Wright Co
1909 22nd November. The Wright Company was incorporated by the Wright Brothers; they set up a factory at Dayton and a flying field at Huffmann Prairie
In mid-1910 they introduce the ‘B Flyer’ which does away with the canard, the horizontal flap mounted in front of the pilot and featured an aft horizontal tail. This plane was more stable in pitch and was much easier to fly.
1910 January. US Flying Show at Los Angeles. Louis Paulhan was the only European participant - when he arrived in the country the Wrights issued him with a writ for patent infringements to stop him flying. They also issued an injunction against Curtiss but he ignored it and carried on flying. Paulhan also ignored his writ and climbed his plane to a record height of 4,165 feet.
1910 17th February. Paulhan is served with an injunction to stop his flying at a series of shows so he packs up and returns to France,
1912 29th May. Wilbur Wright died at Dayton of typhoid fever aged 45 years, He had spent the last two years of his life in endless legal battles to attempt to protect the patents. He had not flown in this time. Orville blamed the legal wrangles for his death and in particular the disputes with Glenn Curtiss.
1912 Orville Wright took over as President of the Wright Company
1913 February. Orville and Katharine go to London to finalise the setting up of the Wright Company in the UK. They then visit Germany before returning home arriving back at Easter where severe floods had affected Dayton
1913 31st December. Orville demonstrated his 'auto-pilot' at Huffmann Prairie before the Aero Club of America with one flight completing seven circuits with no adjustment to the controls. Orville’s design was based on a pendulum and quickly superseded by the Sperry gyroscopic method.
1915 October. Orville sold the Wright Company but was retained as Consulting Engineer
1916 The Wright Co merged with Glenn L. Martin Co to form Wright-Martin Aircraft Co.