A biplane trainer

The Argo was a two-place open cockpit sport-trainer biplane seating two in tandem and was powered with the new 7-cylinder Hess “Warrior” engine. The type certificate number (ATC 178) for the Alliance Argo was issued in July of 1929 and it was manufactured by the Alliance Aircraft Corp. in Alliance, Ohio.

The prototype Argo was shown at the Detroit Air Show for 1929 and soon was in production. It was well received in flying circles all over the country, but the oncoming depression was hard felt at Alliance Aircraft. In all, some twenty of the Argo Sport-Trainer were built

After the prototype, N3601, 19 or 20 were manufactured (priced at $4,500) before the type became the Warrior line in 1930.

By 2012, there were two survivors, with 1929 Argo N596K (cn 106) preserved at the Ohio History Center.

A-1 Argo 1929
Engine: 125hp Hess Warrior
Wingspan: 28’8″
Length: 20’0″
Useful load: 650 lb
Max speed: 120 mph
Cruise: 102 mph
Stall: 44 mph
Range: 350-400 mi
Seats: 2

For transatlantic attempt built (1919) a special P.2 Seabird biplane with 21 -hour endurance, powered by Napier Lion engine; a second example crashed attempting Australia flight.

Designed by Daniel Noonan the Eaglerock was extensively redesigned as the A-1 by Al Mooney in 1926. The design had folding wings, and Warren-truss wing struts with no wire rigging, and based on surplus Longren components.

The name came about from an injured Golden Eagle cared for as a pet by factory employees, appended with “Rock,” honoring the nearby Rocky Mountains.

The 1925 Alexander Eaglerock had trouble get¬ting off the ground at Denver, where it was being built, because its wing area was too small. Mooney improved and lengthened the wing. He made the up¬per and lower wings exactly alike and left out the center section. So where the fuselage fitted into the bottom set, it gave them a longer span.

First flying on 19 September 1925, powered with a 100 hp Kinner engine the Eaglerock sold at $3907 flyaway factory. The craft was available with $1562.80 down and the balance in twenty semi-monthly installments of $128.94. Powered by a 150 hp Hisso A the flyaway price was $3230, or $1800.00 down and twenty semi-monthly installments of $107.25. Powered by a 165 hp Wright J-6 the flyaway price was $3397, or $2238.80 down and twenty semi-monthly installments of $182.71.

The second Eaglerock design, the 1926 Eaglerock A-1 or New Eaglerock, had 40’0″ lower wing.

First flying on 7 January 1926, piloted by Capt Cordner, the A-1 sold for $6,500, or $2,250 less motor, receiving DoC approval (ATC 57) in 1928.

895 of all Eaglerocks were built 1927-32. Company records claim a total of about 450 Eaglerock models built by the end of 1928.

Gallery

Engine: Curtiss OX-5

Eaglerock A-1
Engine: 220hp Wright J-5
Wingspan: 36’8″
Length: 23’11”
Useful load: 786 lb
Max speed: 126 mph
Cruise: 108 mph
Stall: 39 mph
Range: 580mi
Seats: 3