AEA June bug
| AEA June bug | |
|---|---|
 AEA June Bug flown by Glenn Curtiss, 1908 |
|
| Type: | double decker |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
May 21, 1908 |
| Number of pieces: |
1 |
The June Bug (or Aerodrome # 3 ) was an early biplane of Glenn Curtiss in 1908. He was of the Aerial Experiment Association built.
The maiden flight with Glenn Curtiss took place on May 21, 1908. Because the performance was so convincing, the AEA decided to let the June Bug fly for the Scientific American Trophy . To win the trophy, the machine had to make the first certified flight over a kilometer.
The AEA contacted the Wright brothers to give them the chance to try, but they declined. On July 4, 1908, Curtiss took off from Hammondsport and flew 1.6 kilometers in one minute and 40 seconds. He received the $ 25,000 award. Although the Wrights had already carried out a flight of 38 km in 1905, the criteria of the Scientific American Trophy stipulated that an aircraft had to take off independently and not be allowed to be launched via a launch pad.
The Wrights wanted to crack down on the award because the June Bug allegedly used a control system like the Wright Flyer models. The fact was, the June Bug used a completely different tax system. It was based on triangular elevators. These were successfully patented by Alexander Graham Bell in 1911 . The judges ruled in 1913 that the control was a derivative of the Wright patent.
AEA loon
From October to November 1908 the June Bug was fitted with floats and renamed the AEA Loon. Attempts to start were made on November 28, 1908, but the machine was able to operate at max. 43 km / h do not take off. On January 2, 1909, the engine crashed while starting and sank. The machine was rebuilt but never used again. It was rotting in a boathouse.
The Frenchman Henri Fabre made his first seaplane flight in 1910 with the Hydravion . Curtiss followed suit in 1911 with the Curtiss A-1 Triad.
Technical specifications
| Parameter | Data |
|---|---|
| crew | 1 |
| length | 8.38 m |
| span | 13.0 m |
| height | 2.90 m |
| Wing area | 36 m² |
| Takeoff mass | 295 kg |
| drive | a Curtiss V8 engine with 40 hp (29 kW) |
| Top speed | 62 km / h |
| Range | 1.6 km |
