Existing comment:
Curtiss Model D "Pusher" (Reproduction):
The Curtiss Pusher designated SC No. 2 was purchased in March 1911 by the US Army. The plane was originally sent to the flying school at Fort Sam Houston, TX, but following the fatal crash of Lt. George Kelly, SC No. 2 was rebuilt and shipped in the aviation school at College Park. It arrived with an 8-cylinder engine that was later traded for a 4-cylinder engine to make it safer to use in the training of new pilots.
Because the control systems were so vastly different, aviators at the aviation school were trained on either the Wright or the Curtiss machines. College Park pilots who received instruction on how to fly this aircraft included Captain Paul Beck, 2nd Lt. Frank M. Kennedy, and Captain Frederick B. Hennessy.
This aeroplane was a single-seater that utilized ailerons rather than wing warping, which was protected by a patent held by the Wright Brothers. It was made primarily of spruce with doped fabric stretched across the wings, and weighed approximately 700 lbs when empty. The pilot used the wheel to operate the front elevator and rear rudder, and operated the ailerons with his shoulders. |