born May 21, 1878, Hammondsport, N.Y., U.S.
died July 23, 1930, Buffalo, N.Y.
U.S. aviation pioneer.
He initially built engines for motorcycles. In 1904 he built a motor for a dirigible, and in 1908 he flew an experimental plane to win the first public U.S. flight of 1 km (0.6 mi). In 1911 he built the first practical seaplane and was awarded the first contract to build airplanes for the U.S. Navy. His factories later supplied planes to Britain and Russia as well. His best-known plane was the JN-4, or "Jenny," a trainer widely used in World War I and later by barnstormers. His company later merged with the Wright Company to become the Curtiss-Wright Corporation.