View source for Swallow Airplane Company

{{Infobox company
| name = Swallow Airplane Company
| logo = 
| logo_caption = 
| image = Dole Air Race NX941 "Dallas Spirit" Swallow Monoplane.jpg
| logo_alt = 
| former_name = E.M. Laird Aviation Company
| type = 
| industry = [[Aerospace]]
| fate = 
| predecessor = Wichita Airplane Company
| successor = <!-- or: | successors = -->
| founded = {{Start date|1920}}
| founders = {{Unbulleted list|William A. Burke|[[Emil Matthew Laird]]|Jacob Mollendick}}
| defunct = {{End date|1956}}
| hq_location_city = [[Wichita, Kansas]]
| hq_location_country = United States
| area_served = <!-- or: | areas_served = -->
| key_people = 
| products = 
| owner = <!-- or: | owners = -->
| num_employees = 
| num_employees_year = <!-- Year of num_employees data (if known) -->
| parent = General Aero Corporation of America<br />(1928-1933)
| website = <!-- {{URL|example.com}} -->
}}

The '''Swallow Airplane Company''' was an early manufacturer of airplanes.

==History==
In January 1920, the '''E.M. Laird Aviation Company Ltd'''. was started with the purchase of the six-month-old Wichita Aircraft Company, its aircraft and the factory of the Watkins Manufacturing Company.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=Wichita Beacon|date=31 January 1920|page=1}}</ref> Oilman Jacob Mollendick and Buick-Franklin salesman William A. Burke each contributed $15,000.<ref>{{cite book|title=A history in the making: 80 turbulent years in the American general aviation|author=Donald M. Pattillo}}</ref> The first Swallow designed by Buck Weaver and was test flown in April 1920. Later, in 1921, the company moved into a new factory building on North Hillside Street.<ref>{{cite web |title=From Airplane Plant to Dance Club to Church |url=http://www.historicpreservationalliance.com/WichitaHPA/Swallow_Aircraft.html |website=Historic Preservation Alliance of Wichita and Sedgwick County |accessdate=16 November 2020}}</ref> Laird hired several aviators that became prominent in the business later, Buck Weaver who would co-found [[Waco Aircraft]], [[Walter Beech]], and [[Lloyd Stearman]] who would develop the [[Swallow New Swallow]]. Following the departure of [[Emil Matthew Laird]] in 1923 and his formation of the [[E. M. Laird Airplane Company]], on 22 January 1924 the company was renamed as the '''Swallow Airplane Manufacturing Company'''.<ref>{{cite news |title=Notice of Change of Name of Corporation |url=http://www.newspapers.com/newspage/517895674 |access-date=21 December 2020 |work=The Plaindealer |date=8 February 1924}}</ref>

Swallow was notable for producing the [[Swallow TP]] in quite large numbers, for its day. A large proportion of pilots trained in the late 1920s and early '30s did so on the TP. In late 1927, owner Mollendick bet most of the company fortune on a record setting aircraft flown by noted aviator [[William Portwood Erwin]], the [[Dallas Spirit]], which was lost on a record attempt to Asia concurrent with the [[Dole Air Race]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Stanley |first1=W. E. |chapter=The Jayhawk Finds Its Wings |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/kansashistorical13kansrich/page/62 |title=Kansas Historical Quarterly |date=19 October 1943 |publisher=Kansas State Historical Society |page=70 |access-date=20 December 2020}}</ref> In December of the following year the company was purchased by the General Aero Corporation of America – a holding company that also counted the [[Cessna Aircraft Company]] among its assets.<ref>{{cite news |title=300,000 Shares of the General Aero Corporation of America |url=http://www.newspapers.com/newspage/161237179 |access-date=20 December 2020 |work=Every Evening |date=8 May 1929 |page=20}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Crofoot |first1=A. B. |title="Big Business" Takes a Hand in Aeronautic Development |url=http://www.ai-online.com/wp-content/uploads/library/pdf/high/01-19-1929_DPI_300.pdf |magazine=Automotive Industries |volume=60 |issue=3 |access-date=20 December 2020 |page=86 |date=19 January 1929}}</ref> Swallow was sold again in 1933 to E. B. Christopher – who would be killed in the crash of one of the company's airplanes in 1937.<ref>{{cite news |title=Plane Firm Purchased by Swede Christopher |url=http://www.newspapers.com/newspage/671485406 |access-date=20 December 2020 |work=Springfield Leader and Press |date=16 November 1933 |page=5}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Wichitan Dies in Plane |url=http://www.newspapers.com/newspage/657040227 |access-date=15 December 2020 |work=Weekly Kansas City Star |date=14 April 1937 |page=3}}</ref> Sam Bloomfield, the company's chief engineer, eventually took over as company president.<ref>{{cite news |title=Ozarks Flier Fatally Hurt in California |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/671644454 |access-date=20 December 2020 |work=Springfield Leader and Press |date=9 April 1937 |page=1}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Valuable Violin Given to School |url=http://www.newspapers.com/newspage/515047401 |access-date=20 December 2020 |work=El Paso Times |date=3 December 1950 |page=43}}</ref> No longer manufacturing complete aircraft, it existed as an aircraft mechanic school and subcontractor for the B-29 and B-47 until 1956.<ref name="Aerofiles" />

==Aircraft==
[[File:Swallow OX5.jpg|right|thumb|Swallow OX-5]]
[[File:Swallow_Super_Swallow_Aero_Digest_July_1926.jpg|thumb|Swallow Super Swallow photo from Aero Digest July 1926]]

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Model name
! First flight
! Number built
! Type

|-
|align=left| [[Swallow HA]]
|align=center| 
|align=center| 1
|align=left| Single engine open cockpit biplane<ref name="Aerofiles" />
|-
|align=left| [[Swallow Racer]]
|align=center| 
|align=center| 
|align=left| Single engine open cockpit biplane<ref name="Aerofiles" />
|-
|align=left| [[Swallow New Swallow]]
|align=center| 
|align=center| ~50
|align=left| Single engine open cockpit biplane<ref name="Aerofiles" />
|-
|align=left| [[Swallow J4 Swallow]]
|align=center| 
|align=center| 
|align=left| Single engine open cockpit biplane<ref name="Aerofiles" />
|-
|align=left| [[Swallow Mailplane]]
|align=center| 
|align=center| 
|align=left| Single engine open cockpit biplane<ref name="Aerofiles" />
|-
|align=left| [[Swallow Super Swallow]]
|align=center| 
|align=center| ~50
|align=left| Single engine open cockpit biplane<ref name="Aerofiles" />
|-
|align=left| [[Swallow Airplane Swallow|Swallow OX-5 Swallow]]
|align=center| 
|align=center| ~250
|align=left| Single engine open cockpit biplane<ref name="Aerofiles" />
|-
|align=left| [[Dallas Spirit|Swallow Monoplane]]
|align=center| 
|align=center| 1
|align=left| Single engine cabin monoplane<ref name="Aerofiles" />
|-
|align=left| [[Swallow Hisso Swallow]]
|align=center| 
|align=center| ~6
|align=left| Single engine open cockpit biplane<ref name="Aerofiles" />
|-
|align=left| [[Swallow J5 Swallow]]
|align=center| 
|align=center| 
|align=left| Single engine open cockpit biplane<ref name="Aerofiles" />
|-
|align=left| [[Swallow G-29]]
|align=center| 
|align=center| 2
|align=left| Single engine open cockpit biplane<ref name="Aerofiles" />
|-
|align=left| [[Swallow T-29]]
|align=center| 
|align=center| 1
|align=left| Single engine open cockpit biplane<ref name="Aerofiles" />
|-
|align=left| [[Swallow H]]
|align=center| 
|align=center| 1
|align=left| Single engine open cockpit biplane<ref name="Aerofiles" />
|-
|align=left| [[Swallow HC Sport]]
|align=center| 
|align=center| 1
|align=left| Single engine open cockpit biplane<ref name="Aerofiles" />
|-
|align=left| [[Swallow TP]]
|align=center| 
|align=center| ~200
|align=left| Single engine open cockpit biplane<ref name="Aerofiles" />
|-
|align=left| [[Swallow C-165]]
|align=center| 
|align=center| 1
|align=left| Single engine cabin monoplane<ref name="Aerofiles" />
|-
|align=left| [[Swallow F-28-AX]]
|align=center| 
|align=center| 5
|align=left| Single engine open cockpit biplane<ref name="Aerofiles">{{cite web |last1=Eckland |first1=K. O. |title=Swallow, New Swallow |url=http://www.aerofiles.com/_swallow.html |website=Aerofiles |access-date=15 December 2020 |date=30 November 2007}}</ref>
|-
|align=left| [[Swallow HW Sport]]
|align=center| 
|align=center| 1
|align=left| Single engine open cockpit biplane<ref name="Aerofiles" />
|-
|align=left| [[Swallow C Coupe]]
|align=center| 
|align=center| 3
|align=left| Single engine cabin monoplane<ref name="Aerofiles" />
|-
|align=left| [[Swallow LT65]]
|align=center| 
|align=center| 1
|align=left| Single engine cabin monoplane<ref name="Aerofiles" />
|-
|}

==References==
===Notes===
{{Reflist}}

===Bibliography===
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book |last= Gunston |first= Bill |title=World Encyclopedia of Aircraft Manufacturers |year=1993 |publisher=Naval Institute Press |location= Annapolis |pages=298–99 }}
* {{cite book |last= Juptner |first= Joseph P. |title=U.S. Civil Aircraft Vol.2|year=1964 |publisher=Aero Publishers|location=Los Angeles |pages=20 to 21, 72 to 74 and 248 to 249  }}
* {{cite web |last1=Eckland |first1=K. O. |title=Swallow, New Swallow |url=http://www.aerofiles.com/_swallow.html |website=Aerofiles |access-date=15 December 2020 |date=30 November 2007}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Swallow Airplane Company}}

* [http://specialcollections.wichita.edu/collections/local_history/tihen/pdf/People&Places/Swallow.PDF Tihen Notes] – A listing of newspaper articles that mention, among other Wichita aircraft manufacturers, the Swallow Airplane Company

[[Category:Defunct aircraft manufacturers of the United States]]