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A major contributing factor was the time honored American tradition of litigation. In Sept. 1909, the Wright brothers filed lawsuits for patent infringements against Glen Curtiss and several other fledgling aircraft manufacturers. The lawsuits stemmed from the Wright brothers' wing warping patent, which they interpreted to cover ALL means of lateral control, including ailerons (which Curtiss used in his planes). These lawsuits drug on for years and considerably slowed development of aviation technology in the US, discouraging new research by fledgling companies. European designers were not hampered by these lawsuits. Thus the US lost its initial edge in aviation technology.
We've since gained it back quite thoroughly, I'd say.
Regards,
Hans F.
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