Although the Wright Brothers may have flown first, there are few who would argue that Glenn Curtiss was actually the driving force that developed the flying machine from a curiosity into an airplane and made it both a practical and controllable entity. Few of the Wrights' design innovations survived into even the '20s, but Curtiss gave us many basics, including the rudder/aileron/elevator control system that is common to all modern aircraft as well as tricycle landing gear.
As part of their mission to ensure that Curtiss's place in history remains visible, the Glenn Curtiss Museum (glennhcurtissmuseum.org) in Hammondsport, New York, Curtiss's old hometown, has been fabricating faithful flying reproductions of early Curtiss designs for some years. One of their more ambitious efforts was the twin-engine flying boat, America.
At Flight Journal's request, Jim Poel volunteered to tell us how "America" flies.
Building and flying the "America" is much easier than the older 1911 U.S. Navy A-1 Curtiss floatplane.. For one thing, it has conventional controls and a closed cockpit; where the older Curtiss had a shoulder yoke for the ailerons, the control wheel turned for the rudders and fore and aft for the elevators. Very unconventional. And on the "America" we had a better appreciation for the location of the center of gravity. Plus, we were happy to discover that it floats the same way as the old pictures show.
This story is from the May - June 2023 edition of Flight Journal.
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This story is from the May - June 2023 edition of Flight Journal.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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Scourge of the Allied Fighters
IT HAD TO BE THE MOST HELPLESS FEELING in the world: you're at 25,000 feet over Europe knowing that your primary function is to drop bombs-or flying escort for the bombers while being a slow-moving target for some of the world's finest shooters. However, you have John Browning's marvelous .50 caliber invention to give some degree of protection. Unfortunately, you're absolutely helpless against flak. Piloting and gunnery skills play no role in a game where sheer chance makes life and death decisions. For that reason, the Krupp 88 mm Flak 18/36/37 AA cannon could be considered WW II's ultimate stealth fighter. You never saw it coming.
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