- Maryland Pressed Steel Company
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Maryland Pressed Steel Company Industry Light Aircraft Production Founded March 15, 1915 Headquarters Hagerstown, Maryland, United States of America Key people Giuseppe Mario Bellanca Parent Poole Engineering and Machine Co - 1916 References: The New York & Hagerstown Metal Stamping Co was reorganized into the Maryland Pressed Steel Company in 1914. Maryland Pressed Steel Company was an American aircraft manufacturer of the Bellanca CD, and CE aircraft.[1]
The New York & Hagerstown Metal Stamping Co manufactured arms for the British and was reorganized into the Maryland Pressed Steel Company in 1914. In 1916, the Poole Engineering and Machine Co acquired the company as a division.[2] The company produced arms for the wartime effort. The company attempted to break into the lucrative aircraft production field with the foundation of their Aircraft Department.
During WWI, designer Giuseppe Mario Bellanca was hired to build six aircraft for the company in its factory at Hagerstown, Maryland. The two passenger 35 hp CD model biplanes were demonstrated at Towson, Maryland in August 1918[3] in an attempt to win a military contract. The 55 hp CE aircraft were advertised at a cost of $3500, but only one was produced after the war's end. In 1921 The airplane business was sold to Bellanca and partner Victor Roos from Omaha, Nebraska forming the Roos-Bellanca Company. Bellanca left for Wright Aeronautical updating the CF design into the famousWright WB-2, which was sold to the Columbia Aircraft Corp. Bellanca continued to produce aircraft with his own companyAviaBellanca Aircraft.[4]
At the end of WWI, the company lost its contracts, switching production to wire wheels. It then went into receivership, where it was sold to R.J. Funkhouser & Co., who subsequently sold it to the M.P. Moller Motor Car Co. The 355,000 square feet (33,000 m2) Hagerstown plant had a series of previous owners including the Crawford Bicycle Co, American Bicycle Co., Pope Manufacturing Company, and Montrose Metal Casket Company.[5]
Aircraft
Summary of aircraft built by Model name First flight Number built Type Bellanca CD 1919 6 Tractor Biplane Bellanca CE 1919 Cancelled before production Tractor Biplane References
- ^ Sport Aviation. August 1990.
- ^ "M.P. Moller Motor Car Company, 1923-1938 - Hagerstown, Maryland". http://www.coachbuilt.com/bui/m/moller_mp/moller_mp.htm.
- ^ Compressed Air. August 1918.
- ^ "Friends of Bellanca". http://www.friendsofbellanca.org/GMBellanca.htm.
- ^ "M.P. Moller Motor Car Company, 1923-1938 - Hagerstown, Maryland". http://www.coachbuilt.com/bui/m/moller_mp/moller_mp.htm.
Bibliography
Lists relating to aviation General Aircraft (manufacturers) · Aircraft engines (manufacturers) · Airlines (defunct) · Airports · Civil authorities · Museums · Registration prefixes · Rotorcraft (manufacturers) · TimelineMilitary Accidents/incidents Records Categories:- Defunct aircraft manufacturers of the United States
- Aviation in Maryland
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