!egs Four

IILLY IOBINSON‘S monoplano, which one Grinncll resident romembart as a "crate."

The Story of “Billy” Robinson
And The Grinnell Aeroplane Company

by John Wolf

Ed. Note: Wolf wrote this article while
he was I student at Grinneil. He researched
the story in the files of the Grlnnell Herald
Reglster, It the Grinnell Historical Society
and with personal interviews.

Wolf, I former 5&1! editor, is presently I
graduate student at the University of Wiseon~
sin with an assistantshlp in science writing.

Copyright 1967, John was

William Curtis Robinson's ability as an en-
gineer and aviator made him an important figure
in the early history of flight His death so years
ago at the age of al deprived this country and
the town of Grinnell of a mechanical genius in
the field of aviation.

Life meant only aviation to “Billy” Robinson
from 1910 to 1916. In those six years he aided
the progress of the young flying industry by his
spectacular but level-headed displays. Robinson
was not a typical stunt flyer of the early era. l-le
constructed his own plane and engine, and his
flights helped spur interest in the serious aspects
of aviation,

Robinson left Grinnell at the age of 25 with
a circus company. The year was into. The circus
used an airplane that Robinson had built as I
Eublicity device. Robinson couldn't fly, although

is plane, powered by a so horsepower rotary our
gine, was air-worthy. Robinson learned to fly
irnm Max Lily in 1911 and until his return to
Grinnell he taught at Lily's flying school in Chile
cago. Robinson made big news when he put out
a tire in his plane while being watched by hun~
dreds of Chicagoans in the streets below.

in 1913 Robinson returned to Grinnell. He had

lanned to continue on to Kansas City to estab-

sh an airplane factory there, but Grinnell busi-
nessmen persuaded him to stay in Grinneii,
where in 1914 he helped found the Grinnell Aerir
plane Company.

During its first months of existence the
company was threatened with infringement-
ni-petent action by the Wright Company, but
plans for a permanent factory continued.

Grinnell Company‘s First Plans

The company’s first monoplane, the Scout, was
built almost entirely by Robinson. The Scout, as
Grinneli resident Ross Coutts recalls, was I
“crate.” As such, it needed a light engine, which
Robinson provided by constructing a 400 pound,
100 horsepower, six—cylinder radial motor. By us-
ing magnalium for the crank case, Robinson
created the lightest engine known at that time.
The best 100 horsepower engine of that era was
made by Renault, and it weighed 683 pouiids.

Robinson had never seen an engine like the
one he built; he singlehandedly made the entire
nngine according to the basic plans for a radial
engine and came up with his own innovationaf
Only the magnaiium crank case had to be made
specially outside of Grinnell. '

The town of Grinnell remembers Robinson heal
for’hia record-breaking long-distance flight on

October 17, 1914. Robinson and his company
wanted to advertise their product so they decided
to try to break the American cross country roc-
ord oi 164 miles using Robinson’s monoplane.
To aid the promotional value of the attempt,
Robinson was granted permission by the United
States government to carry mail — only the acti-
ond man to be okayed for this service. Starting
from Des Moines, 50 miles west oi Grinnell,
Robinson was to fly to Chicago's Grant Park to
break the record. Sponsors for his flight were
the Chicago Tribune and the Des Moines Capital.

Record Flight to Chicago

On October 17, 1914, the sky over Iowa was
clear, and Robinson set off in the late morning
for his marathon run into Chicago. In Grinnell,
four clangs of the fire bell and the whistle at the
now defunct Spaulding Manufacturing Company
signalled Robinson’s departure from Des Moinea.
All business stopped as town residents rushed
into the streets and onto r0018 to see Robinson
fly over at a height of 5000 feet about 40 minute:
later.

Periodic reports on Robinson’s progress were
received in Grinneli until he was about; 30 miles
west of Chicago. At that point he entered a bank
of clouds. Officials at Grant Park feared that he
had crashed or had flown out over Lake Michigan
when he failed to land at the projected time. it
was several hours before they learned that Rob-
inson had landed safely in Kentland Indiana, 81
miles southeast of Chicago, after his 45 gallons
of fuel had been exhausted. by getting lost in the
clouds, Robinson had set a new American cross
country record of 362 mlles. The record was later
recognized by the Aero Club of America and war
not to be surpassed for over a year and a halt

The Tribune printed an interview with Rob-
inson after he finally flew into Chicago on
October 20. Robinson related, “The light was
so intense from the sunshine on the cloud:
that it affected my eyes like snow blindness."

In another story the Tribune reported:
“The monopiane which u Grinnell company
plans to manufacture, and which was Ill-
vented by Mr. Robinson, is known as tho
toto—visible type, by which the pilot is able
to see underneath the machine, the wings
being placed high. a radial motor is used, of
e peculiar construction not regularly manu-
fnctured at present.”

Robinson's flight thoroughly convinced Grin-
nell that airplanes were here'to stay, Attempts
by several larger cities to litre the airplane com—
pany out of Grinncll were rebuffed when the town
residents bought out 525,000 of additional stock
offered by the company.

Robinson’s adventures and the progress of the
airplane company were dilly chronicled in the
Grinnell l-iernid.‘ The paper in 1914 reported that
the monoplane was 25 feet long with a wingspan
of 35 feet The engine was it radial air-cooled
type that ran at 1200 rpm. According to Robin
son, the plane and its power plant met all gov.

Imment specifications for a war plane. it carried
I dead weight of about 1000 pounds, It flew at 80
miles per hour and used a gallon of fuel every
eight miles. The plane had cost $3750, and the
company was hoping to sell the 400 pound en-
gine for $4000 — @700 less than Renault’a com-
parable engine.

The Herald announced that I reporter from
the Philadelphia Record was on hand for Rob-
inson’s first test flight in July 1914. The town
was enthusiastic. In a news story, the Herald
Itatedi “He has built, almost singiehandedly,
In airship and an airship that will fly. it is a
great triumph for the Grinnell boy who
through his own efforts has worked his way
steadily upward in his chosen field, the navi-
gation of the air.”

Later in 1914, the Herald reprinted a letter
from a Grinnell resident who described his feel-
ings on his first flight with Robinson.

“We hadn't been up but for a few minutes
when Robinson began tipping his machine up
sideways at about the angle of the line between
the two oughu in a percentage mark, and me on
the underside. i supposed there was something he
wanted to dump out, . . . He had me holding an
instrument he called a bamgraph. That’s a thing
that tells how far away the green grass is. it only
registers 5000 feet and the blame thing went its
limit and quit on the first lap. .. . . Finally we
overlook the earth and when I got my feet
clamped on terra firma and enough oil out of my
eyes so 1 could look around, darned if we weren’t
right where we started."

Test Files Navy Equipment

Robinson returned safely to Grinnell in No-
vember from California, where he had tested I
ntabilizer for naval officers. Civilians were re-
quested to test fly this stabilizer before govem-
merit test pilots would be risked.

Plans to make a “convertible" plane that
would consist of a monoplane with an extra set of
wings were announced in December. Hopefully,
the plane would meet government requirements
for both a monoplane and biplane.

As 1914 came to an end, the Herald reminded
Grinnell that the Curtiss Company was doing a
huge business in a town about the size of Grinnoll.
Surely Grinneli could keep pace especially with
the lightest airplane engine known.

In January 1915, Robinson was invited to
New York to be one of nine men awarded I
medal of merit at the convention of tho Aem
Club of America. The medal was given in
recognition of Robuison’l Des Moines-ttrfndb
Ina flight.
in July of the some yen- bti was named one
of the 11!! charter member: of the American
society of Aeronautical Engineers, I group
farmed at the request of Thomas Edison.

Robinson again made nautnul news in loll
bybeingtbcfirstpllottotlyadoctortou

a, , . r» ,L
IILLY RONNWN pictured in hit fly-
lng outfit. lmoi shows plequc on his
grave in Grinnoll. '

ICARLIT AN I

patient. "Doc Somers was
Cally minded," recalled R0
of both Robinson and Sour
the first person in town t
bile,"

The year 1916 began op
little airplane company. Al
iactory. “the company is s
with the feeling that the ex

ast and the time for real i

e Herald story continued:
shown that he can build in.
pare more than favorably w
where. . . t The company is
instead of a vision. it ha‘
further activity and success
help it may reach heights oi
of before.”

Plans English Vt

Shortly thereafter, Robins
machine that would meet
specifications. He hoped to r
markets because America
behind Europe in airplane ,

A poetic newspaperman
inson‘s flight to 14,000 feet ‘
have been like, "W. C. RI
beautiful sight yesterday ir
feet. The sun was Just sink
over the silvery sheen of
like a vast lake spread 0
around Kellogg heightened
they seemed like waves of
up for an hour and flft
wouldn’t have come down
hadn’t given out and tom
lovely vision. He coasted
fifteen minutes to descend
of Mother Earth."

The results of Robinso
February 1916 were printer:
Herald. The diary showed
mood 39 flights ranging fr
The Herald concluded, ..
complishments covering a
severe weather not only die
as a designer and flyer but
and the Middle West can p
that are of real value,"

With the town enthused,
to convince the country, ,
ment, that his plane was i
in 1915, he had completed a

of 17,000 feet.

Townspeoplc Watch

On March 10, 1916, aft.
tion from the Aero Club of
a sealed barograph in his I
fateful flight. Townspeopl
tempt, and many were
climbed upward. when h
most people were sure th
previous high of 14.000 i
had been clearly visible.

when the plane reappe.
circling, “then shooting aw
ltl driver’s hands.” Flo'
the Luxuria’s fifteen minu
seemed to be under cont
about 200 feet above a pa.
down. Robinson died in the

The Herald issued an s
orized what had gone wr-
wldeiy accepted theory '
passed out from lack of 0
her suggested that Robina-
bral hemorrhage caused .
It is unlikely that he died
rial failure in his plane; in

ground, and even after the
were unbroken.

whether Robinson brok
could not be determined;
atroyed in the crash.

The airplane company
establish was shaken by
school for national gua r
notes had just gotten sta
other aviators, A. C. Bee
were hired to take Robins-
tt looked as though thei
the company alive,

But throughout 1917 an-