Tuesday, July 26, 2011

The Curtiss Model D Replica

Next up was a replica of a Curtiss Model D. This was the first aircraft to be produced in any sort of significant quantity and was used by both the Army and Navy. This plane would make many firsts including the first to both land and take off from a ship.
On November 14, 1910, Eugene Ely took off from the USS Birmingham using a plane similar to the one above.
On January 18, 1911, he landed on board the USS Pennsylvania. This event is considered as the birth of Naval Aviation.
It's amazing how much of this plane would be familiar to a modern pilot. It's even more amazing how much planes have change in the meantime.
So Happy Birthday to the US Naval Aviation. Here's to another 100 years.

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