Thomas Scott Baldwin
Thomas Scott Baldwin (b. 30 June 1860) was an early manufacturer of airships in the United States.
Baldwin was born in Quincy, Illinois, and grew up as a circus acrobat. He made a parachute jump from a balloon at Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, in 1887.[1] Early in his career he worked (as performer and co-patentee) with Guillermo Antonio Farini. We have him filing in collaboration with Guillermo Antonio Farini.[2][3]
Baldwin began working on airships around 1904. He convinced Glenn Curtiss, who at the time was focused on making motorcycles, to build a vessel for his airship. With this engine, he built the California Arrow. On its first flight, 3 August 1904 in Oakland, the Arrow flew a pre-established course and returned to its starting point.[1]
The Arrow flew at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair.[4] Baldwin made some flights but he also allowed A. Roy Knabenshue, who weighed 84 pounds less, to fly.[5]
In 1908, Baldwin supplied the U.S. Army with its first airship: the SC-1. This vessel had a volume of 19,500 cubic feet and a 20 horsepower engine. It was displayed in summer 1908 before an audience at Fort Myer, Virginia. This vessel was significantly smaller and less powerful than its European counterparts, and spent most of its career on display at exhibitions in the Midwest.[4]
Patents whose inventor or applicant is Thomas Scott Baldwin
- Patent GB-1888-10937 (English title: Parachute, Filing date: 1888)
Publications by or about Thomas Scott Baldwin
- Aero Club of America, 1907, Third annual exhibition (Simple title: Third annual exhibition, Journal: Amer. Mag. Aeronautics)
- Aeronatus, 1907, The history of airships (Simple title: The history of airships, Journal: Amer. Mag. Aeronautics)
- Publication 187, 1908, Aeronautical news of the army for June (Simple title: Aeronautical news of the army for June, Journal: Aeronautics)
- Publication 805, 1908, Army aeronautics (Simple title: Army aeronautics, Journal: Aeronautics)
- Publication 1209, 1908, Baldwin's dirigible airship accepted by the United States Government (Simple title: Baldwin's dirigible airship accepted by the United States Government, Journal: Pop. Mech.)
- Dienstbach, 1909, Die bisherigen Resultate der Bemühungen des amerikanischen 'Sig- nalkorps' um die Schaffung einer Luftwehr für die Vereinigten Staaten (Simple title: The results so far of the efforts of the American 'Signal Corps' to create an air force for the United States, Journal: Ill. Aër. Mitt.)
- Horgan, 1965 (Simple title: City of Flight)
- Horgan, 1965 (Simple title: City of Flight)
Thomas Scott Baldwin participated in these events:
- Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition (Start date: 1905-06-01, Locations: Portland, Oregon, Country: US, Tech focus: Airship • Dirigible)
Patents whose inventor or applicant is Thomas S. Baldwin
- Patent US-1904-851481 (English title: Air-Ship, Filing date: 1904-11-21)
Publications by or about Thomas S. Baldwin
- Baldwin, 1887, Fallschirmversuche von Thomas S. Baldwin (Simple title: Parachute tests by Thomas S. Baldwin, Journal: Zeitschr. Luftsch.)
- Baldwin, 1908, How to construct and operate a one-man airship (Simple title: How to construct and operate a one-man airship, Journal: Scient. Amer.)
- Baldwin, 1908, Il Dirigibile militare degli Stati Uniti d'America? (Simple title: The Military Airship of the United States of America?, Journal: Boll. Soc. Aer. Ital.)
- Baldwin, 1908, The U. S. Army dirigible airship (Simple title: The U. S. Army dirigible airship, Journal: Pop. Mech.)
- Baldwin, 1909, How balloons weather the elements (Simple title: How balloons weather the elements, Journal: Amer. Aer.)
- Baldwin, 1910, Photograph and biography of Captain Baldwin (Simple title: Photograph and biography of Captain Baldwin, Journal: Aircraft)
- Baldwin, 1914, Baldwin to construct passenger digs (Simple title: Baldwin to construct passenger digs, Journal: Aero and Hydro)
Publications referring to Thomas S. Baldwin
- Baldwin, 1908, The U. S. Army dirigible airship (Simple title: The U. S. Army dirigible airship, Journal: Pop. Mech.)
Letters sent by Thomas S. Baldwin
- Thomas S. Baldwin to John Montgomery o
- Thomas S. Baldwin to John Montgomery p
- Thomas S. Baldwin to John Montgomery q
Letters received by Thomas S. Baldwin
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Horgan, 1965, pp. 79–81.
- ↑ Patent GB-1888-10937
- ↑ Aëronautics: an abridgement of aëronautical specifications filed at the Patent Office from A.D. 1815 to A.D. 1891. By Griffith Brewer and Patrick Y. Alexander Internet Archive p. 117
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Richard K. Smith, "The Airship in America, 1904–1976"; in Two Hundred Years of Flight in America: A Bicentennial Survey, ed. Eugene M. Emme; San Diego: American Astronautical Society, 1977. ISBN 87703-091-X
- ↑ Horgan, 1965, p. 120, etc.
