WRIGHT

Brothers Orville and Wilbur Wright flew gliders from October 1900 and powered Flyers from 17 December 1903. Sold Type A to US Army September 1908, gradually putting this model into production at Dayton, those for European customers being crated and assembled at Pau (other European customers purchasing machines licence-built by Short Brothers). Office-boy Clinton R. Peterkin sought financial backing and assembled formidable group of shareholders, forming Wright & Co. 22 November 1909 in NY City, with factory remaining at Dayton. Brothers assigned patents and exercised overall technical control, though rapidly being overtaken by rivals, one of whom was Glenn L. Martin. Company bought by syndicate 13 October 1915, Orville staying as consultant. On 17 August 1916 Martin, General Aero and Simplex Automobile merged with Wright, forming Wright-Martin Co., New Brunswick, NJ. Unhappy merger, though Martin’s licence for Hispano-Suiza engines replaced aircraft as staple product. Martin resigned December 1917, and 2 years later company changed name to Wright Aeronautical Corp., moving all engine production to initially small shop at Paterson, NJ. Built handful of passenger flying-boats (pusher Wright-Hispano or Liberty), various racers (notably F2W, 1923) and Navy fighters (XF3W Apache, 1926).

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