William Harper, Jr

Biography

In 1912 he built his own airplane to fly out of Roosevelt Field, New York:

Before the middle of June there will be flying at the new field east of Mineola on the Hempstead Plains a monster monoplane, along Blerlot lines, of 50 feet spread of wing. William Harper, Jr., of New Bloomfleld, Pa., a student of aerodynamics has been working for several years on a weight carrying machine, one which will fly with the least possible horse-power, approximating soaring. Flights have already been made using as low as 10 or 12 h.p. of the 50 h.p. in the home-made motor, which is of prime interest In itself. This is a 2 cyl., 2 cycle, 6 by 6, revolving motor, driving a monster propeller of around 9 ft. diameter with a very steep pitch at slow speed. The machine has been flying and carrying a total weight of around 1600 Ibs. The body is long and the elevators generous in size, and all movements of the machine are slow instead of responding quickly to the slightest gusts. The greatest camber is close to the leading edge. The rib curves vary throughout the wing. The object has been to approximate soaring. The builder states that he has shut off his power, i.e., released compression and allowed the motor to spin freely, at a height of three feet from the ground and glided for 300 yards before actually landing. A speed indicator and a level tell at all times whether proper speed and angle are being maintained.

On February 3, 1914 he married Florence Tobin of Denver, Colorado in Newport, Rhode Island.

Writings