Alexander Graham Bell met Glenn Curtiss in 1905 and soon they started conducting experiments with tetrahedral kites – four-sided, lightweight aluminum frames covered with silk. Bell was anxious to attach one of the Curtiss motors to it as part of his studies in aerodynamic lift, propulsion and control. Once John McCurdy and Frederick Baldwin came aboard in 1907, the group started developing prototypes, the first being an enormous kite made of more than 3,300 red silk tetrahedral cells on pontoons.

Following its crash on 6 December 1907, Bell decided to include biplane designs in his experiments. This resulted in a glider with a Curtiss engine attached to it. Baldwin flew the new prototype in Hammondsport, New York, in March 1908; henceforth, he claimed to be the first Canadian and British subject to pilot a heavier-than-air powered machine. With this third prototype, Bell introduced the movable wing tips or “ailerons” which helped in maintaining direction and balance of the plane while flying. This aircraft flew another 150 times without crashing, but it was the Silver Dart prototype that entered the Canadian records book, with John McCurdy as chief designer and pilot.

The first powered flight on Canadian soil took place in Nova Scotia, on 23 February 1909, when J.A.D. McCurdy flew the Silver Dart aircraft over the ice of Baddeck Bay for a distance of 800 metres and at nine-metre altitude in 48 seconds. For this performance, McCurdy was officially recognized as the first British subject ever to fly in the Empire.

In 2009, the 100th anniversary of flight in Canada was celebrated. Two aviation enthusiasts, Ed Lubitz and Mark Taylor, decided they wanted to do something spectacular to mark and celebrate this important aviation event. In October 2008 they began building their own Silver Dart replica, and after 8 months of construction activity, their masterpiece was completed in March 2009. This well researched project was a true labor of love, and the outstanding craftsmanship is evident when viewing this aircraft. The overall philosophy of the replica’s construction was that the aircraft was made to the original specifications with concessions to modern materials. It was given the serial number Mach 0.046, a callback to the speed of the original Silver Dart (Mach 0.046, or 35 miles per hour). It was flown by Ed Lubitz four times prior to its donation to the National Air Force Museum of Canada.

In June of 2010, Chris Colton, Executive Director of the NAFMC, met Ed while working at the Waterloo Aviation Expo & Air Show. During their conversations over the weekend, Ed revealed that he did not have a plan for the aircraft after the summer’s tour circuit was done. An initial plan was developed that eventually resulted in the delivery of the Silver Dart 5 replica to the NAFMC in early November of 2010.