MASSACHUSETTS
AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURERS
E - K
Egge
Norman C. Egge., Boston, MA
1933- Hornet10B; (c/n A-100); 1-place biplane; 65 hp. LeBlond engine (Reg. 13276) (Aerofiles.com)
Engel Air
Engel Air Products, Boston, MA
1930- Seabird Model 1 Water Glider c/n 1; 1 place monoplane built July 1930 (Skyways April 1997 #42 p.6)
Engel
Albert Engel and Richard B. Engel, 71 Pitt St. Natick, MA
—Engel T-1 “Little Chief” c/n #1 2 place, open, biplane; 75 hp. Palmer Shock Cam Radial engine A75-100; Wing Span: 27’ 10”; Length: 19’ 3”; Empty Weight: 952 lbs.
Built by Farham and Nelson, Forest Hills, Jamaica Plain, Boston MA during February-May 1929
Sold to James Duane, 147 Hyslop Rd. Brookline MA to conduct motor testing of the Palmer engine.
Subsequently sold on 12/2/1929 to New England Air Transport (NEAT) of Hillsgrove RI, George Harry Armitage President. NEAT installed new landing gear and smaller lower wings.
Ericson
Louis G. Ericson, Springfield, MA
President of Eureka Soap Company Liberty St. Member of the Springfield Aeronautical Club
1909- Pusher biplane #1 (Erica) Curtiss Type biplane –wing span:30”, built with spruce spars, 4 cyl. Knox 225lbs.auto engine (removed from Erickson’s own Buick), total aircraft weight: 800-900lbs.; No flight recorded.
1910- Pusher Biplane #2 powered by a 4cyl. motorcycle engine imported from France. Bamboo substituted for spruce. Craft flew 25’ at Imperial Park off Liberty St. at an altitude of 10’ but crashed into a pole at the end of the field.
1910-Pusher Biplane #3 was powered by a Harriman Company 30 hp. engine of 300lbs. designed for aeroplane use; equipped with a 7’ propeller; wings were curved and with ailerons for lateral control.
Flight testing at a field near Carew and East St. Springfield. After a few low and slow flights #3 crashed into a tree at the end of the field.
1910-Pusher Biplane #3-1, a rebuilt #3 with a new 50hp. Harriman engine, made five short flights on September 24, 1910; the last a quarter of a mile rising a few feet above the ground, but broke a wheel on landing. Erickson flew a half mile on September 25th but trees at the end of the field again were a problem and repairs were again necessary. September 26th was used to make repairs. The next flight on the 27th was disastrous. After taking off and reaching an altitude of 20’ attempting to avoid a tree,, he banked left, the left wing hit the ground and was aeroplane was badly damaged—Erickson suffered a broken hip from which he never recovered and that crash ended his aviation career.
He sold the #3-1 to real estate developer M.S. Goodrich in 1911 who hired Philip Taft of Springfield to repair the aeroplane in Goodrich’s barn in Longmeadow. After it was repaired Taft made a demonstration flight on Columbus Day 1911 in connection with the sale of building lots in a new real estate development. He took off into a high wind gust, soared to 60 feet and lost control of the aircraft. He jumped safely from the falling aeroplane and was not seriously injured. The rebuilt #-3-1 however was a total loss.
(Springfield Journal Vol. 22 No. 21 Page 1, April 24,1997)
Fastec
2003- Fastec - Advanced Technology Products, Worcester Airport, Worcester, MA
Electra-plane- 2-place; low wing monoplane technology demonstrator; modified version of the French built Dyn Aero Lafayette 211 for the use determining the effectiveness of solar energy power for flight
(Information needed)
General Aircraft
General Aircraft Company Lowell, MA / Astoria. NY (Successor company to its subsidiary Archmere)
- G1-80 Skyfarer –23 aircraft built. (See Archmere Airplane Company, Lowell MA)
General sold the design, parts inventory and tooling for Skyfarer to Grand Rapids Industries of Grand Rapids MI and transferred its own operations to Astoria LI. NY to build gliders for the USAAF. The Skyfarer rights were acquired next by the Mars Manufacturing Corporation of LeMars, Iowa who built a modified MI-80 Skycoupe and received a new ATC #771 on May 1, 1946.
1942-General Aircraft was unable to obtain allocations of the essential material needed in the production of the Skyfarer at Lowell Airport. They were advised to move to Astoria, LI. New York where the government would give General the factory space and the materials to build Waco CG-4 military gliders.
General Aviation
General Aviation Company, Room 81, 15 State Street, Boston, MA - J. P. Catlin, Manager
Subsidiaries:
Craig & Clayton Aviation School- 15 Harcourt St.; Aviation News Co. 45 Devonshire Street, Boston, MA
General Aviation leased space at 15 Harcourt St. in Boston to construct Curtiss type biplanes and employed prospective student aviators who could earn training course credit by working on the production line. The Saugus Racetrack Airfield, six miles north of Boston, was leased by General Aviation for two years and renamed Atwood Park. Harry Atwood and Arch Freeman were hired on as a flight instructors and exhibition fliers. Harry learned that his other duties were to generate publicity to attract students and to help sell shares in this new aviation company. Harry, in fact, preferred the latter assignments to the more prosaic flight instruction assignment. General Aviation struggled financially to execute its ambitious business plan through 1911 but eventually they packed up and disappeared after the summer of 1912.
Curtiss type biplanes and one Bleriot type monoplane for instruction
Granville Brothers
Motor Shop, 938 Massachusetts Ave. Arlington, MA
Granville Brothers Air Service, Mobile Repair Service at East Boston Airport
Office and Factory, 183 Orleans St. East Boston
Granville Brothers Aircraft Inc. 1211 Liberty St. Springfield Airport, Springfield, MA.
Zantford D. Granville, President; Harry Tait, Secretary; James Tait, Treasurer; Robert L. Hall, Director. Brothers-Thomas, Robert, Edward, and Mark Granville employed as Shop Managers and Supervisors
1932- Corporate name change: In the Fall of 1932 the company changed its name to;;Granville Aircraft Corporation, Inc., Zantford D. Granville, President; William B. Hurlburt, Director; Alfred D. Chandler, Director; Howell P. Miller, Asst. Chief Engineer; Robert Granville, Purchasing Agent. (Tom, Mark and Ed Granville remained managers in the company shop departments). The name change and adding new directors was probably a result of the new financing agreement that company negotiated in late 1932 with a New York investment group. The terms of which may have required an tightening up of company’s management and adding outside board members along with changes in its financial polices and reporting.
1929- Model A- 2 place, Sport Biplane- 2 place, side by side seating with dual controls; wing span: 29’ length: 20.4; height: 7’8”; weight empty: 800lbs.; load : 650lbs.; gross weight: 1450lbs.;fuel capacity: 38 gal.; high speed: 109 mph.; cruising speed: 100 mph; landing speed: 39 mph.; climb: 1,050 ft. per minute; range: 450 miles; powered by a Kinner K-5 113 hp. engine. Pricing: landplane- $3,985; Floatplane- $4,685; Optional skis $65.00. Gee Bee Model A Sport brochures have some conflicting specifications perhaps due to production modifications, customization and improvements
1930- Model B- Sportster 1-place, low wing monoplane, 100 hp. Cirrus engine; wing span: 25’ length: 16’.5”; high speed: 145mph.; Initial climb: 1400’ per minute; cruising speed: 125mph.; landing speed: 50mph.; weight empty: 820lbs.; fuel: 38 gal.; range: 520 miles. Fly away price: $4,980. (Reg. NR854Y)
1930- Model C Sportster-1 place; low wing monoplane; 125hp. Menasco C-4 engine; wing span: 25’; length: 17’.3”; load; 480lbs. speed: max: 155mph; Cruising speed:134 mph.; landing speed: 53 mph.; range: 520 miles; Price:$4,980.
1930- Model X- Sportster- 1 place, open, low wing monoplane; 110hp. Cirrus Ensign engine; wing span: 25’; length: 16’ 5”; top speed: 145 mph; cruising speed: 125 mph; landing speed: 50 mph.; Range: 520 miles; Prototype for the competitive racers-entered and took second place in the 5,000 mile x-country Cirrus Derby Race.(NR-49V); Lowell Bayles and Roscoe Brinton purchased this aircraft for air show and air racing. It served them well until 9/12/1931 when it crashed at a Brattleboro VT. air show. Brinton parachuted to safety from 1,000 feet.
1931- Model D- Sportster- 1 place , low braced wing, monoplane powered with a 95 or 125 hp. Menasco C-4 or 110 hp. Cirrus engine; top speed with 125 hp. engine was 159 mph. landing speed: 65mph. (NC11043)
1931- Model E-Sportster- 1-place low wing braced monoplane with 110 hp. Warner radial engine with a Townsend drag ring. Max. Speed: 148mph. (Reg. NC46V)
1931- Model Y Senior Sportster (Y-A, Y-W)- 2 place, Low wing monoplane, powered with a 300hp. Wasp radial engine with a Townsend drag ring. 1 and 2 place low wing monoplane; wind span: 30’; length: 21’; wing area: 138 ft.; weight empty: 1,400 lbs.; powered by a Lycoming R-680 of 215 hp.; max speed:160mph; cruising speed: 135mph; landing speed: 55mph.;
1931- Model Z- Super Sportster (City of Springfield)- 1-place low wing monoplane, wind span: 25’.6”;length: 15’ 1”; wing area: 75 q. ft.; empty weight: 1,400lbs. Loaded Weight: 2,280 lbs. powered by a 535 hp. Pratt & Whitney Wasp Jr. (SPL); Maximum speed range: 236 – 281 mph.; landing speed: 80mph; range:1,000 miles; designed by Howell Miller and Zantford Granville. First of the short radial engined unlimited racers for the Thompson Trophy Race and a planned attempt on the world speed record. Large diameter fuselage was tapered back to rudder post.
1931- Model ASC- Serial # Q-1 Ascender- 1 place; high wing monoplane; powered by a 28hp. Aeronca E-107 tractor engine; wing span: 38’; used extended Aeronca wings; length: 19’ to 23’ with a canard configuration, forward rudder and elevator. Built in October 1931 (This aircraft was piloted on January 1, 1932 by Mark Granville, on a test flight he steeply banked the Ascender, with limited aileron response he was unable to straighten it out and it spiraled into the ground and crashed. He suffered a painful back injury but recovered.) The Ascender was totaled and apparently scrapped. (Gee Bee Henry A. Haffke)
1932- Model R-1 Super Sportster- #7 - 1-place low wing monoplane, wing span: 25’; length: 17’9”, 1- 540 hp. to 740 hp. Pratt & Whitney 1340 Wasp T3DI radial engine (SPL) – Max Speed: 252-300 mph. weight empty:1,840 lbs.; Loaded:3,075 lbs.; fuel capacity:160 gal. Designed by Howell Miller and Zantford Granville; (NR-2100) Note: R-1 side # 7 transferred to the new composite Super Sportster R1/R/2.
1932- Model R-2 Super Sportster- #11 -1-place low wing monoplane; wing span: 25’; length: 17’9”; 1- 530 hp. to 800 hp. Pratt & Whitney 1340 Wasp Jr. radial engine (SPL) – Max Speed: 252-300 mph.; weight empty:1,796 lbs.; Loaded: 3883 lbs.; fuel capacity: 302 gal. Designed by Howell Miller and Zantford Granville. Note: R-2’s NR-2101 registration was transferred to the R1/2 Long tail Racer)
1933- Model R-1/2 Super Sportster- “The Long Tail Racer” – ( AKA Intestinal Fortitude)- the original R-1 fuselage was repaired, and mated to the original R-2 wings and the fuselage was lengthened by 18” Redesign and rebuilding plan by Howell Miller and Zantford Granville. Note: Model R ½ received R-1’s side number 7; and R-2’s Registration No. NR 2101)
1933- Model C-4 Fourster- low wing cabin monoplane; a four passenger transport powered with the 400hp. Pratt & Whitney Wasp Jr. Preliminary design by Howell Miller, Donald DeLackner and Zantford Granville;
1933- Model C-6 Sixter- low wing cabin monoplane; six passenger transport; Preliminary design by Howell Miller, Donald DeLackner and Zantford Granville;
1933- Model C-8 Eightster- low wing cabin monoplane; an eight passenger transport concept; to be powered by two 700 hp. Wright Cyclone R-1820, or two Pratt & Whitney Hornet engines. wing span 47’.9”; Design by Howell Miller, Donald DeLackner and Zantford Granville; Actual work began on this prototype just weeks before the 1933 Bank Holiday; the resulting financial crisis cut off the planned financing for the Model C series transport aircraft.
Gee Bee data sources: Harold Cranshaw- Richard Allen MAHS members; two company brochures: Model A and Model X; Profile Publications – The Gee Bee Racers No. 51
Granville, Miller and DeLackner
Zantford D. Granville, Howell (Pete) Miller and Donald DeLackner, Springfield, MA and 101 Park Avenue, New York City
1933- Aeromobile- Ascender roadable aircraft- 2- place pusher monoplane; powered by a 125hp. Menasco C-4 Pirate; wing: 30’; length:25’; height: 7’4’; wing area: 135sq.ft’; high speed:130mph.; cruising speed: 108mph.; landing speed: 40mph; rate of climb: 900’ per minute; endurance 5.5 hours; range: 590 miles; gross weight: 1908lbs.; empty weight: 1200lbs.; Fuel 40 gal..
1933- Model R-5 International Racer- wing:30’; length:22’6”; height:8’4”; powered by a 825hp. Pratt & Whitney Hornet engine; fuel capacity: 425 gal.; gross weight: 5040 lbs.; weight empty: 2200lbs. high speed: 295mph. landing speed flaps up: 85 mph. landing speed flaps down: 45-50mph. cruising speed: 260 mph. rate of climb: 4,000 ft. per minute range:1850 miles;. Designed and marketed by Zantford Granville but there were no buyers. (AKA- Gee Bee International Super Sportster & International Courier)
1934- Model R-6H - “QED” i.e. Quod Erat Demonstrandum
Translation: “That which is demonstrated” “QED” is a mathematical symbol indicating: “It is proven”.
Wing span: 34’3”; length: 27’2”; wing area: 211 sq. ft. weight empty: 3,144 lbs.; weight gross: 6,500lbs. powered by a Pratt & Whitney 275 hp. Hornet engine, top speed: 300mph. Olive drab green paint surface; (Reg. NRI 4307) QED had been flown by Lee Gehlbach in the 1934 Bendix Race but trouble with the cowling forced him out of the race. Jacqueline Cochran bought the QED to enter the Mac Robertson Race from England to Australia. Accompanied by her co-pilot Wesley Smith, she started the race but there were stories about engine troubles, problems with landing flaps and the weariness of the crew. In any case the QED dropped out of the race. The QED was sold to Charlie Babb who in turn, was unhappy with the ship when it dropped out of the 1938 Bendix Race at Winslow, AZ. His pilot George Armistead reported that he had oil pressure dropping, the Hornet engine over heating and carburetor icing at high altitudes. Babb sold the ship to Francisco Sarabia who named it: Conquistador del Cielo
1934- Model R-6H – QED modified now the “Conquistador del Cielo” Translation: Conqueror of the Sky.
Francisco Sarabia started out on May 24,1939 on a good will flight from Mexico City to New York City then to Washington DC and return to Mexico. The first leg to New York 2,350 miles, was flown in 10 hours and forty eight minutes a record flight. On June 7, 1939 Sarabia took off for the last leg of his flight home to Mexico City from Bolling Field outside of Washington. The aircraft climbed to 100 feet and the engine suddenly quit, and the R-6H dropped into the Potomac River. Sarabia was unconscious from the impact of the crash and drowned before rescuers could rescue him. The R-6H was recovered later and the cause of the crash was identified as a cloth that blocked the carburetor, shutting down the engine. The aircraft was returned to Mexico after the investigation of the crash was completed; there it was placed on display in Sarabia’s home town of Ciudad Lerdo in Durango.
Vest-Pocket- Pursuit- reported as the last design of Granville, Miller and DeLackner but no information is readily available on this interestingly named aircraft.
(Information wanted)
Great Airplanes
Great Airplanes, Needham, MA
Harvey R. Swack, Needham Heights MA
Owner of Type Certificate licensee for the authorized plans and blueprints
-Great Lakes Sport trainer 2T-1A Pop: 200+
-Great Lakes Trainer Type Certificate and Plans
1972–Great Lakes 2T-1A-2 in production again
Hall
John Hall, West Springfield, MA.
Leased barn and farm adjacent to the McAlwain Estate in West Springfield for the construction and testing gliders and aeroplanes.
1900- Glider with slight dihedral angle on wings; equipped with skis,
1902- Powered 1900 glider with an 18-hp. Stevens-Duryea pusher engine without radiator or water-cooling accessories. This aircraft was destroyed in a summer wind storm in 1903
1904-This powered pusher biplane made straight away flights with front elevator and rear rudder without lateral controls. Flights continued through 1907 and were then abandoned.
Early Airplane flights before the Wrights - by John B. Crane P.519; Air Affairs Journal of NAA; Dec. 1936.
Harriman
Harriman Brothers, Engineers, 53 State St. Boston, MA Mr. J. Emery Harriman Jr. Boston, MA
1910- Aeromobile- large twin engined pusher – tractor ornithopter with three sets of tandem wings and four keg like floats for alighting on land or water (Aeromobile patented in 1904 allowed on May 11, 1910
1911- Aerocar- small tractor biplane type with a single tractor engine placed at the front of an enclosed barrel like fuselage and three keg like floats similar the floats on the Aeromobile. Rudder and elevator control surfaces placed in the Aerocar’s tail section.
Also developed two general purpose engines and offered them as potential aeronautical engines:
Harriman Rotary Internal Combustion engine
Harriman Rotary Steam engine
Harvard
Harvard Aeronautical Society, Cambridge MA
- Harvard Glider – built by students in the Viking Company’s Stadium Garage, 74 Boylston St. (now JFK St.) near Harvard Square, launched for its first flight by an automobile towline and flew successfully at Soldiers Field, Allston, Boston MA on May 7, 1910 .
1910- Harvard I pusher biplane also built in Stadium Garage and flown by James Vernon Martin at Soldiers Field, Allston, Boston MA on July 11, 1910. Harvard I was powered by a Cameron 4 Cyl. Air-cooled engine donated by the Beverly Car Company. Wings- 26’ x 4’ 3”; Upper wing set 12” behind or back from of the leading edge of the lower wing (Negative stagger); Distance between wings; 4’. Running gear: Combination skids and four disappearing wheels - rear wheels had coaster brakes installed; Frame of laminated wood with hollow spars; The Cameron engine drove a four bladed Herring - Burgess propeller at 1200 RPM.
Weight without engine: 150 lbs., with engine and aviator 530 lbs. Two forward elevators, no tail section, and vertical rudder in front of main wings operated by swaying of aviator’s body. Throttle controlled by aviator’s knee.
Helio
Helio Aircraft Corporation, Norwood and Bedford, MA L.L. Bollinger, O.C. Koppen
1949-Helio-K-B (Koppen-Bollinger) First Flight April 1, 1949 (Flight tests by Winthrop J.”Jack” Phillipps
1949-Helioplane
1949-Helioplane 2
1949-Helioplane Four (H-295)
1949-Helio Hi-Vision Courier
1953-H-391B- first production Courier
1953-YL-24, H-391
1957-H-392 Strato-Courier, (L-28A)
1958-H-295 Super Courier, (Helioplane Four)
1958-U-10A (L-28A), Courier H-395
1959-H-395A Courier
1960-H-295 Tri Gear Courier
1960-H-580 Twin Courier
1960-U-5A Twin Courier (H-580)
1963-U-10D Courier (H-395)
1963-H-550A Stallion
1964-H-600 Stallion
1964-H-250 Courier Mark II Caballero
1964-AU-24A (L-28) Stallion (H550A)
1968-H-634 Twin Stallion
Hobach
Hobach Aeroplane Company Limited Waltham, MA, 157-165 High Street, Waltham, MA
John L. Barrows, President, Henry R. Hoyle, Treasurer, Thomas Chew, Secretary and General Manager
1911- Designers and manufacturers of aeroplanes cross-country type.
(Information wanted)
Hubbard
Gardiner Greene Hubbard of Boston, and F. Tracy Hubbard, of Ipswich, MA
1909- Mike Monoplane I purchased from the Canadian Aerodrome Company of Baddeck, Nova Scotia. The first monoplane built and sold in Canada and the first Canadian aircraft export.
1911- Constructed and tested three American versions of the “Mike” at Moulton’s Farm, Ipswich, MA.
Hubbard Model ll was “smashed” in a trial flight and not rebuilt on the same plan.
Hubbard Model lll was tested and flew successfully.
Hubbard Model IV-Span: 34’, 8’ Slight dihedral angle 1.5 cm to the meter, Fabric: Naiad cloth or Wilson & Silsby fabric. Stability: interconnected ailerons on outer rear of wings. Controls: post mounted wheel for ailerons and elevators. Rudder is operated by foot pedals. Powerplant: Elbridge “Featherweight” 40 Hp. engine and El Arco radiator, with Gibson propeller. Running Gear: 26” Goodrich tires with Goodyear Farman type shock rubbers. Total aircraft weight: 700 lbs.
Hubbard Model IV was on display at the Second National Exhibition of Aerial Craft, Mechanics Hall, Boston, February 20-25, 1911.
Isaac
Archibald C. J. Isaac, Pittsfield, MA
1926-Monoplane -homebuilt light plane (Reg. 5745)
(Information wanted)
Jones
Harry Jones, Squantum, Quincy, MA
1915- Tractor biplane, 3 place with Wright type wings powered by a Sturtevant D-6 80 hp. six cyl. engine
Koivu and Toomey
Koivu and Toomey, Fitchburg, MA
1930-Biplanes
(Information Wanted)
Krapish
Krapish Aircraft Corporation, Lowell and Squantum, Quincy, MA Alexander Peter Krapish, President
1930- K-4 “Sky Phantom” low wing monoplane, c/n 1, Reg. NR310V, First flight March 30, 1930 (Registered in MA May 1, -place, streamed lined low wing, cantilever monoplane with dual controls. Originally planned with a DH-85 100hp. 4 cyl. air cooled, inline engine, later in 1931, it was powered with an inverted Franklin 6 cyl.137 hp. engine.
Specifications: Wing span: 30’; Length; 24’. Weight empty: 950lbs.; Weight gross: 1650lbs. Wing area: 140sq.ft.; landing speed: 46mph; Top speed: 132mph. ; Cruising speed: 115mph; Rate of Climb: 800’ per minute; Range: 650 miles.
The K-4 was designed in Kearney, NJ and when Krapish joined the Moth Company in Lowell as a test pilot he brought the K-4 with him. It was reported that the K-4 took three years to build and that Krapish had built three other aircraft before the K-4.
In April 1931 Alex Krapish came to Squantum, Quincy, MA to look over space in the Victory Plant as a possible manufacturing location for building the K-4 aircraft. At this point the K-4 had 130 flight hours generated by the initial testing and demonstration flights made from Lowell Airport. The Quincy Patriot Ledger reported that Krapish had three customers who had ordered K-4s priced at $5,900 each. There is no further information on building additional K-4s or on the prototype K-4 after its visit to Squantum and its reported demonstration flights to other New England airports and fly-ins.
We would welcome further Information and updates on the K-4 and its disposition.
Longfellow
Longfellow Monoplane Company, Allston, Boston, MA
1911- Monoplane (Bleriot type) powered by an Avis 30 hp., 2 cyl., 2 cycle revolving engine with a weight of 79 lbs. Wing span: 24’and fitted with rear extensions as on the Grade and Etrech machines. Wings are covered with Naiad cloth. Vertical struts in fuselage framing were of oval steel tubing.
Aircraft was on display at the Second National Exhibition of Aerial Craft, Mechanics Hall, Boston,
February 20-25, 1911.
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