07/20/2026. Remarks by Johan Visschedijk: "To meet a US Marine Corps requirement for a two-seat multi-role aircraft suitable for use as a fighter, light bomber or observation aircraft on wheel undercarriage or floats under conditions of minimum servicing facilities. The firm of G. Elias & Brothers of Buffalo, New York, founded shortly after WW I, designed and built the EM-1 (EM=Marine Expeditionary, a short-lived requirement) .

This appeared in 1922 with a 300 hp Wright-Hispano-Suiza "H" engine, cooled by side radiators, and wheel undercarriage. The EM-1 (serialed A-5905) was initially flown as an unequal-span biplane, but early flight testing dictated the extension of the lower wing to match the span of the upper wing. A further six aircraft (A-5906 to A-5911) had meanwhile been ordered, but, as the initial aircraft had proved underpowered, these were fitted with the 400 hp Liberty, with the original side radiator feature, and was designated EM-2.

The first EM-2 (A-5906) was delivered to the USMC, it was later transferred to the USAAS McCook Field, coded 319. The remaining five (A-5907 to A-5911) went to the US Navy (A-5908 as an observation aircraft under the designation EO-1), and these were flown with wheel undercarriages and both with twin floats and with single main float and outrigger stabilizing floats. The USMC multi-role requirement proved short-lived, but provided a basis for the further development of true two-seat naval fighters.

The following data relate to the Liberty-engined EM-2 with wheel undercarriage."

Span: 39 ft 8 in (12,09 m)
Length: 28 ft 6 in (8,68 m)
Height: 10 ft 9 in (3,28 m)
Loaded weight: 3,916 lb (1,776 kg)
Max speed: 111 mph (178 kmh)