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NELS J. NELSON
Pioneer New England Aviator

Nels J. Nelson was born near Malmo, Sweden, January 2, 1887, son of a carpenter and builder.  While he was still a small boy his parents moved to the United States and settled in New Britain, Connecticut.  There he attended public schools and became a naturalized citizen of the United States in October, 1892.

Mechanically inclined he built a motorcycle, an automobile and two engines, all by the time he was 18.  After completing his schooling he learned the tool-and-die-making trade at the Stanley Rule and Level Company in New Britain.

After the aviation publicity of the Wright Brothers and Curtiss in 1908-1909 Nelson decided to build an airplane and learn to fly.  He looked for and read all available information he could find on the subject and then built and experimented with a glider in 1909, and made his first power machine that winter. It was a lightweight, modified Curtiss-type pusher biplane, using a 20 h.p., engine he had designed and built himself.  With this plane he reportedly made his first brief hop on May 30th, 1910 at the Swampscott District of nearby Plainfield, Connecticut.  Experiments with this machine were limited, due to insufficient power and engine overheating, but it was a start.

During the winter of 1910-1911 Nelson rebuilt both the plane and engine, greatly improving the performance.  He started tests with it again in the early spring of 1911 and gradually taught himself to fly, and at the same time started work on a new plane.  Nelson made his first public short exhibition flights with his original plane at New Britain on May 30th.  He continued his practice and flew from New Britain to Newington on June 17th, then on July 1st he flew over New Britain and the Harbor.  Nelson tried to pass his license tests at Charter Oak Park, Hartford, Connecticut, on July 22nd but engine trouble terminated his efforts.  July 29th he flew at Fisher Field, Middletown, Connecticut, then flew two miles out to the Connecticut State Hospital so the inmates could see him. He had a forced landing on the way back, completely demolishing the plane, but was not injured.