The History: With Orville on his way back home to Dayton to oversee the fabrication of the new propeller shafts, Wilbur replies to a letter their friend and colleague, Dr. George Spratt, has written.

Wilbur apologizes to Spratt for the delay in responding to his previous letter. Wilbur hoped he could write him about the results of their experiment in the new machine. However, he tells Spratt that the engine created 132 pounds of thrust before one of the propeller shafts "twisted off in the middle". Since the Wrights have calculated that the resistance [drag] of the machine will be 95 pounds the engine will provide sufficient power to fly.

Wilbur tells Spratt that their time with Octave Chanute amounted to sitting around the stove and talking, since the weather was so intrepid.

He explains the structural tests the brothers conducted by hanging the new machine by its wing tips. They loaded the front trusses more than 6 times the expected weight. They also started the engine with a man onboard.

"We have not tried to glide the big machine yet, and probably shall not this year, as favorable days are scarce now."

Wilbur explains to Spratt that they have placed an anemometer, stop watch and engine cycle counter on the machine which should operate simultaneously. This should provide them the speed, engine power and propeller turns.

Wilbur tries to encourage his friend who often had bouts of melancholy. "I am sorry to find you back to your old habit of introspection, leading to a fit of the blues. Quit it! It does you no good, and it does do harm. I have sometimes thought that this is the result of your living and working too much alone."

In Spratt's letter he discussed that he might seek a position at the Smithsonian. Wilbur replied to Spratt, "I doubt whether your friendship with us would be a recommendation in the eyes of the Secretary [Samuel Langley], but if you decide to make [an] application and wish anything from us, we will be glad to respond. The fact that you are acquainted with some of our ideas need not stand in the way so far as I can see, for it is now too late for Langley to begin over again and besides we may possibly publish our tables before long anyhow."

Wilbur closes his letter telling Spratt that they hope they can try the engine again on December 15th.

Samuel Langley, Secretary of the Smithsonian, was funded by the United States government and the Smithsonian to develop a flying machine. Neither his first attempt on October 7th or his second on December 8, 1903 were successful. The press capitalized on Langley's failures. Subsequently, people did not believe manned powered flight was possible and were skeptical even when they heard of the Wrights successes.

The tables, Wilbur referred to, were not published until the 50th annivesary of flight in 1953.

Wind Tunnel Tables From 1901 Wilbur Referred To In His Letter To George Spratt With Permission From The Franklin Institute Online

Quotation from the book The Papers of Wilbur and Orville Wright, Volume 1 by M. McFarland.