Byron Q. Jones Aviator and Inventor

One of the things that makes aviation such a fascinating subject is how it has affected all of our lives over the last 100+ years.

Today aviation is something people take for granted, except for us pilots who take our lives into our own hands every time we take off in an aircraft, not knowing what will happed or where we will wind up.

Aviation history is filled with interesting stories lived by true pioneers of the air who risked life and limb to fulfill their dream of conquering the air. 

One such interesting pioneer of the air entered the world on April 9, 1988, in Henrietta, New York. Imagine the thoughts that raced through the minds of his parents, Samuel Titus Jones and his wife Sarah Minerva Quinby Jones. 

As Sarah and Samuel held little Byron Quinby Jones little did they know that this child would go on to set flying records and spend his life in the air.

The family moved to Rochester, NY, where young Jones proved himself to be a good student attending first Public School 24 followed by East High School.

Jones then enrolled at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), but a year later Representative James Breck Perkins of New York appointed Jones to the United States Military Academy (West Point).

He entered the class of 1911 on June 15, 1907, and on June 12, 1912 graduated 27th  in a class of 95 with a Bachelor of Science degree and was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the 14th Cavalry Regiment, United States Army.

You probably noticed that he entered West Point in 1907, bu didn't graduate until 1912, 5 years after he first entered West Point.

Well, Jones and seven of his fellow cadets decided that they should haze incoming plebes to West Point.

Hazing

Hazing is defined as "Any activity expected of someone in joining or participating in a group that humiliates, degrades, abuses, or endangers them regardless of a person's willingness to participate.

The initiation rites can range from relatively benign pranks to protracted patterns of behavior that rise to the level of abuse or criminal misconduct.

Hazing is often prohibited by law or institutions such as colleges and universities because it may include either physical or psychological abuse, such as humiliation, nudity, or sexual abuse. Hazing activities have sometimes caused injuries or deaths.

It turns out that Jones was one of eight third year cadets who were accused of hazing violations, some of which involved the beating of new plebes. This practice had been prohibited by law since March of 1901.

On July 17, 1908 the eight cadets were recommended for dismissal from the academy. Jones was accused of inaugurating a new form of punishment for plebes in which they required to do double time, which is a way of marching quickly and in together.

However, supporters of the cadets appealed to President Teddy Roosevelt who, on August 20, 1908, ordered the cadets be reinstated but with loss of pay and allowances until June 15, 1909. 

Early Flight Experiences 

After Jones was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant he was sent to the Signal Corps Aviation School at North Field, San Diego, California where he learned to fly.

Lieutenant Byron Quimby Jones, United States Army (1888–1959)

Once he earned has rating as one of the earliest U.S. military pilots and serving for a year with an active squadron, Jones was promoted to 1st lieutenant, Aviation Section, Signal Corps, on November 23, 1914.

During his time in San Diego Jones was the first Army pilot to perform a loop, an intentional stall and recovery, and a tail spin in an airplane.

Lieutenant Byron Quinby Jones, Aviation Section, Signal Corps, United States Army.

While in San Diego Lt. Jones set a flight endurance record of 8 hours 53 minutes ins a Glenn L. Martin Martin T Army tractor.  Jones ran out of daylight and had to land even though he still had enough fuel remaing to stay aloft for another two hours.

A Martin T Army Tractor like the one flown by Jones to set the endurance record in 1915.

The Martin T was a two-place, single-engine biplane ordered as a trainer for the Signal Corps.

Three were built and given serial numbers S.C.31–33. The airplane was a tractor configuration, with an engine and propeller at the front of the fuselage, rather than behind in a pusher configuration.

The Martin T also had a wheeled tricycle undercarriage. Both of these features were relatively new and would become standard.

For this and his many other flight achievements Lt. Jones was awarded the Mackay Trophy.

(You may be confused by the term "tractor" with respect to airplanes; however, the term came into use when the motors and propellers were attached to the front of the airplane as opposed to the rear of the airplane as earlier airplanes were configured.)

The Mackay Trophy

The Mackay Trophy has been awarded since 1911 for "the most meritorious flight of the year" by U.S. military pilots and aviation personnel.

1st Lt. Jones was then sent back to MIT to attend the very first post-graduate course in aeronautical engineering.

America's First Combat Sortie

He then was assigned to the 1st Aero Squadron and found himself at Fort Brown, Brownsville, Texas, in April of 1915, which is located on the boder of the United States and Mexico. .

From 1914 toh 1916 the United States was engaged with Mexican revolutionaires like Pancho Villa who was a general in the Mexican Revolutionary War.

Pancho Villa was a Mexican revolutionary, who eventually took over the state of Chihuahua in Mexico.

Gen. Villa ordered an attack on the border town of Columbus, New Mexico, in an effor to goad the United States into a war with Mexico.

The U.S. Army appointed General Frederick Funston in charge of protecting the United State's southern border so, after Villa's attack on Columbus, New Mexico, the U.S. Army wanted to find and eliminate Gen. Villa. 

In order to find Gen. Villa, Gen Funston ordered the 1st Aero Squadron at Brownsville to perfrom recon over the Rio Grande river and report back to him.

So, on the morning of April 20, 1915, Lt. Jones took off from the west end of the Cavalry Parade & Training grounds at Fort Brown. He was flying a Martin D Type aircraft which was a Martin airplane with a Curtiss pusher engine and propeller.

A Martin Curtiss Model D Type IV.

After an uneventful flight that morning Lt. Jones returned to Fort Brown and landed.

Undeterred, Gen Funston ordered a second flight of two aircraft for the afternoon.

Lt. Jones and Lt. Milling climbed aboard their Marting aircraft with a Curtiss "pusher" endinge and propeller (the propeller was in the rear of the aircraft and "pushed" the aircraft) as the two men searched for the where-abouts of Villa's forces.

It is important to note that during this period of the U.S. Army's foray into aviation there was a 50% chance these airplanes might not make it into the air, considering how fragile these airplanes were.

Around 15 minutes into the recon mission the aircraft got the attention of Villa's forces who immediately opened fire on them with a machine gun and small arms weapons.

Lt. Jones stayed calm, opened the throttle, nosed up, and climbed to 2,600 feet to evade the gunfire. 

Again, Lt. Jones makes history as the first American pilot fired upon by enemy forces.

A few weeks later Lts. Jones and Milling were sent back to San Diego for more training.

Jones's Career

On June 4, 1917, Lt. Jones married Ms. Evelyn Clark Chadwick, a granddaughter of William Clark of the Lewis & Clark expedition.

B. Q. Jones continued to rise in rank as he graduated from the Army Industrial College in 1926, the Command and General Staff School in 1927, and the Army War College in 1929.

Byron Jones’ Jeep Patent

Apparently Jones's engineering background led him to design - and patent - to be certified as the inventor on behalf of the Army, covering "various aspects of the design and construction of the Jeep body."

Byron Q. Jones Patent Application for the military jeep

Even though the first major production series of the quarter-ton truck known as the “Jeep” had been of the design submitted by Willys, the Army had a strong interest in establishing ownership of the design.

Jones filed an application to be certified as the inventor on behalf of the Army, covering “various aspects of the design and construction of the Jeep body” with the United States Patent Office on October 8, 1941, stating in the application that “The invention described herein, if patented, may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalty thereon.” 

Patent 2,278,450 for a “Military Vehicle Body” was granted on April 7, 1942.

But, Jones was not done yet.

Jones went on to do a concept design the first manned tank for the U.S. Army.

Jone's concept of an amphibious tank published in Popular Mechanics

Colonel Jones was a leader in forming a mechanized cavalry and combined arms service.

During World War II, he served in the Guadalcanal Campaign, and the staff of General Douglas MacArthur in Australia.

He then held several assignments within the continental United States.

He was hospitalized for lengthy periods several  times, and finally was discharged from the Army, 31 January 1944.

Colonel Byron Quinby Jones, United States Army (Retired), died at Walter Reed Army Hospital, 30 March 1959, at the age of 70 years. His remains are interred at the Arlington National Cemetery.

I hope you enjoyed this trip through some of the history of aviation. If you enjoyed this trip, and if you are new to this newsletter, sign up to receive your own weekly newsletter here: Subscribe here!

Until next time, keep your eyes safe and focused on what's ahead of you, Hersch!