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take measurements of a Curtiss biplane on display in a New York department store, then proceeded to build a modified copy of the machine at Baltimore, using a reworked and lightened American-British 26 h.p. automobile engine secured from Harry Dosh. It is recorded that Beachey and Gill continued to make free balloon ascensions in the Baltimore-Washington, D. C., area that summer with Gill's balloon.

About the time the plane was finished Beachey and Gill learned that an aviation meet was to be held at Los Angeles, California, in January, 1910. Large cash prizes were advertised so they decided to enter their new plane. This early aviation event at Dominguez Field, Los Angles, was held January 10th to 20th, with Curtiss, Hamilton, Willard and Paulhan flying. Lincoln Beachey and Roy Knabenshue flew their airships and contests were scheduled for several amateur aviators. Beachey made several short straightaway hops prior to the event but had bad luck on the opening day when his engine backfired during warm-up and set the lower wing on fire. Repairing the damage kept him busy until the fourth day when he was ready to make another try. This time he got off, flew down the field and rounded the first pylon when the engine overheated. Losing altitude, he pancaked in, wiping out the landing gear. He got going again on the fifth day, but had similar misfortune. On January 19th he did much better and after flying almost two miles, just when it looked as though he was on his way to win the vent, he was forced to suddenly dive downward to avoid colliding with Paulhan who appeared directly in front of him. In doing so Beachey had a bad smashup, but fortunately was not injured. Considering that he was an absolute beginner he made a good start and reportedly during the event he became the sixth person in the United States to make a complete circle in an [[strikethrough]] aeroplane [[/strikethrough]] airplane. 

Following the meet the plane was rebuilt at Lost Angeles and Beachey continued his flying practice. He continued experimenting and developing the
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