Lyman Gilmore

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Gilmore's second, larger plane

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Drawing of the smaller first plane

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Gilmore Flying Field

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

One of Gilmore's inventions, an 8-cylinder radial engine

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Lyman Gilmore, (June 11, 1874 – February 18, 1951), was an aviation pioneer. In Grass Valley, California, USA, he built a steam powered airplane and claimed that he flew it on May 15, 1902. Due to the requirement of a heavy boiler and the dependency on coal as a power source the flights would have only been short. Potential proofs of his claim was lost in a 1935 hangar fire.

Related Topics:
June 11 - 1874 - February 18 - 1951 - Aviation - Grass Valley - California - USA - May 15 - 1902

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Any remaining proof was lost when he was forcfuly deprived of his trench coat for a delousing of some sort and it was subsequently burned along with all the papers he carried in it.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

There exist photographs from 1898 showing Gilmore's machine, but none showing it in the air. He was in contact with other flight pioneers like Samuel Langley and eventually the Wright Brothers. In 1902, Gilmore was granted two patents on steam engines, the first of which was granted in 1902. He invented in other areas too, for example a rotary snowplow. On March 15, 1907 Gilmore opened the first commercial airfield, Gilmore Airfield.

Related Topics:
Samuel Langley - Wright Brothers - 1902 - March 15 - 1907

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

After the fire in his hangar Gilmore began mining for gold and died a poor man in Nevada City.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~