Photo Curtiss Aircraft

[Buckeye30]

Stig, no. 43 force-landed near Chihuahua City and the pilot Maj. Herbert Dargue was lucky to escape from irate civilians; 43 was burned as a precaution.
Dargue was killed in a transport 5 days after Pearl Harbor, carrying important war plans. He had served on Corregidor 1912-13.

Arbon wrote a history of enlisted pilots in service, " They also flew, the enlisted pilot legacy 1912--1942". Very interesting story of a neglected group of pilots.
Nick

[twocee]

Stig,

My information came from an article in the Summer 1975 issue of the AAHS Journal. The US Navy was very much involved as the C-2 was a Navy aircraft and the principal pilot for the tests seems to have been Lt. Patrick Bellinger. I think that is Bellinger in the cockpit of the e-bay photo.

[Stig Jarlevik]

Aha Nick (thanks)

With regard to No 43, good to know the exact reason it was burned.

Thanks for the Arbon update. Many, many years ago I decided to stop buying books about people. It was a simple space saving measure and not because people are uninteresting. It is easy enough to see they are not, just look at us....

George
Thanks for you source. Yes Bellinger was the pilot who basically flew all the Sperry test flight between 30 Aug 1913 until it was delivered to the Navy in October.

On the posted photo Bellinger is sitting in the cockpit on its right side (at least I think that is what Casari means). The man who is leaning against the aircraft seemingly with a steady grip of it is Elmer Sperry himself.

I have no idea why Casari does not mention the French adventure with this aircraft. A real puzzle....

Cheers
Stig

[musec04]

Hello,


Currently on ebay are a variety of Curtiss JN-4 photos as follows:


Curtiss JN-4 124


https://www.ebay.com/itm/11504663773...8AAOSwJiBhaMs5

Curtiss JN-4D School of Photography


https://www.ebay.com/itm/17496864803...8AAOSwSkhhXyKu


Curtiss JN-4HT 38167

https://www.ebay.com/itm/26536417967...0AAOSwCo5ha3lc


Regards,


Clint

[musec04]

Hello,


Currently on ebay is a photo of a Curtiss flying boat being demonstrated to the Russian Navy at:


https://www.ebay.com/itm/12499914012...MAAOSwNqdhjcSo


Regards,


Clint

[Stig Jarlevik]

A known but never-the-less excellent photo.

It shows the first Curtiss F basically just after arrival to Sevastopol, where it was tested between 16 Sep to 5 Nov 1913. Even Glenn Curtiss was together with his men on this trip.

The photo I have (in the book American Hydroaeroplanes in Russia 1912-17 by Andrei Alexandrov) gives credit to T Darcey, but no doubt it was acquired by many collectors back in time.

Alexandrov (Darcey?) gives the following names from right to left:
S.O. Ochs
V.V. Utgof
I.I. Stakhovsky
C. Witmer or J. Cooper

Where Lt 'Pete' Goff comes from is a mystery. The back side of the photo does not mention him, while Utgof (Utgoff) is pretty clear, so maybe a mistake? He is not listed in the book and was not among the Curtiss team in Russia between 1912-17.
None of the others are identified, but Woodhouse seems to mention one (or both?) of the Russian Naval officers by name. Anyone who can read what it says? Dupont does not sound very Russian to me....

Cheers
Stig

[Buckeye30]

Clint this is 81 CRS (large serial, rudder stripes, letter "T").


Nick

[musec04]

Hi Nick,


Thanks for the reponse. I'd hoped that you would come through on the unit marking.


Regards,


Clint

[musec04]

Hello,


Currently on ebay is a further photo of Curtiss JN-4 C104 of 81 CTS,as previously identified by Nick at:


https://www.ebay.com/itm/29479220081...sAAOSwu75h-xVY


and an American machine number 163 with red cross markings at:


https://www.ebay.com/itm/15483041715...gAAOSwwJ9h~xGY


Regards,


Clint

[Stig Jarlevik]

In spite of what the seller says SC 163 was a JN-4B converted to an ambulance in 1918

Cheers
Stig