The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-03-31
TWO RESCUED AS HYDRoAEROPLANE
 IS WRECKED HERE
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 thousand dollars. Damage is estimat-
 ed at about $2OO, according to MT.
 Cooper.
 The Cooper aircraft was designed as
 an innovation in aerial fighting craft It was built from plans yJJohn c.
 cooper and J. L.. Dawes, an engineer
 who instructed airmen of the Frencn'
 Russian and German armies, ana was
 constructed in this city under cooper
 personal supervision.
 The first machine was competed last summer and moved to hangar on Seaview avenue. Experimental trips along the harbor were made ear Iy last fall, but TO extended n1ghts were attempted.
 The Cooper machine is designed to carry four persons, half ton of bombs or ammunition and a machine gun mounted on the bow. 1ttis A feet from tip to tip of the planes and the, [ planes are supported by poWerIu1
 stays of special design. The hull of the ship is of mahogany and hand rlV- | eted throughout.
 Among the distinctive features of
 the machine is a specially constructed prov, designed to cut the water with least resistance. Pontoons on either side of the hull were designed to avert dipping of the planes.
 | The Cooper aircraft company is or
 ganized as follows: John D. Cooper, 1 president; J.. H. Cross1ey, vice-pres- fident; and Robert N. B1akeslee, sec
 retary. It is capitalized at $5o,000. John D. Cooper is known as one of the most intrepid and at the same time one of the most careful aviators | in the world today. He is the man
 who taught the Russians to fy- l When a youth, Cooper distinguished
 himself as a bicycliSt on many race tracks of the East. He won many 1 championships and was known wher-
 ever the sport was watched. Later he
 developed into automobile enthu- siast ,and in this he gained his knowl~ 1 edge of mechanics and desire for
 speed,
 When the Curtiss school at Ham
 n,ondsport was instituted, Cooper left i this city to become an aviator. He l soon attracted the attention of Glenn
 Curtfss by his mechanical skill, his 1 ambition, intrepidfty and general ap- 1 chief pilot of the Curtiss school and
 received great experience both with the hydro aeroplanes and the flying boats.
 prominent Tn the flying world and Cooper became equally prominent. Russia became interested in aeronaut- ics and gave Curtiss a temporary or
 der for 15 machines on the condition that he could prove their worth and
  23, 1913 Curtiss and the Bridgeport boy went to Russia.
 In Crimea, hundreds of Russian off, cers were tried in the planes and of
 these many attained proficiency. Cooper had great success. He was the pilot Other orders came from Austri, France and England and he and Curtiss vfs--
 ited these countries, where the same success was experienced.e
 Since his return to this country, C dn S,5O craft that would be extraordinarily
 useful in war. When the great war broke out in Europe his opportunity came and he has been building the machine since.
 According to airmen, the Bridgeport young man is known as man of quick wit in flying machine, arnaz- ing daring but possessed of sound judgment and air instinct that makes simple the most difficult of flights. Before he went to Europe he had
 made more than 4,O0O flights.