The 40-horsepower engine on the Wri

The 40-horsepower engine on the Wright B had not provided the pilot enough excess thrust to allow him to pull the airplane into a stalled condition with any ease—in level flight, there simply was inadequate speed for such a maneuver. The added power in the C allowed the pilot, while flying in the upper controllable speed range (near 55 miles an hour), to displace the plane’s elevator enough so that the aircraft angle of attack rapidly increased from normal flight conditions directly into stalled conditions. Additionally, the shift of the center of pressure to 44 percent aft at high speeds made this maneuver all the easier and all the more deadly.