Inter-Wars

General Aviation Manufacturing Corp

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USA
Incorporated in May 1930, with W. H. Miller as chief engineer. The Fokker Aircraft Corporation, in which General Motors Corporation held 41 percent interest, was taken over by General Aviation Manufacturing Corporation in summer 1931. In 1933 merger concluded between GAC and North American Aviation Inc. GA built F-15 twin-engine pusher monoplane flying-boat for USCG and GA.43 ten-passenger single-engine cabin monoplane, which later became known as Clark GA.43.

General Airmotors Moore Three Valve

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The General Airmotors Moore Three Valve features a compression control mechanism for easy altitude adjustment. There are 3 valves per cylinder – 2 intake and 1 exhaust. A Poultice head is secured to the cylinder barrel by a patented conforming clamp. The Moore Three Valve has low head temperature maximum 350 degrees F, and oil temperature of 120 degrees F.

Valve rocker arm assembly is a unit of three parts and three sets of ball bearings. Valves seat in steel cylinders. The crankcase assembly is two major ohnalite castings. Here is a two piece crankshaft, counterbalanced, with a solid master rod. Full floating main bearings on crank pin. Cylinders are carbon steel cup shaped blanks, forged and bored.

Accessories available were Heywood starter, propeller hub, nose cowling and exhaust manifold.

Type: 5 cylinder fixed radial, air cooled
Commercial Rating: 150 hp at 1850 rpm
Displacement: 540 cu.in
Compression ratio: 5.4-1
Bore: 5 in
Stroke: 5 1/2 in
Length: 41 1/2 in
Diameter: 44 5/8 in
Weight: 365 lb
Fuel consumption: not more than .53 lb/hp/hr
Oil consumption: not more than .015 lb/hp/hr
Lubrication: Force feed
Ignition: 2 Scintilla Magnetos PN-5-D
Carburation: 1 Stromberg NA R 5A
Spark plugs: 2 per cylinder

General Aircraft Corp / GAC

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Long Island, New York, USA
The company was established at Lowell, Massachusetts to build an aircraft designed by Doctor Otto C. Koppen, a professor of aeronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The aircraft was the G1-80 Skyfarer, a two-seat cabin high-wing braced monoplane.

Before the company could produce the aircraft in any numbers the Second World War intervened, and the Skyfarer programme was abandoned after 17 examples had been built. Situated on Long Island, New York, the company became a manufacturer of the Waco CG-4A troop glider and the interests in the Wayfarer were sold to Grand Rapids Industries in 1943.

In 1969, the company bought the Helio Aircraft Company which specialised in building STOL aircraft for use by government agencies in south east Asia. The company ceased to manufacture aircraft in October 1976 when it sold the production rights and assets of its Helio Aircraft division.

General Aircraft GAL-42 Cygnet / Owlet

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Cygnet II

CW Aircraft was established in 1936 by C R. Chronander and J. I. Waddington to design and develop Cygnet two-seat all-metal cabin monoplane, which first flew in 1937. Rights in Cygnet acquired by General Aircraft Ltd. in 1938.

General Aircraft GAL-42 Cygnet Article

This 1936 side by side two seat training and club aircraft was an attempt at a more robust and easily made machine than those of longeron, plywood and fabric construction. It was the first British light aeroplane to have both metal skinned wings and fuselage. The first version had a single fin and rudder and a tailwheel landing gear. The later Cygnets had twin fins and a tricycle landing gear making it easier to fly.
There was also an experimental open-cockpit version, the Owlet.

General Aircraft GAL-42 Cygnet 2 a

Cygnet
Engine: One 150 h.p. Blackburn Major II.
Length: 23.25 ft. (7.08 m.).
Wing span: 34.5 ft. (10.5 m).
Weight empty: 1,475 lb. (670 kg.).
Seats: 2.
Max cruise: 115 m.p.h. (185 km.p.h.).
Ceiling: 14,000 ft. (4,300 m.) fully loaded.
Range: 445 miles (720 km.).