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Type XII # |
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Photo: Robert Deering 10/23/2006 Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Dulles International Airport (IAD) Chantilly, Virginia |
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In the spring of 1912 Thomas
Wesley Benoist announced the completion of his firm's
newest aircraft, the Type XII. It was a two-place
tractor biplane, powered by a Roberts six-cylinder,
75-horsepower engine. It was one of the first
closed-fuselage tractor airplanes to appear in the
United States. Perhaps five Type XII aircraft were
produced by the Benoist factory during the next year. The NASM Benoist Type XII was constructed in the Benoist shop in St. Louis by its purchasers, Edward and Milton Korn. The Korn brothers began work on their airplane in March 1912. It was completed on May 20, and it was flown soon thereafter at Anna, Illinois. During the following year, the Korns performed numerous exhibitions with their Benoist. Most American aircraft produced during this period were close copies of Wright, Curtiss, or European machines. Benoist was one of the very few U.S. firms building and selling original designs in the pioneer era. Dimensions: Wingspan: 16.9 m (55 ft 5 in) Length: 7.2 m (23 ft 7 in) Height: 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in) Weight: approximately 475 kg (1,045 lb) Materials: Airframe: Wood Covering: Rubberized Fabric Physical Description: Tractor biplane with one 75-horsepower Roberts 6X six-cylinder engine. When the aircraft was restored, a rubberized finish was applied to the fabric to replicate the original. Over time, the finish has oxidized, resulting in an overall brown color. The photo of the Benoist-Korn with the overall white color shows the airplane as it appeared upon completion of the restoration in 1982, before the oxidation began.
Source:
Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum |
