8 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 8l 



brated than the Kitty Hawk plane. Now, of course, all is 

 changed. We have the Fort Myer plane. But it is pro- 

 foundly regretted by patriotic Americans that the Kitty 

 Hawk plane is not in a place of honor in the United States 

 National Museum. 



4. Mr. Wright's feeling that the contract to test the 

 Langley plane in 19 14 with j\Ir. Glenn Curtiss, then 

 a defendant in a suit w^ith the Wrights, was un- 

 friendly to them. 



I concede to Mr. Wright that it lacked of considera- 

 tion to put the tests of the Langley plane into the hands of 

 his opponent, Mr. Curtiss. As early as 1908 Dr. Walcott 

 had had correspondence w'ith Mr. Manly and with Dr. 

 Chanute on the desirability of further experiments with the 

 Langley Aerodrome under Manly's direction. Lack of 

 means, from w^hich the Smithsonian then as now suffered, 

 doubtless stood in the way. Without having been familiar 

 myself with all the circumstances at that time, I believe it 

 was owing to the fact that Mr. Curtiss had the available 

 plant and Manly had not, so that the former could make the 

 tests at smaller expense than the latter, that Dr. Walcott 

 determined to place the machine in Curtiss' hands for trial. 

 The Smithsonian paid Mr. Curtiss $2,000 to make the ex- 

 periments. Yet the fact that the results of these tests might 

 prove valuable to Mr. Curtiss in his defense against Mr. 

 Wright's suit, and the unfavorable aspect in which that 

 might put the Smithsonian Institution, if foreseen, might 

 well have deterred from the course of action adopted. The 

 appointment of Dr. A. F. Zahm to represent the Smith- 

 sonian as official observer at the Hammondsport tests has 

 been criticized. At that time Dr. Zahm, a recognized aero- 

 nautic authority, was the official recorder of the Langley 

 Aeronautical Laboratory of the Smithsonian Institution, 

 a position he had held since May, 191 3, so that his appoint- 

 ment as indicated was natural. 



