AVIATION PIONEERS

Charles R. Wittemann Collection of Mark Nathans Grandson of Charles Wittemann

 

THE WITTEMANN BROTHERS from the Aviation Hall of Fame & Museum of New Jersey Courtesy of H. V. Pat Reilly, 7-18-05      In 1905, Charles, Paul and Walter Wittemann opened the first airplane manufacturing plant in the United States on their family estate in Staten Island. After experimenting with gliders, they designed and built their first airplane in 1906 and continued to manufacture a number of experimental planes and models until their ever increasing production forced their move to a more spacious building on the north edge of the Newark meadows. In 1917 they built a new plant at Teterboro Airport where the Wittemanns received the consent of the U.S. Army to convert unused DH-4 aircraft for the Post Office to be used fot the first air mail postal service. The planes were modified to carry 400 lbs. of mail and in 1919 further improvements were made to accomodate 1000 lb. payloads. Approximately 75 of these single engine aircraft were produced at Teterboro.

New Jersey's Famous Aircraft BARLING NBL-1 BOMBER Designed by Walter H. Barling. Built by Wittemann Aircraft Corp., Teterboro Airport, N.J. - 1922. Largest aircraft in the world at that time - three wings, eight wheels, six engines. Test flown Dayton, Ohio. from the Aviation Hall of Fame & Museum of New Jersey Courtesy of H. V. Pat Reilly, 7-18-05

In 1918, President Woodrow Wilson appointed Charles to the President's Aviation Commission as Aeronautical Advisor. In 1920, the Wittemann Corporation was awarded an Army contract to build the Barling Bomber, a six engine monster that was then the largest airplane of its type in the world. The first plane was completed and tested in 1923. It was successfully flown with many advantages, but failed to prove some of the particular characteristics planned for it by the Engineering Division. Thus, due to numerous design changes demanded by the Army and a fixed-price contract, the Wittemanns were financially squeezed out of business and sold their plant to Anthony Fokker, the world famous Dutch aircraft designer in 1925.      Years later, Paul Wittemann sadly remembered how his family was squeezed out of the aviation business when they couldn't meet their payroll due to delays in payments from the government. "It was a very sad time, indeed. " Paul said. Paul, Walter and Charles were among the first inductees into the Hall of Fame in 1972.

 

	Barling Bomber At the 1923 Saint Louis International Air Meet Collection of Roy Nagl, 1-23-06

 

DID WHITEHEAD FLY? Air Enthusiast - #35, January, 1988 by G.K. Weissenborn      Charles R Wittemannn is one of the more respected names in American aviation history; he was the first commercial builder of aeroplanes in the US; he built some of the first Air Mail aircraft for the Post Office Department; he designed special stunt aircraft for many famous flyers, and in World War I, President Wilson appointed him to a committee to examine and report on the aircraft industry at the time. Wittemannn once purchased two Weisskopf engines for his aeroplanes and reports that they functioned well. "When asked of his opinion of Whitehead and his ability, Mr Wittemannn replied without hesitation, "I'd say he was a genius. All around." " You wouldn't say he was just a nut?" he was asked. "Oh no! By no means. He knew what he was doing."   Editor's Note:      This paragraph was excerpted from a page on the website, Gustave Whitehead's Flying Machine. As I was building this page for Charles, I did a search of the net and found this surprising and absolutely fascinating website which details the career of Gustave Whitehead. The author presents a wealth of evidence which supports the proposition that Gustave flew planes several years before the Wright Brothers. The website is extensive and exhaustive and highly fascinating. I found it impossible to be satisfied by merely skimming the subject matter, even though time is of the essence. It merits and provokes a detailed and time-consuming examination. You can access the site by clicking on the title, Gustave Whitehead's Flying Machine. I highly recommend it to your attention. My email to Megan Adam, the author of the site, asking for permission to use the information, was returned "undeliverable" , Because of its great value and interest, I am putting the excerpt online without permission. I hope she won't mind and will contact me if possible.

 

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