Kinner Airplane & Motor Corporation

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Kinner Airplane & Motor Corp was an airplane and engine manufacturer, founded in Glendale, California by Bert Kinner in the mid-1920s. It went bankrupt in 1937 and the aircraft rights were sold to Timm Aircraft Co. The engine department was rearranged as Kinner Motor Inc in 1938. In 1946 the story ended.

[edit] Models

  • 2pOB kinner's first plane, built around 1919, before he founded the company. The first flight with the plane was also the manufacturer's first time airborne.
  • K1 Airster, from around 1920, powered by a 3 cylinder radial engine of 66 hp. Known to be the first plane Amelia Earhart owned. Later specimens nicknamed "Crackerbox" for its plywood fuselage.
  • Airster 3pOB, 1927, fitted with a 100hp engine. Known also as K3 and B3. Produced under license also under the name Crown B3
  • Argonaut 4pCB, 1924, produced one off for a certain customer. had a 200hp Renault V8 engine and a very roomy cabin. Became popular for airborne marriages and nicknamed "Honeymoon Express".
  • Courier 1928. One off. 100hp K-2 engine. Wings foldable for suiting into garage. Pictures hint that it is still around somewhere.
  • Sportster K-1 and B-1, 1933, with a 5-cylinder radial engine of 100hp to 125hp. Became rather popular and sold in some dozen pcs. A few of them still flying. The Kinner K-5 and B-5 engines were also delivered to a wide variety of other aircraft manufacturers including Monocoupe, Waco, St. Louis Car Company, and Fleet. The design later evolved into the Security Aircraft Company Airster.
  • Sportwing B-2, 1933, after the bancrupcy sold as Timm 2SA.
  • Envoy C-7 1934 with 300hp Kinner C-7 engine. With room for 4 persons it was sold to the US Navy as XRK-1, and there in use well into the 40's. This was the last production model of the Kinners.

[edit] Sources