St. Louis Aircraft Corporation

St. Louis Aircraft Corporation was a American aircraft manufacturer founded in September 1917.^[1]

In 1915, the St. Louis Car Company had been approached by Thomas W. Benoist to build 1000 flying boats in 1915. A prototype was built, but the concept did not into production.^[2]

In 1917 The United States government needed to form a production interest for World War I aircraft production needs. The St. Louis Aircraft Corporation was founded by A.J. Seigel of the Hutting Sash and Door company, and Edwin B Messner of the St. Louis Car Company.^[3] Their two companies had skilled labor and facilities needed to construct wood framed aircraft. The company became on of six across the country to produce the Curtiss JN-4D Jenny with first deliveries in 1918. The first order (720552) was for 200 aircraft,^[4] the company delivered 30 aircraft a month, and 57 JN-4D's in October 1918.^[5][6]

The company went dormant until 1928 when it started production of the Cardinal and later the Cardinal Senior.^[7] The company ordered 100 100 hp Kinner K-T radial engines to power the light monoplane, but production ceased in 1931 in the peak of the depression.^[8]

The company continued to build parts while aircraft production was not viable. It specialized in supplying components for the Engineering section at Wright Field.^[9] In the buildup to WWII, the company developed its own low winged trainer to compete in an Army contract, the St. Louis PT-LM-4. It lost out to the Fairchild PT-19 model.

The company was put into service again for World War II production. The company subcontracted aircraft parts for the effort and built 44 Fairchild PT-19 and 306 PT-23 licensed aircraft designs.^[10] It also was one of 8 companies that competed for a combat troop glider. Its XCG-5 did not go into production.^[11]

In 1945, the St. Louis Aircraft Corporation was shut down after wartime contracts ended.^[12]

Aircraft

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