Wilbur and Orville Wright, Library of Congress

The Exhibition Team and Flying School helped market the Wright Brothers’ invention, which they also manufactured in Dayton around the same time. In 1909, the Wright Brothers started using their bicycle shop space at 1127 West Third Street to produce airplane engines and drivetrains. They also manufactured airplanes at a temporary structure at Speedwell Motor Car Company in 1910 until their new factory was complete. The 13,800 square foot factory, designed by Dayton architect William Earl Russ, contained machinery from Cincinnati-based J.A Fay & Egan Company and a “small, onsite coal power plant”.^[5]

Despite the spacious new building and private investment from prominent capitalists including Cornelius Vanderbilt III, production quantities remained relatively small.The principles associated with mass production and Fordism had not yet been applied to the aviation industry. Instead, the Wright Company required versatile and skilled workers for motor fabrication, assembly, and woodworking. In particular, experienced lathe operators were needed to meet the degree of precision required for the wooden frame construction.

Side view of the Wright Company factory in Dayton, Ohio, 1911.

Wilbur and/or Orville Wright. Part of: Glass negatives from the Papers of Wilbur and Orville Wright, Library of Congress

Dayton’s identity as a city of innovation allowed the Wright Company better access to skilled workers and machinery. By the late 19th century, Dayton contained nine railroad lines and produced a variety of commercial products, which made it one of the more important industrial center in Ohio. It attracted skilled workers seeking new opportunity and ranked highest for the number of patents awarded in 1900.^[6]

This innovative community supported entrepreneurs, as evident in the Wright Brothers’ printing, bicycle, and airplane businesses. Before the Wright Company confirmed the location of their new factory, the Dayton Chamber of Commerce urged the community to pursue the company to stay and helped them locate a site for the factory. From 1910 to 1916, less than 150 airplanes were produced at the Wright Company Factory. In 1917, Darling Motor Company purchased the property, but it retained it only for a year prior to bankruptcy. The newly formed Dayton-Wright Airplane Company bought it back in 1918 and manufactured specialized airplane parts in response to the army’s need for WWI airplanes.

Contemporary Landscape Use and Interpretation

The U.S. government recognized the advantage of developing its aviation capabilities as World War I tensions escalated. Not soon after the Wright Company discontinued use of Huffman Field in 1916, the U.S. government scouted the area surrounding the field and designated Wilbur Wright Field to train pilots. They also created another site, McCook Field, for engineering and research facilities. Eventually the government properties expanded and combined to form Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in 1948. In the 1940s, the Air Force used the airspace above Huffman Field to calibrate the speed of new planes.

Launching catapult in the Huffman Prairie Flying Field at dawn.

NPS

The sophistication of the modern day aviation industry apparent at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base allude to Dayton’s history as the birthplace of aviation. Visitors to Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historic Park can experience landscapes similar to how they appeared during the Wright Brothers’ operations. Huffman Flying Field retains a high level of historic integrity due to its lack of development and management as a tallgrass prairie. The field remained mostly exempt from Air Force development due to historical significance and soft ground prone to flooding. A replica of the Wright Brothers' launching catapult and 1905 hangar exist on the site. It is designated as both a State Natural Landmark and a National Historic Landmark.

West Third Street Historic District also displays historic character both as a suburban streetcar commercial block and through extant buildings associated with the Wright Brothers. These include the Hoover Block that contained Orville Wright’s printing business and the fourth location of their Wright Cycle Company shop at 22 South Williams Street. Today, the Wright Brothers’ printing business at 16 South Williams Street in Hoover Block serves as the Wright-Dunbar Interpretive Center. The Wright Cycle Company building, a National Historic Landmark since 1990, was restored to emulate its original appearance and contains interpretive objects related to the Wrights’ businesses and early research into flight.

A block of West Third Street Historic District in Dayton

Carol Highsmith, Library of Congress

Several other NPS partner sites within Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historic Park also serve to commemorate the Wright Brothers’ accomplishments and honor the nation’s aviation heritage. These include: Huffman Prairie Field Interpretive Center, John W. Berry, Sr. Wright Brothers Aviation Center at Carillon Historical Park, Hawthorn Hill, and the Wright Company Factory Site. In 2009, the 20-acre Wright Company Factory Site was incorporated into park boundaries through congressional action. Since then, the site has been remediated and nominated to the National Register of Historic Places. Once work completes, the addition of the factory site to Dayton Aviation Heritage National Park’s will augment its cultural value and enrich visitor experience.

Sources and Further Reading

Filby Max, Dayton Daily News, “Wright airplane factory placed on national historic registry,” September 16, 2019.

Octave Chanute, W. De Fonvielle, and James Means. Progress in Flying Machines. New York: The American engineer and railroad journal, 1894.

The Wilbur and Orville Wright Timeline, 1846 to 1948, Wilbur and Orville Wright Papers at the Library of Congress

National Register of Historic Places, West Third Street Historic District, Dayton, Ohio. January 25, 1989.

Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park website

More about NPS Cultural Landscapes

Aviation and the National Park Service

Notes

[1] NASA. “History of Flight.” Accessed 2019. https://www.grc.nasa.gov/www/k-12/UEET/StudentSite/historyofflight.html
[2] Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. “Langley Aerodrome A.” Accessed 2019. https://airandspace.si.edu/collection-objects/langley-aerodrome
[3] Octave Chanute, W. De Fonvielle, and James Means. Progress in Flying Machines. New York: The American engineer and railroad journal, 1894. https://www.loc.gov/item/31015366/
[4] Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. “The Wright Brothers: The Invention of the Aerial Age.” https://airandspace.si.edu/exhibitions/wright-brothers/online/who/1859/index.cfm
[5] Roach, Edward J. The Wright Company: from Invention to Industry. Ohio University Press, 2014.
[6] Wright, Nathalie. “Historic Context.” Accessed 2019. https://www.ohiohistory.org/OHC/media/OHC-Media/Documents/rp-23.pdf