Pearson Air Museum: A replica Curtiss pusher (photo diary)

by Ojibwa for Kossack Air Force

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Friday, Jan. 10, 2025 Friday, Jan. 10, 2025 at 7:15:09am PST

The Pearson Air Museum at Fort Vancouver National Historic Site in Vancouver, Washington, looks at the history of aviation at Pearson Field which began as a military air field. One of the planes exhibited in this small museum is a replica of the Curtiss Pusher.

According to the Museum:

“The Curtiss "Pusher" was the first mass produced airplane, and is a hallmark of early aviation during the 1911-1914 time period. It was designed by Glenn H. Curtiss, and built by the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company of Hammondsport, New York.

The Pusher got its name from the rearward facing motor and propellor, which "pushed" the aircraft through the air. It set many world aviation firsts, including the first flight from a ship and the first landing on a ship.

During the summers of 1911-1913, the US Army at Vancouver Barracks hosted an "Aviation Camp" on the Polo Grounds located west of where Fort Vancouver stands today, and Curtiss Pushers were a common sight flying in the area. Early pilots such as Charles Walsh, Silas Christofferson, and Walter Edwards all piloted Curtiss Pushers from this field.”