(Excerpts from "The Smash-Up Kid", Traces, a publication of the Indiana Historical Society, Fall, 1998. Article written by Rachel Sherwood Roberts)

"In 1910, only six and a half years since Orville and Wilbur Wright had first flown their machine, American aviation was still mostly a matter of experimentation by single individuals. No one knew about airports, control towers, or radar. But Art Smith was fascinated with flight and determined to figure out how to make a machine and fly in it.

At his home in Fort Wayne, he collected all the books and magazine articles on aeronautics that he could find. From the resources he could gather, Art learned about aircraft construction, designs, and patents. At night he’d pore over his books and study how to build a flying machine. He believed he could build a plane that would fly better than the Wright brothers’ airplane, and as he worked on his design, he was careful to avoid infringing on their patents.

He built models of airplanes using sticks and rubber bands. When asked, he said he figured he would need $1,756.60 for materials - if he did the work himself. With his parents’ financial backing, 20 year old Art quit his job and devoted himself to pursuing his dream.

It took Art and a friend 6 months to build the plane and the night they finished they moved the plane through the streets of Fort Wayne to a field in what is now Memorial Park. The next morning Art tested the flying machine. The plane reached almost fifty miles per hour before leaving the ground. Suddenly it rose alarmingly, dipped, rose again and crashed. Art was thrown onto the frozen ground and badly injured. The plane was ruined except for the engine."

Art Smith continued his dream and working on his plane. People thought he was just a fool kid with a crazy notion and they nicknamed him the Smash-Up Kid. But on October 22, 1911 he attempted to fly from Fort Wayne to New Haven. After that flight and exhibitions later that month his nickname changed to "Bird Boy."

Art’s fame spread dramatically after that and he became a world class showman who dazzled crowds with his daring flying. He became an immediate celebrity.

Today a replica of one of Art Smith’s early planes hangs inside the terminal at Fort Wayne International Airport. Request more information and a copy of the complete article on Art Smith at the "Contact Us" page in this web site. Visit the Greater Fort Wayne Aviation Museum for a wealth of information about Fort Wayne’s own "Bird Boy".