Wright Aeronautical

Wright Aeronautical

Fate	Merged
Predecessor	Wright-Martin
Successor	Curtiss-Wright
Founded	1919
Founder	Frederick B. Rentschler
Defunct	1929 (remained a division)
Parent	Curtiss-Wright (after 1929)

Wright Aeronautical (1919–1929) was an American aircraft manufacturer headquartered in New Jersey. It was the successor corporation to Wright-Martin. It built aircraft and was a supplier of aircraft engines to other builders. In 1929 it merged with Curtiss to form Curtiss-Wright.

History

The Wright name on the rocker cover of one of their radial engines

In 1916, the Wright brothers' original aviation firm, the Wright Company, merged with Glenn L. Martin's original firm, the Glenn L. Martin Company of California, to form the Wright-Martin Aircraft Corporation. In September 1917, Glenn Martin resigned from Wright-Martin and re-formed an independent Glenn L. Martin Company of Ohio (later of Maryland). In 1919, Wright-Martin was renamed Wright Aeronautical.

In May 1923, Wright Aeronautical purchased the Lawrance Aero Engine Company, as the United States Navy was concerned that Lawrance couldn't produce enough engines for its needs. Charles Lawrance was retained as a vice president.

In 1925, after Wright's president, Frederick B. Rentschler, left the company to found the Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Company, Lawrance replaced him as company president. Rentschler poached several talented personnel from Wright to join his new firm.

Wright Aeronautical merged with the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company on July 5, 1929, to become the Curtiss-Wright Corporation.

Wright Aeronautical Building Exterior, as of Nov. 2014

Products

Aircraft

• Wright FW
• Wright F2W
• Wright XF3W
• Navy-Wright NW-1
• Navy-Wright NW-2
• Wright-Bellanca WB-1
• Wright-Bellanca WB-2 Columbia

Other types of aircraft

• Bellanca 77-140
• Dornier Do H

Aircraft engines

• Wright-Hispano E
• Wright Gypsy
• Wright T-2
• Wright T-3 Tornado (V-1950)
• Wright V-720
• Wright IV-1460
• Wright IV-1560
• Wright Whirlwind series
  • Wright J-4 Whirlwind
  • Wright R-790 J-5 Whirlwind
  • Wright R-540 J-6 Whirlwind 5
  • Wright R-760 J-6 Whirlwind 7
  • Wright R-975 J-6 Whirlwind 9
  • Wright R-1510 Whirlwind 14
  • Wright R-1670 Whirlwind 14
• Wright Cyclone series
  • Wright R-1300 Cyclone 7
  • Wright R-1820 Cyclone 9
  • Wright R-2600 Cyclone 14 (Twin Cyclone)
  • Wright R-3350 Cyclone 18 (Duplex Cyclone)
  • Wright R-4090 Cyclone 22
• Wright R-1200 Simoon
• Wright R-2160 Tornado
• J59
• J61
• Wright J65
• Wright J67
• Wright TJ37

See also

• Wright Company
• Curtiss-Wright

References

• The Complete Encyclopedia of World Aircraft Editors: Paul Eden & Soph Moeng, (Amber Books Ltd. Bradley's Close, 74-77 White Lion Street, London, NI 9PF, 2002, ISBN 0-7607-3432-1), 1152 pp.

External links

• Wright Aeronautical