William D. Lindsley of Waynoka, Oklahoma, invented several everyday items, including fishhooks and flyswatters. In 1909 he began experimenting with aircraft designs. His first design was called the Oklahoma Monoplane; a sketch of which appeared in the Waynoka Democrat newspaper on March 5, 1909. In January 1910, he applied to the Unites States Patent Office for a patent on his flying machine, which was eventually granted on September 5, 1911.
Manufacturer
Liberty Aircraft
Liberty Aerospace, Inc. was formed in 2000.
In October of 2004, Kuwait Finance House – Bahrain, a wholly owned subsidiary of Kuwait Finance House and a leading provider of commercial and investment banking services, acquired a 75% stake in Liberty.
LHTEC / Light Helicopter Turbine Engine Co
LHTEC (Light Helicopter Turbine Engine Company) is a joint venture between Rolls-Royce and Honeywell founded in 1985. The company was originally a partnership between the Allison Engine Company and AlliedSignal Aerospace . In 1995 Rolls-Royce acquired Allison, and AlliedSignal merged with Honeywell in 1999, and adopted its name.
The partnership (Headquarters in Indianapolis, IN, USA) was formed to develop the T800 turboshaft engine for the United States Army’s RAH-66 Comanche armed reconnaissance helicopter. Despite the cancellation of this 650+ aircraft project, the company has been able to sell the T800, and its civil CTS800 model, for other applications, namely the AgustaWestland Super Lynx and Future Lynx.
LGT Aeronautical
1985: LGT Aero Nautical. PC 362, Nth Balwyn Vic 3104. Australia.
Built the Stratos LSA
LFG Roland / Luftfahrzeug GmbH
Luftfarhzeug GmbH was founded by Krupp from the Flugmaschine Wright GmbH (originally Motorluftschiff Studiengesellschaft, 1906). PreFirst World War manufacturer of Parseval airships at Adlershof, subsequently adopted Roland as trade name.
Built Albatros B and C types under license at Charlottenberg until their own Roland C.ll of 1915. Built a series of 12 fighter designs, of which only the D.II was built in quantity during First World War.
Produced the V-19 Stralsund, the first aircraft designed for carriage by submarines. After the war converted and built civil aircraft until 1925, including singie-engined landplanes and seaplanes for civil airlines.
Operated a number of shorthaul routes around the Baltic.
Went into liquidation 1928.
Leza / Leza-Lockwood
1998:
1 Leza Drive
FL 33870 Sebring
USA
Produced the AirCam
Lexicon Aviation
USA
Has produced the RS-1 Shrike single-seat turbojet-powered monoplane, first seen in 1996.
Levy / Hydravions Georges Levallois et Levy / Levy-Besson
In 1915 Marcel Besson designed his first flying-boat, the development work and later production being carried out in the aircraft factory of Georges Levallois, a financier (Hydravions Georges Levallois et Levy). During First World War flying-boats and bombers were produced for the French Navy by Levy-Besson, the latter setting up in his own name after the war. Twelve Levy-Lepen HB-2 reconnaissance flying-boats were operated in France by the U.S. Navy, and three were taken to U.S.A.. Levy-Biche marine aircraft were built for French Navy to 1927, when production was taken over by Levasseur.
Levi, Renato ‘Sonny’
Born to Italian parents in British India, Karachi in 1926, educated there and in France, Renato ‘Sonny’ Levi flew Spitfires in the RAF near the end of WWII, and studied aeronautical engineering in England after the war.
Joining his father’s boatyard in Bombay, it was his victory in the Daily Express Cowes-Torquay offshore powerboat race in 1963 that brought his name to prominence as a successful designer.
Sonny Levi was a man who developed a huge range of ideas which in his early including light aircraft, inflatable boats, cars and sailing yachts. More recently he turned his hand to pure art, creating over 100 canvases.
Renato ‘Sonny’ Levi, died peacefully at the age of 90 at his home on the Isle of Wight on November 12, 2016.
Levasseur, Pierre
France
Levasseur completed his first aircraft in 1911. Specialized subsequently in marine aircraft, largely for the French Navy. The Levasseur PL-8 was built specially for a transatlantic flight from Paris to New York, in 1927, but was lost at sea. Company had ceased operations by mid-1930s.
All Aero 