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entire time to aviation. In March he announced and advertized his new 6-cylinder 50 H.P. aviation motor "Now available from C. B. Kirkham, Manufacturer, Bath, New York". Several plane builders began using his engines that year, and in late May he moved his business to nearby Savona, New York. There Kirkham designed and started building a plane intended as a test machine for engine development work. It was a 34-foot span fuselage-type tractor biplane, with a Write-type landing gear, powered by his 6-cylinder 50 [[strikethrough]] H.P. motor. [[/strikethrough]] hp., engine This was an excellent appearing airplane and reportedly was the first tractor-type [[strikethrough]] machine [[/strikethrough]] built in the United States. It was completed during that fall and [[strikethrough]] there is evidence that [[/strikethrough]] apparently Kirkham did some flying with it himself at Savona until December when tests were terminated by bad weather. 

During 1911 the Thomas Brothers firm built some new planes at Bath and on August 6th Walter Johnson flew one of them from Savona to Hammondsport and return, via Bath cross-country non-stop, using a Kirkham-Six engine. Also during the year Kirkham designed and developed three additional engine [[strikethrough]] models [[/strikethrough]] types which were advertized in January, 1912 as 4-cyldinder 35 [[strikethrough]] H.P. [[/strikethrough]] hp.,; a 6-cylinder 70[[strikethrough]] H.P. [[/strikethrough]] hp., and a 12-cylinder Vee of 120[[strikethrough]] H.P. [[/strikethrough]] hp.

Test flights of the Kirkham Tractor Biplane were resumed in March, 1912, flying from the ice of nearby Lake Salubria. Having decided to give up flying Kirkham engaged aviator W. F. Cline to conduct these tests. Numerous successful flights were made through March and April, some of 30 minutes duration and cross-country trips of over 20 miles. During 1912 Kirkham engines became one of the leading motors used by U. S. plane builders and exhibition pilots, and his business became well established. 

The use of his tractor biplane was continued for engine testing and later that year aviator Cline left to fly for a firm in Rochester. Kirkham then engaged a Japanese Curtiss flying school graduate, Motohisa Kondo, to fly for him. After making several straightaway flights Kondo attempted a turn on October 6th and being unfamiliar with the Kirkham controls he hit a windmill and crashed. Kondo was instantly killed and the plane was so completely demolished the wreckage was disposed of. 

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