Early Curtiss-Type Flying Boat Photo
1910s Seaplane Pusher Biplane Aviation 10x8
Seven people pose beside an early pusher flying boatDESCRIPTIONVintage black and white photograph of an early pusher flying boat resting on a wooden dock, with seven people posed beside it: two boys, three women and two men. The women wear long skirts, one with a wide brimmed hat. One boy wears a dark jacket, the other a white shirt, tie and knickerbockers and holds a straw hat in front of him. The men wear a flat cap and a bowler. The clothing fits the early to mid 1910s. A single engine sits between the wings, braced by heavy struts and a web of wire, and the V-bottomed hull sits on wooden chocks with a rope running from the bow down to the planks. The upper wing has rounded, overhanging tips, and at the left edge the stern and tail surfaces appear to rest on a wooden trestle beside the water. Wooded hills rise behind the dock. There is no caption, date or photographer credit on the print, and the reverse carries only a pencil number 21. Approximately 10 x 8 inches. Images were scanned at 600dpi.The aircraft is consistent with the Curtiss Model F flying boat. Glenn Curtiss made what is widely recognized as the first successful seaplane flight in the United States at San Diego in January 1911, and his flying boats followed. The type that took the Model F name in late 1913 had a boat hull, a two bay biplane wing, and a single water cooled engine mounted above the hull driving a pusher propeller, with pilot and passenger seated side by side. Several of those features can be seen here, including the hull, the two bay wings and the engine mounted high between them. Well over 100 were built for military use, with the U.S., Russian and Italian navies among the customers. No marking on the print confirms the maker, model or location, so the aircraft is described by its pattern.Aircraft of this family are credited with several firsts. In August 1913 a Model F designated C-2 became the first aircraft to fly under automatic control, using a Sperry gyroscopic stabilizer. In April 1914 Curtiss flying boats were flown in the first combat deployment of U.S. naval aviators, at Veracruz, Mexico. On November 5, 1915, an AB-2 was launched by catapult from the armored cruiser USS North Carolina, the first launch of an aircraft from a moving ship. After the United States entered World War I in April 1917 the Model F became the Navy\'s standard primary training flying boat, and versions of the type were still flying in 1927. Those firsts belong to specific aircraft, not to the one in this photograph. What this print offers is a view of the type from the dock, with seven people standing close enough to show how large these machines were.Every effort is made toward fact checking and provenance, including background research through news and historical archives. If any listing is incorrect in any way and you\'re unsatisfied with the item, please connect with me and I\'ll make it right. Orders placed before Noon CDT ship same day via Ground Advantage with tracking, so you know exactly when it will arrive. Returns accepted on all items exceeding $25 in cost. All shipments receive rigid, professional packaging, sealed and protected in acid free protectors. Shipping is free and already built into the price, so the BIN price is exactly what you pay, no surprise shipping costs at checkout.CONDITIONVintage black and white photographic print, approximately 10 x 8 inches, with a narrow border and a warm neutral tone. The image is clear with a good tonal range and slightly soft focus, and the aircraft, dock and figures are well defined. A scattering of tiny light dust specks and a few fine hairline marks appear in the lower left of the image. Corners and edges are sharp and square with no creases, tears, tape or paper loss. The reverse is clean paper with a pencil number 21 at the upper left, a few faint graphite marks and a few tiny specks. No stamp, caption or photographer credit appears on either side. Please see all photos for the exact condition, as they are part of the description.
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