Burgess Model I
Burgess Company · United States · first flew 1913 · reconnaissance aircraft
The Burgess Model I, also known as the Burgess I-Scout and the Coast Defense Hydroaeroplane, was a United States reconnaissance seaplane built for the US Signal Corps in 1913.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, fuselage-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Wright Model B-style biplane with an enclosed fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Wright Model B-style biplane with an enclosed fuselage
- Engine mounted amidships driving two large pusher propellers through chains
- Twin pontoons as undercarriage
A pontoon-equipped Wright-style biplane with two chain-driven pusher propellers mounted on the interplane struts.
Specifications
- The Burgess Model I has a length of 9.55 m (31 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 12.14 m (40 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 95 km/h (59 mph).
- Typical crew: 2.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
It was of conventional Wright Model B design but with a Sturtevant D-6 engine mounted amidships in an enclosed fuselage, driving two large pusher propellers on the interplane struts by chains.
Variants
The single example built, S.C. No. 17, was delivered to the Army in January 1913.
Where you'll see it
It was used to train two officers in Florida, then shipped to the Philippines in September 1913, where it was in and out of service until it crashed into the sea near Corregidor on 12 January 1915. It is notable as the first US Army aircraft to conduct two-way radio communication with the ground, in December 1914.
Related aircraft
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