CURTISS, Glenn Hammond [1878-1930] -- American inventor (aviation) and aviation pioneer
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He was a member of ¤Alexander Graham Bell's Aerial Experiment Association (1907-9). In 1908 he made the first public flights in the United States, and in 1909 he established the first flying school there. His greatest triumph was his then daring and spectacular flight from Albany to New York City in 1910 – with a refueling stop in Poughkeepsie at Camelot, near the present IBM site on NY Route 9.
In 1911, Curtiss and Bell patented the aileron, which Curtiss attached to his newly developed seaplane. This control surface proved much superior to the wing warping method that the Wrights were using. He organized (1916) the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Corp., which built many planes for the Allied nations during World War I. After the war Curtiss continued to contribute radical improvements in the design of both planes and motors. [after Encyclopedia.com]
Curtiss and the Wright brothers had a number of aviation patents, one of which was the subject of a bitter and protracted lawsuit. The issue was lateral control – wing warping vs ailerons – but the Wright patent also claimed the very idea of lateral control, which would be like claiming the idea of roundness in a tire patent.
Although the Wrights won that suit,
in the final analysis, not one Wright invention is in current use,
while numerous Curtiss inventions still have relevance and importance.
The Wrights may have gotten the glory,
and they deserve honor for being the first in the air,
but only Curtiss' genius has survived the test of time. 
Chronology |
1902 | Began producing motorcycles |
1903 | First American motorcycle champion: world record 56.4 sec. mile |
1906 | Wright bros. were granted a patent for their flyer, using wing warping for lateral control |
1907 | "Fastest man in the world" 136.36 mph w/8 cyl motorcycle |
1907-1909 | Member of A. G. Bell''s Aerial Experiment Association (AEA) |
1908 | First US flight of aircraft equipped with wheels ("White Wing") |
1908 | First Army dirigible flight (as flight engineer) |
1908 | First flight of an aircract controlled by ailerons ("White Wing") |
1908 | First official public US flight ("June Bug") |
1908 | First public straight line flight of 1 km (Scientific American trophy) |
1909 | Established first flying school in U.S. |
1909 | Won second Scientific American trophy, for circular flight |
1909 | First Canadian airplane flight ("Silver Dart", Nova Scotia) |
1909 | Produced and sold first private aircraft in US |
1909 | First US licensed aircraft manufacturer |
1909 | Wrights file suit claiming patent infringement on issue of lateral control |
1909 | Won first international air race with 46.5 mph (James Gordon Bennett cup, Rheims, FRA) |
1910 | First successful takeoff from a Navy ship |
1910 | Curtiss motorcycle production ceases (although continued for a short while under the name Marvel) |
1910 | Trained Blanche Stuart Scott, first female American pilot |
1910 | First New York to Albany flight (New York World prize) |
1910 | First (simulated) bombing runs from an aircraft (Lake Keuka) |
1910/08 | First firearm use from aircraft, piloted by Curtiss (Sheepshead Bay Speedway, Brooklyn, New York) |
1910/08 | First radio communication with aircraft in flight (Curtiss biplane) |
1911 | Ailerons (airplane control surfaces) patented. Wrights were still using wing warping. |
1911 | Received US pilot''s license #1 |
1911 | First successful pontoon aircraft in US |
1911 | First takeoff and landing on water |
1911 | First practical seaplane (A-1 "Triad" hydroplane) |
1911 | Built first US Navy aircraft ("Triad") |
1911 | First military aviation school |
1911 | Trained first two Navy pilots |
1911 | First air-sea rescue (of another crashed pilot, using the Curtiss seaplane) |
1911 | First dual pilot controls |
1911 | First retractable landing gear (Hydroaeroplane) |
1911? | First passenger in a seaplane |
1912 | Wilbur Wright dies of typhoid; Wright family blames death on Curtiss intransigence re lawsuit |
1912 | First Florida flight school (Miami Beach) |
1912 | First flying boat (Lake Keuka) |
1912/11 | First compressed air catapult launch (Curtiss seaplane) |
1913 | Wrights win ailerons lawsuit, Curtiss ordered to stop production and use of planes with two ailerons that operated simultaneously in opposite directions |
1914 | Motorcycle production ceases entirely |
1914 | First heavier-than-air craft intended for transatlantic flight |
1914/05 | First demonstration of automatic pilot (by Lawrence Sperry in a Curtiss Model J flying boat) |
1916 | Organized Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Corp. |
1919 | Curtiss NC-4 flying boat is first to cross Atlantic Ocean |
1920 | First airboat (Florida Everglades) |
1920-1930 | Lived in FL (Curtiss Mansion, 500 Deer Run, Miami Springs) |
1920s | Founded city of Opa Locka, FL |
1920s | Involved with founding of Hialeah, FL |
Bookmarks (off-site links) |
- Works by Glenn+Curtiss
- Analyses, critiques and interpretations
- Airplanes Inventors: Glenn Hammond Curtiss portrayed as a "thief, liar, speed demon," chiefly for his "reprehensible" behavior toward the Wrights -- all without a shred of evidence for this admitted harsh judgement. By Steve Wright. (What a surprise!)
- Quotations
- For sale
- BookFinder.com Books by or about Glenn+Curtiss
- Curtiss brochure 1912 Curtiss Sales Booklet
- Surface
- Flight
- Curtiss Wright Corp
- Curtiss-Wright Corporation 1936 expired stock certificates for sale
- Florida development
- Analyses, critiques and interpretations
- Works about
- Biographical
- Specific periods, events, aspects. Trivia.
- Chronologies, synopses, encyclopedias
- Wikipedia Wikipedia is a free encyclopedia that is being written collaboratively by the readers. The site is a WikiWiki, meaning that anyone, you included, can edit any article right now by clicking on the edit this page link that appears in every Wikipedia article except for a few protected pages.
- Glenn Curtiss, Father of Naval Aviation -- Glenn Curtiss Historical Society
- Curtiss-Wright Corporation - Glenn Hammond Curtiss
- biographies C (ARCHIVE)
- Genealogy
- Memorials, tributes, shrines
- Bibliographies and Link Farms
- Open Directory The Open Directory Project is the largest, most comprehensive human- edited directory of the Web. It is constructed and maintained by a vast, global community of volunteer editors.
- Search engines
- Landings: Aviation Museums / History general aviation history
- Discussion, interviews
- Biographical
- Collections, archives - Papers
- History of Aviation Manuscript Collections at WSU Special Collections & Archives Aviation history, the Paul Laurence Dunbar Library at Wright State University.
- Early Birds of Aviation, Inc. Collection
- Historical context, background
- Places (residences, etc)
- The Pioneers (ARCHIVE)
- History Wing a biography of the Wright Brothers
- Program Details for World Through Stamps: The Stories Behind Postage Stamps, The Great moments in aviation history as told through postage stamps (a movie available for download, 12:50)
- AeroFiles Hangar: Start Your Engines serious research site!
- Gallery
- The Internet Movie Database (IMDb). As a character.
- The Internet Movie Database (IMDb). As a participant: actor, director, etc.
- Google Images Search
- Glenn Curtiss
- LINCOLN BEACHEY - Glenn Curtiss
- Glenn H. Curtiss
- GLENN H. CURTISS: Founder of The American Aviation Industry
- Glenn H. Curtiss
- Early Flight - Exhibition Home Page
- The planes
Originals, reproductions, etc.
- Compilations
The AeroFiles pages are quite complete, with detailed descriptions and crisp images.
- Aviation Heritage Golden Age Early Birds a medley
- Curtiss # to J The fabulous AeroFiles site
- Curtiss L-Z The fabulous AeroFiles site
- American airplanes: Curtiss-hyphenates The fabulous AeroFiles site
- Curtiss-Wright Corporation - June Bug
- Curtiss D-III
- Curtiss D Pusher - 1911
- Curtiss 1911 Model D Type IV pusher on display at the US Air Force Museum in Dayton Ohio
- First Flying Boat -- Glenn Curtiss
- Curtis Jenny
- Curtiss JN-4D Jenny
- 1918 Curtiss Jenny
- Curtiss N9 A navy Jenny, designated "N9" to distinguish from the army versions
- Curtiss JN-4 Canuck Canadian version
- Curtiss A-3B Falcon - US Air Force Museum Attack Aircraft Virtual Aircraft Gallery
- Plans-Vol 4 No. 4 Pg 12a : Curtiss Gulfhawk
- Plans-Vol 4 No. 4 Pg 12b : Curtiss Hawk P-6E
- Plans-Vol 9 No. 1 Pg 18b : Curtiss Hell-Diver SBC-3
- Plans-Vol 10 No. 4 Pg 28 : Curtiss P-40 Warhawk
- Curtiss P-40 Warhawk
- Curtiss P-40B Tomahawk
- Compilations
The AeroFiles pages are quite complete, with detailed descriptions and crisp images.
Bookmarks:2010-05-31 06:57:15
