The Wright Brothers' Engines and Their Design

An experienced aeronautical engineer provides a technical history and engineering analysis of the Wrights' propulsion work, examining the design, materials, construction, and performance of their early single-engine flyer and subsequent four-, six-, and eight-cylinder engines. Topics include selection of aluminum, combustion and power characteristics, mechanical details, production and shop practices, and reconstructed drawings and measurements; appendices tabulate engine characteristics and a shop model. The account blends historical narrative with engineering interpretation to explain how design choices solved the practical problems of early powered flight.