Todd, E. L. (fl. early 1900s)

views updated

Todd, E. L. (fl. early 1900s)

American airplane inventor. Name variations: E. Lillian Todd.

Was the 1st woman to invent an airplane, but never learned to fly; 1st worked as stenographer in US Patent Office, Washington, DC; designed an airplane built by Wittemann Brothers that was exhibited at aero show at Madison Square Garden (1906); organized 1st Junior Aero Club in US (1908); had working model of a collapsible airplane exhibited at air show at Brighton Beach racetrack, Brooklyn, NY (1908); had test flight across Garden City aviation field of a biplane she had built, which was piloted by Didier Masson (NY, 1910).

More From encyclopedia.com