John
I thought you might find these quotes inspirational,
" The Jenny was a temperamental machine to master. She had a tendency to veer left on take-off. Her engine produced a mere 90 horsepower. She had a maximum horizontal flying speed of only 75mph and engine failure was not uncommon.
My first experience in flying was done in a Jenny, it was said,"If you can fly a Jenny, you can fly anything"
Lt. Bill Purvis, RAF pilot WW1
A photograph of a "Jenny" was prominently displayed in the foyer of the Purvis home in Rosedale, Toronto
"The harsh gray Canadian winter provided many obstacles for airmen training in Canada for the war overseas
One problem was simply the fragility of early aircraft, The "Jenny" in particular, would struggle through snow in an attempt to get airborne. Wheel undercarriages proved ineffective in snowdrifts more than six inches deep.
The solution to this problem was to emulate an aboriginal principle, adopting a method used by the North American Indian since he first traversed the frozen wastes of Canada
Thus was evolved the present day airplane skid."
John Gordon, historian
Approximately 6000" Jenny's" were ultimately produced during the war years
After the Great War, large numbers of Jenny's were sold off at surplus prices; 600 dollars included shipping crates. Many young pilots, trained for war, now found themselves unemployed. If a pilot could procure a "Jenny", one employment option was to travel the country and offer rides, often landing in a farmer's field to set up shop. The pilot also needed to possess the mechanical skills to keep the machine airborne. These flying entrepreneurs became known as"barnstormers".
Other pilots formed traveling groups, "flying circuses", performing formation aerobatics and flying stunts to the awe and amazement of the crowds, usually in the rural areas of North America.
One of the most dangerous stunts was wing walking, with a "daredevil "literally walking on the wings of the sturdy "Jenny " while flying, and often performed by young woman
In the United States.The Air Commerce Act of 1926 placed licensing of pilots and aircraft under federal control and regulated the operation of aircraft, putting an end to the "Barnstormer" in America.
Cheers,
Fitzee