Hawley Bowlus developed the Senior Albatross series from a
design he called the Bowlus Super Sailplane. In Germany,
designers and pilots led the world in the building and flying of
high-performance gliders, and Bowlus was strongly influenced by
their work. He and German glider pioneer, Martin Schempp, taught
courses in aircraft design and construction at the Curtiss-
Wright Technical Institute in Glendale, California. The two
instructors led a group of students that built the Super
Sailplane in 1932. The Super' served as a prototype for the
Senior Albatross. In May 1934, Warren E. Eaton acquired the
Senior Albatross now preserved at NASM from Hawley Bowlus. Eaton
joined the U. S. Army Air Service and flew SPAD XIII fighters
(see NASM collection) in the 103rd Aero Squadron, 3rd Pursuit
Group, at Issoudon, France, from August 27, 1918, to the
Armistice. He was credited with downing one enemy aircraft in
aerial combat. After the war, Eaton founded the Soaring Society
of America and became that organization's firs