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Glenn Curtiss, noted designer and builder of racing motorcycles, was lured into the world of aviation by Army Captain Thomas Scott Baldwin when asked to build an engine to power Baldwin's dirigible. Curtiss' engine ran continuously for 2 hours and pulled the airship along at 23 m.p.h. (three times faster than the Army contract required!). A similar Curtiss engine was used to power the first aircraft sold in the United States. (Baldwin's engine: 4 cylinder E-4) | |||||||||||||||||||||