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66-474: The OX-5 was the last in a series of Glenn Curtiss designed V engines, which started as a series of air-cooled V-twins for motorcycles in 1902. A modified version of one of these early designs was sold as an aircraft engine in 1906, and from then on the company's primary market was aircraft. The basic design had slowly expanded by adding additional cylinders until they reached the V-8 in 1906. They also started enlarging

132-565: A Methodist Episcopal clergyman , and Ruth Bramble. Glenn Curtiss had a younger sister, Rutha Luella, also born in Hammondsport. Although his formal education extended only to eighth grade , his early interest in mechanics and inventions was evident at his first job at the Eastman Dry Plate and Film Company (later Eastman Kodak Company ) in Rochester, New York . His job at the factory

198-436: A Western Union bicycle messenger , a bicycle racer, and bicycle-shop owner. In 1901, he developed an interest in motorcycles when internal-combustion engines became more available. In 1902, Curtiss began manufacturing motorcycles with his own single-cylinder engines. His first motorcycle's carburetor was adapted from a tomato soup can containing a gauze screen to pull the gasoline up by capillary action . In 1903, he set

264-681: A motorcycle land speed record at 64 miles per hour (103 km/h) for one mile (1.6 km). When E.H. Corson of the Hendee Mfg Co (manufacturers of Indian motorcycles ) visited Hammondsport in July 1904, he was amazed that the entire Curtiss motorcycle enterprise was located in the back room of the modest "shop". Corson's motorcycles had just been trounced the week before by "Hell Rider" Curtiss in an endurance race from New York to Cambridge, Maryland . On January 24, 1907, Curtiss set an unofficial world record of 136.36 miles per hour (219.45 km/h), on

330-459: A rotary engine of equivalent power. This empty weight does not include the radiator and coolant fluid. Generally, air-cooled engines are lighter than their equivalent horsepower water-cooled counterparts. For example, the Bentley BR.2 rotary put out 230 hp (170 kW) and weighed 220 kg (490 lb), Clerget 9B rotary 130 hp (97 kW), 173 kg (381 lb). The new engine

396-600: A 40 horsepower (30 kW) 269 cu in (4,410 cc) V-8-powered motorcycle of his own design and construction in Ormond Beach, Florida . The air-cooled F-head engine was intended for use in aircraft. He remained "the fastest man in the world", the title the newspapers gave him, until 1911, and his motorcycle record was not broken until 1930. This motorcycle is now in the Smithsonian Institution . Curtiss's success at racing strengthened his reputation as

462-425: A Curtiss "grass cutter" to become the first Naval aviator. Curtiss custom built floats and adapted them onto a Model D so it could take off and land on water to prove the concept. On February 24, 1911, Curtiss made his first amphibious demonstration at North Island by taking off and alighting on both land and water. Back in Hammondsport, six months later in July 1911, Curtiss sold the U.S. Navy their first aircraft,

528-566: A crew of five, which became known as the Curtiss NC . Three of the four NC flying boats built attempted a transatlantic crossing in 1919. Thus NC-4 became the first aircraft to be flown across the Atlantic Ocean, (a feat quickly overshadowed by the first non-stop Atlantic crossing by Alcock and Brown ,) while NC-1 and NC-3 were unable to continue past the Azores . NC-4 is now on permanent display in

594-593: A curious public; Curtiss took full advantage of these occasions to promote his products. This was a busy period for Glenn Curtiss. In August 1909, Curtiss took part in the Grande Semaine d'Aviation aviation meeting at Reims , France , organized by the Aéro-Club de France . The Wrights , who were selling their machines to customers in Germany at the time, decided not to compete in person. Two Wright aircraft (modified with

660-576: A founder of the U.S. aircraft industry. He began his career as a bicycle racer and builder before moving on to motorcycles. As early as 1904, he began to manufacture engines for airships. In 1908, Curtiss joined the Aerial Experiment Association , a pioneering research group, founded by Alexander Graham Bell at Beinn Bhreagh, Nova Scotia , to build flying machines. Curtiss won a race at the world's first international air meet in France and made

726-475: A landing gear) were at the meet, but they did not win any events. On August 28, 1909, flying his No. 2 biplane , Curtiss won the overall speed event, the Gordon Bennett Cup , completing the 20-km (12.5-mile) course in just under 16 minutes at a speed of 46.5 mph (74.8 km/h), six seconds faster than runner-up Louis Blériot . On May 29, 1910, Curtiss flew from Albany to New York City to make

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792-504: A larger, more elaborate fifth-wheel vehicle, which he manufactured and sold under the name Aerocar. Shortly before his death, he designed a tailless aircraft with a V-shaped wing and tricycle landing gear that he hoped could be sold in the price range of a family car. The Wright Aeronautical Corporation, a successor to the original Wright Company, ultimately merged with the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company on July 5, 1929, forming

858-514: A leading maker of high-performance motorcycles and engines. In 1904, Curtiss became a supplier of engines for the California "aeronaut" Tom Baldwin , who inspired Curtiss to pursue aviation. In that same year, Baldwin's California Arrow , powered by a Curtiss 9 HP V-twin motorcycle engine, became the first successful dirigible in America. In 1907, Alexander Graham Bell invited Curtiss to develop

924-496: A partner to produce an aircraft with him to win the Daily Mail prize for the first transatlantic crossing . In 1912, Curtiss produced the two-seat Flying Fish , a larger craft that became classified as a flying boat because the hull sat in the water; it featured an innovative notch (known as a "step") in the hull that Porte recommended for breaking clear of the water at takeoff . Curtiss correctly surmised that this configuration

990-445: A power output of 140 hp at 1,900 rpm. In spite of the similarities with the original design, the engine had been substantially refined. The crankshaft was machined from a solid piece of steel. The cylinder blocks were cast aluminium and of monobloc type that is, in one piece with the SOHC cylinder heads. The inlet and exhaust ports were cast into the blocks, the valve seats were in

1056-412: A pull rod/tube working from the same camshaft. This arrangement caused the outer exhaust valves to have a rather long rocker arm. The push/pullrods were arranged one inside the other, the exhaust valve rod being on the inside and the intake valve rod a tube around it. The aluminum camshaft bearings were a split type bolted together and held in place by lock screws. The pistons were cast aluminum. The OX-5

1122-547: A small town on a lake in upstate New York. A patent lawsuit by the Wright brothers against Curtiss in 1909 continued until it was resolved during World War I. Since the last Wright aircraft, the Wright Model L, was a single prototype of a "scouting" aircraft, made in 1916, the U.S. government , desperately short of combat aircraft, pressured both firms to resolve the dispute. Of nine suits Wright brought against Curtiss and others and

1188-483: A suitable engine for heavier-than-air flight experimentation. Bell regarded Curtiss as "the greatest motor expert in the country" and invited Curtiss to join his Aerial Experiment Association (AEA). Between 1908 and 1910, the AEA produced four aircraft, each one an improvement over the last. Curtiss primarily designed the AEA's third aircraft, Aerodrome #3, the famous June Bug , and became its test pilot, undertaking most of

1254-574: A trainer. They were some of the most famous products of the Curtiss company, and thousands were sold to the militaries of the United States, Canada, and Britain. Civilian and military aircraft demand boomed, and the company grew to employ 18,000 workers in Buffalo and 3,000 workers in Hammondsport. In 1917, the U.S. Navy commissioned Curtiss to design a long-range, four-engined flying boat large enough to hold

1320-712: Is a water-cooled V8 SOHC aero engine introduced by Hispano-Suiza in 1914 that went on to become the most commonly used liquid-cooled engine in the aircraft of the Entente Powers during the First World War. The original Hispano-Suiza 8A was rated at 140 hp (100 kW) and the later, larger displacement Hispano-Suiza 8F reached 330 hp (250 kW). Hispano-Suiza 8 engines and variants produced by Hispano-Suiza and other companies under licence were built in twenty-one factories in Spain, France, Britain, Italy, and

1386-740: Is a relative term: aviation engine technology had not fully matured at the end of World War I. Certainly the JN4 with the OX-5 was underpowered, but the OX-5 proved a much better engine than the Hall Scott A7A that was the Achilles heel of the Standard J -1, the substitute primary trainer. In particular the valve gear was fragile, and it had no provisions for lubrication other than grease and oil applied by hand, leading to an overhaul interval as short as fifty hours. Additionally

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1452-575: Is dedicated to Curtiss' life and work. Curtiss' famed airplane appeared on a 1918 issue U. S. airmail stamp . along with fifteen other US airmail stamps, (including the first air mail stamps), and on the stamps of at least 17 other countries. Curtiss himself appeared on the cover of Time in 1924. There is a Curtiss Avenue in Hammondsport, NY, along with the Glenn Curtiss Elementary School. Carson, CA has Glenn Hammond Curtiss Middle School and Glenn Curtiss Street. Glenn H. Curtiss Road

1518-763: Is in San Diego, CA, and Glenn Curtiss Boulevard in East Meadow/Uniondale, NY (Long Island). Glenn Curtiss Drive is in Addison, TX, and Curtiss Parkway in Miami Springs, FL. Buffalo, NY has a Curtiss Park and a Curtis Parkway (named for Glenn despite the incorrect spelling). The Curtiss E-Library in Hialeah, FL was originally the Lua A. Curtiss Branch Library, named for Glenn's mother. Hispano-Suiza 8 The Hispano-Suiza 8

1584-528: The Aero Club of America , because the first batch of licenses were issued in alphabetical order; Wilbur Wright received license #5. At the culmination of the Aerial Experiment Association's experiments, Curtiss offered to purchase the rights to Aerodrome #3, essentially using it as the basis of his Curtiss No. 1 , the first of his production series of pusher aircraft. After a 1909 fall-out with

1650-549: The America , now called the H-4, from Curtiss. Porte licensed and further developed the designs, constructing a range of Felixstowe long-range patrol aircraft, and from his experience passed along improvements to the hull to Curtiss. The later British designs were sold to the U.S. forces, or built by Curtiss as the F5L . The Curtiss factory also built a total of 68 "Large Americas", which evolved into

1716-462: The Collier Trophy for designing this aircraft. Henry Kleckler, considered Curtiss' "right hand man", and a "master innovator and mechanic", was also a native of Hammondsport and worked with Curtiss in developing more efficient engines for the "flying boats" pioneered and developed by Curtiss. Around this time, Curtiss met retired British naval officer John Cyril Porte , who was looking for

1782-678: The Curtiss-Wright company, shortly before Curtiss's death. Curtiss, working with the head of the Smithsonian Institution Charles Walcott, sought to discredit the Wrights and rehabilitate the reputation of Samuel Langley , a former head of the Smithsonian, who failed in his attempt at powered flight. Secretly, Curtiss extensively modified Langley's 1903 aerodrome (aircraft) then demonstrated in 1914 that it could fly. In turn,

1848-691: The H-12 , the only American designed and built aircraft to see combat in World War I. As 1916 approached, the United States was feared to be drawn into the conflict. The Army's Aviation Section, U.S. Signal Corps ordered the development of a simple, easy-to-fly-and-maintain, two-seat trainer. Curtiss created the JN-4 "Jenny" for the Army, and the N-9 seaplane version for the Navy, designed as

1914-669: The Miami Springs Villas House, Dar-Err-Aha, MSTR No. 2, or Glenn Curtiss House . The Glenn Curtiss House, after years of disrepair and frequent vandalism, is being refurbished to serve as a museum in his honor. His frequent hunting trips into the Florida Everglades led to a final invention, the Adams Motor "Bungalo", a forerunner of the modern recreational vehicle trailer (named after his business partner and half-brother, G. Carl Adams). Curtiss later developed this into

1980-1078: The Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1998, and the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2003. The Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum has a collection of Curtiss's original documents as well as a collection of airplanes, motorcycles and motors. LaGuardia Airport was originally called Glenn H. Curtiss Airport when it began operation in 1929. Other Curtiss honors include: Naval Aviation Hall of Honor; OX-5 Aviation Pioneers Hall of Fame; Empire State Aviation Hall of Fame; Niagara Frontier Aviation and Space Hall of Fame; International Air & Space Hall of Fame; Long Island Air & Space Hall of Fame; Great Floridians 2000; Steuben County (NY) Hall of Fame; Hammondsport School Lifetime Achievements Wall of Fame; Florida Aviation Hall of Fame; Smithsonian Institution Langley Medal; Top 100 Stars of Aerospace and Aviation; Doctor of Science ( honoris causa ), University of Miami. The Glenn H. Curtiss Museum in Hammondsport

2046-594: The National Museum of Naval Aviation in Pensacola, Florida . Peace brought cancellation of wartime contracts. In September 1920, the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company underwent a financial reorganization. Glenn Curtiss cashed out his stock in the company for $ 32 million and retired to Florida. He continued on as a director of the company, but served only as an adviser on design. Clement M. Keys gained control of

Curtiss OX-5 - Misplaced Pages Continue

2112-504: The power-to-weight ratio record for 16 years. Curtiss continued the development of their V8 engines with demand for higher power outputs being largely driven by the US Navy ’s requirement for seaplanes . By 1912 Curtiss V8’s were developing 75 hp and were known as the Curtiss Model O . The Curtiss O was further developed into the 90 hp Curtiss OX. OX series production began in 1913. The OX-5

2178-530: The A-1 Triad . The A-1, which was primarily a seaplane, was equipped with retractable wheels, also making it the first amphibious aircraft. Curtiss trained the Navy's first pilots and built their first aircraft. For this, he is considered in the US to be "The Father of Naval Aviation". The Triad was immediately recognized as so obviously useful, it was purchased by the U.S. Navy, Russia, Japan, Germany, and Britain. Curtiss won

2244-496: The AEA, Curtiss joined with A. M. Herring (and backers from the Aero Club of America ) to found the Herring-Curtiss Company in Hammondsport. During the 1909–1910 period, Curtiss employed a number of demonstration pilots, including Eugene Ely , Charles K. Hamilton , J.A.D. McCurdy , Augustus Post , and Hugh Robinson . Aerial competitions and demonstration flights across North America helped to introduce aviation to

2310-508: The J-1s were grounded in June 1918 JN-4s were in sufficient supply) led to the rejection of this idea. The successful civilian post-war use of the OX-5 (even in civilian purchased and converted J-1s) was due to its relative reliability in the more aerodynamically advanced designs of the 1920s, its simplicity of operation, and its low cost. By comparison the Hall Scott A7A created such a bad impression during

2376-467: The Navy, but more significant, as far as the Navy was concerned, was Eugene Ely successfully landing his Curtiss pusher (the same aircraft used to take off from the Birmingham ) on a makeshift platform mounted on the rear deck of the battleship USS Pennsylvania . This was the first arrester-cable landing on a ship and the precursor of modern-day carrier operations. On January 28, 1911, Ellyson took off in

2442-485: The Smithsonian endorsed the false statement that "Professor Samuel P. Langley had actually designed and built the first man-carrying flying machine capable of sustained flight." Walcott ordered the plane modified by Curtiss to be returned to its original 1903 condition before going on display at the Smithsonian to cover up the deception. In 1928 the Smithsonian Board of Regents reversed its position and acknowledged that

2508-624: The U.S. Derivatives of the engine were also used abroad to power numerous aircraft types and the engine can be considered as the ancestor of another successful engine by the same designer, the Hispano-Suiza 12Y (and Soviet Klimov V12 derivative aero-engines) which was in service during the Second World War. At the beginning of World War I, the production lines of the Barcelona based Hispano-Suiza automobile and engine company were switched to

2574-526: The Wright Brothers deserved the credit for the first flight. Traveling to Rochester to contest a lawsuit brought by former business partner August Herring , Curtiss suffered an attack of appendicitis in court. He died on July 23, 1930, in Buffalo, New York , of complications from an appendectomy . His funeral service was held at St. James Episcopal Church in his home town, Hammondsport, with interment in

2640-414: The company, which later became the nucleus of a large group of aviation companies. Curtiss and his family moved to Florida in the 1920s, where he founded 18 corporations, served on civic commissions, and donated extensive land and water rights. He co-developed the city of Hialeah with James Bright and developed the cities of Opa-locka and Miami Springs , where he built a family home, known variously as

2706-601: The conventional system of Hispano-Suiza(engine manufacturer) 8(no of cylinders) A(engine series) b(variant) r(attribute), thus Hispano-Suiza 8Abr . The 8B , 8Ba and 8Bb were used (a) to power the earliest versions of the S.E.5a , (b) along with the 8Bd , the SPAD S.XIII , (c) front-line active versions of the Sopwith Dolphin , and (d) several other Allied aircraft types, with its gear reduction easily identifiable in vintage World War I photos, from its use of

Curtiss OX-5 - Misplaced Pages Continue

2772-426: The cylinders as well, but this led to cooling problems that required the introduction of liquid cooling in 1908. These early engines used a flathead valve arrangement, which eventually gave way to a cross-flow cylinder with overhead valves in 1909, leading to improved volumetric efficiency . By this point engine design was a team effort; the team included Charles M. Manly , whose earlier Manly–Balzer engine had held

2838-403: The end of 1910, Curtiss established a winter encampment at San Diego to teach flying to Army and Naval personnel. Here, he trained Lt. Theodore Ellyson , who became U.S. Naval Aviator #1, and three Army officers, 1st Lt. Paul W. Beck , 2nd Lt. George E. M. Kelly , and 2nd Lt. John C. Walker, Jr., in the first military aviation school. ( Chikuhei Nakajima , founder of Nakajima Aircraft Company ,

2904-527: The engine featured a single spark plug in each cylinder, and a single ignition system, in an era when ignition equipment was less reliable, with dual ignition already being fitted to more advanced aviation powerplants like the French V-form Hispano-Suiza 8 and the inline-six cylinder series of Mercedes D.I through D.III German engines. Built by several contractors in large numbers, the OX-5 suffered from uneven quality control. However, while

2970-658: The family plot at Pleasant Valley Cemetery in Hammondsport. By an act of Congress on March 1, 1933, Curtiss was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross , which now resides in the Smithsonian Institution . Curtiss was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 1964, the International Aerospace Hall of Fame in 1965, the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 1990,

3036-536: The feasibility of shooting at targets on the ground from an aircraft with Curtiss serving as pilot. One month later, in September, he trained Blanche Stuart Scott , who was possibly the first American woman pilot. The fictional character Tom Swift , who first appeared in 1910 in Tom Swift and His Motor Cycle and Tom Swift and His Airship , has been said to have been based on Glenn Curtiss. The Tom Swift books are set in

3102-540: The first long-distance flight between two major cities in the U.S. For this 137-mile (220 km) flight, which he completed in just under four hours including one stop to refuel, he won a $ 10,000 prize offered by publisher Joseph Pulitzer and was awarded permanent possession of the Scientific American Trophy. In June 1910, Curtiss provided a simulated bombing demonstration to naval officers at Hammondsport. Two months later, Lt. Jacob E. Fickel demonstrated

3168-507: The first long-distance flight in the U.S. His contributions in designing and building aircraft led to the formation of the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company , which later merged into the Curtiss-Wright Corporation . His company built aircraft for the U.S. Army and Navy, and, during the years leading up to World War I, his experiments with seaplanes led to advances in naval aviation. Curtiss civil and military aircraft were some of

3234-551: The lack of power may have been the cause of the many stall and spins that took about forty five percent of training lives. Anyone seeing a JN-4 today struggling into the air with an OX-5 can see very quickly that the JN-4 had to be flown in a narrow envelope. Also, the replacement of the A7A in Standard J-1s was contemplated, but the cost of $ 2,000 per aircraft compared with the need (by the time

3300-591: The most important types in the interwar and World War II eras. Glenn Curtiss was born in 1878 in Hammondsport, New York , situated on the southern tip of Keuka Lake , one of the Finger Lakes in New York. His mother was Lua Curtiss née Andrews and his father was Frank Richmond Curtiss a harness maker who had arrived in Hammondsport with Glenn's grandparents in 1876. Glenn's paternal grandparents were Claudius G. Curtiss,

3366-719: The new rotary engines under development did not appeal to aircraft designers. French officials ordered production of the 8A to be started as soon as possible and issued a requirement for a new single-seat high-performance fighter aircraft using the new engine. The Louis Béchereau -designed SPAD VII was the result of this requirement and allowed the Allies to regain air superiority over the Germans. Some data from: British Piston Engines and their Aircraft Note: Hispano-Suiza company type numbers were prefixed by HS- or written in full as Hispano-Suiza Type 31 , but military designations used

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3432-530: The overwhelming majority of training accidents in the U.S. were in JN-4s, this was because JN-4s were flown by the vast majority of trainee pilots, and the accident rate in the US for primary training was four times less than the advanced training rate in France (virtually all US airmen getting advanced training in France), approximately 2800 flying hours in the US primarily in OX-5 powered JN-4s per fatality to 761 hours per fatality in France in other types. Very few fatal accidents were caused by engine failure, although

3498-415: The production of war materiel. Chief engineer Marc Birkigt led work on an aircraft engine based on his successful V8 automobile engine. The resulting engine, called the Hispano-Suiza 8A (HS-31), made its first appearance in February 1915. The first 8A kept the standard configuration of Birkigt's existing design: eight cylinders in 90° Vee configuration, a displacement of 11.76 litres (717.8 cu in) and

3564-403: The proving flights. On July 4, 1908, he flew 5,080 ft (1,550 m) to win the Scientific American Trophy and its $ 2,500 prize. This is considered to be the first pre-announced public flight of a heavier-than-air flying machine in America. The flight of the June Bug propelled Curtiss and aviation firmly into public awareness. On June 8, 1911, Curtiss received U.S. Pilot's License #1 from

3630-441: The three suits brought against them, the Wright Brothers eventually won every case in courts in the United States. On November 14, 1910, Curtiss demonstration pilot Eugene Ely took off from a temporary platform mounted on the forward deck of the cruiser USS Birmingham . His successful takeoff and ensuing flight to shore marked the beginning of a relationship between Curtiss and the Navy that remained significant for decades. At

3696-743: The top face of the steel cylinder liners, which were screwed into the blocks. Using a rotating bevel gear -driven tower shaft coming up from the crankcase along the rear end of each cylinder bank, with the final drive for each cylinder bank's camshaft accommodated within a semicircular bulge at the rear end of each valve cover. Aluminium parts were coated in vitreous enamel to reduce leakage. All parts subject to wear, and those critical for engine ignition were duplicated: spark plugs for dual ignition reliability, valve springs, magnetos , etc. Engine reliability and power to weight ratios were major problems in early aviation. The engine and its accessories weighed 185 kg (408 lb), making it 40% lighter than

3762-417: The top of the head attached to the block via four long bolts. Fuel was carbureted near the rear of the engine, then piped to the cylinders via two T-shaped pipes, the cylinders being arranged so the intake ports of any two in a bank were near each other. The cylinders had one intake and one exhaust valve, the exhaust valve operated by a pushrod from a camshaft running between the banks and inlet valve operated by

3828-433: The war that very few, if any, were used by civilian operators. The OX-5 itself would be replaced by the well-proven Wright Aeronautical -built version of the 150 hp Hispano-Suiza HS-8a V8 engine in the nearly 930 examples of the later production Curtiss JN-4 H Jenny biplanes. Glenn Curtiss Glenn Hammond Curtiss (May 21, 1878 – July 23, 1930) was an American aviation and motorcycling pioneer, and

3894-475: Was a 1912 graduate.) The original site of this winter encampment is now part of Naval Air Station North Island and is referred to by the Navy as "The Birthplace of Naval Aviation". Through the course of that winter, Curtiss was able to develop a float (pontoon) design that enabled him to take off and land on water. On January 26, 1911, he flew the first seaplane from the water in the United States. Demonstrations of this advanced design were of great interest to

3960-434: Was built between 1915 and 1919 and was by far the most popular OX variant. Like most engines of the era, the OX-5's high-temperature areas were built mostly of cast iron , using individual cylinders bolted to a single aluminum crankcase, wrapped in a cooling jacket made of a nickel-copper alloy. Later versions used a brazed-on steel jacket instead. Cylinder heads were also attached to the crankcase, using X-shaped tie-downs on

4026-415: Was despite being the most common type, then in use, for most aircraft. Also, rotary engines were getting close to the limits of their development at this time. Rotary engines of increased power generally had increased weight, which in turn increased the already serious gyroscopic torque generated by the engine's rotation. A further increase in torque was considered unacceptable, and the power to weight ratio of

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4092-443: Was more suited to building a larger long-distance craft that could operate from water, and was also more stable when operating from a choppy surface. With the backing of Rodman Wanamaker , Porte and Curtiss produced the America in 1914, a larger flying boat with two engines, for the transatlantic crossing. With the start of World War I , Porte returned to service in the Royal Navy , which subsequently purchased several models of

4158-403: Was not considered particularly advanced, nor powerful, for its era. By this point rotary engines such as the Oberursel or Gnome-Rhône were producing about 100 hp (75 kW), and newer inlines were becoming available with 160 hp (120 kW) or more. Nevertheless, the OX-5 had fairly good fuel economy as a result of its slow RPM, which made it useful for civilian aircraft. The OX-5

4224-600: Was presented to the French Ministry of War in February 1915, and tested for 15 hours at full power. This was standard procedure for a new engine design to be admitted into military service. However, because of lobbying by French engine manufacturers, the Spanish-made engine was ordered to undergo a bench test that no French-made engine had yet passed: a 50-hour run at full speed. The HS-31 was therefore sent back to Chalais-Meudon on July 21, 1915, and tested for 50 hours, succeeding against all expectations. The design also promised far more development-potential than rotary engines. This

4290-694: Was to stencil numbers on the paper backing of the film manufactured by the company. He figured out how to speed up the process of stenciling and built a "stencil machine": a rack with a brush on a hinge which would stencil one hundred paper strips with a single stroke of the brush. This improved his throughput ten times, and eventually the company adopted his invention. He also built a rudimentary camera to study photography. On March 7, 1898, Curtiss married Lena Pearl Neff (1879–1951), daughter of Guy L. Neff and Jenny M. Potter, in Hammondsport, New York. They had two children: Carlton N. Curtiss (1901–1902) and Glenn Hammond Curtiss (1912–1969) Curtiss began his career as

4356-422: Was used on the Swallow Airplane Swallow , Pitcairn PA-4 Fleetwing II , Travel Air 2000 , Waco 9 and 10 , the American Eagle , the Buhl-Verville CW-3 Airster , and some models of the Jenny. The primary reason for its popularity was its low cost after the war, with almost-new examples selling as low as $ 20. It was often used in boats as well as in aircraft. The engine was considered unreliable, but unreliable

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