Burgess-Wright Model F Flyer

History of the Burgess-Wright Model F Flyers

American William Starling Burgess rose to prominence across industries and is considered one of the greatest geniuses of his era. Eventually, his Burgess firm became the largest employer in Marblehead, Massachusetts. In 1905, he founded a shipbuilding company in Marblehead, specializing in yachts for the wealthy. In 1909, he formed the Herring-Burgess Company with Augustus Moore Herring (formerly the Curtiss Aircraft and Motor Company) and began developing aircraft for serious use. The construction techniques he applied soon caught the attention of the Wright Brothers (the Wright Company), who wanted Burgess to start mass production of their "Model B Flyer" (or "Model F" for short).

This is the first licensed production deal anywhere in the United States. The Burgess company makes about 100 examples of this type for about $5,000 each.

The design of the F aircraft was typical of the time, placing the pilot in an open-air operating environment between the upper and lower wings (the usual configuration of the aircraft was a biplane). Parallel struts are used along the span of the wing, creating multiple "pods". The front of the aircraft is an anti-skid system with two-wheeled units mounted under the fuselage of the aircraft for ground operations.

The engine is mounted near the pilot's position (along the starboard side) and drives a pair of twin-blade propeller systems in a "slider" arrangement. The tail mounts a vertical surface along a mesh of wooden struts. Control and support cables are detailed throughout the design.

The building is mainly made of wood with a fabric skin. Power was provided by a 35-horsepower Wright inline 4-cylinder engine that propelled the vehicle through the air at a then-impressive 42 mph.

Model F was eventually produced for the civilian and military markets. In the latter's service, the Model F was used by the Army Signal Corps (the predecessor of today's United States Air Force (USAF)) and the United States Navy (USN) as a trainer aircraft and observation/reconnaissance platform.

It was also used as a test bed for early bomb sights and bomb delivery devices.

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