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108 [[encircled]] 19 [[/encircled]]

FRITHIOF G. ERICSON
Pioneer Benoist and Curtiss Engineer - Pilot

Frithiof G. Ericson was born in Stockholm, Sweden, July 24[[crossed-out]] th [[/crossed-out]], 1880. He studied at technical schools in Sweden, Denmark and Germany, then became engaged in automotive engineering from 1899 to 1909. 

In 1909 he left Sweden and for a time was in both England and France, then came to the United States where he was employed in the automobile industry. 

While so employed he became interested in aviation and left the automobile business to go with the Benoist Aeroplane Company in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1913. There he became a close friend of the Jannus brothers. The brothers left Benoist in 1914 with two Benoist flying boats to go into business for themselves and Eri[[crossed-out]] e [[/crossed-out]]cson joined them. They formed the Jannus Brothers Company in Baltimore, Maryland, to operate a flying school, continue exhibition work and planned to build a new flying[[crossed-out]]'[[/crossed-out]] boat to their own design. There, during the latter part of the year, Rodger Jannus taught Ericson to fly on a Benoist boat and Ericson started the design of a new Jannus flying boat. With both Tony and Rodger Jannus away much of the time on flying assignments through that fall and winter, Ericson completed the design of the new boat and supervised its construction. 

As a first class designer-engineer with considerable experience on motorboats, automobiles and engines Ericson did a fine job on the new Jannus flying boat and had it completed in March, 1915. In early April, Tony and Ericson flight tested the new plane on the Patapsco River near Fort McHenry and the new craft proved highly satisfactory. It was a 42-foot span, stagger-wing biplane with an 8-cylinder, 125 h.p. Maximotor engine mounted in the hull driving a pusher propeller by chain, geared3:4. The pilot sat forward with seating for three passengers behind him. This new boat was sold at once and was shipped on April 28th to W.E. Davidson of Detroit, Michigan.