Number 21 (plane)

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Gustave Whitehead and his 1901 monoplane taken near Whitehead's Pine Street shop. His infant daughter, Rose, sits on her father's lap, and the engine that powers the front landing-gear wheels is on the ground in front of the others.

The sketch by Dick Howell.

This article is about an airplane. For the number 21, see 21 (number).

Number 21 was the name of the aeroplane Gustave Whitehead allegedly flew near Bridgeport, Connecticut on August 14, 1901 - two years before the Wright brothers' first flight.

According to Gustave and a few eyewitnesses to the event, the monoplane's longest flight was 60 meter (200 feet) above ground for 800 meter (0.5 miles). However, these claims are contested. Gustave failed to keep a log book and planned for the bulk of his flights to occur at night, or "early dawn", thus limiting witnesses.

In an article in the August 18, 1901 issue of The Bridgeport Herald the author states he witnessed a night test of the plane, at first unpiloted but loaded with sand bags, and later with Whitehead at the controls.

The author was actually a sports journalist, who usually made hand-drawn sketches of events which accompanied his articles. He made a sketch showing the plane in the air.

Whitehead made four flights that day, which is the reason for different witnesses talking about different flights on the same day, which was used by his opponents to raise suspicions about those flights.

Number 21 was a monoplane powered by a 20 hp engine, fueled by acetylene and peroxide. It achieved takeoff speed by using the engine to power the wheels, as in an automobile; upon takeoff, power was switched to the propeller.