US Government airship Baldwin and Curtiss

[Tork1945]

An old picture has appeared for auction on Ebay US

RPPC U S GOVERMENT AIRSHIP BUILT & OPERATED BY CAPT T S BALDWIN & G H CURTIS | eBay

Picture is somewhat faded (1904 / 1905 ?) but interesting. Problematic will be the communication between the two at that distance and remembering the noise of contemporary engines.

Tork1945

[Rod_Filan]

Originally Posted by Tork

.. (1904 / 1905 ?) ... Problematic will be the communication between the two at that distance and remembering the noise of contemporary engines.

This is taken in August 1908 during the SC-1 acceptance trials at Fort Meyer, Virginia. Your point about communication between the engineer and pilot is correct. I seem to remember reading something about this. It must have been a huge problem and I can only imagine it was overcome using hand signals from Baldwin considering Curtiss was operating the forward elevator and well as overseeing the motor.






Cheers

[Tork1945]

Thanks for this information Mr. Filan. Focusing on Curtiss it surprises me that he had the role of 'flight engineer' (not a 1908 term IMO) as he was already the rising star of US aviation at that time.

Searching around I found a big article

Fanciulli, Jerome S. The first government airship. In: Aeronautics Volume III (1908) 3 (September) pp. 13-16.

The contribution of Curtiss to the flight is given in this quote:

In all the flights Glenn Curtiss, who operated the motor and controlled the planes, made sketches of the country over which the airship passed. That the busiest man on the ship could find time to make detailed drawings in which the important landmarks were clearly defined, is strong evidence of the ease with which the airship is controlled while in flight.

Further is stated that the engine was a Curtiss motor

A 25 horse-power, water-cooled, four-cylinder Curtiss motor is used to drive a twenty-two-foot shaft, to which the propeller is attached.

The engine of Curtiss was used in the dirigible, which might imply he collaborated in the design of the motor-system including the driving of the propeller in this dirigible.

It is surprising that the propeller that was fitted in this dirigible was a design of Lieutenant Thomas E. Selfridge of the Signal Corps, who was also the secretary of the Aerial Experiment Association.

About the steering of the dirigible is given:

The Baldwin airship is operated by two men; one in the forward end, who runs the motor and handles the planes; the other in the rear, who guides the ship on its course by means of the rudder.

Given that Curtiss is in the front and Baldwin at the back. As Baldwin was directing, communication was even worse as he looked to the back of Curtiss who was looking after the motor, handling the planes (making charts) and doing all this when Following orders from Baldwin in the back.

In the article there is no comment about the division of activities in the steering of the dirigible and the placement for and aft of the two man crew.

Tork1945