Viewing page 9 of 26

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

Christmas had great plans for a new airplane he was planning to call the "Bullet." He claimed that it would be years ahead of everything in the aeroworld. Burnelli was not in accord but finally agreed to go ahead with it. The company name was changed to the Cantilever Aero Company with an office at 1269 Broadway. Christmas headed up the venture with Alfred McCurry as General Manager and Treasurer.
The Christmas Bullet was a small strutless tractor biplane with full cantilever wings, the upper wing of 28-foot span, the lower 12 feet. The wings were intentionally made very flexible, it being Christmas's idea that they would flex in flight promoting a smoother ride. The fuselage was of conventional design with a single seat and 2-wheel landing gear. Power was a 6-cylinder 185 H.P. Hall-Scott engine. The first flight test of this plane was made on December 3, 1918, at Central Park, Long Island, flown by aviator Cuthbert Mills. Tests continued on following days and the plane did 170 mph. before Government officials. This performance created quite a stir in aviation circles at that time. Shortly after this, Mills was killed flying the Bullet when a wing came off. Burnelli left the firm, but Christmas rebuilt the plane, then had R.A.F pilot Captian A. Jolly fly it; he, too, was killed, which ended the Bullet project.

In 1918 Christmas brought suit against the United States Government for infringement of his aileron patent on all World War I military planes. After a thorough investigation of his claim and its application, the Government settled and bought his patent for $100,000.00. In 1923 the invention was made available by the Government to all plane builders, gratis.

Christmas appears to have disappeared from aviation after World War I, but continued to live in the New York area where he reportedly was a consultant in research work. In the late 1940s he was working on insulting materials. Christmas died of pneumonia in New York Bellevue Hospital on April 14, 1960, at age 94, survived by a son. Burial was at Croom, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C. He was a member of the Early Bird organization.