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to bring their automobiles to the Boland shop for service and Joseph became the mechanical genius who could solve necessary problems. After a time Frank started an automobile agency of his own in Newark, New Jersey where he eventually became state dealer and distributor of National cars, while Joseph and James continued the growing successful Rahway business.

During 1907 Frank was the first of the brothers to become seriously interested in aviation, and that year he began to arrange his business affairs so he could devote some time to aeroplane experiments. He decided to try to build a plane and leased a garage building on Milton Avenue in Rahway, complete with power machinery, shop equipment and tools, where he started to work on a tandem monoplane with flexible wings and steel body. Without drawings and no previous knowledge, it was heavy and full of bad mistakes. Realizing he had tackled something he knew nothing about he abandoned the project before it was finished and started on a monoplane glider, using one of the wings, which continued into 1908. It was to be towed by and automobile, but diligent trials were unsuccessful.

Frank then started a tractor monoplane in 1908, for the first time using the notable Boland JIB control surfaces for lateral balance. By this time all three brothers were seriously interested in aviation. As 1907 ended Frank decided they would need to build their own engine suitable for flying before they could make much progress. Since Joseph had considerable experience in designing and building them he started work on the VEE-type 8-cylinder water-cooled aviation engine to develop 60 H.P. The specificational planing for the engine was decided upon jointly late December, 1907.

Joseph built this first engine largely by and, which weighed 240 pounds and cost $2,100. With an aluminum crankcase and built-up crankshaft mounted on anti-friction bearings, it had 4-inch bore and 4-inch stroke, individual brass jacketed cast iron cylinders with concentric valves in the head, exhaust being mechanically operated, the intake automatic. The engine proved to be a very rugged, dependable unit and was used successfully on all early Boland aeroplane