Viewing page 15 of 26

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

activities Curtiss was also doing considerable experimental work on new planes, and Acosta assisted with these flight tests. In March, 1916, he demonstrated several new Curtiss Model "R" planes before Russian Government representatives at Old Point, Virginia. 

Acosta remained there with Curtiss until the early spring of 1917, when he became a civilian instructor for the Signal Corps, United States Army, at Hazelhurst Field, Mineola, Long Island, New York. On March 26th he piloted one of a squadron of planes flying from Mineola to look for two suspected German-U-boats reported at sea off Montauk Point, Long Island. On April 20th he piloted one of several government planes that flew in formation over New York dropping military recruitment blanks. On June 7th he again flew over the city dropping Liberty Loan circular. That fall he began doing preliminary flight test work on new type planes, and on September 15th, began flight tests of the new Ordnance Engineering Company's training tractor biplane. It had side-by-side seating and was powered by a 4-cylinder, 10 h.p. Duesenberg engine. Acosta continued tests on this plane on Long Island through October. In November he started the first flight tests of the new Continental Aircraft Company pusher biplane with a 4-wheel landing gear and outrigger tail. Acosta was rapidly becoming known as one of the best test pilots in the game and was in demand for such work. In December he was transferred to Ellington Field, Houston, Texas, as an instructor for the winter.

In 1918 Acosta was commissioned as Captain and appointed testing and engineering assistant to Colonel E.J. Hall, Bureau of Aircraft Production, in Washington, D.C. After the Armistice he was a Captain in the Air Service Reserves until 1923. In December, 1918, he flight tested the new Berckmans Speed Scout biplane with 100 h.p. Gnome rotary engine on Long Island.

In 1919 Acosta continued his special test flying activities with various concerns including the Curtiss Company. That fall he conducted flight tests