Tom Towle (1887–1983) was an American aircraft designer in charge of developing the Ford Trimotor.[1]
Tom Towle | |
|---|---|
| Born | Tom Towle 1887 Dayton, Ohio |
| Died | 1983 |
| Resting place | Dayton, Ohio |
| Alma mater | Yale University |
| Children | Austin, Tom, Ted |
Early life
editTowle was raised in Dayton, Ohio and graduated from Yale University in 1920. Towle become an aeronautical engineer for many starting aviation companies.[2]
- 1921-1922 Dayton-Wright Company
- 1922-1923 Martin
- 1923-1924 Aeromarine
- 1924-1925 Stout Metal Airplane Co
- 1925-1927 Stout Metal Airplane Division of the Ford Motor Company After disappointing results from the Stout 3-AT, Ford places Towle in charge of the Ford Tri-motor development.[3]
- 1927 Towle Marine Aircraft - Formed company to build the Towle WC.
- 1928 Eastman Aircraft Corporation of Detroit - Designed the Eastman E-2 Sea Rover.
- 1928-1932 Towle Aircraft Company - Reorganized to produce the Towle TA-2 and Towle TA-3 amphibians.
- 1933 Monocoupe Aircraft Corporation
- 1933-1935 Lambert Aircraft Towle replaced Clayton Folkerts as chief engineer. Designer of Charles Lindbergh's plane, 1934 Model D-127 Monocoupe, which hangs in Terminal 1 at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport.[4][5]
- 1939 Grumman[6]
- 1941 Hudson Car Company aircraft division - Hired as chief engineer.[7]
- 1951 Worked for the Church & Dwight company, known for baking soda products.[8]
References
edit- ^ "Ford Trimotor". 18 October 2007. Retrieved 6 November 2011.
- ^ "Thomas Towle Ford Tri-Motor Collection, 1921-1967 (bulk 1925-1926, 1953-1967)". Retrieved 6 November 2011.
- ^ Tom D. Crouch. Wings: a history of aviation from kites to the space age. p. 247.
- ^ "The Monocoupe". Retrieved 6 November 2011.
- ^ "Clare Wesley Bunch". Retrieved 6 November 2011.
- ^ Skyways: 56. January 1999.
{{cite journal}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^ Charles K. Hyde. Storied independent automakers: Nash, Hudson, and American Motors. p. 143.
- ^ National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Wind and Beyond: A Documentary Journey Into the History of Aerodynamics.