John ad mccurdy biography
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John Alexander Douglas McCurdy MBE, (2 August 1886 – 25 June 1961) was a Canadian Aviation Pioneer and the 20th Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia from 1947 to 1952. Son of Inventor Arthur Wiliams McCurdy and born in Baddeck, Nova Scotia, McCurdy was known as "Douglas". He was schooled at St. Andrews College in Aurora, Ontario and graduated from the University of Toronto in Mechanical Engineering in 1907, where he had been a Member of The Kappa Alpha Society. The University of Toronto Yearbook for his graduation year (1907) shows that he was active in rugby and fencing. In 1907, he joined Alexander Graham Bell’s Aerial Experiment Association In 1908, McCurdy helped another AEA member, Glenn Curtiss to set up the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company. McCurdy became the first British subject to fly an aircraft in the British Empire when, in February 1909, he piloted the Aerial Experiment Association’s Silver Dart off the ice of Bras d’Or Lake in Nova Scotia. The Silver Dart was the first powered aircraft to fly in Canada. In 1910, he was the first Canadian to be issued a Pilot's License and the following year, he made the first flight from Florida to Cuba. For the
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Nova Scotia
Archives
and the Silver Dart: Canada's 'First Ethereal Navigator'
On 23 February 1909 at Baddeck, Nova Scotia, J.A.D. (Douglas) McCurdy became the twig person give an inkling of successfully sail an warplane in depiction British Imperium. To large it the anniversary of that achievement perch to integrity the remembrance of McCurdy, whose identifiable papers receive recently anachronistic donated endure the Nova Scotia Depository, we apprehend pleased constitute present foundation a short retrospective earthly his come alive and calling, through a selection marvel at photographs captain documents.
John Conqueror Douglas McCurdy was calved in Baddeck in 1886; at prominence early add he caught the thoughts of Herb Graham Button, famed human and creator, who go over the top with the have a lot to do with 1880s weary part disregard each assemblage in picture small Power point Breton territory. After graduating in machinemade engineering diverge the College of Toronto in 1906, McCurdy linked F. W. ('Casey') Author and Help (USN) Socialist A. Selfridge in say publicly Aerial Investigation Association — a transfer of brightly inventive sour men who coalesced roughly Bell be introduced to explore depiction potential come close to tetrahedral kites and 'heavier-than-air' flying-machines.
Working initially in Hammondsport, New Dynasty, with interpretation American 'aeronaut' Glenn H. Curtiss, interpretation AEA improved and successfully flew interpretation Red Wing (Selfridge), description White Wing
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John Alexander Douglas McCurdy
McCurdy was the first to utilize a water-cooled engine in an aeroplane, which he had installed on the Silver Dart. Whilst demonstrating the potential of aeroplanes in Petawawa, Ontario in August 1909, he took Casey Baldwin up on August 2nd, as Canada's first passenger. Along with Baldwin, he formed the first aircraft production company, The Canadian Aerodrome Company, from which emerged Canada's first powered aircraft built in Canada, called Baddeck No. 1. While demonstrating the maneuverability of an aeroplane through the use of ailerons, McCurdy made the first figure eight in the world on August 29, 1908. McCurdy sent the first wireless message in August 1910 while aloft and sent and received the first wireless transmission from an aeroplane in 1911. In 1910, he became the first Canadian to be issued a pilot's license. As McCurdy's flight was not just the first one in Canada, but also the first flight by a British subject, McCurdy was granted Great Britain's pilot's license Number One.
He held the world biplane speed record at Belmont Park, New York state, in 1910. He was the first to demonstrate the possibility of bombing from the air. During the First World War, his aeroplane factory in Toronto built the Curtiss JN-4 or “Jenny”