AEA Silver Dart - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

AEA Silver Dart - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: "The Silver Dart (or Aerodrome #4) was an early aircraft which was flown off the ice at Baddeck, Nova Scotia on February 23, 1909. This was the first controlled powered flight in Canada and the British Empire. The plane was piloted by one of its designers, John McCurdy. The original Silver Dart was the fruit of the Aerial Experiment Association formed under the guidance of Alexander Graham Bell.

The frame and structure of the Silver Dart was made of steel tube, bamboo, friction tape, wire, and wood. The wings were covered with rubberized silk balloon-cloth. Its engine was a reliable V-8 that developed 40 hp (26 kW) at 1000 rpm supplied by Glenn Curtiss. The aircraft had no brakes. "