Glenn H. Curtiss is one of the most important pioneers of aviation and is considered one of the greatest engineering minds of the early 20th century. Curtiss was the chief rival of the Wright brothers in the very early days of flight. He was much more than a pilot and aircraft designer, however. The Hammondsport, New York, native's first experience with speed and engineering was with bicycles and, very shortly afterward, with motorcycles.
From 1902 to 1912, Curtiss and his team built, sold, and raced engines and complete motorbikes out of their shop in Hammondsport. In 1907, Glenn himself set a world land speed record of 136 mph on board his extreme V8-powered bike. He was labeled the fastest man on Earth until 1911 and the fastest man on a motorcycle until 1930!
176 pp | 125 black-and-white and color images
