E. M. Laird Airplane Company

E. M. Laird Airplane Company
Aircraft Manufacturer
Predecessor Wichita Airplane Company
Founded 1923
Key people
 Emil Matthew Laird
1929 Laird LCW-300 Speedwing

E. M. Laird Airplane Company was an American aircraft manufacturer of commercial aircraft and custom race planes.[1]

Laird Airplane logo on a 1929 Laird

Wichita Airplane Company

Emil Matthew Laird partnered with the founders of the Wichita Airplane Company to build a new commercial biplane aircraft in 1920. The E.M Laird Company built 45 Swallow aircraft of this design. E.M Laird sold all rights on 27 September 1923 to J. M Mollendick, and formed a new company, the E. M. Laird Airplane Company based out of Chicago.[2] The original E. M. Laird Company then became the Swallow Airplane Company, retaining brother Charles Laird. Charles Laird cocurrently started an short lived aircraft company named Laird Aircraft Corporation, publicly known as Whipporwhill in order to differentiate himself from Emil.[3]

E.M Laird Aircraft

The E.M. Laird Aircraft company returned to Laird's hometown, building facilities at Ashburn Field, in Ashburn, Chicago. By 1928, Laird's aircraft had reached a level quality and competition, that the Stout Metal Airplane Division of the Ford Motor Company offered to hire Laird, and purchase all the assets of his company.[4]

Aircraft

Summary of aircraft built by
Model name First flight Number built Type
Laird LCW-300 Speedwing 1929 Biplane
Laird Solution 1930 1 Racing aircraft
Laird LC-1B-300 [5] 1930 4 Commercial Biplane
Laird LC-RW450[6] 1931 2 Racing aircraft
Laird LC-DW500 Super Solution 1931 1 Racing aircraft
Laird-Turner Meteor LTR-14 (modifications) 1936 1 Racing aircraft

References

  1. ↑ "Swallow Aircraft". Retrieved 16 November 2011.
  2. ↑ Wichita Eagle. 26 December 1920. p. C8. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  3. ↑ Donald M. Pattillo. A History in the Making: 80 Turbulent Years in the American General Aviation Industry. p. 6.
  4. ↑ Ford Richardson Bryan, Sarah Evans. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  5. ↑ "Larry Howards Loveley Laird". Vintage Airplane. February 2010.
  6. ↑ AAHS Journal: 74. Spring 2004. Missing or empty |title= (help)

External links

Bibliography