‘Angle of Incidence’ in The Aeronautical Journal - WILBUR WRIGHT’S FIRST PUBLICATION

The earliest aeronautical writing to appear in print from either of the Wright brothers. Wilbur Wright’s ‘Angle of Incidence’ appeared in the London-based Aeronautical Journal, Volume V, in 1901 and deals with what is now called the ‘angle of attack’ - the angle at which an aeroplane meets the wind, an article which shows the young inventor challenging more experienced scientists, and using trigonometry to analyse the phenomenon of flight. Two years this work bore fruit when Wilbur and his brother Orville Wright successfully made the first sustained, controlled flights in a powered aircraft at Kitty Hawk, beginning a new epoch in human history. A very uncommon publication in commerce.

DESCRIPTION: Handsomely bound in half green crushed morocco over green buckram boards by W H Smith’s bindery. Thick paper endpaper precede the journal’s general title for Volume 5 with an early ownership inscription of ‘Mr Finland[?] Teignmouth’ on the verso. Two pages of index and a frontispiece precede four issues over 72 pages. Occasional browning throughout. Remnants of an old vertical fold down the middle of the pages suggesting that that the issues were folded when sent out individually. Wright’s article appears pp47-9 with three small wing diagrams. The binder has bulked out the volume with 100 blanks to the rear.

Wilbur and Orville Wright a Bibliography: Item 1, Page 1