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                 CROMWELL DIXON JR.
       Early Ohio Aeronaut - Curtiss Aviator 
Cromwell Dixon was born in San Franciso,  California, July 9, 1892. His widowed mother, who was a teacher and short story writer, moved to Columbus, Ohio, while he was still in arms. A short time later his sister was born. 
Dixon attended local schools and grew up to be an exceptionally brilliant boy. Mechanically inclined, with a keen scientific interest, he was adept at inventing and making things. He was also musically inclined and played the cornet and violin. His first mechanical interests were bicycles, then he built a motorcycle with which he won several local races. His mother developed an intense love for her son, with absolute faith and confidence in whatever he wanted to do. 
On Labor Day, 1905, Roy Knabenshue made exhibition flights with his airship at Columbus, and young Dixon became intensely interested. As a result Mrs. Dixon approached Knabenshue and aked if he would take an interest in young Dixon and teach him to become an aeronaut. Knabenshue felt the boy was much too young and advised Mrs. Dixon to keep him out of it.
Apparently Knabenshue did not realize the mother's pluck, nor the boy's determination, for they immediately raised some local capital for their venture. When Knabenshure returned to Columbus a year later he found that the Dixons were completing an airship in a store building they had rented for a workshop. He strongly advised the Dixons not to use a gasoline engine for motive power, as he was certain it would result in serious trouble. Knowing that some small airships had previously been operated satisfactorily by foot pedal power, he suggested that this method be used and they finally agreed.
Called the "Sky-Cycle," the airship was 32 feet long and 17 feet in diameter. The bag was made of Japanese silk cut from patterns Cromwell had made. His mother did all the stitching on her sewing machine. Suspended underneath the bag was a light basswood frame with a large, very slow turning, 3 blade tractor propeller with wide sheet-aluminum blades attached to a small hub. A large cloth-covered