Timm Aircraft
The O.W. Timm Aircraft Company was an American aircraft manufacturer founded by Otto William Timm, based in Los Angeles, California.
 | |
| Founded | 1922 in Glendale California |
|---|---|
| Founders | |
| Defunct | 1957 |
| Fate | Merged with International Glass |
| Headquarters | , |
| Subsidiaries | Timm Industries, Inc |
History
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Between 1911 and 1922 O.W. Timm built several aircraft with varying success before he founded, in 1922, the O.W. Timm Aircraft Company. Timm manufactured six models of a parasol design, the Collegiate. In 1934 Otto and his brother Wally Timm joined to form a new company named the Timm Airplane Company to produce the Timm T-S140, a high wing twin engine aircraft using new features developed at NACA such as flaps and tricycle landing gear.[1] Wally Timm formed his own Glendale based aviation company later on, the Wally Timm Inc.[2]
The company developed a "plastic" material made of resin and wood similar to the Duramold process. The Duramold and Haskelite process was first developed in 1937. Followed by Gene Vidal's Weldwood and later the Aeromold process. The Aeromold process differs in that it is baked at a low 100 °F (38 °C) at cutting and forming, and 180 °F (82 °C) for fusing together sections after the resins are added.[3]
In 1939, at the onset of World War II, the company operated as the Timm Aircraft Corporation, building the PT160K trainer prototype using the aeromold process. By 1941, the U.S Navy ordered the aeromold N2T-1 with a production run reaching 260 aircraft along with other small aircraft parts made of the aeromold process. Profits increased to $70,000 from $240 the year prior.[4] The company also license-built 436 of the CG-4A glider used by allied troops.[5] A Plywood construction variant, the CG-4B was developed by Timm in case of material shortages, but did not go into production.[6]
In some episodes of the 1941 movie serial, Sky Raiders, aircraft hangars of Timm Aircraft Corporation are clearly visible. They were located adjacent to the Van Nuys Airport in Van Nuys, Los Angeles.
After World War II, the company specialized in returning surplus Douglas C-47 aircraft back into airliner configurations.[7] The company also created a subsidiary, Timm Industries, Inc to manufacture vending machines such as the Frank-O-Matic and Coca-Cola bottle dispensers.[8]
By 1948, production had ceased to the point where the company leased out its production facilities to the Marquardt Corporation, a maker of Ramjet engines.[9]
In 1953, a proxy war among shareholders was started, with C. D. Rudolph winning control of the board. The company did not produce any new aircraft after this point.[10] In 1957, the company merged with the International Glass Corporation.[11]
Aircraft
| Model name | First flight | Number built | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Timm Skylark | 1923 | 1 | Twin engine biplane transport |
| Timm Argonaut | 1927 | 1 | Single engine cabin biplane |
| Timm Curtiss Pusher replica | 1927 | 2 | Single engine biplane |
| Timm Aircoach | 1928 | 1 | Single engine cabin biplane |
| Timm Collegiate | 1928 | 8 | Single engine sport monoplane |
| Timm T-S140 | 1934 | 1 | Twin engine monoplane transport |
| Timm 160 | 1937 | 4 | Single engine sport monoplane |
| Timm Aerocraft 2AS | 1938 | 1 | Single engine monoplane trainer |
| Timm T-840 | 1938 | 1 | Twin engine monoplane transport |
| Timm S-160 | 1940 | 1 | Prototype single engine monoplane trainer |
| Timm PT-160-K | 1941 | 1 | Prototype single engine monoplane trainer |
| Timm PT-175-L | 1941 | 1 | Prototype single engine monoplane trainer |
| Timm PT-220-C | 1941 | 1 | Prototype single engine monoplane trainer |
| Timm N2T Tutor | 1941 | 262 | Single engine monoplane trainer |
| Timm AG-2 | 1940s | 0 | Unbuilt assault glider |
| Timm CG-4A | 1942 | 434 | License built assault glider |
| Timm CG-4B | 1943 | 1 | License built assault glider |
| Timm monoplane | 1 | ||
References
Notes
- Hansen 2003, p. 340.
- Aero Digest, Volume 40, 1942.
- Ballard, Richard. "Plastic Airplanes." The Ohio State Engineer, April 1942, p. 24.
- Juptner 1993, p. 178.
- Andrade 1979, p. 96.
- Mrazek 2011, p. 374.
- American Aviation, Volume 10, 1946.
- Aviation News (Robert Hudson Wood), Volume 6, 1946.
- "Timm Leases Van Nuys Plant." The Los Angeles Times, November 20, 1948.
- "Rudolph Wins Timm Control." The Los Angeles Times, December 24, 1953.
- "Int'l Glass and Timm Aircraft Merger Voted". Los Angeles Times. 28 June 1957. p. 8.
Bibliography
- Andrade, John M. U.S. Military Aircraft Designations and Serials since 1909. Earl Shilton, Leister, UK: Midland Counties Publications, 1979. ISBN 0-904597-22-9.
- Hansen, James R. ed. The Wind and Beyond: A Documentary Journey Into the History of Aerodynamics, Volume I: The Ascent of the Airplane. Washington, D.C.: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 2003.
- Juptner, Joseph P. U.S. Civil Aircraft Series, Volume 8. New York: McGraw-Hill Professional, 1993. ISBN 978-0830643738.
- Mrazek, James. Airborne Combat: The Glider War/Fighting Gliders of WWII (Stackpole Military History Series). Stackpole, 2011. ISBN 978-0811708081.
External links
