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operation there on April 26th. Vought turned more to engineering matters in 1913 and did very little flying. He designed and brought out a 50-Gnome motored staggered biplane for Lillie's exhibition flying which proved to be a first class machine. This was the FIRST aeroplane of Vought's design genius. It was very advanced in appearance for its day - designed to be a simple and quick to take down and crate for shipment and as easily set up again a the next engagement. Owing to Lillie's fatal crash he himself never flew it, but it was flown a great deal by both Thompson and Robinson and was certainly the forerunner of many later designs.

In late 1913 Vought turned to Consulting Aeronautical Engineering, became Technical Editor of Aero & Hydro Magazine, and was made Engineer for the Aero Club of Illinois. At this time he was preparing all drawings and illustrations for Aero & Hydro. During that winter he completed the design of a Gordon Bennett Racer for a syndicate, to be entered in the 1914 races, but it was never built. In the spring of 1914he became Managing Editor of Aero & Hydro and also designed another staggered tractor biplane for two mechanics at Cicero, using a 60-80 H.P. Sturtevant engine. This plane, which was built and known as the P-L-V, also proved very efficient. It was flown extensively that summer and fall at Cicero by Roy Francis and Earl Daugherty. Following this Vought designed another machine for two Chicago men, Messrs. Rath and Stadlman. In late 1914 Aero & Hydro Magazine ceased publication and Vought left the publishing business.

Following this he became associated wit the Mayo Radiator in New Haven, Connecticut where he designed and supervised the construction of an advanced training plane. Called the Mayo-Vought Tractor, it was an excellent appearing 2-seat closed fuselage biplane powered by a Model K - 90 H.P. Gyro rotary engine. Vought's shop assistant on this project was Al Hofer, well known Chicago aeroplane parts and fittings mechanic. Experienced aviator Steve Mac-Gordon conducted the flight testing of this plane and the first brief flights were made at the Yale baseball field, New Haven, on May 14th, 1915, then the machine was taken to Garden City, Long Island, New York for exhaustive tests

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