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on August 3d began a series of flights. On the 4th McCurdy had a smashup with the Dart, wrecking it completely, but was not injured. They then demonstrated the Baddeck No. 1 and offered it to the Government for $10,000 which was turned down. McCurdy and Baldwin continued flying the Baddeck No. 1 and No. 2 during the fall, but the future of their company appeared dim.
In January, 1910 they started building a monoplane, similar to the Antoinette, with a Kirkham engine for G. G. Hubbard of Boston, Massachusetts, while Dr. Bell continued work with his large kites. McCurdy conducted successful first flight tests of the new Hubbard monoplane on April 5th from the ice at Baddeck. on May 6th McCurdy and Baldwin formed the Aero Club of Canada at Baddeck. May 9th Dr. and Mrs. Bell and Mr. and Mrs. F. W. Baldwin left on an indefinitely long tour of the world.
June 29th to July 5th McCurdy was a contestant at an air meet at Montreal with the Baddeck No. 2. This was essentially a show of Wright and Bleriot planes. Hubbard was also there with his monoplane but did not fly. McCurdy had bad luck with a forced landing away from the field on his first flight and partially wrecked his machine.
At about this time, McCurdy decided to give up the Canadian venture and joined the early Curtiss Exhibition Team, flying a Curtiss 4-cylinder machine. July 23d to 27th he flew at Omaha, Nebraska with Curtiss, Mars and Ely. He then flew alone at a State Fair in Lexington, Kentucky August 7th to 13th, following which he was at an air meet at Sheepshead Bay, New York August 19th to 21st with Curtiss, Mars, Ely and Willard. There between August 20th and 27th McCurdy made history when he assisted in transmitting wireless messages in code from his plane in flight, to H. M. Horton some five miles away on the ground. McCurdy was already an expert telegraphist and Horton's sending set, weighing 25 pounds, was installed in the plane behind the seat.
Later that month McCurdy assisted in preparations for the flights Curtiss made over Lake Erie at Cleveland, Ohio when he flew from Euelid Beach, Cleveland, to Cedar Point, Ohio on August 31st, then returned the next day when they were honored guests at a banquet given by the Aero Club of Cleveland. McCurdy flew