Yes indeed. So I investigated a little about the possible airplain that Bonney was flying in Mexico. I find that it was Moisant type, and on one source that it was
Moisant biplane pusher type airplain. Then I investigated Moisant.
1.) Moisant:
John B.Moisant founded togaether with his brother Alfred "Fred" Moisant(whole family was connected with early flying history)a Moisant Company:
"In the year 1911 there existed in New York an incorporated company, the Moisant International Aviators, A.J. Moisant, President, A. E. Wupperman, Secretary. Its purpose was the building of flying machines and the staging of aviation exhibitions... ...In May, 1911, the Moisant Aviation School had one flying airplane and one instructor, Mr. Houpert."
also:
"...also a large factory for constructing monoplanes was located near. I was employed as superintendent in this factory,
building monoplanes of the Bleriot type equipped with Gnome motors."
than, November 1911:
"The Moisant International Aviators had previously participated in an air meet in Mexico City early in 1911). They met with but indifferent success and considerable trouble all through the Latin-American countries, especially in Mexico, where they encountered real danger from the revolutionists. The Mexican revolution involved one great adventure that can be deemed of historic importance, as the first recognition of the airplane's adaptability for war service. Certain of the Mexican outlaws made overtures to secure the Moisant equipment and the services of the men to drop explosive bombs upon the Federal forces. The reply of Miss Moisant and her companions was that they were not in Mexico for that purpose; that war was not their trade. The insurgent forces began closing in on them in a hostile manner at Torreon, having burned bridges and rendered the railroad impassable for sixty miles outside that city besides instigating the burning of the Moisant grand stand at the aviation field. The issue was joined at once. It was a clear case of science versus force. The story is essentially true to this point, but wait, the tale becomes somewhat clouded.
The Moisant party held a hurried consultation and in the early dawn started their monoplanes and winged their way out of the beleaguered city of Torreon to the railway sixty miles away, where they found facilities to enable them to safely continue their journey to the United States. (In fact, the Moisant group waited almost two weeks and the government troops cleared up the tracks so their train continued its journey to Laredo, Texas. Winging their way out is certainly more dramatic).
Not long after this the Moisant company sold five monoplanes to the Mexican government. The foiling of their plans rankled for sometime in the minds of the rebels. Threats were made that Miss Moisant would be kidnapped for ransom."
After company was named Hempstead Plains Aviation Company - article
in "AERO", May 12, 1912:
"...at the present time there are four Moisant monoplanes,
a Moisant biplane and the new Gallaudet monoplane at Hempstead..."
Alfred Moisant's Hempstead Plains Aviation Company and his attempt to manufacture airplanes came to an end by January 1914.
Then I investigated Bonney's Mexican years:
2.) Bonney:
"Unofficial credit for being the "father of divebombing" must go to American soldier of fortune Leonard Warden Bonney who, flying a Moisant pusher biplane for Mexican Gen. Carranza's government, carried out bombing attacks at Tampico and Vera Cruz against revolutionaries in the Civil War of 1913-15. Taught by the Wright Brothers to fly, Bonney hurled small bombs with shotgun shell detonators developed by Mexican mining engineers in shallow diving attacks. Diving from about 1500-ft, Bonney would aim the
Moisant directly at the target without benefit of any sighting mechanism. Dropping the bombs just as he pulled out of his dive, it was not uncommon for the fearless airman to score several direct hits that sent the revolutionaries scurrying and Bonney back to base with dozens of bullet holes testifying to his adventures. Professing to have hit the target about 50% of the time, Bonney became an early proponent of dive-bombing while a Naval flight instructor during WWI." - we know that it was Moisant, but what type???
than:
"...
Obregon’s Division del Noroesta having 2
Glenn Martin pusher biplanes..."
"...in May of 1913,
Didier Masson, an American pilot of French parentage, together with his English mechanic, Tomas Dean, both volunteers in the
Division de Noroeste flew their
Curtiss biplane in attacks against both the federal gunboat Guerrero in Guaymas Bay, Sonora, and enemy positions in the interior."
"Foreigners who flew with
Obregon’s nascent air force included the above-mentioned
Didier Masson,
Charles F. Niles, W.
Leonard Bonney, and Lawrence Brown, all of whom were Americans. A Romanian aviator, George Pufflea, completed the foreign contingent.
Niles did much valuable observation work for the
carranzista army in the aerial campaigns over Campeche and Yucatan.
Bonney, who replaced Niles as chief of the air division, served well in the battle of El Ebano in 1915, on one occasion blowing up a troop train with a dynamite bomb.
Conclusion: Moisant had (produced?
) biplane, but what type it was - their original or maybe Curtiss or Wright type???
We Know that Bonney flew Moisant that is for sure. Was it monoplain (Mexican government bought 5 of them) or biplane. My opinion is that if it was biplane than it was either Glenn Martin pusher biplane or Curtis's type biplane which both were used in Oregon's Division de Nor'easter in which Bonny also was flying (He flew together with Didier Masson who flew on Curtiss biplane, so maybe that this Curtiss is (
just maybe) in fact a Moisant produced Curtiss type biplane???
This is just suggestion, because I couldn't find any information of Moisant biplane, except all aluminium one that was experimental and was not pusher (see photo.)
Actually I didn't find an answer. The answer is in discovering of Moisant biplane pusher, its exact name and its photo.
