– June 22, 1914 =
On this date, technicians in upstate New York were photographed putting the finishing touches on the America, a revolutionary twin-engine flying boat designed by aviation pioneer Glenn Curtiss. Commissioned by wealthy businessman Rodman Wanamaker, this massive wooden-hulled aircraft was built for a single, audacious purpose: to win the Daily Mail prize by becoming the very first airplane to fly non-stop across the Atlantic Ocean.
The America was packed with cutting-edge tech for its time, featuring fully enclosed cabins and a unique hull shape designed to lift heavy fuel loads directly off the water’s surface. The historic transatlantic flight was scheduled for the summer of 1914, but it was abruptly canceled when World War I broke out in Europe just weeks later. Though it never made its intended civilian flight, the innovative design was quickly bought by the British Royal Navy, serving as the direct blueprint for the long-range patrol boats that hunted German U-boats throughout the war.
Image via Library of Congress, no known restrictions
