6 Daniel <strong>and</strong> Floyd Hungerford: <strong>Rocket</strong> Power, Interstellar Travel <strong>and</strong> Eternal Life, by Geofrey N. Stein
Chapter Two THE AVIATION BUSINESS “Dan Hungerford built his own small plane which he flew from various places in Chemung County. His favorite place was a piece of l<strong>and</strong> that is now included in the Chemung County airport. He said it was the best place in the county from which to fly.” 22 Keith Marvin, who wrote extensively about the Hungerford brothers, noted that Daniel Hungerford was interested in aviation as early as 1901. A newspaper clip from 1965 suggests Hungerford’s interest was piqued by a “borrowed book, entitled The Boy’s Book of Inventions printed in London.” 23 Hungerford himself wrote in 1964 that he “began studying” aviation in 1901. He said the inspirational book belonged to “a neighbor boy - a Christmas present to him by an aunt, the book is lost <strong>and</strong> I haven’t been able to find a copy since. I did find -1/2 of a copy projecting from a bale of paper <strong>and</strong> books on a truck . . ” 24 By 1910 Daniel <strong>and</strong> Floyd had built a two-cylinder, opposed aircraft engine. The Sunday Telegram for September 11, 1927, noted that in 1909 the Hungerfords built the first airplane engine in Elmira. “It is a 30 H.P. engine that actually flew an airplane. It loks [sic] as much like a modern airplane engine as a sewing machine would. But it flew!” An undated newspaper clip, probably from 1913, describes the engine, “entirely of his [Daniel Hungerford’s] manufacture <strong>and</strong> is considered much superior to some of the large ones. It is small <strong>and</strong> has more power.” Cliff R. Towner, who knew Dan Hungerford in early 1940s, recalled “seeing pictures of Dan <strong>and</strong> Glenn Curtis [sic] at Hammondsport when Dan was Glenn’s Chief Mechanic on his first ‘Flying Boat.’ 25 Jon Elan Steen, Hungerford’s great-nephew, said William Hungerford told Elan Steen that “Dan worked for Curtiss Smith [sic] Aircraft in his early years <strong>and</strong> that was how he first became interested in flying.” 26 Glenn H. Curtiss by 1909 had become well known as an aviator as well as an inventive manufacturer of Figure 5. The Bleriot Type XI airplane, with Daniel Hungerford as pilot, located near West Second Street in Elmira with the Hungerford house behind at center. Left to right are Jennie Hungerford Badger, Stanley Kosmicki, Nellie Ahern, Vivian Hungerford (later Wells), Robert Pease, “Mrs. Esther War of Mud Creek near Troy [Pennsylvania]”, <strong>and</strong> Mary Ward Hungerford. A similar but not identical image was printed in August 7, 1955, Sunday Telegram. Daniel <strong>and</strong> Floyd Hungerford: <strong>Rocket</strong> Power, Interstellar Travel <strong>and</strong> Eternal Life, by Geofrey N. Stein. New York State Museum Record 4, © 2013 by The University of the State of New York, The State Education Department, Albany, New York. All rights reserved. 7
- Page 1 and 2: Daniel and Floyd Hungerford: Rocket
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- Page 7 and 8: CONTENTS Forward . . . . . . . . .
- Page 9 and 10: FORWARD At the New York State Museu
- Page 11 and 12: Chapter One EARLY YEARS In the late
- Page 13 and 14: secretary-treasurer, was president.
- Page 15: 7 Keith Marvin, “The Wizards of W
- Page 19 and 20: Figure 6. Rebuilt as a biplane, thi
- Page 21 and 22: Figure 8. The Elmira Airplane Corpo
- Page 23 and 24: 35 Hungerford in a letter to Keith
- Page 25 and 26: Chapter Three FAMILY On August 7, 1
- Page 27 and 28: instructor with whom Dan was ‘kee
- Page 29 and 30: 68 Keith Marvin to Geoffrey N. Stei
- Page 31 and 32: Chapter Four THE HUNGERFORD ROCKET
- Page 33 and 34: igged this Pump for you - we have d
- Page 35 and 36: Figure 14. Daniel Hungerford posed
- Page 37 and 38: Figure 16. Photograph of the rocket
- Page 39 and 40: Figure 17. Following a period of mi
- Page 41 and 42: 80 The Sunday Telegram, September 8
- Page 43 and 44: Chapter Five POLITICS For a man who
- Page 45 and 46: very Element Essential to the Ends
- Page 47 and 48: times. 162 In 2000, Thomas J. Carpe
- Page 49 and 50: 149 Elmira Advertiser, November 10,
- Page 51 and 52: Chapter Six HUNGERFORD INVENTIONS O
- Page 53 and 54: camshaft, no valves, and no connect
- Page 55 and 56: AUTOMOTIVE BRAKE AND ACCELERATOR PE
- Page 57 and 58: I just dreamed - sitting here - a m
- Page 59 and 60: Chapter Seven TO THE STARS BY “EL
- Page 61 and 62: developing an Electro-Magnetic driv
- Page 63 and 64: Figure 26. This stationary used by
- Page 65 and 66: tion” since he had no patents. An
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These are questions in the writer
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Chapter Eight THE FINAL YEARS In 19
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Figures 28. A photograph of the roc
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A mother on nearby Edgewood Drive t
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exclusive property of the City of E
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delivered food to the East Third St
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Figure 32. In 2005 H. Steven Sekell
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ets etc. and other areas of aeronau
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It was sad to see him lose his home
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289 Woodlawn Cemetery records, Elmi
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SECONDARY BIBLIOGRAPHIC NOTES (Orig