An underside view of the Burgess-Gill aeroplane in flight, showing the long two-stepped floats. The significance of the number “26" under the wingtips of the bottom planes is unknown; as the wings were taken from a conventional Burgess-Wright Model F biplane they were possibly already so marked.

Howard Gill piloting the “Burgess-Gill Twin Engine Aquaplane” at Marblehead, Massachusetts, circa May-June 1912. The aft position of the pilot is well shown here, as are the larger float-mounted fins. By this time the rear fuselage had been uncovered, Gill having decided that the aircraft was more controllable with less side area.

A rear-view close-up of the powerplant installation in the Burgess-Gill, showing the Wright engine driving the pusher propellers and the Hall-Scott driving the tractor propellers via chains. Aeronautics explained that “to drive the propellers in opposite directions and eliminate any centrifugal tendency, one of the chains is crossed”.

The Burgess-Gill machine at an early stage of development. It has only the Hall-Scott engine installed and driving a pair of tractor propellers; small triangular fins on the float noses, and a triangular fin projecting forward from beneath the centre of the upper wing. The rear fuselage is covered, and there are no underfins at the tail.

The August 1912 issue of Aeronautics included a short article on the Burgess-Gill machine, which included a side elevation of it in landplane form, and a plan view of the forward fuselage and wing centre-section, showing the powerplant installation and cockpit. Interestingly, Gould’s prize money had already been withdrawn by the time it was published.