DUVAL LA CHAPELLE 1870-

Frank Coffyn, Arch Hoxsey, and Duval La Chapelle posing with a Wright transitional aircraft, 1910 from the Coffyn Collection Courtesy of the Empire State Aerosciences Museum.

 

ONLINE RESOURCES      Using the Google search engine on "Duval La Chapelle", you will find about 4 links. Among the most helpful are the following. (9-23-03)

THE FRANK COFFYN COLLECTION      "What was it really like to be a pioneer aviator? The Frank Coffyn Collection of the Empire State Aerosciences Museum tells the real life story of the people who helped introduce the airplane to America. Once an abandoned scrapbook, the collection is now available to the public for the first time. Learn about the project, explore the collection, and see Coffyn's flying machine come back to life."      You will want to visit each of the following sections. About the Project      You will want to visit each of the categories; The Project, Who was Frank T. Coffyn and the Wright Exhibition Team. The Collection: Introduction The Frank Coffyn Collection is part of the Research Library collection at the Empire State Aerosciences Museum in Glenville, New York. It is actually the contents of a scrapbook kept by Coffyn of his early days as an aviator. When it was discovered, most of the images had come away from their original paste mounts and were in no recognizable order. With the images now identified, the collection has been sorted into the main categories below. As study of the collection continues, further identifications will be added and published in this system. We welcome information from the public that may help in this effort.      This section is divided into several categories: Highlights, Stories, Aircraft, People, Locations, Photographers, Images types and "View all Images." Coffyn's Flying Machine The Wright Model B aircraft was designed, built, and flown during Frank Coffyn's time with the Wright Company. It was the first airplane to go into mass production, and was the most successful of the Wright company's machines. The Wright Experience has been building authentic static reproductions of the Model B since 1994, and in 2003, completed a flyable version. This airplane used the same engine Frank Coffyn used on a Model B in 1912. Join the Wright Experience as they rediscover this airplane, and meet the challenge of learning to fly Coffyn's flying machine.      This section is divided into four categories: Rediscovering, Building, Testing and Flying.      If you want to go directly to the La Chapelle page, where you will find a brief biography and seven great photos, click on: La Chapelle      If time permits, you will be well rewarded by starting at the homepage of the wonderful site. Click on the title above to begin your visit

 

WRIGHT COLLECTION      This page on Jack Carpenter's Glenn H. Curtiss website offers a very nice picture ot the Wright Exhibition Team which includes Duval LaChapelle, Arthur Welsh, Orville Wright, James Davis, Ralph Johnstone and Frank Coffyn. You may go directly to the page by clicking on the title above. You may want to use the "FIND" button on "Chapelle" find the location on the page, although you will probably want to simply scroll down and enjoy each entry.      From that page, if time permits, you should go to the homepage and sample some of the many other features on this priceless resource.

 

The date of his death is not available.   Editor's Note: If you have any information on this pioneer aviator please contact me. E-mail to Ralph Cooper

 

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