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that year was a technical study of aerodynamics of the day and of airplane construction titled: "Monoplanes and Biplanes - An Investigation of the Practice and Theory of Aviation." It was an extensive work which was soon published by Munn & Company. The book sold well and became a standard text for some time. He finally graduated from Columbia University in 1911 with the degree of Civil Engineer.

Loening attended the 1911 Nassau Boulevard meet in New York, held September 24th to 30th, and had his first plane ride with Captain Paul Beck in an army Curtiss pusher biplane. He joined the Aero Club of America on October 18, 1911, and about that time became employed as engineer by the Queen Aeroplane Company of New York which was building Bleriot-copy monoplanes. There, early in 1912, he designed and built his first monoplane flying boat. Called the "Queen Aeroboat," it used a Bleriot wing mounted on a boat hull. A pusher propeller was driven by chain from a 50 h.p. Gnome engine in the hull.

Loening started first tests of this machine from the grounds of the Electric Launch Company at Bayonne, New Jersey, on March 29, 1912, and soon succeeded in making brief flights. On April 20th the motor stopped during flight and in coming down he hit a log and badly damaged the hull. Repairs were made and the aeroboat was put on display at the New York Aero Show in Grand Central Palace from May 9th to 19th, then later taken to Seidlers Beach near Rumson, New Jersey, for further tests. There on July 4th he made an extended flight of 37 minutes with the airboat. Loening then abandoned the chain drive propeller and moved the engine up into position for direct drive. Through October he made numerous flights around South Amboy, Seagate, Staten Island and neighboring points. During this time he attached controllable paddles to the wing floats to facilitate positive turning control on the water.

Encouraged by these tests Loening then built a nearly all-metal 40-foot span monoplane flying boat, powered by a new 50 h.p., geared engine built by

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