This is an original propeller from the "June Bug," an airplane designed by Glen H. Curtiss and other members of the Aerial Experimental Association. It was named by Dr. Alexander Graham Bell, inventor of the telephone and the Association's founder, after a beetle known in North America as the June bug because it flew similarly to aircraft. Piloted by Curtiss, the aircraft won the Scientific American Trophy and $25,000 on a flight exceeding a distance of 1 kilometer (0.625 mile) on July 4, 1908 at Hammondsport, New York.
The June Bug was later modified by adding floats to it in an attempt to create a seaplane, renamed Loon. Unfortunately it could not take off, and on January 2, 1909 one of the floats filled with water, causing the aircraft to sink. The propeller was presented as a souvenir by Curtiss to Hugh L. Willoughby, a wealthy aviation pioneer, who donated it to the Smithsonian in 1939.
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
Circa 1908
Country of Origin
United States of America
Type
PROPULSION-Propellers & Impellers
Manufacturer
Glenn H. Curtiss
Physical Description
Type: Two-Blade, Fixed-Pitch, Wood
Diameter: 160.3 cm (63.125 in.)
Chord: 19.7 cm (7.75 in. )
Engine Application: Curtiss air-cooled V8, 30 kw (40 hp)
Dimensions
3-D: 160 × 19.7 × 15.2cm, 2.3kg (5 ft. 3 in. × 7 3/4 in. × 6 in., 5lb.)
Storage (Aluminum Pallet): 191.8 × 122.6 × 86.4cm, 90.7kg (6 ft. 3 1/2 in. × 4 ft. 1/4 in. × 2 ft. 10 in., 200lb.)
Materials
Unidentified wood, Steel, Paint
Inventory Number
A19390019000
Credit Line
Gift of Hugh L. Willoughby
Data Source
National Air and Space Museum
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
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