Charley Taylor
image credit: Wright State University

The 1903 engine
image credit: Library of Congress

Charley Taylor and the engine

It is often said that the Wright brothers worked alone. While it is true that they drew their greatest inspiration from one another, and that together they were responsible for the invention of the airplane, they did not live, think or work in complete isolation. They shared ideas with Octave Chanute and George Spratt, they used local workshops to produce some components, and when it came to building the engine, they had Charley Taylor.

Taylor had come to work in the Wrights' cycle shop in 1901, having moved to Ohio from Nebraska, after an unsuccessful run as the owner of his own shop. Hired as a shop mechanic, he soon gained the Wrights' trust enough to leave him in charge of the business while they went to Kitty Hawk for flying experiments.

When the Wrights realized they would not be able to get an engine manufacturer to build a motor to their specifications, they began working with Taylor on the design and construction of their own engine. Neither he nor the Wrights had much experience with building motors. Orville in particular worked very closely with Taylor, who machined the crankshaft and cylinders with the tools available in the shop. Many components were built outside the shop—the crankcase, for example, was made at a local foundry. Others were fashioned from existing materials, such as the fuel valves, which were repurposed gas light switches.

Taylor assembled the engine in six weeks. Although it suffered from mishaps and inexperience and was completely destroyed at least once, the engine performed better than they hoped. Taylor had become their first true collaborator.