Aeronautical technology flows at the start of World War I

1. Aeronautical technology flows at the start of World War I by Peter B. Meyer U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics --- findings and views are those of the author, not the BLS ESSHC conference, Vienna April 2014  . 1

2. A pre-history of the airplane 1860s Clubs and journals show fixed-wing designs “Aerial navigation” and “flying machines” are fringe activities – maybe hopeless, useless, dangerous 1890s Glider flights, survey books Experimenters followed open science, open source practices • Networking ; shared findings, designs – public goods 1903-06 Powered glider flights (Wright brothers, Santos-Dumont) 1908-11 Big exhibitions 1908-1916 New industry Much was documented My project: gather & count publications, patents, clubs, firms, letters, innovators, etc. to understand technical innovation 2

3. Data on publications • 1910 Bibliography of Aeronautics by Brockett • of Smithsonian Institution • 13,000 entries, 940 pages • Data to mid-1909 • Title, author, year, language, journal • Much cleanup was necessary • Duplicates, missing elements, “missing” entries • Successor volume covers 1909-1916 • Even larger • Partly computerized

4. Aeronautical articles by language • Continues higher after 1907, permanently. Source: Brockett bibliography (1910). .

5. Aeronautical periodicals before 1909

6. from Mouillard’s L’empire de l’air, 1881 The next five from L’Aerophile, 1893-1905

7. Example patent

8. Aeronautical patents per year, 1860-1907 This is a sample including more than 40% of the relevant patents of that time. • From publications of the time, USPTO, google patents, and EPO. • Sources say whether a patent is aeronautically-relevant. For flying machines I find so far no licensing fees or suits. 8

9. Subjects of publications and patents to 1909 from selected samples, all countries, some overlap

10. Imitation/copying of previous designs    Wright brothers 1901-2 glider 1903-5 airplanes  Chanute-Herring glider, 1896  Pratt truss Wilbur Wright’s first letter to Chanute in 1900 says “the apparatus I intend to employ . . . is very similarto [your] "double-deck" machine [of] 1896-7 . . .” “. . . Imake no secret of my plans . . . . I believe no financial profit will accrue to the inventor of the first flying machine, and that only those who are willing to give as well as to receive suggestions can hope to link their names with the honor of its discovery. The problem is too great for one man alone and unaided to solve in secret.” 10

11. That basic design continues . . . Ferber, 1902, copies Wright design based on report from Chanute Voisin-Farman winning prize, 1908  Santos-Dumont 1906, 1st airplane flight in Europe Farman, 1909-10 11 Source: Gibbs-Smith’s Rebirth of European Aviation

12. Tinkerers era has “open source” publications, patents, copying Now we look at the early industry era: 1908-1916

13. 1908: Startup firms appear 13

14. Branches and spinoffs from other industries • Spinoffs here mean key technical people or founder came from the other industry (as in Klepper’s research on early automobile companies) • Maybe 10-20% of firms were started by a tinkerer with experience in aero experimentation but not branching out or spinning off from other industry • Most firms were started with experience at an airplane-maker already!

15. Most new aero firms were in Europe • In Japan, military led; few firms • Clubs and publications do not arise till 1909; military decision to research balloons and airplanes in 1909; dispatch individuals to other countries to learn ; first 25 civilians get foreign training to fly in 1911 ; almost all engines and aircraft are modifications of a foreign design till 1920 • In U.S., several major firms, but paralysis associated with litigation by the Wrights who have a broad patent claim • “pioneer patent” – an unusual legal category starting 1890s • Curtiss firm manufacturers airplanes ; big lawsuits • American-made planes considered unsuitable for use in WWI at start • 1917: Military forces patent pool, called MAA • Australia, New Zealand, Canada, elsewhere • Some new firms, mostly founded by tinkerers not industrialists

16. Aero publications jump with new industry, decline in WWI Phases: slow growth, 1860-1906 (data from Brockett 1910, 1921 ; estimates after 1909) 1907 –spike with sudden interest in new industry 1914 – notable drop because of the war, especially in French and German

17. Aero patents in US, 1907-1916 • U.S. patents per year in “aeronautics and aviation” classification decline after 1912 • Possibly Wright lawsuits caused this • Presumably during war, fewer applications came from Europe • Data not ready for other countries • These are by date of grant, not the date the applicant filed

18. Conclusions (1) 1810-1906 aerial navigation experimenters publish and patent • Growth of patents is comparable to growth of patents overall • Publications grow faster than that • Many clubs and societies arise, at first organized around ballooning • Technology is imitated ; little intellectual property • Note: No firms do this “research” (technological uncertainty) • motivation mostly intrinsic or altruistic: to fly! change world! attempt challenge • Communication  imitation, progress  1890s standard glider A new industry starts from this open-source information • Publications and patents jump up, 1907-1913 • Wave of new companies appears, exhibitions, military contracts • Patents matter as intellectual property then

19. Conclusions (2) Most new firms are in Europe • Some started by aero people only • Many are coming in from another industry or spinning off from engineering/manufacturing experience • “Success rates” unknown as yet • In WWI, notable decline in aero publications • Especially in French and German • English publications drop, but less • Many English speakers are distant from the war • US aero patents decline, presumably also in the other countries •  After 1907, aero technology decreasingly by open-source processes, more by industry and hierarchical/government processes