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  • Sturtevant 5A

    The Sturtevant 5A engine, rated at 140 hp, powered the Sturtevant S-4 and some L.W.F. V-1 training airplanes used by the Signal Corps at North Island, Calif., and Mineola, N.Y., during 1916 and 1917. Neither of these airplanes proved suitable, partly because of the 5A engine's high power to weight

  • Roberts Model 4-X

    This four-cylinder, water-cooled engine was made by the Roberts Motor Co. of Sandusky, Ohio, around 1910. Roberts used secret alloys it called "Aerotite" and "Magnalium" to enhance performance and reduce weight. The motor, weighing 170 pounds and developing 50 hp, was used in some Benoist and

  • Kirkham Four-Cylinder

    Charles B. Kirkham of Savona, N.Y., made this four-cylinder, water-cooled engine around 1912-1914. Its exact origin is unclear, but Hillery Beachy, a well-known early aviator, was likely involved in its design or use. Though it resembles an auto engine, similar Kirkham motors powered several early

  • Curtiss Four-Cylinder

    Curtiss four-cylinder, water-cooled engine used in the 1908 Signal Corps Dirigible No. 1. Developing about 25 hp, it drove a tubular steel shaft 22 feet long on which was mounted a wooden propeller designed by Lt. Thomas E. Selfridge. In the official speed trial, the Baldwin airship reached 19.61

  • Ansaldo

    This is one of the Roma's original Ansaldo engines, replaced by Liberty engines prior to the fatal flight of Feb. 21, 1922.This engine is not currently on public display.Click here to return to the Early Years Gallery. Find Out More Related Fact Sheets Roma Tragedy

  • Mark I Demolition Bomb

    The Mark I 4,300-pound bomb, developed for the Mitchell bombing trials, was first tested on Sept. 29, 1921. Unfortunately, Mitchell never obtained permission to drop the bomb during the trials, and the largest bomb used weighed 2,000 pounds. Purportedly, the U.S. Army Air Service removed this bomb

  • Machine Gun Fired from an Airplane

    During the 1912 flying season at College Park, additional volunteers were accepted for flight instruction, more airplanes were purchased, and new experiments were conducted. One of the most notable tests was the first firing of a machine gun from an airplane by Capt. Chandler on June 7, 1912. He

  • First Shot Fired from an Airplane

    The first shot fired from an airplane occurred on Aug. 20, 1910, at Sheepshead Bay race track near New York City. With Mr. Glenn Curtiss piloting, Lt. Jacob E. Fickel fired a rifle at a 3-foot-by-5-foot target from an altitude of 100 feet. The next month, Lt. Fickel and Mr. Curtiss repeated the

  • 37mm Aircraft Cannon

    This Model 1918 Type M1 Cannon was manufactured at the Watervliet Arsenal, N.Y., during World War I. Mounted on a swivel, it was designed to be fired one shot at a time.Tests indicated that single-shot cannon of this type required too much attention by the pilot or observer during actual combat,

  • Wright 1909 Military Flyer

    The Wright 1909 Military Flyer became the first military heavier-than-air flying machine. Upon purchase by the Signal Corps for $30,000 on Aug. 2, 1909, the U.S. Army designated the Wright 1909 Military Flyer as Signal Corps Airplane No. 1, and it remained the only Army airplane for nearly two