Stearman Northrop

John K. Northrop's Avion Corporation, the pioneer of modern metal monocoque aircraft construction was bought by United Aircraft & Transport Corporation in 1929. It was reorganized as Northrop Aircraft Corporation with a factory on Union Air Terminal in Burbank, California. There, Northrop built 17 Model 2 Alphas and two Model 3 Betas. Due to the great depression, United decide to merge Northrop with Stearman and move the Burbank personnel and tooling to Wichita in 1931. Jack Northrop resigned, and backed by Donald Douglas formed a new company. Lloyd Stearman's displeasure at United's way of doing business had much to do with his own resignation.

Northrop had built 17 single engine all metal Alpha mail and passenger airplanes with different cabin arrangements. These aircraft received ATC's before the merger. However, an all freight version was being developed. Because of extensive changes a new approval was required. The testing for this was done by Stearman. Earlier civil Alpha 2's and 3's with tripod landing gear were flown to Wichita and converted to Alpha 4's with cantilever gear. No Alpha's were built in Wichita.

The original Northrop Beta was built at Burbank as a two-seat sportplane powered with a 160hp inverted Menasco Buccaneer six-cylinder engine. A later version with a 300hp Pratt & Whitney Wasp Jr. was sent to Wichita and was licensed there under Memo 2-401.

Although the Alphas and Betas featured new all metal monocoque construction and sleek aerodymanic layouts that heavily influenced designs of others, they had no effect on Stearman designs until the late 1930's.

In 1934, the Hammond Aircraft Company won the government's fly-off design contest for a low cost, easy to fly "everyman's" airplane. Targeted to sell for $700.00 the Hammond Y had tricycle landing gear and a 125hp Menasco C-4 engine.

The Bureau of Air Commerce sent it's then employee, Lloyd Stearman to the tiny company to help it redesign the airplane for production. Stearman liked what he saw so well that he resigned from the Bureau, and with Dean Hammond formed a new Stearman-Hammond Aircraft Corporation. The Menasco powered Y-1S sold for $7,150, not the original contest target of $700.00.

Ariel Aircraft was incorporated by Glenn A and Gail C. Stearman in Coffeyville, Kansas. They built two, two-seat sport airplanes - the Model A and B. The Ariel A had a 65hp Lycoming and the B was powered with a 75hp Continental. In 1942 the firm moved to Enid, Oklahoma and reorganized as Stearman Aviation. Neither aircraft were ever certified.