CARL S. BATES 1884 - 1956

Possible Replica Monoplane, 1911 Courtesy of AeroFiles

 

Carl S. Bates Joins Early Birds      Carl S. Bates, engineer and engine manufacturer, owns Bates Midget Motors. He lays claim to glider flights as far back as August 12, 1905. Then there was a 10-horsepower or so Bates biplane in 1908-1909. Seems to the writer he built another 10-horsepower engine which was flown about this same time by Matthew B. Sellers in his quadruplane. from CHIRP - MARCH 1,, 1939 - DEARBORN, MICHIGAN. - NUMBER 23. courtesy of Steve Remington - CollectAir

 

Bates Aeroplane Co. 1907: (Carl) Bates Aeroplane Co, Chicago IL. 1912: Acquired by Heath Aircraft Co, Chicago IL. Biplane I, II 1908-09 = 1pOB; 20hp Bates pusher; span: 42'0". Boxkite-type construction had interwingtip ailerons, front elevator, and a tricycle landing gear modified from, of all things, a baby buggy, as well as "McAdamite patent castings for quick stowage." II was an improved 2p version with 40hp Bates pusher, a "secret steering features," and brakes. Bates possible replica Monoplane 1911 = 1pOmwM; 30hp Bates. Damaged in taxi tests on July 3, 1911; rebuilt 1912 with 3-cyl Poyer by Heath Co, but there was no recorded flight data found.   Courtesy of AeroFiles website. I highly recommend the AeroFiles website to you as the The Internet's most comprehensive American aviation history reference site and research site.

 

WATERMAN GLIDER IN FLIGHT From Early Bird's CHIRP January 1973

 

WATERMAN REVERTS TO GLIDERS Those who attended the reunion in Dayton saw moving pictures of Waldo's flights made at Palomar, California. The plane which he built and flew was a reproduction of Cal Roger's VIN FIZ, the first airplane to fly coast to coast, in 1911. After a number of successful flights with this plane it was donated to the San Diego Aerospace Museum.      Many Early Birds were first airborne in what became known as the Popular Mechanics Glider. Do-it-yourself drawings were published by that magazine in April, 1909, from a design by Early Bird Carl Bates of Chicago. Hundreds of these machines were built thereafter, one of them by Waldo Waterman. Six years ago he built two more, one now hanging in the Smithsonian Institution and the other in the San Diego Aerospace Museum. They were capable of making very short flights down 30 degree slopes into 8 mile winds, but were not easily controllable.      Waldo has always felt that, by using modern know-how in a redesign, a resonably good hang glider, retaining all the simplicity of the original, could be built. Consequently, he has built just such a glider which has been flown by Stephen Ballas, age 21, who helped to build it. From The Early Birds of Aviation CHIRP January 1973, Number 79

Carl S. Bates hailed from the State of Iowa,
which is still pretty proud of this
pioneering native son. Here's what
Iowa's Department of Transportation
has to say about Carl S. Bates.