Samuel Franklin Cody: aviation and aeromedical evacuation pioneer.

ABSTRACT

In the summer of 1913, Woodrow Wilson had just become the 28th President of the United States and King George V was on the throne of the United Kingdom. It was nearly 10 yr since the historical flight at Kitty Hawk and 3 yr since Blériot had first flown the English Channel. At Farnborough, "Colonel" Samuel F. Cody, originally a horseman, hunter, crack shot, showman and theatrical impresario from the USA, was preparing a new floatplane for a round Britain flying race. One of the features of the floatplane, a biplane with a four bladed pusher propeller, was that it had already demonstrated its ability to carry passengers. Cody calculated that it would allow him to carry five passengers for a 4-h flight and may even have medical uses. He arranged a demonstration of its potential as an air ambulance at Farnborough. This paper describes, with the use of photographs of the event, the airplane, the demonstration and the reasons why it would be left to others to carry out the first, real aeromedical evacuation 4 yr later.