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[[stamped]] FROM THE FLYING PIONEERS BIOGRAPHIES OF HAROLD E. MOREHOUSE [[/stamped]]

well forward near the engine, and the pilot at rear.

One clause in the contract bothered Baldwin. It called for a type of gas-tight balloon fabric that would have to be imported, so he proceeded to develop a material of his own to meet the requirements. It consisted of two layers of silk cloth, cemented together by a rubber preparation, which he called "Rubberized Silk". It worked out satisfactorily, and he continued to advertise and sell this material for balloons and aeroplane covering for a number of years.

The Army airship was built at Hammondsport and first official tests were begun at Fort Meyer, Virginia on August 4th, 1908, with Baldwin at the controls and Curtiss as engineer. Tests were continued and completed August 15th, and the craft was formally accepted on the 22nd.
 
When the Herring-Curtiss Company was formed at Hammondsport early in 1909 Baldwin became one of the directors, but continued his private airship operations. He had a ship at the St. Louis Centennial Celebration in October, and there Curtiss made brief aeroplane flights. Baldwin next exhibited at Hawthorne Race Track, Chicago, Illinois and Curtiss also had his aeroplane there.

Baldwin was then beginning to be really interested in the aeroplane as a better attraction to replace the airship, so over the winter of 1909-1910 he built his first plane at Hammondsport, assisted by Curtiss workmen. It was a 31 foot span, headless tractor biplane with a large biplane tail on outriggers. Power was provided by a 4 cylinder 25 H.P. Curtiss engine mounted low ahead of the pilot's seat driving the propeller, mounted above, by chain and sprockets. It had a two-wheel landing gear and a skid under the tail surfaces. Curtiss reportedly made some brief first flights with this machine and lent assistance to Baldwin in getting started. Later the plane was changed, with a pusher propeller and a front elevator added. Baldwin had this revamped plane and one of his airships at an air meet in San Antonio, Texas April 20th to 25th where reportedly he made some brief hops, and both Curtiss and Charles Hamilton flew it.

During the summer of 1910 Baldwin had this plane at Mineola, Long Island, New York, where he continued its development and slowly learned to fly, then later in the year he built a second plane, powered by an 8 cylinder direct drive Curtiss

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