Posted: March 3rd, 2020

Essay 3: Reasons for Wright brothers’ failure as air craft manufactures according to Roach

Essay 3: Reasons for Wright brothers’ failure as air craft manufactures according to Roach
The Wright brothers are acknowledged in the aviation history as the pioneers of the first flying machine. The brothers in 1903 were able to fly the first pilot controlled heavier than aircraft known as Flyer I. Before the invention the brothers also invented gliders in the period 1900-1902. After the formation of the Wright Company, they also invented more improved models of aircraft such as Model A of 1907-1909. Despite their achievements in the aviation industry, Roach gives various reasons to show that they failed as aircraft manufacturers. Roach attributes their failure to patent litigation, technological innovation, denial of recognition and corporate management. The reasons are the main focus of this article.
Roach argues that the denial of recognition delayed the brother’s success in aircraft production. The brothers had approached the government for funding of their inventions, but all were turned down. The state had been embraced by failure of Samuel Langley whom they had funded with $50,000 to develop the ‘aerodrome’ aircraft. It was until 1909 that the brothers got their first contract with the Army to train military pilots. The public opinion about aviation invention was negative following Samuel’s failure and Wilbur’s accident. The accident led to the death of his passenger that made the publics loathe of aircraft carriers.
The Wright brothers were so obsessed with patent litigation such that they ignored further technological invention. The main reason of the Company existence was to prosecute patent infringement and earn the brother’s profit through selling of aircrafts. Any person who came up with a new invention on the aircraft would encounter lawsuit under the brothers ‘flying machine’ patent right. As a result, innovation from other inventors was discouraged yet the brothers themselves did not put any effort on the invention or technology advancement. A situation whereby by the United States aviation industry developed at a slow rate whereas European countries such as France, Germany and Europe enjoyed the fruits of innovation.
Roach notes that the Wright Brothers had great skills in technology and science exploration but lacked skills in corporate management. Their failure in corporate management translated to their failure in aircraft production. The brothers used their business to compete unfairly ignoring the rules of competition thus their monopoly in the aircraft production was short-lived. They were so preoccupied with business profits and patent right security such that they ignored the views of other stakeholders in the business. For example, when the brothers were advised by their investors to take patent monopoly on the aircraft they declined opting for royalty payment. The brothers choose to accrue money from every invention through a royalty of up to $1000. An inventor who failed to pay royalty faced patent infringement lawsuit if their invention made then to gain financially. For instance, when Curtis Company invented the wing flaps which he sold to a New York Aeronautic group, the brothers sued him for infringement because he had failed to pay a royalty. The brother’s corporate decisions brought failure upon the business – research paper writing service cheap. As a result, Orville sold the company to a New York group in 1915 when his brother died. Roach notes that good management is the key to every business success. Although Wright Company had the best intentions of existence, its chief executives, the Wright brothers, brought it down. The brothers concentrated mostly on what they had achieved rather than what they would have made better and efficient. As a result, technological inventions overtook the patent monopoly.
Roach argued that the brothers were so ignorant of the abilities of the investors around them. They overlooked the aircraft business that veiled by their patent pursuit. Instead of making better aircraft models that would suit the business needs and uses, they focused all their energy on profit earning through royalty payment. Eventually, other technological inventions overtook their aircraft models. The Wright brothers had monopoly as pioneers of the flying machine, but their aircraft models were of inferior quality as compared to others invented models. For example during the U.S international air show, the brothers thought that their Model-R aircraft was the best and would win the Gordon Bennett Trophy. However its pilot, Walter Brookins crashed with the aircraft making an English pilot Claude Graham win the trophy. Additionally, during the World War I, none of the wright brother’s craft was well designed to be used in the war. After the war, technology innovation of the 1920s to 1930s in the United States made the brother’s machine be completely re-invented. Its gear system changed from fixed to retractable changed into a streamlined shape to overcome compressibility problems; the wings were made thin and strong, and use light materials made it more stable in air. If only the Wright brothers had taken time to pursue these inventions, their legacy in aircraft production would have been prolific.
In conclusion, although the Wright brothers although high achievers in the aviation history, their achievement is only traceable in few years. They were only able to protect their inventions through patent litigation from 1906-1914. After World War I, their flying machine monopoly decreased because other individuals came up with better efficient models. The brother’s invention of the first controlled flying machine is their only outstanding contribution to the aviation industry. They failed as manufacturers of aircraft because they were so content with a single invention that they did not put great effort in to solve its weaknesses. Maybe if they did that, the aircraft industry would be in a new dimension of the invention.

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