AEA June Bug

The AEA June Bug was a pioneering American aircraft built in 1908 by the Aerial Experiment Association, a collaborative group led by Alexander Graham Bell that also included Glenn Curtiss, Henry Farman, and Thomas Selfridge. Conceived as a successor to the Association’s earlier experimental gliders, the June Bug was the first powered machine to achieve a certified flight of more than one kilometer, earning the prestigious Scientific American trophy in August 1908. Its biplane configuration featured a 30‑horsepower Curtiss gasoline engine driving a single rear‑mounted propeller through a chain drive. The structure combined a lightweight wooden framework with fabric covering and utilized a forward elevator and rear stabilizer mounted on booms, while the wings employed a staggered, equal‑span design with pronounced dihedral for lateral stability. Control was exercised by warping the wings, an early method later replaced by ailerons. The aircraft’s successful flight demonstrated the practicality of powered, heavier‑than‑air transportation and validated the AEA’s engineering concepts, influencing subsequent designs by Curtiss and other early aviators. The June Bug thus marks a critical milestone in the transition from experimental gliders to reliable aircraft, cementing its place in aviation history.

Aerial Experiment Association

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