antoinette

This is no Taube at all ! The picture shows the Antoinette IV being pushed into the wing for the attempted flight over the Channel on July 19, 1909. Unfortunately the engine malfunctioned and the machine fell in the water when almost in sight of Dover. Only 5 miles to fly. As everybody knows Blériot flew the whole Channel and Latham after a second failed attempt never did. Very muddy field, which made it already miraculous that the machine could come loose from the clay. Remark the steering wheels at both sides of the Antoinette fuselage which was the favored way of steering the Antoinettes. Big ailerons are hinging on the monoplane wings. A beauty of a picture. From the Library of Congress collection, where the print of the whole original picture can be seen (it is somewhat bigger than this print)

Harry Harkness' Antoinette monoplane, North Island 1911.

This is an interesting photo. We don't know how many Antoinettes Latham brought with him when he departed to USA in October 1910. A minimum of two is known, but we also know that Latham overturned his aircraft in San Francisco on Jan 10th, 1911 (his last flight). The damage is hard to see, but it is not impossible it was repaired and in such case none of the two aircraft went to Japan with him. The second aircraft was flown to North Island by H.S. Harkness, since he is known to have made a flight to Tia Juana on Feb 7th. 1911. Stig