All language subtitles for American Genius Series - S01E02 - Wright Brothers vs Curtiss

No invention has
changed the world.

Quite like the airplane.

The story of its creation

is one of intense rivalry.

Between two brothers named right

people won't believe
we can fly on this

show them.

Daredevil call Glenn curtiss

are the best plane when who was brave enough
to take them on we fly again tomorrow.

A bitter competition.

It's a ploy.

Fueled by endanger.

Marked with tragedy.

Would forever change the way.

You see.

One.

Thirty two year old wilbur Wright and his
younger brother Orville lead quiet lives.

Spending their days repairing

in designing bicycles.

Immigrant.

Two brothers have
always had inventive minds.

Between the two brothers.

It was a terrific team

because wilbur had
really remarkable insights

and Orville could
build almost any.

So you have one party
coming up with an idea

and the other one
bringing into fruition.

For wilbur.

Bicycles are not enough.

Geniuses in some
sense are ordinary people.

They look ordinary

they have the ordinary kinds
of problems everyone has

but what separates them

is that they have a vision.

Tremendously impossible goal.

Something that is unattainable

but they said it themselves

that's what went into

I'm going to do the impossible.

What do you see.

Dunno.

Balance.

While some innovators of already managed
to lived in aircraft from the ground.

No one has been
able to control it.

Yet.

Wilbur saw that birds.

Shifted their wingtips
in-flight in order to bank

the what will be recognized
and no one else did

was that an aircraft in
order to become stable

had to be inherently unstable.

It was the single most significant breakthrough
that allowed control powered flight.

Wilbur's theory is simple.

If he can twist and
aircrafts wings and flight.

It'll be able to
maintain control.

It will come to be known.

As wing warping.

Everybody likes is
a science did this.

Sciences people people use the
process of science make an observation.

Come up with hypothesis
of why it happens.

Then try it

and compared to what
you thought was going

to happen that process
has changed the world.

Experiment with
a kite is one thing.

But to get a person in the air.

Will have to put
his life on the line.

Was design has to be flawless.

For the next three years

wilbur and Orville turned their
attention to building full sized gliders.

Wings as a key.

Wilbert recognized that
you needed to fly in wind

is a no bird sores in a calm

and they were looking
for someplace where

it was Sandy so if you.

Landed you wouldn't get killed.

Wilbur survived the crash.

But if the Wright brothers are
going to be first unmanned flight.

They'll have to
rethink their design

and fast.

After all.

The race to be first in
the air is just eating up.

Five hundred miles away.

Alright William your
storms of threaded side.

Of the fight another
innovative mind is at work.

Testing the limits of the recently
introduced internal combustion engine.

Metal warps.

A gregarious
motorcycle designer.

Named Glenn curtiss.

Curtis was like the rights
he had a bicycle shop.

He had a lie lot of experience
with motors and became.

Pretty much with

question when of the most talented motor
designers working in america at that time.

Since nineteen o one.

Curtis has made
a name for himself.

Building motorcycles fitted
with his powerful engines.

The young thrill seekers career.

Is about to change forever.

After spending nearly
one thousand dollars.

The Wright brothers returned to
the beach to test their new design.

Wright flyer.

Gain more control

they've not only enhance
their rudder system.

Orville and wilbur have installed a
four cylinder twelve horsepower engine.

On December
seventeenth ninety no three.

Wright brothers
do the impossible.

To achieve the first
controlled empowered

human flight.

In the fourth trial of the.

Wilbur travels a record breaking
eight hundred and fifty two feet.

And is airborne for
fifty nine seconds.

Wright brothers were not
the first one to build gliders

they were the first
ones to put it all together.

You need a motor

and a control system.

So you don't crash
and kill yourself.

That's what the
Wright brothers did.

They put it all together.

Wright brothers leave kitty
hawk having made history.

Liver.

Why not let the world now.

If this gets out.

Someone will snap it up.

Like.

Rockefeller reticent to China.

S.

We can be him.

If we play our cards right.

Just wait until we
have the pattern.

Wright brothers filed a patent.

That would give
them the monopoly

not only on wing warping
but anything that altered

the margins of
the wings and fly.

It was xiv bill
gates got a patent

on any software for
personal computers

you couldn't do that
today but you could do that.

As the rights wait
on their patent.

Word of their successful
flight begins to spread.

And it isn't long before some of
the country's most ambitious men.

Try to get in the Wright
brothers success.

Glenn curtiss and
the writes a letter.

Offering to enhance
their aircraft.

By supplying them with
his state of vr engines.

Less than a week after
Curtis makes his offer.

The rights patent is approved.

Owning the rights
to powered flight.

Wilbur and Orville can
now legally prevent any

future competitors
from building airplanes.

Despite the need
for a solid engine.

They turned down
Curtis is offered.

And in doing so.

Create their
biggest rival to date.

In December nineteen one three.

After risking life and limb.

Orville Wright executes
the first controlled

powered human flight.

Securing the Wright
brothers place.

In aeronautical history.

And while they hold a
patent for their design.

Their success is only
breeding competition.

Locked in place
by given that a spin.

Amethyst lever.

Away from yourself.

Including daredevil
and motor engineer

Glenn curtiss.

Curtis has just been recruited to a
group of engineers and innovators.

Fronted by world
renowned inventor.

Alexander Graham bell.

Looking to construct their own
set of blueprints for an aircraft.

And they're convinced
that Curtis is injured.

Is the key to powered flight.

But with the rights
patent in place.

They need to come up with
a completely different design.

Instead of wing warping.

Curtis focuses on a different
method of stabilization.

Ailerons.

Fringe for little wing.

And aileron is a hinged flap.

Attached to the
wing of an airplane.

By moving the flaps up and down.

The airplane can
maintain stability.

Technology still in use today.

Curtis and his team building
an airplane fitted with ailerons.

And one of his powerful
forty horsepower engines.

They call it.

The junebug.

And they choose their most
fearless designer to fly at.

Propeller is going to be hollow
tomorrow will be twice as fast.

Now all they need

is the chance to show
the world that their design

is better than the rights.

And or opportunity comes

the then in aviation
contest is announced.

Scientific American contest was
probably going to be the first time.

When.

People who were
interested in aviation.

Were all gathered.

To see an airplane fly.

Wilbur and Orville are
invited to join the competition

to prove Curtis wrong.

It's a ploy.

Just a cheap stunt and try to
get us to fly for the cameras.

People are calling us liars.

Fakes.

I don't care.

Wright brothers.

Were very secret

they thought everybody
was infringing their patent

and they weren't going to participate in
anything with bunch of patterned infringers.

But the rights turned
down the invitation.

Leading Curtis to fly.

Without any opposition.

With the contest
only one day away.

Glenn curtiss takes June bug

up for one final test run.

That scout.

On the day before Glenn curtiss
is set to make his first public flight

the newly designed
junebug airplane.

Crashes to the ground.

Remarkably Curtis escapes
with only a few scratches.

Do you all right.

That the all around too tight
now open the throttle too fast

okay we'll get back
to the shop think.

Sir.

If against ma.

Glenn.

We fly again tomorrow.

A lot of the people on the
Curtis team were ready to

delay

the true to form.

Curtis was kind
of undaunted by it.

With his reputation on the line.

Curtis pushes his team
to their breaking point.

To repair the damaged
airplane in time for the exhibition.

In order to

do something brand new
and succeed spectacularly.

That usually comes with.

Tremendous amount of risk.

To succeed spectacularly.

You need to be willing
to fail spectacularly.

By morning the.

Is repaired.

And ready for its debut.

Glenn curtiss

is about to take the
biggest risk of his career.

Attempting a public flight.

In a plane to crash
landed just one day earlier.

Curtains flies.

For nearly of mile.

It's hard to imagine how
dramatic that really must

have been for people it was
really an amazing spectacle

people are literally crying
people were screaming

it opened up a
whole new horizon.

In a way because this thing
that you thought was impossible

was now happening
in front of your eyes.

News of Curtis is
nearly two minute flight.

Spreads like wildfire.

In one day Curtis does
more to promote aviation.

In the Wright
brothers ever have.

With his triumph

mr Curtis canal lay claim
to the title first and flight.

Fly.

They steal from us.

Willpower.

People won't believe we
can fly list was show them.

Now after being upstaged by Glenn
curtiss in the field they pioneered.

Wright brothers come
out with guns blazing.

Mission.

Twenty five thousand
dollar contract.

With one of the most sought
after customers in aviation.

UK s army.

Pressure must have been
man son or a go at that time

so much is riding on it

the idea of proving this of the u s
government wasn't just a big deal.

We're banking almost everything.

Over the course of one week.

Mobile completes a series
of successful demonstrations.

And on September ninth.

Nineteen await.

Arrival flies for sixty
two straight minutes.

Crushing the record
for sustained flight.

And to boots their
biggest rival Glenn curtiss.

Witnesses at all.

Isn't the same engine
as four years ago.

That motorbikes go faster.

Curtis is invited to the
event by his good friend.

Lieutenant Tom self ridge.

Time self ridge was the
highest ranking military person

with deep knowledge of
the emerging field of aviation.

He was the perfect person for the
military to have at this demonstration

to check out

whether this can be
available thing for the military.

For Orville the only
way to win the contract

is to win over
lieutenant self ridge.

With twelve successful
test flights behind him.

Orville is joined by self ridge
for the first official demonstration.

Pretty.

Showcase for the u s military.

Ends in disaster.

Orville barely survives.

But lieutenant Tom
self ridge is killed.

Becoming the first person to
ever die in an airplane crash.

Flight went up and evidently
a propeller was cracked

and Orville tried his best and try to
write the plane in the plane crashed and

Orville a broken
femur and broke ribs

and was in pain the rest
of his life and salvage died.

He was a very
publicly tragic episode.

For Glenn curtiss.

The competition against
the Wright brothers.

Turns personal.

Wright brothers attempt to
secure a coveted military contract.

Ins and catastrophe.

Army lieutenant
Tom self ridges dead.

Tragedy makes headlines
across the country.

Oval is sidelined for months recovering
from his injuries but he's determined

to not let the accident
tarnish the their name.

Big festival.

New York.

Show us a model a.

Nineteen o nine there was
a huge festival in new York

and one of the big
deals was going to be

a flying extinguish.

Wilbur flu or up and
down the Hudson

to where George
Washington bridge is now

and back.

This was the most
important public flight.

In front of civilians in
america up until then.

Ninety percent of the people
who are there had never seen.

An airplane before.

You're talking about
a group of spectators.

Watching something that
they thought was impossible.

Was an enormous day for wilbur.

One of the many in attendance.

Is Glenn curtiss.

You take that panel of

patch it up.

Ticket once tickets twice
to get three times okay.

Get to work.

Although wilbur.

Quite a flight.

Thank you mr Curtis.

Know started in a bike shop.

Only we have a lot more
in common than you think.

Our airplanes do.

We both know
where the neutralize.

Where's that.

Cooperation.

We could make a fortune.

Good luck.

Tom self ridge.

Best friend of mine could ask.

Terrible judge of vengeance.

Best plane when.

Mp battle for
dominance of the skies.

Takes an unexpected turn.

It is our view.

That morally the world owes
it's almost universally use.

Of our wings
stabilization system.

Entirely to us.

Wright brothers have filed a
lawsuit against Glenn curtiss.

Claiming that any
plane that Curtis's built.

Owes its design.

Therefore a hefty royalty

to them.

The rights patents.

Stifled American aviation

because it took the
right side of the game.

And it made Curtis spend
an inordinate amount of time.

Defending the suit.

Curtis and the Wright
brothers were the three

most talented people
in American aviation

and they to some a great extent.

Were involved in legal issues

and not aviation issues.

Just one Curtis's on
the verge of losing it all.

Is visited by a man who
could change everything.

Henry Ford.

Wright brothers of luck Glenn
curtiss in a brutal patents suit.

Bringing their rival towards
the brink of bankruptcy.

One fateful afternoon.

Everything changes.

Curtis's paid a visit by the
legendary carmaker in re forward.

Food has spent eight years
fighting his own legal battles.

Against a man who claim to
own the patent on the automobile.

A suit that brought the car
industry to a grinding halt.

I.

Put forward emerged victorious.

And as one of the most successful
car manufacturers in the country.

I'd like to support
your patent claims.

Vigorously.

Why.

Want to make airplanes.

I want to compete
against the Wright brothers.

Instead of waiting
on our lawyers.

You want me to.

Fight your battles for you.

My legal team is
at your disposal.

Henry Ford offers Curtis a strategy
to get around the rights lawsuit.

When you sue.

You are suing for infringement
from a specific aspect of

the other person's product.

So you make small
alterations to your product

and then you produce that.

And it makes them have
to see you all over again.

Will you use

yeah you'll probably lose but you
can keep the suit going in perpetuity.

Ford is given Curtis a way to use
the patent suits to his advantage.

By constantly
altering his plans.

Curtis.

Revisits earlier designs that
propelled the field of aviation for.

Pioneers the naval sea plane.

And simulates
aerial bombing raids.

Changing military
aviation forever.

Here's a reason why he
remember when Curtis.

He's the first one to fly
from one city to another is the

first one to be involved in
having a airplane take off of.

Of of what we now
call an aircraft carrier.

Me see literally dozens
of key innovations to the

aircraft that we still
have an air planes today.

With each milestone
Curtis makes.

The rights become
consumed and legal battles.

Spending a fortune.

And worse.

Less time making
innovations of their own.

Wilbur refused to
go in the workshop

a patent case had
involved him in a way that

was not pleasing for him.

And he wished he had
spent more time innovative.

But remember when you're

protecting is something
you developed

it kind of works against you
trying to create something new

because that's a tacit
admission that your old invention.

Wasn't all that now.

Obsession to
crush Glenn curtiss.

Takes a heavy
toll on wilbur self.

In April nineteen twelve.

He contracts typhoid fever.

And at the age of forty five.

Wilbur rise.

Is dead.

Wilbur had been
pursuing the patterns.

Almost nonstop for two years.

And.

Unfortunately for
the Wright brothers

it cost them their business and

actually probably
did cost wilbur his life.

I when wilbur died.

Something went out of all.

Wilbert he was not
only the brilliant scientist

he also had to drive.

Orville definitely
withdrew into himself.

For Orville.

One man is responsible
for his brother's death.

Glenn curtiss.

Wilbur rights early
death devastates awful.

He's lost his business partner

and brother.

Just when it appears that
things can grow any darker.

Fate hands Orville Wright.

The miracle he
has been waiting for.

On January thirteenth
nineteen fourteen.

UK s court of appeals.

Announces a landmark ruling.

Wright brothers are declared.

Pioneers.

In the practical art of flying.

Now for every plane
made in america.

Orville will be able to
charge his competitors

a twenty percent royalty.

But there's one
man he refuses to.

Is designed to.

The man he blames for driving
his brother to an early grave.

Glenn curtiss.

Case of bankers courtesy
was bankrupted by the rights

twice

he just make

all sorts of amazing
innovations his airplanes had

many features that we
still have on airplanes today.

But he couldn't market them because of
the Wright brothers strong monopoly right.

Yeah just as Curtis
hit rock bottom.

In July of nineteen fourteen.

World war one a rubs.

It is the biggest military
conflict the world has ever seen.

And for the first
time in history

the war won't just be
fought on the ground.

It will be fought in the skies.

Between the years of nineteen
fourteen and nineteen eighteen.

Germany bills nearly
fifty thousand airplanes.

But because of the
Wright brothers patent.

The aviation industry in the united
states has come to a standstill.

And is no match for the
German advancements.

The rights the after the original
fly are created a series of flyers

model a the model
the the model see.

They're all essentially the same
airplane with very very minimal

changes.

They could build good
airplanes don't misunderstand.

What the rights technology
was just absolutely.

When the u s into the
war in nineteen seventeen

the government has no
choice but to intervene.

And resolve the patent
dispute once and for all.

The war effort
demands sacrifice.

Each of your firms will
get one percent royalty

on all aeroplanes built
in the united states.

Government forces the right company to
share it's patents with other manufacturers.

Including Glenn curtiss.

Curtis is now free to
build and sell his airplanes.

And reap the financial reward.

Is years of experimenting
and innovation pay off.

He sells an astounding seven thousand
of his newly designed Jenny fighters.

For the victorious war effort.

Literally overnight

Glenn curtiss as so many
orders that he becomes the largest

airplane manufacturer america.

After the war Curtis
continues to prosper.

And by nineteen twenty.

Is made thirty
two million dollars

the equivalent of over
three hundred million today.

Rights may have
invented the airplane.

But Glenn curtiss as
turned it into an industry.

But for Orville Wright.

His career as an aviator.

Is over.

Of all retires from
the aviation business.

And is left to watch the
advancement of the airplane

from the sidelines.

Competition between
the rights and Curtis.

Was a battle between two titans.

To.

Achieve something.

That had never
been issued by for.

Perhaps the greatest irony.

Is that

the rage company long
after Orville was gone.

And the Curtis company
long after Curtis was gone.

Merged.

And the new company
was called Curtis right.

And Curtis right is still with
us today it is a huge company

manufacturing aviation.

Equipment or.