Buffalo Show

Buffalo this week held its first air show. The event had significance less for number of planes exhibited (50) and the amounts of planes sold and dealer contracts closed than for two other reasons:

1) The Buffalo show, more than the Detroit show, which will occur the second week in April, has international aspects. Detroit has across its international Detroit River only small Windsor in rural Ontario. Buffalo has beyond the Niagara River prosperous Toronto in industrialized Ontario.

2) It was the first time that Buffalo had made much boom-boom over its eminence in the aviation industry. Greater New York City last year produced $9,000,000 worth of flying goods in 16 manufacturing plants. Buffalo, eleventh in U.S. population last year produced $4,911,252 worth.* Detroit, fifth city, produced $3,500,000 worth; Los Angeles, fourth city, $2,750,000.

To the Curtiss Aeroplane & Motor Co., Inc., the Buffalo Chamber of Commerce grants prime importance in the community. President Clement Melville Keys, who has every one of his fingers in some aviation pie or other, and Vice President C. Roy Keys, his brother, have made Curtiss Aeroplane & Motor one of the largest self-contained units of the industry. Almost all present aircraft concerns make only planes, buy their motors elsewhere. Curtiss manufactures motors as well as ships. Curtiss builds Hawks, Falcons, Condors and Fledglings, all military planes which can be modified for transports and gadabouts. In motors it builds the powerful Challenger and Chieftain, both air-cooled, and the Conqueror and D-12-d, both water-cooled.

By building Huskies and other training planes favored by U.S. military forces, Consolidated Aircraft Corp. has attained high rank. President R. H. Fleet and associate executives have recently formed the Fleet Aircraft Corp. to manufacture Huskies, renamed Fleets, for civilian purchase.

Less than a year ago General Airplanes Corp. (A. J. Brandt, president), began business in Buffalo. Already it has sold more than $1,000,000 worth of its Aristocrats and Surveyors. It counts on selling $3,000,000 worth this year. Commander Byrd took an Aristocrat to Antarctica.

Hall-Aluminum Aircraft Co. (Charles Ward Hall, president), G. Elias & Bro., Inc. (A. J. Elias, president), and Eberhart Aeroplane & Motor Co., Inc. (Cleburne Eberhadt, Jr., president), have produced little so far but are experimenting much.

* Detroit's All-American Aircraft Show will display 107 planes, surpassing Chicago's International Aeronautical Show of last December (TIME, Dec. 17). Manhattan conducted a much smaller show in February (TIME, Feb. 18). Pittsburgh's first exhibition a fortnight ago held 23 planes and five gliders, initiated many a sale and agency. Other important air shows this year are scheduled at Indianapolis and Cleveland. The Gardner Annual Trophy Race at St. Louis also functions as a show.