THE 100 MOST INFLUENTIAL INVENTORS OF ALL TIME

7 The 100 Most Influential Inventors of All Time 7

established a factory in Dayton and a flying field and flight
school at Huffman Prairie. Among the pilots trained at
the facility was Henry H. “Hap” Arnold, who would rise
to command of the U.S. Army Air Forces during World
War II.
The brothers also formed the Wright Exhibition
Company in March 1910, with A. Roy Knabenshue, an
experienced balloon and airship pilot, as manager.
Although the Wrights were not eager to enter what they
regarded as a “mountebank business,” they recognized
that an exhibition team would generate steady revenues
to supplement funds received from the sale of aircraft,
flight instruction, and license fees. Orville began training
pilots for the exhibition team at Montgomery, Ala., and
continued instruction at Huffman Prairie. The exhibi-
tion company made its first appearance at Indianapolis,
Ind., in June 1910 and remained in business until November
1911, by which time the deaths of several team mem-
bers convinced the Wright brothers to discontinue
operations.
After the summer of 1909, Wilbur focused his energies
on business and legal activities. He took the lead in bringing
a series of lawsuits against rival aircraft builders in the
United States and Europe who the brothers believed had
infringed upon their patent rights. In Germany, the Wright
claims were disallowed on the basis of prior disclosure.
Even in France and America, where the position of the
Wright brothers was upheld in virtually every court judg-
ment, the defendants were able to manipulate the legal
process in such a manner as to avoid substantial payments.
Moreover, the Wrights’ spirited pursuit of their interna-
tional patent rights significantly complicated their public
image. Once inaccurately regarded as a pair of naive
mechanical geniuses, they were now unfairly blamed for