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Fred Wiseman, a successful automobile racing driver from Santa Rosa, California, began construction of an airplane in October 1909 in San Francisco. It was based on elements of Wright, Curtiss, and Farman designs, three of the most successful manufacturers of the day. Successful test flights were made in the spring of 1910, making it the first airplane built in California to fly.

In May 1910, as the first Wiseman airplane was being tested, construction started on a second aircraft. Wiseman made all his significant exhibition flights using this airplane, including the first air mail flight officially sanctioned by a U.S. post office, from Petaluma to Santa Rosa, California, in February 1911.

In early 1912, the second Wiseman airplane was acquired by Weldon B. Cooke, a pilot who had been making a name for himself in recent months flying another airplane in the NASM collection, the Maupin-Lanteri Black Diamond. The second Wiseman airplane is now designated by NASM as the "Wiseman-Cooke aircraft" because both individuals were intimately associated with its history.

Display Status

This object is not on display at the National Air and Space Museum. It is either on loan or in storage.

Object Details
Date 1910-1912 Country of Origin United States of America Type CRAFT-Aircraft Manufacturer Wiseman-Cooke
Physical Description Pusher biplane with one 60-horsepower Hall-Scott A-2 engine. Very similar in layout to the Curtiss Model D Pusher of the same time period. Natural finish overall. Materials Airframe: Wood
Covering: Fabric
Inventory Number A19490037000 Credit Line Gift of Port of Oakland-Board of Port Commissioners, Oakland, California Data Source National Air and Space Museum Restrictions & Rights Open Access (CCO)
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