Curtiss, in 1909, succeeded in landing his aëroplane safely on the water of Lake Keuka, first with sheet iron cylindrical floats under each wing, and a simple float well to the front of his protruding chassis, then with a hydroplane surface to the front as being more effective than the float. But when he attempted to glide up from the lake with this arrangement, he could not entirely clear the surface, though his aëroplane under the powerful thrust of her aërial screw, very nearly lifted from the water. Then he planned to use hydroplane floats, of hollow wing form, and of such size that they would buoy up the machine when at rest, and during motion would skim over the water like a skipping stone, till the biplane should acquire sufficient speed to rise by the dynamic reaction of the air. In the successful execution of this plan, however, he was anticipated by Fabre, who made the first successful flight from the water, on March 28th, 1910, at Martigues, France. But the Frenchman was not left to bear the palm alone. Early in the year 1911, Mr. Curtiss rose and landed successfully on the water at San Diego Bay, Cal., by means of a single float like a flatboat placed centrally under his biplane, seconded by small auxiliary floats at the wing ends. A full account of these valuable contributions to aviation is given in Appendix V. PLATE XXXI. [Illustration: FABRE HYDRO-AËROPLANE. _Photo E. Levick, N. Y._] [Illustration: PAULHAN HYDRO-AËROPLANE. _Photo E. Levick, N. Y._] [Illustration: MOISANT METAL MONOPLANE. (Courtesy A. J. Moisant.)] As shown in Plate XXXI, Fabre’s hydro-aëroplane was substantially a monoplane mounted on three richochet floats. It was propelled by a screw at the rear, and controlled in flight by the usual three-torque system, in this case consisting of horizontal rudders in front, vertical rudders front and rear, and suitable mechanism for twisting the wings. The floats were hollow to give them static buoyancy; they were curved fore and aft like wings, to give them dynamic lift, both in water and in air; they were elastically constructed with thin veneer bottoms and flexibly attached to the framing, so as to endure the severe buffeting, at high speeds, against the uneven water surface; they were capable of landing the machine safely on a sandy beach or meadow, as well as on the water. Indeed, a plan was conceived for rising and alighting on land and water indifferently. [Illustration: FIG. 42.—DIAGRAM OF CURTISS HYDRO-AËROPLANE. (_Scientific American._)] The first machine weighed in flight 950 pounds and spread 280 square feet of surface, giving a loading of 3.4 pounds per square foot. It was driven by a 50-horse Gnome engine actuating a Chauvière propeller 7.5 feet in diameter. In the trials of March 28th, the machine cleared the water at a speed of 34 miles per hour, and flew about one-third of a mile, at an elevation of two to three yards; then at the will of the operator it alighted softly on the water.