History Commons^™

The Wright Lawsuit, David Freiwald Ph.D., Csp

David Freiwald, Ph.D.

While the flights ofthe Wnght brothers over a century ago have enshnned their names m aeronautical history, only slightly less important are the lawsuits brought forth by the brothers m defense ofthetr mvention. From 1906 to 1917 the Wnght brothers mamtatned a successful stranglehold on the development and production ofthe airplane m the United States. This paper exammes that history, the ensumg litigation, and the impact that the Wnght brothers actions had upon the readiness ofthe U.S. m World War I.