User:TheLongTone/Howard T. Wright

Howard Theophilus Wright (1867 —44 was an early British aircraft designer and constructor. Born 1867 in Dudley

Biography

Wright was born in Dudley, the eldest son of Joseph Wright, the owner of a foundry in Tipton, Staffordshire. He had an elder sister and two younger brothers, Warwick Joseph and Walter Stanford. He was educated at Manor House School and served an apprenticeship at his father's company, where he learnt technical drawing.

In 1899 part of the company was taken over by Hiram Maxim. Wright continued to work there as works manager, and became involved with Maxim's aircraft projects. His other brothers started a business as motor dealers, with premises in Marylebone High Street in London. This led to Warwick, the elder brother, meeting Charles Rolls and taking up up ballooning.

In 1904 Maxim's Electrical and Engineering Export Company was wound up, Wright 1905 amalgamates his interests with his brothers business, : by 1906 Warwick Wright Ltd, with Lord Brabazon as Chairman.

In 1907 Wright was forwarded a letter from the Italian Federico Capone which had been adressed to Maxim's defunct business. This led to an

helicopter HW exhanges letters and considers problem. Technical drawings, work starts at Marylebone. HW working on electricity generating equipment, during which met William Oke Manning. In 1908 he rented two railway arches in Battersea, next to the premises occupied by the Oswald and Eustace Short, whose business at that time was balloon manufacture. The Capone helicopter was finished and, after successful trials in tether on Norbury golf links in March, was shipped off to Italy. (Noted in [[Flight International|Flight] as the first export by the British aviation industry). Does work on power installation for Baden Powell's glider, built by Short Bros, and builds the first aircraft designed by Horatio Barber, the ASL No. 1 Monoplane. ([1] Aerophile article on Capone.) In 1909, assisted by Manning, who had joined Wright at the end of 1908, he built the Howard Wright 1909 Biplane, remarkable at the time for being largely constructed from steel tubing. This was exhibited in the first Aero Show at Olympia in London. show. This originally had a contra-rotating propeller and was powered a French Metallurgique engine. Warwick Wright is Metallurgique agent All-metal. The aircraft was flown at Noel Pemberton Billing's flying ground at Fambridge, & Malcolm Seaton-Kerr, 'pilot' ASL 2 started.

Howard Wright 1909 monoplane 35 hp Lascelles. Wingwarping. elevators at end of tailplane. . ((Shown at Olympia in 1910 as Lascelles Ornis) The Antoinette powered thing which came to a nasty end up North. Workshops chucking 'em out.

1910 Exhibits own monoplane at Olympia. Also at Olympia is the Avis built for the Scottish Aero Syndicate, & Lascelles 'Ornis' ASL 2 for Horatio Barber. Falling out with Barber. Howard Wright Avis, one of which was bought by Thomas Sopwith and was the aircraft in which he learnt to fly. Not exhibited at Olympia was his most successful design, the Howard Wright 1910 biplane

In 1911 his company was taken over by the Coventry Ordnance Works. Two aircraft for the [[1912 British military trials constructed in Battersea. Joins J Samuel White and Co as designer in 1912. A boatbuilding company in Cowes,( producing 'Wight' seaplanes.) In Oct gets pilots license, no 331 flying a Farman machine owned by the newly founded Sopwith school.

constructed/designed

Capone helicopters three of these creatures. (patent #1729 of 1908)

Constructed for Italian client. Successfully flown in tether at Norbury, exported, further tests not carried out

for the Scottish Aeroplane Syndicate Avis designed by Wright Four built 1909-10

Howard Wright 1909 co-axial monoplane Built for Barber Antoinette steam-cooled engine. (Aka ASL No.1 Monoplane?) DNF. 1910

Howard Wright 1910 biplane

1. 1. As used by Sopwith, taken to US. Prototype
   2. sold to Maitland & thence to Air Battalion.
   3. 60 HP ENV to NZ
   4. 40 hp ENV Grahame White school at Hendon, sold WC England & exported to Rangoon
   5. Gnome engined , gw school
   6. Competitor in Aerial Derby.
2. Poynter Monoplane (build)

wiki redlin 1910 Howard Wright 1910 type monoplane is variant

Howard Wright Ornis monoplane 1910 Howard Wright Standard monoplane 1912

• Coventry Ordnance Works Nos 11 and 12

1913

• Wight No.1 Seaplane

"double camber", curtiss-type ailerons

• Wight No.2 Navyplane

1913 Olympia.

1914

• Wight Seaplane Wight 1914 Navyplane Wight Navyplane

Olympia 1914

1915

• Wight Seaplane Wight Admiralty Type 840

1916 Wight Baby 1917 Wight "converted" seaplane