Industrial Airplane Show facts for kids
The First Industrial Aeroplane Show was an exciting event that displayed real airplanes for the first time to many people. It opened on December 31, 1910, in New York City at the Grand Central Palace. This airplane show was part of a bigger car show, the 11th U.S. International Auto Show. The Aero Club of New York organized the aviation part of the event.
Newspapers like the New York Times and The Brooklyn Daily Eagle wrote a lot about the show. The New York Times reported that over 15,000 people visited on the first Saturday. The Brooklyn Daily Eagle said that many visitors were more interested in the airplanes than the cars!
Major General Frederick Dent Grant, a high-ranking military officer, was one of the main speakers. He talked about how airplanes might be used in wars. He also suggested that the U.S. government should help pay for airplane research. This might have been the first time the military publicly talked about using planes for defense.
Most people at the show had never seen a full-size airplane before. The Aero Club of New York wanted to bring many different airplanes together. They hoped visitors would see how fast aviation was improving. A newspaper called The Philadelphia Inquirer predicted the show would be a real "eye-opener."
Amazing Airplane Displays
Many different full-size airplanes were on display. These included planes from famous inventors like the Wright brothers and Glenn Curtiss. Other planes came from companies like Lovelace-Thompson, Blériot, and Burgess Company. There was even a Santos-Dumont Demoiselle airplane from France.
The Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported that crowds gathered around all the planes. One plane that got a lot of attention was the one John Moisant used to fly across the English Channel. When news arrived that Moisant had died, his plane was covered in black to show respect. The Burgess Company and Curtiss airplane was also very popular. It was a new model built for Claude Grahame-White, a famous English pilot.
General Frederick Dent Grant talked with Captain T. T. Lovelace, who directed the show. He also spoke with J. Clifford Turpin, a representative for the Wright brothers. They discussed airplane safety and the challenges of early flight. The New York Times said General Grant was very impressed with how complete the airplane show was.
Early Aviation Technology
The United States Aeronautical Reserve had a special booth at the show. On January 5, 1911, they showed off early wireless communication. They used a "Wilcox aeroplane" with a special radio device. This device allowed them to talk from the airplane to reporters on the ground. They even tested how far they could communicate with ships at sea.
The Aeronautical Society and the United States Aeronautical Reserve had their airplanes in a different part of the show. Charles W. Chappelle, a member of the United States Aeronautical Reserve, displayed his own full-size airplane. He won a medal because he was the only African-American to invent and show an airplane there. His airplane design was very interesting and attracted people who wanted to invest in it.
After the show, Chappelle's airplane was displayed at the headquarters of the United States Aeronautical Reserve in Manhattan. Later that year, Chappelle helped start the first African-American airplane company. He became a vice-president of this new company.
