AEA Silver Dart
| AEA Silver Dart | |
|---|---|
 AEA Silver Dart in flight |
|
| Type: | Pioneer aircraft |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
February 23, 1909 |
| Number of pieces: |
1 |
The Silver Dart (or Aerodrome # 4 ) was a pioneer aircraft built in 1909. It was the first aircraft to be tested by the Canadian armed forces .
The first flight was from the ice on February 23, 1909, in Baddeck on Cape Breton Island , Nova Scotia , Canada . It was the first controlled powered flight in Canada and the British Empire . The aircraft was flown by one of its designers, John AD McCurdy . The original Silver Dart was a product of the Aerial Experiment Association (AEA) founded by Alexander Graham Bell .
The frames and structures of the Silver Dart were made of steel tubing, bamboo , tape, and wood. The wings were covered with rubberized balloon cloth. The V-8 engine had 35 hp (26 kW) at 1000 rpm and was made by Glenn Curtiss . It had no brakes. The propeller was carved from one piece of wood and was eight feet (2.44 m) long. Like many airplanes at the time, it was equipped with a pusher propeller and a front wing, and control was not easy.
The Silver Dart was constructed from the end of 1908. It was the fourth machine of the AEA. A predecessor was the successful AEA June Bug , which broke many records. For example, it won the Scientific American Trophy and made the first official one-kilometer flight. But the newer Silver Dart was a lot better. McCurdy flew a 35-kilometer circuit with it on March 10, 1909. On August 2, 1909, the first passenger flight was carried out in Canada.
The Canadian Army, however, was unimpressed with the group's performance. She still believed that planes could never have much success in war. Contrary to the army’s pessimism, the AEA invited officials to the Petawawa , Ontario military base to demonstrate the aircraft. It also got wheels 50 millimeters wide so that it could start on the sandy ground. The Silver Dart got off to a difficult start. On the fifth landing, the machine had an accident in deep sand. This ended the machine's short military career.
The Silver Dart was recreated for the Canadian Aviation Museum in Ottawa from 1956 to 1958 . On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the first flight, the replica machine was flown again. However, she crashed due to strong winds.
Technical specifications
| Parameter | Data |
|---|---|
| crew | 1 |
| length | 9.15 m |
| span | 14.96 m |
| height | k. A. |
| Wing area | k. A. |
| Empty mass | 390 kg |
| Takeoff mass | k. A. |
| Top speed | 64 km / h |
| Range | 35 km |
| Engine | a water-cooled Curtiss V-8, 50 HP (37 kW) |
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ Flight, January 2, 1909 edition, p. 5