World War 1

Sturtevant S-4 Tractor / Battleplane

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The 1916 Sturtevant S-4 Tractor was an Army scout-bomber designed by George Armitage and Grover Loening.

Steel frame, steel sheeting skin; experimental 8’0″ x 2’6″ twin-gun gondolas were mounted on each lower wing of one of the ships as a “Battleplane.”

Sturtevant Battleplane

Four went to the Air Service as AS126-127, and AS214-215.

A contract for 26 was pared after complaints from pilots about crowded cockpit, overheating problems, and general workmanship.

Engine: 150hp Sturtevant 5A
Wingspan: 48’7″
Length: 25’1″
Useful load: 525 lb
Cruise speed: 73 mph
Stall: 40 mph
Seats: 2

Sturtevant S-2 Trainer

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The 1916 Sturtevant S-2 Trainer was an advanced trainer.

Two went to the USAS as AS110 and AS111 (four more were cancelled but issued s/ns AS64 to AS67).

Twelve went to the USN as A76 to AS81, and A128 to AS133. Most were built as two place floatplanes.

Engine: 130hp Sturtevant 5
Wingspan: 49’6″
Length: 25’1″
Speed: 50 mph
Seats: 2

Sturtevant B-1

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Designed by Grover Loening, the Sturtevant B-1 Speed Scout of 1916 was an Army pursuit.

Four aircraft were ordered by the Army on 8 December 1916, as AS277-280. The first one flew the first time on 20 March 1917, but crashed on that flight; the remaining three were then cancelled.

Engine: Sturtevant A5
Wingspan: 30’7″
Length: 23’3″
Seats: 1

Sturtevant Aeroplane Co

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USA
(Benjamin F) Sturtevant Blower Works
Formed 1915 at, Hyde Park, Boston, Massachusetts. Derived from B. F. Sturtevant Company which made steel products, including engines.
1915: Sturtevant Aeroplane Co (pres: Noble Foss, vp/gen mgr: Grover C Loening), div of Sturtevant Mfg Co, Jamaica Plain MA.
From 1916 built steel-framed tractor seaplanes for U.S. Navy and generally similar landplanes for U.S. Army Signal Corps. Also built Curtiss JN and DH-4 aircraft under subcontract. No production of aircraft after First World War.

Stupar 1914 Biplane 2 / Chicago Aero Star Tractor

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In 1914 Max F Stupar designed and built two single place biplanes as exhibition ships for Earl Daugherty. The first was powered by a 75hp Curtiss OXX-5, and also a 60hp Kirkham 6, the second one with 50hp Gnôme rotary.

Similar planes were also built for Victor Carlstrom, William Couch, Robert Shank, and other local notables, some likely produced as Chicago Aero’s Star Tractor.