The Command-Aire was an American aircraft manufacturer from the late 1920s and early 1930s based in Little Rock, Arkansas.
 | |
| Formerly | Arkansas Aircraft Corporation |
|---|---|
| Industry | Aerospace |
| Predecessor | Arkansas Aircraft Company |
| Founded | 1926 |
| Founders |
|
| Defunct | 1931 |
| Fate | Bankrupt |
| Headquarters | , |
Key people |
|
| Products | Aircraft |
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History edit
The company was founded on August 26, 1926 by Major J. Carroll Cone and W. F. Moody as the Arkansas Aircraft Corporation.[1][2] Aircraft were built in the former Climber Motor Company Factory at 1823 East 17th Street in Little Rock, Arkansas.[3] After a failed attempt by their first engineer to produce their own design, they attempted to arrange the purchase of a production licence for the Heinkel HD 40, and when that fell through they hired a Heinkel engineer, Albert Vollmecke, who would be responsible for the rest of the company's designs.[2] In September 1928, the company was purchased by Robert B. Snowden and the name was changed to Command-Aire. With rapidly declining sales due to the Great Depression, and with no acceptable offers for a merger, the company declared bankruptcy in 1931 and its remaining assets were sold off.[1]
Aircraft edit
| Model name | 1st flight | ATC # | No. built | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glider[4] | 1928 | n/a | 1 | glider (NX3895) |
| 3C3[5] | 1928 | ATC 53, 2-201 | 178 or 179 | three seat biplane |
| 4C3 | 1929 | n/a | 1 | Prototype two-seat biplane |
| 5C3[6] | 1929 | ATC 184, 2-251 | 63 or 64 | three seat biplane |
| BS-14 | 1930 | ATC 2-204 | 1 | Prototype two-seat training biplane |
| BS-16 | 1930 | n/a | 2 | Prototype three-seat training biplane |
| MR-1 Little Rocket | 1930 | n/a | 1 | Single-seat racing monoplane |
References edit
Citations edit
- ^ a b Lock, Robert G. "Development of Arkansas Aircraft Corporation Model 3C3" (PDF). OX5 Aviation Pioneers. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
- ^ a b Smith, 1992, p.224-246
- ^ "Command-Aire". Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Central Arkansas Library System. 12 December 2016. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
- ^ Lock, Robert G. (February 2010). "My Friend Albert Vollmecke Part II". Vintage Airplane. Vol. 38, no. 2. EAA Vintage Aircraft Association. pp. 19–24.
- ^ Juptner, 1962, p.139-140
- ^ Juptner, 1964, p.242-244
Bibliography edit
- Juptner, Joseph P. (1962). U.S. Civil Aircraft Vol. 1 (ATC 1 - 100). Los Angeles, CA: Aero Publishers. pp. 139–140. LCCN 62-15967.
- Juptner, Joseph P. (1964). U.S. Civil Aircraft Vol. 2 (ATC 101 - 200). Los Angeles, CA: Aero Publishers. pp. 242–244. LCCN 62-15967.
- Smith, William M. (1992). "The Right Plane at the Wrong Time: A Brief History of the Command-Aire Aircraft Company". The Arkansas Historical Quarterly. 51 (3): 224–246. doi:10.2307/40023098. JSTOR 40023098.