In 1911, when Publisher Robert J. Collier (Colliers Magazine) got the idea of giving a trophy for "the greatest achievement in aviation in America, the value of which has been demonstrated by actual use during the preceding year," Donald Wills Douglas was an Annapolis midshipman who spent much of his time throwing model airplanes out his dormitory window. In 1912, when the first 2-ft. bronze Collier Trophy was awarded to Glenn H. Curtiss for hydro-airplane development, young Designer Douglas became bolder, launched his latest model from the roof. Gliding perfectly earthward, it...
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