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Nelson's next project was a small one-man submarine which he proposed for treasure hunting and salvage work. It was completed in 1916 but nothing came of that venture. In late 1916 the Cohen Motor Company entered a bid to supply a Nelson-designed, twin-engined seaplane to the Navy Department. Failing to secure the contract Nelson gave up plane building.
During World War I Nelson was an engine and plane inspector at the Curtiss-Buffalo, New York,plant. After the war he returned to New Britain where he operated a combination garage, welding and machine shop for several years. During that time he was active in local civic affairs, serving on the City Council and as a member of the City Airport Committee. Later Nelson moved to Yonkers, New York, where he was employed as Master Mechanic for the Blue Ridge Coal Company and the Heating [[crossed out]] Maintainance [[/crossed out]] Maintenance Corporation for twenty years, then retired there.
Nelson reportedly made his last flight as a pilot in 1924. As a hobby he built boats, automobiles, and was always tinkering with some ingenious gadget which might be marketable. Nelson passed away at his home in Yonkers, New York, on November 8, 1964, at age 77. He was a member of the Early Birds.
Flying pioneer, Nels J. Nelson was an unusually active pioneer of early American aviation. Teaching himself to fly on the first of several planes he built he contributed much to the early activation era. A serious, hard-working mechanical genius, he always knew his machine, for he built them himself. He kept his aircraft in excellent repair and never had a serious accident.

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