model6

The earlier version of "America" had only two engines:

"The bottle was wired tightly between two horseshoes to facilitate its breakage while also symbolizing good luck." After four failed swings (two by Masson, two by Porte) the bottle slipped out of its horseshoe sling and rolled on the ground..."As a last resort, the bottle was trussed to the prow and Porte grimly assaulted it with a sledgehammer. Both the hull and Porte's wearing apparel were doused with foaming champagne, to the 'considerable merriment' of the onlookers." from "Glenn Curtiss, Pioneer of Flight," by C.R. Roseberry. Syracuse University Press, 1972. p.373-74

In contrast to Porte's overkill sledgehammer, Glenn Curtiss appears to be holding a small ball-peen hammer. The right tool for the job, as always.

John Cyril Porte, a retired Briish aviator, and George Hallett, were pilot and co-pilot on a project to attempt a non-stop Atlantic crossing by air. They were to fly the Rodman Wanamaker airship, America, from Newfoundland to Ireland in the summer of 1914. The original plan had been to fly in June, but problems with the plane's design led to postponement well into July. Porte insisted on flying at night during the full moon so that he could navigate by the stars. By the time the America was ready to fly, the next avialable date that met Porte's criteria was in August 1914. Unfortunately, the outbreak of The Great War that month caused the ocean crossing to be cancelled.

Other Bain/LOC photos of the flying boat, "America": and another Curtiss boatplane:

I started an entry for Hallett: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Eustace_Amyot_Hallett

puzzlemaster, Wystan and Richard Arthur Norton, Thanks to all for both bringing more information to these photographs as well as gathering related images. We will be adding new information to quite a few photographs related to the 'America' when we update our records.