The Wright Brothers basically failed to monetize their invention for fear of someone stealing it. Glen Curtis wanted to play airplane, the Wright Brothers wouldn’t let him, fearing competition they wouldn’t hire him or sell him a plane. So he started his own aircraft company, and to get around the Wright’s patent on wing warping, he invented the aileron. Instead of twisting the entire wing, he used hinged control surfaces near the tips on a rigid wing. Guess what practically all airplanes ever built have used ever since.
Ironic how I read your comment after writing mine, where I admonished patents, not even realizing how relevant it was regarding aviation itself lmao
I didn’t know the history of patents in the development of aviation, and how it harmed it, that’s neat to know
The Wright Brothers basically failed to monetize their invention for fear of someone stealing it. Glen Curtis wanted to play airplane, the Wright Brothers wouldn’t let him, fearing competition they wouldn’t hire him or sell him a plane. So he started his own aircraft company, and to get around the Wright’s patent on wing warping, he invented the aileron. Instead of twisting the entire wing, he used hinged control surfaces near the tips on a rigid wing. Guess what practically all airplanes ever built have used ever since.