Burgess flying boat

The Burgess flying boat, produced by the Burgess Company of Massachusetts in the 1910s, was one of the United States’ earliest successful seaplanes. Developed from the Burgess–Curtiss Model H and first flown in 1913, the aircraft featured a wooden hull with a single‑engine pusher configuration mounted above the wing. Its 100‑hp (75‑kW) Curtiss OX‑5 water‑cooled V‑8 powered a two‑bay biplane wing structure, giving it a maximum speed of about 70 mph and a range of roughly 300 mi. The open cockpit accommodated a pilot and, in later versions, a passenger or observer, making it useful for reconnaissance, training, and short‑range passenger service.

The Burgess flying boat became notable when the United States Navy ordered several examples for coastal patrol and anti‑submarine work during World I, marking one of the first instances of an American‑built aircraft being adopted for military seaplane duties. Its reliability and ease of operation helped establish the viability of amphibious aviation and laid groundwork for later naval aircraft such as the Curtiss NC series. The Burgess flying boat thus occupies a pivotal place in early American aviation history as a bridge between experimental hobbyist designs and practical military seaplanes.