Glenn Hammond Curtiss
Grande Semaine d'Aviation in France in 1909
Born	21 May 1878 Hammondsport, New York
Died	23 July 1930 (aged 52) Buffalo, New York
Occupation	Aviator
Spouse	Lena Pearl Neff (7 March 1898 - until his death)
Children	2 children
Parents	Lua Andrews Frank Richmond Curtiss

Commemorative plaque. Events 878 - Syracuse Italy is captured by the Muslim sultan of Sicily. Year 1878 ( MDCCCLXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Hammondsport is a Village in Steuben County, New York, United States. Events 1632 - Three hundred colonists bound for New France depart from Dieppe France. Year 1930 ( MCMXXX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display 1930 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Buffalo (ˈbʌfəloʊ is the second largest city in New York State. Events 161 - Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius dies and is succeeded by co-Emperors Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus Year 1898 ( MDCCCXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Claim on the plaque is controversial regarding invention of the aileron. For the band with a similar name see The Ailerons Ailerons are hinged control surfaces attached to the Trailing edge of the Wing of a Fixed-wing

Tombstone

Glenn Hammond Curtiss (21 May 1878 – 23 July 1930) was an aviation pioneer and founder of the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company, now part of Curtiss-Wright Corporation. Events 878 - Syracuse Italy is captured by the Muslim sultan of Sicily. Year 1878 ( MDCCCLXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 1632 - Three hundred colonists bound for New France depart from Dieppe France. Year 1930 ( MCMXXX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display 1930 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Aviation refers to activities involving man-made flying devices ( Aircraft) including the people organizations and regulatory bodies involved with them Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company was an American aircraft manufacturer that went public in 1916 with Glenn Hammond Curtiss as president The Curtiss-Wright Corporation ( was once a leading Aircraft manufacturer of the United States, but has since become a component manufacturer specializing in In 1930, he was awarded a Medal of Honor for his significant aviation accomplishments. The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. ^[1]

Birth and early career

Curtiss was born in 1878 in Hammondsport, New York to Frank Richmond Curtiss and Lua Andrews. Hammondsport is a Village in Steuben County, New York, United States. Although he only received a formal education up to Grade 8, his early interest in mechanics and inventions was evident at his first job at the Eastman Dry Plate and Film Company (later Eastman Kodak Company) in Rochester, New York. Eastman Kodak Company ( is an American multinational Public company which produces imaging and photographic materials and equipment Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York State, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. ^[2] He invented a stencil machine adopted at the plant and later built a rudimentary camera to study photography. ^[2]

On 7 March 1898, Curtiss married Lena Pearl Neff, daughter of Guy L. Events 161 - Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius dies and is succeeded by co-Emperors Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus Year 1898 ( MDCCCXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Neff, in Logansport, Indiana. Logansport is a city in Cass County, Indiana, United States. The population was 19350 at the 2006 census Curtiss began his career as a bicycle racer, Western Union bicycle messenger, and bicycle shop owner. The bicycle, cycle, or bike is a pedal-driven, human-powered vehicle with two wheels attached to a frame, one behind The Western Union Company ( is a financial services and communications company based in the United States. He developed an interest in motorcycles when internal combustion engines became more available. MotorCycle is the title of a 1993 album by Rock band Daniel Amos, released on BAI Records. He began manufacturing motor-bicycles with his own single cylinder internal combustion engines, the first with a tomato can for a carburetor. The internal combustion engine is an engine in which the Combustion of Fuel and an Oxidizer (typically air occurs in a confined space called a In 1903 he set a world speed record by averaging 64 mph (103 km/h) for one mile (1. A mile is a unit of Length, usually used to measure Distance, in a number of different systems including Imperial units United States 6 km). In 1907 he set a new record of 136. 36 mph (219. 31 km/h), on a 40-hp V8 powered motorcycle of his own design. This is all the more impressive as his motorcycle lacked any brakes. At this time he was America's No. 1 maker of high-performance motorcycles.

Wright brothers

Glenn H. Curtiss's pilot license

In August 1906, on a journey with Tom Baldwin in his airship to Dayton, Ohio, Curtiss visited the Wright brothers (after the latter had helped to corral the airship) and discussed aeronautical motors and their propellers, a subject of mutual interest. Dayton is a city in southwestern Ohio, United States. It is the County seat and largest city of Montgomery County. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Because Curtiss made America's finest lightweight motors, Alexander Graham Bell persuaded him to join his Aerial Experiment Association in 1907 to build aircraft, succeeding with America's first "official" heavier-than-air flight on 4 July 1908, with the June Bug. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The Aerial Experiment Association (AEA was a Canadian aeronautical research group formed on 30 September 1907 under the tutelage of Dr Events 836 - Pactum Sicardi, peace between the Principality of Benevento and the Duchy of Naples Year 1908 ( MCMVIII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The construction of this and later aircraft would involve Curtiss in patent lawsuits with the Wrights which Curtiss would lose in 1913. He became the first person to receive an air pilot license from the Aero Club of America on 8 June 1911. The Aero Club of America issued the first pilot's licenses in the US Events 68 - The Roman Senate accepts emperor Galba. 536 - St Silverius becomes Pope (probable Year 1911 ( MCMXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year

Competition

In August 1909, Curtiss competed in the world's first air meet, the Grande Semaine d'Aviation flying contest at Rheims, France, organised by the Aero-Club de France. Reims (alternative English spelling Rheims; riːmz in English and /ʁɛ̃s/ in French) is a city of the Champagne-Ardenne région of northern This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. The Wrights, who had sold their machines in Berlin at the time, did not compete, nevertheless sued Curtiss, alleging their patent was being infringed. A patent is a set of Exclusive rights granted by a State to an inventor or his assignee for a fixed period of time in exchange for a disclosure of an He continued, completing a 10 km course at 46. The kilometre ( American spelling: kilometer) symbol km is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one thousand 5 mph (75 km/h) in just under 16 minutes, 6 seconds faster than runner-up Louis Bleriot and won the Gordon Bennett Cup. Louis Blériot ( July 1 1872 in Cambrai, France &ndash August 1 1936 in Paris, France) was a For this he became, after Bleriot, the No. 2 pilot in Europe (Wrights Nos. 4 and 5).

The pre-war years

On 29 May 1910, Curtiss flew from Albany, New York, along the Hudson River, to New York City, to win a $10,000 prize backed by publisher Joseph Pulitzer. Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian defeats the Sassanid army in the Battle of Ctesiphon, under the walls of the Year 1910 ( MCMX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting Albany is the Capital of the State of New York and the County seat of Albany County. The Hudson River, called Muh-he-kun-ne-tuk, the Great Mohegan by the Iroquois, or as the Lenape Native Americans called it in Unami The City of New York Joseph Pulitzer ( English pronunciation PULL-itser; April 10, 1847 He sought a military career but was turned down by the He covered 137 miles (220 km) in 153 minutes, averaging nearly 55 mph (89 km/h), then flew over Manhattan Island and circled the Statue of Liberty. A mile is a unit of Length, usually used to measure Distance, in a number of different systems including Imperial units United States Manhattan Island, in New York Harbor, is much the largest part of the Borough of Manhattan, one of the Five Boroughs which form the City of New York Liberty Enlightening the World (La liberté éclairant le monde commonly known as the Statue of Liberty (Statue de la Liberté was presented Curtiss received the first U. S. pilot's license in 1911 (the Wrights were Nos. Pilot licences (in the United States airman certificates) are issued by national aviation authorities, and establish that the holder has been trained by a qualified 4 and 5).

In 1910 the U. S. Navy expressed a strong interest in aircraft for their obvious value as a reconnaissance patrol craft, but were unsure of the best configuration, or of the logistics necessary to include aircraft operations with warships. Curtiss set up shop in San Diego and worked with the Navy to train several pilots and develop the Model "D" biplane which was the first aircraft to take off from a ship. Eugene Ely took off from the USS Birmingham which had a short "flat-top" attached over the bow for the historic event, after which the aircraft landed at a shore base. Eugene Burton Ely ( October 21 1886 - October 19, 1911) was an aviation pioneer, credited with the first shipboard aircraft

Aircraft were quickly becoming regarded as reasonably reliable, and it was becoming obvious that aviation was going to become important, rather than just a passing novelty. Curtiss was one of the pioneers of aviation who recognized that the building of airstrips around the world would take some time, and the way to jump start the industry was to make viable aircraft that could land and take off on water, as existing sea ports were already transportation hubs. He custom built floats and adapted them onto a Model D so it could take off and land on water to prove the concept.

In 1911 Curtiss produced the Triad A-1 seaplane, which had both wheels and floats. This craft was immediately recognized as so obviously useful, it was purchased by the U. S. Navy, Russia, Japan, Germany, and Britain. Curtiss won the Collier Trophy for designing this aircraft. The Collier Trophy is an annual Aviation award administered by the U

Around this time Curtiss met the retired English naval officer John Cyril Porte who was looking for a partner to produce an aircraft with him in order to win the Daily Mail prize for the first transatlantic crossing. Lieutenant Commander John Cyril Porte CMG RN ( 26 February 1884 - 22 October 1919) was a Flying boat The Daily Mail is a British newspaper currently published in a tabloid format In 1912 Curtiss produced the two-seat "Flying Fish", a larger craft that became classified as a flying boat because the hull sat in the water; it featured an innovative notch in the hull that Porte had recommended for breaking clear of the water at takeoff. A flying boat is a specialised form of Aircraft that is designed to take off from and land on water using its Fuselage as a floating hull. Takeoff is the phase of Flight in which an Aircraft goes through a transition from moving along the ground ( Taxiing) to flying in the air usually Curtiss correctly surmised that this configuration was more suited to building a larger long-distance craft that could operate from water, and was also more stable when operating from a choppy surface. In collaboration with Porte, in 1914 Curtiss designed the "America", a larger flying boat with two engines, for the Atlantic crossing. However, the start of World War I meant that Porte returned to service in the Royal Navy's Seaplane Experimental Station, which subsequently purchased several models of the America, now called the H-4. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore known as the Senior Service) The Seaplane Experimental Station at Royal Naval Air Station Felixstowe was a British aircraft design unit of the early part of the 20th Century. Porte licensed and further developed the designs, constructing a range of Felixstowe long-range patrol aircraft, and from his experience passed back improvements to the hull to Curtiss. The Felixstowe Porte Baby was a British reconnaissance Flying boat of the First World War first flying in 1916 The later British designs were sold to the U. S. forces, or built by Curtiss as the F5L. The twin engine F5L was one of the Felixstowe F series of Flying boats developed by John Cyril Porte at the Seaplane Experimental Station, Felixstowe

The Curtiss factory also built a total of 68 "Large Americas" which evolved into the H-12, the only American designed and American built aircraft that saw combat in World War I.

World War I and after

As 1916 approached, it was feared that the United States would be drawn into the conflict. The U. S. Army Air Corps ordered the development of a simple, easy to fly and maintain two-seat trainer. Curtiss created the JN-4 "Jenny" for the Army, and the N-9 seaplane version for the Navy. The Curtiss JN-4 "Jenny" is a series of Biplane aircraft built by the Curtiss Aeroplane Company of Hammondsport New York, later the Curtiss Aeroplane It is one of the most famous products of the Curtiss company, and thousands were sold to the military of the United States, Canada and Britain. Civilian and military aircraft demand was booming and this year saw their operations grow to employ 18,000 workers in Buffalo and 3,000 workers in Hammondsport.

In 1917 the U. S. Navy commissioned Curtiss to design a long-range, four-engined flying boat large enough to hold a crew of five, which became known as the NC-4. "For other uses see NC 4 (disambiguation. The NC-4 was a Curtiss NC Flying boat, designed by Glenn Curtiss The post-World War I downturn of military contracts saw the Curtiss company shrink significantly, and Glenn Curtiss returned to his love of racing to improve product development, only this time with racing aircraft instead of motorcycles. Worldwide demand for increasingly larger seaplanes continued to be a mainstay in the Curtiss company's survival during the pre-World War II era.

Curtiss seaplanes won the Schneider Cup two consecutive races, 1923 and 1925. The Coupe d'Aviation Maritime Jacques Schneider " (commonly called Schneider Trophy, or prize or cup was a prize competition for Seaplanes Announced by The 1925 race was won by U.S. Navy Lieutenant David Rittenhouse flying a Curtiss C. R. 3 to 177. 266 mph (285. 457 km/h).

Piloted by US Army Lt. The United States Army is a military organization whose primary mission is to "provide necessary forces and capabilities. Cyrus Bettis, a Curtiss R3C won the Pulitzer Trophy Race on 12 October 1925, at a speed of 248. Events 539 BC - The army of Cyrus the Great of Persia takes Babylon. Year 1925 ( MCMXXV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. 9 mph (400. 6 km/h). ^[3] Thirteen days later, Jimmy Doolittle won the Schnieder in the same aircraft fitted with floats. General James Harold "Jimmy" Doolittle USAF (14 December 1896 &ndash 27 September 1993 was an American Aviation pioneer Doolittle finished first with a top speed of 232. 573 mph (374. 247 km/h).

Patent dispute

The patent dispute with the Wright brothers continued for several years until it was resolved during World War I, following Orville's withdrawal from the business and the company's shift to manufacturing engines only. The last Wright airplane, the Wright Model L was a single prototype of a "scouting" aircraft, made in 1916. ^[4] With the involvement of the U. S. in World War I in 1917, the U.S. government gave a large and profitable contract to Curtiss to build aircraft for the U. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All The federal government of the United States is the central United States Governmental body established by the United States Constitution. S. Army. The Wright Aeronautical Corporation, a successor to the original Wright Company, merged with the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company on 5 July 1929, forming the Curtiss-Wright company, just before Glenn Curtiss's death. Wright Aeronautical was an aviation venture of the Wright Brothers. Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company was an American aircraft manufacturer that went public in 1916 with Glenn Hammond Curtiss as president Events 1295 - Scotland and France form an alliance the beginnings of the Auld Alliance, against England. Year 1929 ( MCMXXIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Curtiss-Wright Corporation ( was once a leading Aircraft manufacturer of the United States, but has since become a component manufacturer specializing in [1]

Death

Curtiss died in 1930 in Buffalo, New York, from complications after appendix surgery, and was buried in Pleasant Valley Cemetery in Hammondsport, New York. Buffalo (ˈbʌfəloʊ is the second largest city in New York State. In Human anatomy, the appendix (or vermiform appendix; also cecal (or caecal appendix; also vermix) is a blind ended tube connected to the He was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 1964, the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 1990, and the Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1998. The American National Aviation Hall of Fame is located at the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, east The Motorsports Hall of Fame of America is a Hall of Fame and museum in Novi Michigan for American motorsports legends The Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum is located near Columbus Ohio, United States suburb of Pickerington. ^[5]

Timeline

See also

• Opa-locka Airport
• Curtiss mansion
• R. J. Mitchell - British designer of various Supermarine airplanes
• Mario Castoldi - Italian seaplane designer

References

Notes

Bibliography

External links

• Glenn H. Curtiss: Founder of the American Aviation Industry
• The Curtiss Aviation Book by Glenn Curtiss and Augustus Post
• U.S. Government Centennial of Flight - Glenn Curtiss
• A picture of the first U.S. pilot's license, issued to Glenn Curtiss
• Website for the proposed Glenn Curtiss Memorial Park on shore of Keuka Lake, Hammondsport, NY
• Glenn Curtiss Museum in Hammondsport, NY
• Works by or about Glenn Curtiss in libraries (WorldCat catalog)