Curtiss Model D "Headless Pusher" in Early Flight

Many famous exhibition flyers flew the Curtiss Model D "Headless Pusher," because it was very maneuverable and could easily be taken apart, shipped, and reassembled at the next venue. Displayed below the biplane is a motorcycle Glenn Curtiss used to test an airplane engine at Ormond Beach, Florida, in 1907. On a trial run, he set a land speed record of 218 kilometers (136 miles) per hour.