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HARVEY C. MUMMERT

Pioneer Ohio Aviator - Plane Builder - Manufacturer

Harvey C. Mummert was born at Alliance, Ohio, April 4, 1892. He attended local schools and was graduated fromAlliance High School, then Mount Union College also at Alliance. Following this he spent two years at Case School of [[strikethrough]] at [[/strikethrough]] Applied Science, Cleveland, Ohio.

During his youth and while attending school, Mummert became interested in aviation adn there is evidence that he built an airplane or two in Alliance and may have had some brief self-taught flying experience there. After graduating from Case he became employedas an engineer with the Bishop, Babcock, and Becker Compnay in Cleveland, Ohio.

In April and May, 1914, the aviation magazines of that period [[strikethrough]] pweiod [[/strikethrough]] carried an advertisement stating that H.C. Mummert, Alliance,[[strikethrough]] , [[/strikethrough]] Ohio, had for sale a flying boat with an 8-cylinder Hall-Scott engine.

In 1916 Mummert was employed by the Curtiss Compnay at Buffalo, New York, where he soon made good as an engineer, He continued with Curtiss through World War I and during that time was transferred to the Garden City, Long Island, plant on experimental engineering projects. While With the Curtiss Company he was a member of the firm's flying club where he became a very expert pilot. At Garden City he assisted in the design and development of several notable post World War I Curtiss planes: the popular MF flying boat in May, 1919; the Eagle 8-passenger biplane cabin transport with 3-Curtiss K-6 engines in September, 1919; the twin-engine military Naval Torpedo monoplane on twin floats; the PW-7 and the small metal flying boat glider for Glenn Curtiss.

During 1920-1924, in [[strikethrough]] using [[/strikethrough]] his spare time Mummert designed and built three successful single-seat light sport planes, including the Mummert "Cootie," with 2-cylinder Vee-twin motorcycle engines. These he flew in competition in the light plane events of the National Air Races of that period, gaining nation-wide publicity for his skill as a designer, builder and pilot.