|
 |
 America's First Patented Helicopter was the brainchild of two Machinists (W.J.
Purvis and C.A. Wilson of Goodland) who were employed by The Chicago Rock Island Railroad
in the early 1900s. Though the exact story of how the idea of a vertical take off
and landing craft came to them has never been verified, both men were talented and
innovative inventors, years ahead of their time.After several months of hand tooling parts in the railroad shop, the machine was put to the test. The mechanical parts were connected to the belt drive of a thrashing machine, and the twin rotors turned, faster and faster, until the great flying machine rose several feet into the air. The belt drive was slowed and the invention settled to the ground. Spectators were impressed and anxious to be included in the future of the 'flying machine'. A corporation was duly formed and shares of stock in the "Goodland Aviation Company" were sold for $10 each, a goodly sum in 1909. The machine's center shaft was made of cast iron and stood twenty feet tall. The double rotors and the tail rudder were made of canvas stretched over a metal frame, and stiffened with shellac. The platform was metal, and the tricycle wheels were also iron. No record of the total weight of the completed machine has been located, but it must have been substantial. The inventors used the revenue from the sale of the shares of stock in Goodland Aviation to build a huge wooden barn (hanger) and purchase two Pratt & Whitney engines to allow free flight for their craft. Application for a patent had been submitted to Washington D.C. several months prior to the maiden flight with the engines. Investors and spectators gathered to attend the event with much enthusiasm. The two powerful engines were started, and amidst the noise and smoke and cheering of the crowd, Purvis and Wilson watched in horror as the heavy machine struggled to rise from the ground, overbalanced and fell over, the rotors still turning. Total destruction followed, with the entire crowd watching, dumbfounded and disappointed. Later, there was much grumbling and accusations of "Fraud" began to circulate. The machine's parts were hauled away by the owners and the crowd. The motors were eventually sold, and the two machinists returned to work fulltime for the railroad. The patent arrived months after the event, but the project was abandoned. Both men went on to productive careers out of state. Over the years, relatives of both Purvis and Wilson have visited the High Plains Museum. The idea was years ahead of its time, but the machine would never have been capable of forward flight as the engineering did not allow the rotors to tilt, an innovation introduced in the late 1930s. |
|
