7 The 100 Most Influential Inventors of All Time 7a heavier-than-air machine had demonstrated powered and
sustained flight under the complete control of the pilot.
Determined to move from the marginal success of
1903 to a practical airplane, the Wrights in 1904 and 1905
built and flew two more aircraft from Huffman Prairie, a
pasture near Dayton. They continued to improve the
design of their machine during these years, gaining skill
and confidence in the air. By October 1905 the brothers
could remain aloft for up to 39 minutes at a time, performing
circles and other maneuvers. Then, no longer able to hide
the extent of their success from the press, and concerned
that the essential features of their machine would be
understood and copied by knowledgeable observers, the
Wrights decided to cease flying and remain on the ground
until their invention was protected by patents and they
had negotiated a contract for its sale.
Making the Invention Public
The claim of the Wright brothers to have flown was widely
doubted during the years 1906 –07. During that period a
handful of European and American pioneers struggled into
the air in machines designed on the basis of an incomplete
understanding of Wright technology. Meanwhile the
brothers, confident that they retained a commanding lead
over their rivals, continued to negotiate with financiers
and government purchasing agents on two continents.
In February 1908 the Wrights signed a contract for the
sale of an airplane to the U.S. Army. They would receive
$25,000 for delivering a machine capable of flying for at
least one hour with a pilot and passenger at an average
speed of 40 miles (65 km) per hour. The following month,
they signed a second agreement with a group of French
investors interested in building and selling Wright
machines under license.