Alexander Graham Bell's Airplane

[Fabius]

Looks like AG Bell designed an airplane and it was built. Plane is in the middle picture. Sorry about the picture quality but that's how they are posted on eBay.

http://tinyurl.com/y8emtxe8

[Victor Laszlo]

I'm glad some trusted friend whispered in his ear "Don't quit your day job, Al."  Otherwise, we'd all be searching Ebay for "Model 500 Meucci System Telephone."

[rdelius]

I think this Airplane was develped with Glenn Curtis

[Dan/Panther]

I was in Dayton, in 1996 when I worked for General Motors. We visited the Wright's workshop bicycle shop. I discussed with the curator, that Glen Curtis, and a Frenchman had ideas for airplanes before The Wright Brothers. The curator told me, and take it with a grain of salt. The Wright family told the Smithsonian Institute, that if they disputed the Wright's claim for the airplane, the Wright family said they would remove the Wright Flyer from the museum.

D/P

[AL_as_needed]

Now I cannot quote where I read or heard this (yeah i know....) but,

Supposedly there was a german immigrant that was successfully test flying (and crashing into buildings) his version of a heavier than air aircraft. He was denied credit for his achievement  as his design was not patented / he was not a US citizen.... Supposedly.

[TelePlay]

Now I cannot quote where I read or heard this (yeah i know....) but,

Supposedly there was a german immigrant that was successfully test flying (and crashing into buildings) his version of a heavier than air aircraft. He was denied credit for his achievement  as his design was not patented / he was not a US citizen.... Supposedly.

Lot of stuff on the internet about this. From an aviation point of view, structure and lift capabilities, I find it hard to believe that the No 22 airplane (attached below) would have ever been a sustained flight aircraft comparing it to the Wright Flyer (also below).

Also attached is an article written about 4 years ago by the curator of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum laying out his position. The one point that seems the best is that regardless of which flew first, it was the Wright's structural design that was copied by inventors everywhere to advance airplane capabilities. Whitehead's constructions "and a supposed photograph of Whitehead’s Number 22 machine in the air, which, if it ever existed, has not been seen since 1906." and he kept no records of his work.

Even if it flew, was Whitehead's machine really an airplane or just fluke. I think I remember seeing his No 22 with the wings flapping in an old Charlie Chaplan movie, or was it early Laurel and Hardy skit?

So, yes, you remembered that correctly and no one knows for sure.