William Whitney Christmas
| William Whitney Christmas | |
|---|---|
Christmas in 1915
|
|
| Born |
William Wallace Whitney Christmas September 1, 1865 Warrenton, North Carolina |
| Died | April 14, 1960 (aged 94) Bellevue Hospital Manhattan, New York City |
| Cause of death | Pneumonia |
| Education |
St. John's Military Academy University of Virginia, B.S. and M.S. George Washington University, M.D. (1905) |
| Occupation | Physician Aviator |
| Spouse(s) | May Norris |
| Children | Whitney Norris Christmas |
| Parent(s) | James Yancey Christmas Rhoda Gaines |
William Whitney Christmas, M.D. (September 1, 1865 – April 14, 1960) was a pioneer aviator and a physician. He was one of many claimants for an early design of the aileron. He was a vice-president of the General Development Corporation.
He was born in September 1, 1865 in Warrenton, North Carolina to James Yancey Christmas and Rhoda Gaines. He attended the St. John's Military Academy then the University of Virginia where he obtained a bachelor degree and an masters degree. He graduated from George Washington University in 1905 with an M.D.
He married May Norris in 1899 in Maryland, and they had as their son, Whitney Norris Christmas.
He designed the Christmas Bullet in 1918; the airplane had no wing struts and crashed on its maiden flight, killing the pilot. He then built a second aircraft with the same unstable design which also crashed on its maiden flight, killing the pilot.
In retirement he was still proposing improbable aeroplane designs.
He died at Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan, New York City of pneumonia on April 14, 1960.
Aircraft designed by Christmas, some of which never left the drawing board, but most introduced some novel aviation patent or other. (1910: (Dr William Whitney) Christmas Aeroplane Co, Washington DC. c.1912: Durham Christmas Aeroplane Sales & Exhibition Co. 1918: Cantilever Aero Co, Copiague, NY.)
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