Pfitzner Flyer
| Pfitzner Flyer | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Type | Experimental pusher monoplane |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company |
| Designer | |
| Primary user | Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company |
| Number built | 1 |
| History | |
| First flight | January 1910 |
The Pfitzner Flyer was an innovative monoplane designed in 1909 by Alexander Pfitzner and built by the Curtiss company at Hammondsport, New York, where Pfitzner was employed at the time.
The Flyer was the first monoplane designed, built and flown in the United States. It incorporated several novel features, the most innovative of which was the method of achieving lateral control by means of reciprocating lateral (telescopic) wing extensions, which the pilot controlled via a steering wheel. Also unusual for a monoplane was the use of a pusher configuration, the engine also being mounted behind the pilot.
The aircraft was not a success, and a disappointed Pfitzner is thought to have died by suicide on 12 July 1910.