Viewing page 6 of 51

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

Frank's share in the business was offered for sale. In April the company announced their latest machine, a 35 foot span, pusher biplane, of the type taken to South America. At this time Joseph also advertised an air speed registering device on which the brothers had been working for some time. While Joseph had done some flying, he was still more interested in the development and manufacturing part of the business, so at this time their former students Horace Kimmerle and Charles Hoeflich were flying for the company.

That summer Joseph began work on a flying boat, and in November pioneer aviator Leonard Bonney did some test flying of this new machine, then in December the renowned Charles K. Hamilton also did some flying for Joseph, first on land planes then in early January, 1914 he conducted further flight tests of the flying boat on Newark Bay.

Apparently at this time company reorganization proceedings were in progress, for in March it was announced that the newly formed Aeromarine Plane and Motor Company of Avondale, New Jersey had taken over the exclusive manufacturing rights of Boland planes and engines under Boland patents. At the head of this new firm was Inglis M. Uppercu, of New York City, who was Eastern Distributor of Cadillac motor cars. Joseph and James Boland were evidently retained in the new organization.

A more desirable factory was acquired at Nutley, New Jersey, and at about this same time another new Boland flying boat was announced, using a new 8 cylinder, 70 H.P. engine. This was a good looking pusher biplane, amphibian type machine, with a mechanically-operated retractable landing gear for beachine [[beaching]] and alighting on land. This was undoubtedly one of the first retractable landing gear applications on aircraft. This plane was designed by Joseph, and reportedly he did his last flying during its tests. The new firm also announced engines of 60, 70, and 100 H.P. were available. 

In August Aeromarine announced that the well known engine manufacturer, Charles B. Kirkham, of Savona, New York, was a member of the Aeromarine staff and that the company was preparing to manufacture the former line of Kirkham aviation engines. Nothing of note appears to have developed from this and by April, 1915 Kirkham had

5