The Red Wing (or Aerodrome #1) was an early aircraft designed by Thomas Selfridge and built by the Aerial Experiment Association in 1908. It was named for the bright red color of its silk wings — chosen to achieve the best result with the photographic materials and techniques of the day.
The aircraft was a pusher configuration with the engine and propellor behind the pilot. Lateral control was provided by the pilot shifting his weight from side to side.
On 12 March 1908 Frederick W. Baldwin piloted the aircraft off the frozen Keuka Lake near Hammondsport, New York in what would be the first public demonstration of a powered aircraft flight in the United States as well as the first flight by a Canadian pilot.
Contemporary accounts described the flight as the "First Public Trip of Heavier-than-air Car in America." Reports entitled "Views of an Expert" stated that Professor Alexander Graham Bell's new machine, the Red Wing, built from plans by Lieutenant Selfridge, was "shown to be practicable by flight over Keuka Lake, Hammondsport, New York, 12 March 1908 by F. W. Baldwin, the engineer in charge of its construction." A portion of the tail gave way, bringing the test to an end. The Red Wing was damaged beyond repair.
Specifications (Red Wing)
References
;Notes
;Bibliography
- Aerofiles. Retrieved: 19 May 2005.
- "The Red Wing - Aerodrome 1". Retrieved: 18 April 2016.