Curtiss No. 1

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No. 1 / Gold Bug / Golden Flyer
Type Early experimental aircraft
Manufacturer Herring-Curtiss Company
Designed by Glenn Curtiss
Maiden flight 1909
Retired 1909
Number built 1

The Curtiss No. 1 also known as the Curtiss Gold Bug or Curtiss Golden Flyer was a 1900s American early experimental aircraft, the first independent aircraft designed and built by Glenn Curtiss.

[edit] Development

After the success of designing aircraft for the Aerial Experiment Association, Glenn Curtiss formed his own company the Herring-Curtiss Company in March 1909 in association with Augustus Herring. Earler in the same month the Aeronautical Society of New York had placed an ordered from Curtiss for a new aircraft. The Curtiss No. 1 was the first aircraft both designed and built by Curtiss. Curtiss flew the aircraft to win the Scientific American trophy (which he had won before in the AEA June Bug that he had designed. Encouraged by the success Curtiss entered the aircraft into the first international air show to be held at Reims in France in August 1909. Before the international competition the aircraft crashed and was badly damaged, Curtiss decided not to rebuild the aircraft and built a new aircraft the Curtiss Reims Racer for the competition.

[edit] Specifications

General characteristics

  • Crew: One
  • Length: 33 ft 6 in (10.2 m)
  • Wingspan: 28 ft 9 in (8.8 m)
  • Gross weight: 550 lb (250 kg)
  • Powerplant: 1 × 4-Cylinder Curtiss engine, 25 hp (19 kW)

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 45 mph (72 km/h)

[edit] References

[edit] See also