American Aviation
 | |
 | |
| Industry | Aerospace |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1964 |
| Fate | Merged withGrummanin 1972 |
| Successor | Grumman American |
American Aviation Corporationwas an Americanaircraft manufacturerbased inCleveland,Ohio,in the 1960s, which produced light single-engine aircraft. In 1972, it became theGrumman American Aviation Corporation.
History[edit]
The company was formed in 1964 to build a production version of theBede BD-1,a two-seat light aircraft designed and built byJim Bedeand first flown on July 11, 1963.[1][2]
During the development of the BD-1 there was conflict between Bede and the other shareholders, and in 1965, Bede was removed from the company. Attorney and former Marine fighter pilotRuss Meyerbecame the new company president at age 34.[3]
The BD-1 was re-designed for production with a lengthened fuselage, greater wingspan and larger engine, the company also introduced metal-to-metal bonding of components, a new technique in general aviation.[1]The new aircraft was named the AA-1 Yankee and first flew on March 2, 1967, gaining type certificate approval from the FAA in July 1968.[4]
The Grumman Corporation had taken an 80% share in American Aviation and in 1972 the company was renamed the Grumman American Aviation Corporation.[1]
Aircraft[edit]
| Model name | First flight | Number built | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Aviation AA-1 Yankee Clipper & AA-1A Trainer | 1967 | 1,820 | Two-seatgeneral aviationaircraft |
| American Aviation AA-2 Patriot | 1970 | 2 | Four-seatgeneral aviationaircraft |
| American Aviation AA-5 Traveler | 1971 | 3,282 | Four-seatgeneral aviationaircraft |
References[edit]
Notes[edit]
- ^abcSimpson 1991, pp. 24–25.
- ^Davisson, Budd:"Bede's BD-4,"March, 1991,Air Progress,(asOCR-scannedand posted on the author's website as "Jim Bede's High-speed Packing Crate: the BD-4: A classic, fast mover," retrieved June 24, 2023
- ^Harris, Richard."Yankees & Cats: A quick history of Grumman/American Aircraft."Aviation History & Industry,May 10, 2012. Retrieved: December 20, 2014.
- ^Keck, Gary."Gulfstream Tiger/Cheetah AA-5B/A."grumman.net.Retrieved: December 20, 2014.
Bibliography[edit]
- Simpson, R.W.Airlife's General Aviation.Shrewsbury, UK: Airlife Publishing, 1991.ISBN978-1-85310-194-6.
External links[edit]
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