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In 1907 (some sources say 1904)Glenn Curtiss, American aviator and inventor, rode a V8 powered motorcycle of his own design to the previously unheard of speed of 136 mph on a Florida beach, earning himself the title of “The fastest man alive”. His involvement in aviation began when he flew a Curtiss powered Baldwin airship solo without any serious prior instruction. In 1907 he partnered with Alexander Grahame Bell to form the Aerial Experiment Association, and made his first powered flight on his 30th birthday, 21st May 1908, in White Wing. That same year he won a prize for being the first for being first to fly in a straight line for more than a kilometer. In 1909 he won the international aviation meet at Reims, France, flying an aeroplane he had designed himself. Curtiss designed and built a number of the earliest seaplanes and flying boats. In 1919 his NC-4 became the first aeroplane to cross the Atlantic Ocean.
The company that bears his name went on to produce many famous aircraft such as this WW2 Curtiss P40
Source:
https://www.dropbears.com/f/famous/famous_motorcyclists.htm
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