 | |
| Founded | 1922 in Glendale California |
|---|---|
| Founders | |
| Defunct | 1957 |
| Fate | Merged with International Glass |
| Headquarters | , |
| Subsidiaries | Timm Industries, Inc |
The O.W. Timm Aircraft Company was an American aircraft manufacturer founded by Otto William Timm, based in Los Angeles, California.
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]
| 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 | ||
Van Nuys Airport is a public airport in the Van Nuys neighborhood of the City of Los Angeles. The airport is operated by Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), a branch of the Los Angeles city government, which also operates Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). Van Nuys is one of the busiest general aviation airports in the world, with the airport's two parallel runways averaging over 230,000 takeoffs and landings annually. However, as of 2022, no commercial air service operates to or from Van Nuys.
The Hughes H-4 Hercules is a prototype strategic airlift flying boat designed and built by the Hughes Aircraft Company. Intended as a transatlantic flight transport for use during World War II, it was not completed in time to be used in the war. The aircraft made only one brief flight, on November 2, 1947, and the project never advanced beyond the single example produced.
Marquardt Corporation was an aeronautical engineering firm started in 1944 as Marquardt Aircraft Company and initially dedicated almost entirely to the development of the ramjet engine. Marquardt designs were developed from the mid-1940s into the early 1960s, but as the ramjet disappeared from military usage, the company turned to other fields.
Otto William Timm was a California-based barnstormer and aircraft manufacturer of German descent. Charles Lindbergh's first flight was flown by Timm. Timm partnered at times with his brother Wally Timm who did a lot of flying for the nascent Hollywood movie industry.
The Waco CG-4 was the most widely used American troop/cargo military glider of World War II. It was designated the CG-4A by the United States Army Air Forces, and given the service name Hadrian by the British.
The Timm N2T Tutor is an American training monoplane built by the Timm Aircraft Corporation for the United States Navy as the N2T-1.
The Aircraft Research XBT-11 was to have been a basic trainer constructed by the Aircraft Research Corporation of Bendix, New Jersey, by molding "Weldwood", a "plastic" plywood composite material made of heat and pressure-processed phenol phenol-formaldehyde resins and wood similar to the Duramold process. The Duramold and Haskelite processes were first developed in 1937, followed by Eugene L. Vidal's Weldwood in 1938. A production contract, proposed in 1940, was cancelled before any were built.
The Chase CG-14, also known as the G-14 or Model MS.1, was an assault glider manufactured by Chase Aircraft for the United States Army Air Forces during the Second World War. The aircraft failed to progress beyond the prototype stage, being overtaken by larger, improved glider designs.
Virginius Evans Clark was an officer in the United States Army, a military aviation pioneer, and a World War I engineer. Clark designed the 1922 Clark Y airfoil used by many early aircraft.
Duramold is a composite material process developed by Virginius E. Clark. Birch or poplar plies are impregnated with phenolic resin and laminated together in a mold under heat and pressure for use as a lightweight structural material. Similar to plywood, Duramold and other lightweight composite materials like the similar Haskelite were considered critical during periods of material shortage in World War II, replacing scarce materials such as aluminum alloys and steel.
The Babcock Airplane Corporation was a short-lived aviation company from 1939 to 1945, located in DeLand, Florida.
Wally Timm was an American aircraft designer, pilot and manufacturer.
The Christopher AG-1 was a proposed Second World War American assault glider part of a United States Army assault glider project, none were built and the programme was cancelled in September 1943.
The Timm AG-2 was a proposed Second World War American assault glider part of a United States Army assault glider project, none were built and the programme was cancelled in September 1943.
The Frankfort CG-1 was a proposed Second World War American transport glider to be built for the United States Army, none were built and the programme was cancelled.
The Bowlus CG-8 was a prototype Second World War American transport glider to be built for United States Army, one was built but the type did not enter production and the programme was cancelled.
The Bowlus CG-7 was a prototype Second World War American transport glider to be built for United States Army, one was built but the type did not enter production and the programme was cancelled.
The AGA Aviation CG-9, company designation AGA Aviation G.5 was a proposed Second World War American transport glider to be built for the United States Army Air Force (USAAF), none were built and the programme was cancelled.
The Command-Aire was an American aircraft manufacturer from the late 1920s and early 1930s based in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Roy Edward Marquardt was an aerospace engineer who rose to prominence in the design and production of ramjets. He created Marquardt Aircraft and branched out into other aerospace designs and products.
