The Crucible of Flight, 1982

Adrian Kinnane's unpublished manuscript "The Crucible of Flight" is an in-depth look at what outside influences helped the Wright Brothers become the first to be successful in the quest for flight. Kinnane considers that the difference between them and their competitor/colleagues may well have been the difference that crowned them ultimately with success. His main focus is the familial and personal forces that set the Wrights apart. He studies the Wright family bond, the friendly and adversarial ties the Wrights developed outside the family bond, and the fraternal bond between Orville and Wilbur Wright.