- Fleetwings
Infobox Defunct Company
company_name = Fleetwings
company_
slogan =
fate = Acquired
successor = Kaiser-Fleetwings
foundation = 1929
defunct = 1943
location =Bristol, Pennsylvania
industry =Aircraft manufacturer
key_people =
products =
num_employees =
parent =
subsid = Infobox Defunct Company
company_name = Kaiser-Fleetwings
company_
slogan =
fate = Defunct
successor =
foundation = 1943
defunct = 1940s (?)
location =Bristol, Pennsylvania
industry =
key_people =Henry J. Kaiser
products =
num_employees =
parent = Kaiser Industries
subsid =Fleetwings, later Kaiser-Fleetwings, was an American aircraft company of the 1930s and 1940s.
History
Fleetwings started in 1926 (under a different name) as a business based on a patented mechanical timing device, which proved particularly suited to controlling automated welding equipment. After developing the additional capacity to offer welding services, it pursued research and technology specifically related to the welding of stainless steel. In 1929, the company reorganized as Fleetwings, Inc., in Garden City, NY, to develop stainless-steel aircraft structures. The company progressed to manufacturing components for other aircraft manufacturers, including ribs and control surfaces for the Ireland "Privateer" amphibian, and ribs, flaps and tail surfaces for Grover Loening Aircraft Company, and moved to a larger location in a hanger on lower Roosevelt Field, Long Island. In 1934, it purchased the former
Keystone Aircraft facility on the Delaware River in Bristol, PA, and moved its operations there. The corporate structure of Fleetwings, Inc., was dominated by the de Ganahl family. In the mid-1930s, its Board of Directors included Carl de Ganahl, Charles F. de Ganahl, Chloe de Ganahl, Joseph de Ganahl and Frank de Ganahl. During the company's history, Carl, Cecil and Frank de Ganahl each served as President at various times.The company became Kaiser-Fleetwings in when it was purchased in March, 1943, by
Henry J. Kaiser 's Kaiser Industries. Kaiser-Fleetwings' entered its XBTK-1 in aUnited States Navy attack aircraft competition, with five aircraft being flown. The contract went to the Douglas AD-1 Skyraider and the MartinAM Mauler .Aircraft
;Fleetwings
*Fleetwings 33
*Fleetwings Sea Bird
*Fleetwings BT-12
*Fleetwings XBQ-1 ;Kaiser-Fleetwings
*Kaiser-Fleetwings XA-39
*Kaiser-Fleetwings XBQ-2
*Kaiser-Fleetwings XBTK
*Kaiser-Fleetwings XFK ee also
*
Henry J. Kaiser References
*
External links
* [http://www.astronautix.com/lvs/bq1bq2.htm XBQ-1 and XBQ-2]
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