William Harper Jr. was a pioneer aviator and aviation engineer with the Wright brothers.[1]
In 1912 he built his own airplane to fly out of Roosevelt Field, New York.[2]
The airplane was a monoplane, resembling the contemporary Blériot, with a span of 50 ft (15 m).[2] It was powered by a two-cylinder two-stroke of 50 hp (37 kW),[2] driving a 9 ft (270 cm)-diameter propeller.[2] It was outfitted with a speedometer and a crude turn-and-bank indicator.[2]
It was reportedly able to glide as much as 300 yd (270 m).[2]
It was scheduled to fly in June, from a field east of Mineola, on the Hempstead Plains.[2]
On February 3, 1914, Harper married Florence Tobin of Denver, Colorado in Newport, Rhode Island.[3]
I have taken keen interest in the articles on the development of aerial navigation, which The Times treats perhaps more fully than any other metropolitan daily. ...
William Harper, Jr., was the most envied aviator on the field here this afternoon, when he took out a number of attractive girls in his big yellow for ...
The wedding of Miss Florence Tobin of Denver and William Harper, Jr., of New York will take place to-morrow evening at the cottage of the bride's aunt, Mrs. James J. Brown. Only relatives will be present. A dinner at the MuenchingerKing will follow, with Mrs. Brown as hostess.
![]() | This biographical article related to aviation is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |