author
Glenn Hammond Curtiss
1878–1930
A speed-loving mechanic who became one of early aviation’s boldest builders, this American pioneer helped move flight from experiment to industry. Before he was known for airplanes, he was already making headlines with bicycles, motorcycles, and record-setting engines.
1 Audiobook
The Curtiss Aviation Book
by Glenn Hammond Curtiss, Augustus Post
About the author
Born in Hammondsport, New York, in 1878, Glenn Hammond Curtiss began as a bicycle racer and builder before turning to motorcycles and lightweight engines. His mechanical skill brought him national attention, and by the early 1900s he was supplying engines for airships and earning a reputation as one of the fastest men of his day.
Curtiss soon became a central figure in the early years of powered flight. He joined Alexander Graham Bell’s Aerial Experiment Association, won major aviation prizes, and became one of the best-known rivals to the Wright brothers. His work helped shape practical aircraft design at a time when flying was still new, risky, and changing almost month by month.
As his career grew, he became a founder of the American aircraft industry, building airplanes that were important to both civil and military aviation. He is also remembered for advances in seaplanes and flying boats, which opened new possibilities for travel and naval aviation. Curtiss died in 1930, but his name remains closely tied to the inventive, fast-moving spirit of early flight.