Wright Aeronautical

Wright Aeronautical
Fate Merged
Predecessor Wright-Martin
Successor Curtiss-Wright
Founded 1919
Founder Frederick B. Rentschler
Defunct 1929 (remained a division)
Parent Curtiss-Wright (after 1929)

Wright Aeronautical (1919–1929) was an American aircraft manufacturer headquartered in New Jersey. It was the successor corporation to Wright-Martin. It built aircraft and was a supplier of aircraft engines to other builders. In 1929 it merged with Curtiss to form Curtiss-Wright.

History

The Wright name on the rocker cover of one of their radial engines

In 1916, the Wright brothers' original aviation firm, the Wright Company, merged with Glenn L. Martin's original firm, the Glenn L. Martin Company of California, to form the Wright-Martin Aircraft Corporation. In September 1917, Glenn Martin resigned from Wright-Martin and re-formed an independent Glenn L. Martin Company of Ohio (later of Maryland). In 1919, Wright-Martin was renamed Wright Aeronautical.

In May 1923, Wright Aeronautical purchased the Lawrance Aero Engine Company, as the United States Navy was concerned that Lawrance couldn't produce enough engines for its needs.[1] Charles Lawrance was retained as a vice president.

In 1925, after Wright's president, Frederick B. Rentschler, left the company to found the Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Company, Lawrance replaced him as company president. Rentschler poached several talented personnel from Wright to join his new firm.

Wright Aeronautical merged with the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company on July 5, 1929, to become the Curtiss-Wright Corporation.

Wright Aeronautical Building Exterior, as of Nov. 2014

Products

Aircraft

Other types of aircraft

Aircraft engines

See also

References

  1. ↑ Gunston, p. 125, 244
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Wright Aeronautical.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 10/17/2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.