Frederick W. Baldwin
Encyclopedia
Frederick Walker Baldwin (January 2, 1882 – August 7, 1948), also known as Casey Baldwin, was an engineer
and a hydrofoil
and aviation
pioneer who was also the first Canadian
to pilot an aircraft.
, where he held prominent student leadership roles, won the Blake Gold Medal, and was captain of the cricket team. He attended the University of Toronto
, graduating in 1906 with a degree in electrical
and mechanical engineering
. Like his later aviation associate Doug McCurdy, he was a member of The Kappa Alpha Society
. The following year he moved to Baddeck in Cape Breton
, Nova Scotia
to work with inventor Alexander Graham Bell
. With an interest in aviation, the two men teamed up Douglas McCurdy
, Glenn Curtiss
and Thomas Selfridge
to form the Aerial Experiment Association
.
Baldwin used his engineering skills to help build the Silver Dart
plus several other experimental aircraft and on March 12, 1908 he became the first Canadian, and either the third or fourth North American, to pilot an airplane. The flight was at Lake Keuka, New York. William Whitney Christmas claimed to have first flown his aircraft on various dates from September 1907 to March 1908 near Fairfax, Virginia
. The first two successful pilots were, of course, the famous Wright brothers
, but it seems unlikely that it will ever be firmly established whether Christmas or Baldwin was the so-called "Third Man."
Baldwin also helped design and build the White Wing
airplane and the Red Wing
, piloting the latter in a public demonstration of powered aircraft flight at Hammondsport, New York
in 1908.
In the summer of 1908 Casey Baldwin and Alexander Graham Bell began discussing powered watercraft
and began building and testing various types before turning to the construction of an aircraft that could take off from water that the two called a "hydrodrome." While the project was temporarily shelved, in 1919 Baldwin built the HD-4 hydrofoil that set a world water speed record
of 70.86 mph on Bras d'Or Lake
. However, the watercraft was not a commercial success and the HD-4 project was ended in 1921.
Following the death of Alexander Graham Bell (August 2, 1922), Casey Baldwin continued boat building and experimenting in hydrofoils in Cape Breton
as Director of Graham Bell Laboratories. Bell's last words in 1922 were "Stand by Casey," an encouragement to his family to continue Baldwin's work. A local celebrity, in 1933 Baldwin was elected to the Provincial Legislature
as the member from Victoria County
.
Casey Baldwin died in Beinn Bhreagh, Nova Scotia
in 1948. Following its creation, in 1974 he was inducted posthumously into Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame
. In his honour, the "Casey Baldwin Award" is granted annually by the Canadian Aeronautics and Space Institute to the authors of the best paper published in the Canadian Aeronautics and Space Journal.
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
and a hydrofoil
Hydrofoil
A hydrofoil is a foil which operates in water. They are similar in appearance and purpose to airfoils.Hydrofoils can be artificial, such as the rudder or keel on a boat, the diving planes on a submarine, a surfboard fin, or occur naturally, as with fish fins, the flippers of aquatic mammals, the...
and aviation
Aviation
Aviation is the design, development, production, operation, and use of aircraft, especially heavier-than-air aircraft. Aviation is derived from avis, the Latin word for bird.-History:...
pioneer who was also the first Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
to pilot an aircraft.
Biography
Born in Toronto, Ontario, Casey Baldwin was educated at Ridley CollegeRidley College
Ridley College is a co-educational boarding and day university-preparatory school located in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada, 20 miles from Niagara Falls...
, where he held prominent student leadership roles, won the Blake Gold Medal, and was captain of the cricket team. He attended the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
, graduating in 1906 with a degree in electrical
Electrical engineering
Electrical engineering is a field of engineering that generally deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics and electromagnetism. The field first became an identifiable occupation in the late nineteenth century after commercialization of the electric telegraph and electrical...
and mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering is a discipline of engineering that applies the principles of physics and materials science for analysis, design, manufacturing, and maintenance of mechanical systems. It is the branch of engineering that involves the production and usage of heat and mechanical power for the...
. Like his later aviation associate Doug McCurdy, he was a member of The Kappa Alpha Society
Kappa Alpha Society
The Kappa Alpha Society , founded in 1825, was the progenitor of the modern fraternity system in North America. It was the first of the fraternities which would eventually become known as the Union Triad...
. The following year he moved to Baddeck in Cape Breton
Cape Breton Island
Cape Breton Island is an island on the Atlantic coast of North America. It likely corresponds to the word Breton, the French demonym for Brittany....
, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
to work with inventor Alexander Graham Bell
Alexander Graham Bell
Alexander Graham Bell was an eminent scientist, inventor, engineer and innovator who is credited with inventing the first practical telephone....
. With an interest in aviation, the two men teamed up Douglas McCurdy
John Alexander Douglas McCurdy
John Alexander Douglas McCurdy was a Canadian aviation pioneer and the 19th Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia from 1947 to 1952. -Early years:...
, Glenn Curtiss
Glenn Curtiss
Glenn Hammond Curtiss was an American aviation pioneer and a founder of the U.S. aircraft industry. He began his career as a bicycle then motorcycle builder and racer, later also manufacturing engines for airships as early as 1906...
and Thomas Selfridge
Thomas Selfridge
Thomas Etholen Selfridge was a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army and the first person to die in a crash of a powered airplane. He was a passenger while Orville Wright was piloting the aircraft.-Biography:...
to form the Aerial Experiment Association
Aerial Experiment Association
The Aerial Experiment Association was a Canadian aeronautical research group formed on 30 September 1907, under the tutelage of Dr. Alexander Graham Bell...
.
Baldwin used his engineering skills to help build the Silver Dart
AEA Silver Dart
-References:NotesBibliography* Aerial Experimental Association . Aerofiles. . Retrieved: 19 May 2005.* Green, H. Gordon. The Silver Dart: The Authentic Story of the Hon. J.A.D. McCurdy, Canada's First Pilot. Fredericton, New Brunswick: Atlantic Advocate Book, 1959.* Milberry, Larry. Aviation in...
plus several other experimental aircraft and on March 12, 1908 he became the first Canadian, and either the third or fourth North American, to pilot an airplane. The flight was at Lake Keuka, New York. William Whitney Christmas claimed to have first flown his aircraft on various dates from September 1907 to March 1908 near Fairfax, Virginia
Fairfax, Virginia
The City of Fairfax is an independent city forming an enclave within the confines of Fairfax County, in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Although politically independent of the surrounding county, the City is nevertheless the county seat....
. The first two successful pilots were, of course, the famous Wright brothers
Wright brothers
The Wright brothers, Orville and Wilbur , were two Americans credited with inventing and building the world's first successful airplane and making the first controlled, powered and sustained heavier-than-air human flight, on December 17, 1903...
, but it seems unlikely that it will ever be firmly established whether Christmas or Baldwin was the so-called "Third Man."
Baldwin also helped design and build the White Wing
AEA White Wing
-See also:...
airplane and the Red Wing
AEA Red Wing
|-References:NotesBibliography*. Retrieved: 19 May 2005.-See also:...
, piloting the latter in a public demonstration of powered aircraft flight at Hammondsport, New York
Hammondsport, New York
Hammondsport is a village in Steuben County, New York, United States. The population was 731 at the 2000 census. The village is named after its founding father.The Village of Hammondsport is in the Town of Urbana and is northeast of Bath, New York....
in 1908.
In the summer of 1908 Casey Baldwin and Alexander Graham Bell began discussing powered watercraft
Watercraft
A watercraft is a vessel or craft designed to move across or through water. The name is derived from the term "craft" which was used to describe all types of water going vessels...
and began building and testing various types before turning to the construction of an aircraft that could take off from water that the two called a "hydrodrome." While the project was temporarily shelved, in 1919 Baldwin built the HD-4 hydrofoil that set a world water speed record
Water speed record
The World Unlimited water speed record is the officially recognised fastest speed achieved by a water-borne vehicle. The current record of 511 km/h was achieved in 1978....
of 70.86 mph on Bras d'Or Lake
Bras d'Or Lake
Bras d'Or Lake is a large body of salt water dominating the centre of Cape Breton Island in the province of Nova Scotia, Canada. Bras d'Or Lake is sometimes referred to as the Bras d'Or Lakes or the Bras d'Or Lakes system, however its official geographic name is Bras d'Or Lake as it is a singular...
. However, the watercraft was not a commercial success and the HD-4 project was ended in 1921.
Following the death of Alexander Graham Bell (August 2, 1922), Casey Baldwin continued boat building and experimenting in hydrofoils in Cape Breton
Cape Breton Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia
Cape Breton Regional Municipality often shortened to simply CBRM, is a regional municipality in Nova Scotia's Cape Breton County.According to the 2006 Census of Canada, the population within the Cape Breton Regional Municipality is 102,250...
as Director of Graham Bell Laboratories. Bell's last words in 1922 were "Stand by Casey," an encouragement to his family to continue Baldwin's work. A local celebrity, in 1933 Baldwin was elected to the Provincial Legislature
39th General Assembly of Nova Scotia
The 40th General Assembly of Nova Scotia represented Nova Scotia between August 22, 1933 to June 20, 1937.-Division of seats:There were 30 members of the General Assembly, elected in the 1933 Nova Scotia general election.-List of members:...
as the member from Victoria County
Victoria County, Nova Scotia
Victoria County is a county in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.The shire town and largest municipality is the village of Baddeck.-History:Named after Queen Victoria, it was established by statute in 1851...
.
Casey Baldwin died in Beinn Bhreagh, Nova Scotia
Beinn Bhreagh, Nova Scotia
Beinn Bhreagh, generally pronounced "ban vreeagh", is the name of the estate founded by Dr. Alexander Graham Bell, which has become an unincorporated rural community located in Victoria County, Nova Scotia, Canada...
in 1948. Following its creation, in 1974 he was inducted posthumously into Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame
Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame
Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame, based in the Reynolds-Alberta Museum in Wetaskiwin, Alberta, Canada, commemorates and honours those whose accomplishments in aviation contributed so much to Canada's development as a nation...
. In his honour, the "Casey Baldwin Award" is granted annually by the Canadian Aeronautics and Space Institute to the authors of the best paper published in the Canadian Aeronautics and Space Journal.
External links
- "Baldwin, Frederick Walker", The Canadian Encyclopedia.
- The Red Wing - Aerodrome 1