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two men began to combine their interests. A. M. Herring, another early aviation experimenter, joined them for a time. The trio planned and built an airplane at the Burgess boat yard during the winter months of 1909-1910. It was a biplane using a 30 h.p., 4-cylinder engine with a pusher propeller. Skids were using only for takeoff and landing. They called their first plane the "Flying Fish" and made short test hops at Plum Island on April 18, 1910, with Burgess and Herring piloting it in turn. Additional little hops were made daily through the 21st, and on April 22nd, Curtis made his first brief hop. As a result of their initial meager success, it was decided that Curtis should make a trip to Europe to study the latest aviation developments in France. During June, 1910, he visited the various French airplane and engine companies, bought a Bleriot monoplane and took the American agency for Clement-Bayard aviation engines.

While Curtis was abroad Herring withdrew from the Burgess venture and as soon as Mr. Curtis returned, Mr. Burgess formed the Burgess and Curtis, at Marblehead, Massachusetts. Incorporators were W. S. Burgess, Greely S. Curtis and Noble Clark. Also while Curtis was abroad, William Hilliard, a Boston auto race driver, started flying for Burgess, and flights of one to three miles were soon being made at Plum Island with the "Flying Fish." Such good progress was made during the summer of 1910 that they advanced from Model A to Model C, which had landing wheels and used the 2-cylinder, 30 h.p. Clement-Bayard French-built engine Curtis had imported. The company entered two planes in the first Boston-Harvard Air Meet, September 3rd to 13th, and Burgess and Hilliard made some flights. Also flying in this event were Walter Brookins, Ralph Johnstone, Glenn Curtiss, Charles Willard, Clifford Harmon and Claude Grahame-White of England. In this event Burgess planes received much favorable comment for their fine workmanship and excellent construction.

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