Until recently, American aviators had not given serious attention to
any form of flying machines aside from biplanes. Of the twenty-one
monoplanes competing at the International meet at Belmont Park, N. Y.,
in November, 1910, only three makes were handled by Americans. Moissant
and Drexel navigated Bleriot machines, Harkness an Antoinette, and Glenn
Curtiss a single decker of his own construction. On the other hand the
various foreign aviators who took part in the meet unhesitatingly gave
preference to monoplanes.
Whatever may have been the cause of this seeming prejudice
against the monoplane on the part of American air sailors, it is slowly
being overcome. When a man like Curtiss, who has attained great success
with biplanes, gives serious attention to the monoplane form of
construction and goes so far as to build and successfully operate a
single surface machine, it may be taken for granted that the monoplane
is a fixture in this country.
