The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-06-13

back To their little shop at Dayton. |
OHIO. after the first successful hshi
at Kitty Hawk and began to build an
~aeropiane. II came into being last
summer when experts from European
Governments hesitatilg.y placed a few
trial orders with American manufac-
tutcrs
In america AT least the business os
building a%eroplanes had barely passed
tine experimental stage when the wal
In Europe began. Not that American
builders could not turn out worthy
miChines-tNey could do that-but
with Government, support lacking.
Their own funds exhausted during
years Of scientific experiment and
with almost no market for their out
pu,. the constructors were starving.
hoping and ~watchfully waiting.
In the early days American crowds
supported the pioneer exper!menters
with liberal gate receipts for cxh!bi-
ton flights. Blu with the exception
Of a certain morbid curiosity to see the
few a~viators who exceed the safe
limit the exhibition day had passed.
A few Observation-Disclosures say two
Constructo.s-made occasional entries
o. the right side of the ledger through
actual sales of machines to foreign
Governments; but for the most part
each Government patronized its W
factories. and these were well able to
build machines as fast as they were
required. The expense to an Amer
team concern of getting a foreign order
ete well into the profits. these ON
Germs found. For the little fellows
there was nothing: no orders and no
prospects OF orders.
The largest ~aeroplane factory in
America ten months & employed $50
men building motors. flying boats and
land ~aeroplanes at Hammondsport. y.
y. They were turning out a machine
every two or three weeks. a few for
the United States army and navy. a
few for foreign Governments. an &C.
C%as!onal machine for exhibition fiers
and sportsmen. This entire plant for
several months before war was de-
cared was chiefly concerned in build
ins 70. Rodman Wanamaker the
transatlantic flying boat America. In
which Lieut.. John Cyril Porte. Il. ".
vas to attempt an overocean flight.
And this little factory with its $50
workmen vas four times the size o..
any other aeroplane concern in the
United States. Most OF the aeroplanr
builders had from two to ten work
men in their employ. not more. and
IN other companies one man was in
vertor. designer and sole constructor
Then clme the war. and shortly
after came foreign military and naval
officers to see what kind Of aeroplanes
America could turn out for Europs
and in what quantity she could pro-
duCe them. Let us first see what me
vr did for Americas largest plant.
the Curtiss .Aeroplane Company Of
F~smmondsport, rated at $50 man
power.
When THE u reporter inquired
for Mr.. Curtiss at the H~ammondspo-t
factory last week he was informed
that the headquarters Of this concern
h'd been moved to Buffalo and that
the H~ammondsport plant was now
only a branch. The entire plant a.
E~ammondsport has been given over to
the building of aeroplane motors and
two new buildings have been added
since the rush began.
y motor a week used to he consid-
cred fast work. but now three aero
nautical motors are shipped out OF
Hammondsport every " days.
So the trail led to Buffalo. 1892 Nj
aCaTi street. in buildi. gs formerly oc-
cup!ed by the T.. r. Thomas Auto
mobile Company. There the whirr NJ
machinery bespoke prosperity. but in
Ouirles for Mr.. Curtiss brought for;,
this answer:
&c. II. is not here" tThey refer It
Mr.. Curtis as G. HI You'll find hin
az the main factory at the foot If
Churchill street. This is only a brancl
nov. and the general offices have beer
moved up there"
AT the foot OF Churchill! street tht
reporter found a large. low, black
budding labelled 'Curt!ss Aeroplan'
Company" In front of it IN Al
ofre building. At every door there
we're NO admit ance' signs anC
guards. Inside hundreds Of workmer
we're assembling aeroplanes for thu
armies and navies of Europe. Moth
Ing is built here, the machines ar
merely put together.
The war has introduced ptogres
eve assembly. a term long fami.iaI
in automobile building. into tho manu-
faeture ~ aeroplanes. To one wa,
WIS familiar with the little liant II
Hammondsport ten months ago WHEEL
y was remarkable to see three aero
planes on the assembling floor at on
time, this scene was marvellous. Las
summer seemed ten years ago. Her
we're the parts Of fifty aeroplanes ant
0orkmen everywhere pushing then
out like Fords." as an automobile MAJ
Unmarked.
Al one end of the long room-a
long as Madison Square Gard n emp
tea for a circus-they were putting
together the wing sections furtht
anng the fuselage was takinG form
toward the middle the engines vcr
being set in and the wings ftteG or
unit down at the further I'M Of tn
pant the completed machine wa
rady to push out the door. Then IN
wings are folded and the machin
Grated and shipped.
America made a great ado last sum
mer when the Curtiss plant In Ham
mondsport was building a transatlan
Tic flying boat for Rodman Wana
maker. Experiment after experiment
was watched with interest until I'll
outbreak of the war sent Lieut.. Port
hurrying back to England tn hecom
shief instructor at Hendon n tn
transatlantic fight was postponed In