James Floyd Smith
Encyclopedia
James Floyd Smith or J. Floyd Smith (October 17, 1884 – April 18, 1956) was a test pilot and instructor for Glenn Martin and was a manufacturer of parachutes. He built and flew his own plane in 1912 and invented the manually operated parachute
for the Army in 1918. He was awarded the Aero Club of America
Medal or Merit.
on October 17, 1884, then his family moved to Union, Oregon
. In 1907 he married Hilder Florentina Youngberg of Galesburg, Illinois
. Their first son, Sylvester Smith, was killed at age 11 by a car in 1919, in Chicago. They had a second son, Prevost Vedrines Smith (1913–1991) aka Floyd Smith. In 1930 the family was living in Morrisville, Bucks County, Pennsylvania
and Floyd was working as an engineer. Prevost and Floyd started the Smith Parachute Company at Gillespie Field
in San Diego County, California
which became the Prevost Smith Parachute Company.
Floyd died on April 18, 1956 in San Diego, California
of cancer. He was buried in the Portal of Folded Wings Shrine to Aviation.
was filed on July 27, 1918 and issued May 18, 1920 for his parachute
. The assignee was the Floyd Smith Aerial Equipment Company of San Diego, California
. Floyd with Leslie Leroy Irvin, developed a 28-foot backpack parachute. On April 28, 1919, Irvin jumped from a de Havilland biplane traveling at 100 miles per hour at an altitude of 1,500 feet. After Irvin bailed out of the airplane and falling free, he manually reached the ripcord handle and pulled it, and the parachute fully deployed at 1,000 feet. Irvin became the first American to jump from an airplane and manually open a parachute in midair. Floyd's original 1919 ripcord parachute is on display at the Air Force Museum at Dayton, Ohio. http://www.libraries.wright.edu/find/gov/patent/miamivalleyinventors.html
Parachute
A parachute is a device used to slow the motion of an object through an atmosphere by creating drag, or in the case of ram-air parachutes, aerodynamic lift. Parachutes are usually made out of light, strong cloth, originally silk, now most commonly nylon...
for the Army in 1918. He was awarded the Aero Club of America
Aero Club of America
The Aero Club of America was a social club formed in 1905 by Charles Glidden and others to promote aviation in America. It was the parent organization of numerous state chapters, the first being the Aero Club of New England. It thrived until 1923, when it transformed into the National Aeronautic...
Medal or Merit.
Biography
He was born in IllinoisIllinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
on October 17, 1884, then his family moved to Union, Oregon
Union, Oregon
Union is a city in Union County, Oregon, United States. The population was 1,926 at the 2000 census.- History :Union was platted on November 11, 1864 along the Oregon Trail. The name references the Union states, or Northern States, of the American Civil War....
. In 1907 he married Hilder Florentina Youngberg of Galesburg, Illinois
Galesburg, Illinois
Galesburg is a city in Knox County, Illinois, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 32,195. It is the county seat of Knox County....
. Their first son, Sylvester Smith, was killed at age 11 by a car in 1919, in Chicago. They had a second son, Prevost Vedrines Smith (1913–1991) aka Floyd Smith. In 1930 the family was living in Morrisville, Bucks County, Pennsylvania
Morrisville, Bucks County, Pennsylvania
Morrisville is a borough in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 8,728 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Morrisville is located at . It is situated on the Delaware River directly across from Trenton, New Jersey...
and Floyd was working as an engineer. Prevost and Floyd started the Smith Parachute Company at Gillespie Field
Gillespie Field
Gillespie Field is a county-owned public-use airport located 10 miles northeast of the central business district of San Diego, in El Cajon, San Diego County, California, United States....
in San Diego County, California
San Diego County, California
San Diego County is a large county located in the southwestern corner of the US state of California. Hence, San Diego County is also located in the southwestern corner of the 48 contiguous United States. Its county seat and largest city is San Diego. Its population was about 2,813,835 in the 2000...
which became the Prevost Smith Parachute Company.
Floyd died on April 18, 1956 in San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
of cancer. He was buried in the Portal of Folded Wings Shrine to Aviation.
Patent
A patentPatent
A patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....
was filed on July 27, 1918 and issued May 18, 1920 for his parachute
Parachute
A parachute is a device used to slow the motion of an object through an atmosphere by creating drag, or in the case of ram-air parachutes, aerodynamic lift. Parachutes are usually made out of light, strong cloth, originally silk, now most commonly nylon...
. The assignee was the Floyd Smith Aerial Equipment Company of San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
. Floyd with Leslie Leroy Irvin, developed a 28-foot backpack parachute. On April 28, 1919, Irvin jumped from a de Havilland biplane traveling at 100 miles per hour at an altitude of 1,500 feet. After Irvin bailed out of the airplane and falling free, he manually reached the ripcord handle and pulled it, and the parachute fully deployed at 1,000 feet. Irvin became the first American to jump from an airplane and manually open a parachute in midair. Floyd's original 1919 ripcord parachute is on display at the Air Force Museum at Dayton, Ohio. http://www.libraries.wright.edu/find/gov/patent/miamivalleyinventors.html