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class were George Beatty, William C. Beers and W. Redmond Cross. Gallaudet obtailed his FAI license, No.32, dated July 15, 1911, at the Nassau Boulevard flying field on a school Wright. After completing his course he returned to Norwich and started conducting tests on their company machine. During late July and August he made some flights with it on the Thames River, at Gales Ferry, Connecticut. Following further work with their first plane, Gallaudet left in October for a trip abroad to study European aviation developments and methods of construction. While in France he took some flying lessons at the Nieuport School at Mourmelon, France. He was too large and heavy a man to fly their small single-seater school airplane with an 18 h.p., 2-cylinder Darracq engine, so he was allowed to use the larger 2-place Gnome-powered machine. After completing this course, including license tests, during November, he went to England to see their various aviation developments, remaining there during December. He received French Nieuport license, No.706, dated January 8, 1912.

After returning to the United States he decided to build an advanced, high speed monoplane to enter the 1912 Gordon Bennett Race to be held that year. This unusual plane, which he called the "Bullet," was exhibited at the New York Aero Show in May at the Grand Central Palace. It was a carefully streamlined monoplane with a 32ft. span, powered by a totally enclosed 14-cylinder, 100 h.p. Gnome rotary engine mounted in the nose, driving a long shaft extending to a 3-blade propeller on the tail end of the plane. The "Bullet" embodied much orginality and attracted constant attention. On May 30, 1912, Gallaudet submitted this plane to the Race Committee of the Aero Club of America as an entry for the Gordon-Bennett Race.

Following the Aircraft Show, Gallaudet started making straightaway hops with the "Bullet" at Hempstead, Long Island. If he could demonstrate satisfactory operation at over 100 m.p.h., the Aero Club was to pay him $10,000 and enter the plane in the race. At Westbury Field, Long Island, on July 25th at about 5 a.m.