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pleted his first tractor biplane in 1913, incorporating a number of new and novel features of wing ribs, fittings, etc. It was equipped with a 50 [[strikethrough]] H.P. [[/strikethrough]] hp Kirkham engine and had a semi-Farman-type landing gear. He started flying it at Cicero Field but was disappointed in the performance. The engine and entire fuselage were not cowled or covered, and in flight he was sprayed with oil from the engine and was very uncomfortable riding in the propeller blast. An aluminum cowling was made for the engine and the fuselage was covered with fabric back to the cockpit. [[strikethrough]] and [[/strikethrough]] He was immediately surprised with the improved performance. 
Timm then contracted to fly an exhibition at his home town of Windom, Minnesota, where he had a bad smashup in front of the grandstand and got out of it bruised but able to walk. His plane was a total loss except for the engine, wheels, fittings and similar pars. Returning to Chicago with what was left of the plane he made plans to start another tractor biplane. By this time he had acquired considerable firsthand experience in the design, construction and flying of planes, and realized his real need for a better education so started a night school course of mechanical engineering in Chicago and enrolled for an International Correspondence School course in mechanical drafting. 
Again making arrangements with Partridge and Keller he started work on his second tractor machine in their shop. It was lighter in weight and more carefully streamlined. Completed in mid-January, 1914 Timm was surprised and very pleased with its performance. Using the same engine he had used in the first tractor he could now carry a passenger and more fuel, and immediately began doing a considerable amount of good flying with it. This continued at Cicero through the winter months, and in May he left Cicero with this new airplane on an exhibition tour [[strikethrough]] with this new plane [[/strikethrough]] which continued through the 1914 and 1915 season. It was with this plane that he did much of his exhibition flying, cross-country and aerial advertising through Minnesota, Iowa, North and South Dakota, Montana and Wisconsin through the fall of 1915. 
On May 25th, 1915 he had a very narrow escape while making a cross-country flight from Windom to Inverne, Minnesota where he planned to make his headquarters
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