Manufacturer

Corben

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Orland G. “Ace” Corben designed and marketed the first homebuilt aircraft kit beginning in 1923; the “Baby Ace”; followed by the “Junior Ace,” the “Cabin Ace” and the “Super Ace!”

The Ace Aircraft Manufacturing Company was established in Wichita, Kansas in 1929 by Orland Corben to market the world’s first homebuilt aircraft, a machine of his own design called the Baby Ace. The enterprise did not last long before US regulations changed to restrict homebuilt aircraft, and Corben was forced to stop marketing his design.

He next commenced operations in Madison, Wisconsin in 1931 under the name Corben Sport Plane and Supply Company and produced a prototype sports plane known as the Super Ace. This endeavor soon languished, and the company remained dormant until Paul Poberezny purchased its assets for $US 200 in 1952. This included plans to three aircraft designs and a variety of components.

Poberezny was one of the founders of the Experimental Aircraft Association in 1953 and was approached by Mechanix Illustrated magazine the following year to write a series of articles on building an aircraft at home. Their publication caused considerable demand for plans, but Poberezny felt compelled to divest himself of marketing them in order to avoid any potential conflict of interest with his position within the EAA.

Since then, the rights have changed hands several times. They were purchased from Poberezny by Cliff Du Charme of West Bend, Wisconsin, who sold them to Edwin T. Jacob of McFarland, Wisconsin in 1961. Mr. Jacob sold them in 1965 to Thurman Baird of Asheville, North Carolina, who also owned the rights to the American Flea and the Heath Parasol aircraft. The rights were purchased from Baird’s estate in 1986 by Denny Meadows of Chesapeake, West Virginia, who sold them to Bill Wood of Toccoa, Georgia in 1998.

The Corben Aces have been modernised and refined by Paul Poberezny, Cliff DuCharne, Thurman Baird, Denny Meadows and others over the years. These aircraft are still being built, flown.
Bill Wood, the owner of the Ace Aircraft Company, at Toccoa Georgia Airport (KTOC) maintains the marketing and kit production.

Cooke Aeroplane Co

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California aviator Weldon B. Cooke teamed up with E. W. Roberts of the Roberts Motor Company, Frank Frey, James Flynn, Sr., and James Flynn, Jr. to found the Cooke Aeroplane Company.

Weldon B. Cooke, an early pioneer who taught himself to fly in a Curtiss pusher, started construction of a flying boat project in California.

After he left Sandusky to assist Benoist with the St.Petersburg-Tampa Air Boat Line, Cooke was killed during an exhibition flight in 1914.

Cook Aircraft Corp

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Founded by John A. Cook in 1968 at Torrance, California, to market JC-1 Challenger four-seat cabin monoplane. Two prototypes built (first flight May 1969). Third prototype flew November 1971, but crashed January 1972, killing Cook. Company continued, hoping for certification with a fourth (modified) aircraft, first flown 1972, but activities ceased in mid-1970s.

Convair

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In 1941, Consolidated Aircraft and Vultee merged to form Convair, and Stinson Aircraft became a division of Convair.
In July 1948 the Stinson factory was closed and five month later Convair sold Stinson Aircraft to Piper Aircraft. The company that Eddie Stinson had founded 22 years earlier had built over 12,000 aircraft.
Convair Division of General Dynamics Corporation; title adopted from April 30,1954 by Consolidated Vultee following acquisition in 1953 of major shareholdings by General Dynamics. Major products have been the Convair F-102 Delta Dagger and F-106 Delta Dart interceptors, B-58 Hustler supersonic bomber and Convair 880, and 990 four-jet commercial transports.
Developed subsequently F-111/FB-111 variable-geometry combat aircraft, now the responsibility of GD’s Fort Worth Division. Convair was grouped with GD’s Fort Worth and Pomona Divisions in September 1970 to form the single Convair Aerospace Division, but Fort Worth was again made a separate division in June 1974. Convair Division at San Diego became responsible for commercial aircraft and space exploration systems, product support for Convair 240/340/440 and derivatives and the Convair 880/990. It also built major components for McDonnell Douglas DC- 10, Space Shuttle Orbiter vehicle and Tomahawk cruise missile.

Continental Inc

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USA
With Robert E. Fulton Jr. as president, company was formed 1945 at Danbury, Connecticut. Prototype Airphibian flew November 7, 1946, a two-seat “roadable”aircraft, with tricycle landing gear, detachable wings/tail/rear fuselage. Certificated December 1950 as Fulton Model FA-2 Airphibian; production model, designated FA-3, appeared 1954.

Continental Motors

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Founded in 1929, Continental Motors, Inc. is an aircraft engine manufacturer located at the Brookley Aeroplex in Mobile, Alabama. Although Continental is most well known for its engines for light aircraft, it was also contracted to produce the air-cooled V-12 AV-1790-5B gasoline engine for the U.S. Army’s M47 Patton tank and the diesel AVDS-1790-2A and its derivatives for the M48, M60 Patton and Merkava main battle tanks. The company also produced engines for various independent manufacturers of automobiles, tractors, and stationary equipment (pumps, generators and machinery drives) from the 1920s to the 1960s.

In 1929, Continental introduced its first aircraft engine, a seven-cylinder radial designated as the A-70, with a displacement of 543.91 cu in (8.91L) that produced 170 hp (127 kW). In August 1929, the Continental Motors Company formed the Continental Aircraft Engine Company as a subsidiary to develop and produce its aircraft engines.

During the late 1930s, early 1940s the Gray Marine Motor Company adapted Continental engines for maritime use. On 14 June 1944 the company was purchased by Continental for US$2.6 million. John W. Mulford, the son of one of Gray’s founders was appointed general manager of Gray by Continental. Gray’s continued to make marine engines in the post-war period until its closure by Continental in about 1967.

As the Great Depression unwound, 1930 saw the company introduce the 37 hp (28 kW) A-40 four-cylinder engine. A follow-on design, the 50 hp (37 kW) A-50 was introduced in 1938 and was used to power the Taylor Cub and derivative Piper Cub. As the Second World War started in 1939 Continental commenced building aircraft engines for use in British and American tanks. Continental formed Continental Aviation and Engineering (CAE) in 1940 to develop and produce aircraft engines of over 500 hp (373 kW) Continental ranked 38th among United States corporations in the value of wartime production contracts.

During the late 1930s, early 1940s the Gray Marine Motor Company adapted Continental engines for maritime use. On 14 June 1944 the company was purchased by Continental for US$2.6 million. John W. Mulford, the son of one of Gray’s founders was appointed general manager of Gray by Continental. Gray’s continued to make marine engines in the post-war period until its closure by Continental in about 1967.

During the 1950s, the A-65 was developed into the more powerful 90 hp (67 kW) C-90 and eventually into the 100 hp (75 kW) O-200. The O-200 powered a very important airplane design milestone: the Cessna 150. By the 1960s turbocharging and fuel injection arrived in general aviation and the company’s IO-520 series came to dominate the market.

In 1969, Teledyne Incorporated acquired Continental Motors, which became Teledyne Continental Motors (TCM). That same year, the Continental Tiara series of high output engines were introduced, although they were dropped from the line after 1978. The company brought the TSIO-520-BE for the Piper PA-46 to market in 1984 and it set new efficiency standards for light aircraft piston engines. Powered by a liquid-cooled version of the IO-240, the Rutan Voyager was the first piston-powered aircraft to circumnavigate the world without refueling in 1986.

NASA selected Continental to develop and produce GAP in 1997, a new 200 hp (150 kW) piston engine to operate on Jet-A fuel. This was in response to 100-octane aviation gasoline becoming less available as a result of decreased demand, due to smaller turboprop engines becoming more prevalent.

In 2008, Teledyne Continental’s new president, Rhett Ross announced that the company was very concerned about future availability of 100LL avgas and as a result would develop a diesel engine in the 300 hp (220 kW) range for certification in 2009 or 2010. By the fall of 2009 the company was feeling the effects of the economic situation and the resulting reduced demand for aircraft engines. The company announced that it would close its plant for two one-week periods in October 2009 and January 2010. Salaried employees would move to a four-day work week with one week vacations for Thanksgiving and Christmas, with the aim “to protect as much of our valuable employee base as possible”.

On December 14, 2010, Continental’s parent Teledyne announced that Teledyne Continental Motors, Teledyne Mattituck Services and its general aviation piston engine business would be sold to Technify Motor (USA) Ltd, a subsidiary of AVIC International, for US$186 million in cash. AVIC is owned by the Chinese government. In May 2011, the transaction was reported as complete and the company renamed Continental Motors, Inc.

Diesel engines are manufactured in Germany by Continental Motors Group, Ltd., an AVIC International Holding Corporation company. Previously the company was known as Centurion Aircraft Engines before its 2013 acquisition by Continental. Several diesel engines were available from Continental in 2016: the CD-135 and CD-155 four cylinders and V6 CD-300, producing 310 hp.

Diesel engines are manufactured in Germany by Continental Motors Group, Ltd., an AVIC International Holding Corporation company. Previously the company was known as Centurion Aircraft Engines before its 2013 acquisition by Continental. Several diesel engines were available from Continental in 2016: the CD-135 and CD-155 four cylinders and V6 CD-300, producing 310 hp.

A90
A100
C90
C145
C175
E250
GR-9A
Voyager 200
Voyager 370
Voyager 550
O-110
O-200
O-240
O-255
O-315
O-368
O-520
O-526
OL-200
OL-370
Continental-Honda OL-370
OL-1430
V-1650 (Merlin)
XH-2860
R-545
227
300
320
324
325
352
354
356
500
TD-300
TS325
TP-500
R-20
RJ35 Ramjet
RJ45 Ramjet
RJ49 Ramjet
T69

Continental Copters Inc

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USA
From 1959 produced assorted versions of the El Tomcat, specialized single-seat agricultural conversions of Bell Model 47 helicopter. Successive variants included Mks IIIA, IIIB, IIIC, V, V-A, V-B, VI, Vl-A, and Vl-B, of which many completed; also marketed kits for operator conversion. Developed JC-1 Jet-Cat as special agricultural modification of Bell JetRanger. Also assembled Bell 47G series helicopters to order using spare and surplus components.

Contender Aircraft Inc

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USA
Founded to develop a series of pressurized business and commuter rear-winged turbojet aircraft, as twin-jet Contender 202 for seven to 19 passengers, triple-engined 11 to 19 passenger Contender 303, and triple-engined Contender 606 for up to 33 passengers in a wide-body commuter layout.

Consolidated Aircraft Corp

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Gallaudet Airplane Corp was dissolved 1923 and factory acquired by Consolidated Aircraft Corporation with Reuben H.Fleet.
Original factory was quickly outgrown by the company formed May 29,1923 and moved to Buffalo, NY, in 1924, leasing part of a wartime Curtiss factory. In the 1920s and 1930s produced small numbers of civil types, but main output was military and between 1924-1932 included more than 770 PT-1 /311 and NY primary training biplanes for the USAAC and Navy, plus a small batch of similar 0- 17s for observation duties.
The creation of the civil Model 14 “Husky”trainer led to the creation of the Fleet Aircraft Division in 1929.
Thomas Morse Aircraft acquired 1929. In the 1930s Consolidated specialized in marine aircraft, P2Y twin-engined patrol flying-boats being built 1931-1933; followed by P-30 single-seat fighter monoplanes for the Army in 1933-1935.
In autumn 1935 company moved to San Diego, California, gaining a harbor for testing its maritime designs, which continued with the P3Y/PBY Catalina family. During a ten-year production life 2,400 Catalinas were built by Consolidated and hundreds more by other companies. Production of PB2Y Coronados began in 1939. In 1940 Hall Aluminium Co acquired. Company began a five-year program of building more than 11,000 B-24/C- 87/PB4Y/RY Liberator and Privateer bomber, transport, and patrol aircraft for the U.S. Services and the RAF. Liberator production was also undertaken by Ford, Douglas, and North American. Final wartime product was the TBY Sea Wolf. A 34 percent controlling interest in Consolidated acquired December 1941 by Vultee Aircraft Inc., and management links from then led to merger of the two companies on March 17,1943 as Consolidated Vultee Aircraft Corporation.
Amalgamation from March 17,1943 of Consolidated Aircraft Corporation and Vultee Aircraft Inc., whose wartime production programs are listed under these separate headings. By the end of Second World War Consolidated Vultee was largest aircraft manufacturing organization in the U.S.A., with factories at San Diego and Vultee Field, California; Fort Worth, Texas; Nashville, Tennessee; Wayne, Michigan; New Orleans, Louisiana; Miami, Florida; and Allentown, Pennsylvania; plus modification centers at Tucson, Arizona; Elizabeth City, North Carolina; and Louisville, Kentucky.
Late-war/early post-war programs included B-32 Dominator long-range bomber, L-13 liaison/observation aircraft and multi-engined B-36 intercontinental bomber. The company entered the commercial field with first flight, in summer 1946, of twin-engined Model 110, from which later stemmed well-known 240/340/440 Metropolitan series of medium-sized shorthaul airliners. Various noteworthy military prototypes included the XB-46 jet bomber, XP-81 single-seat mixed-power escort fighter, XF-92 rocket-powered interceptor, XA-41 close-support aircraft, and XF2Y Sea Dart hydro-ski fighter. A small number of R3Y Tradewind four-engined transport flying-boats Were built for the U.S. Navy. In the early 1950s Consolidated Vultee began calling its products “Convair” types, and on April 30,1954 it became the Convair Division of General Dynamics Corporation, which was then the major shareholder.