Matthew Boulton - Grandson's Accomplishments

Grandson's Accomplishments

Matthew Boulton's grandson, Matthew Piers Watt Boulton, became notable in his own right as a writer of diverse scholarly documents and for being the first, in 1868, to patent the aileron, a primary flight control device found on virtually all fixed-wing aircraft. Long before the advent of powered aircraft, M.P.W. Boulton likely patented the first aileron-type device used for the lateral control of airplanes, without which common airplanes and modern airliners could not fly. Boulton's British patent, No. 392 of 1868, issued about 35 years before ailerons were 'reinvented' and wing warping was patented by the Wright Brothers, became forgotten and lost from sight until after the flight control device was in general use.

If the Boulton patent had been revealed at the time of the Wright Brothers legal filings, they may not have been able to claim priority of invention for the lateral control of fixed-wing aircraft.