Industry | Amphibious Aircraft Manufacturer |
---|---|
Successor | Towle Aircraft Company (1928-1932) |
Founded | 1927 |
Defunct | 1927 |
Headquarters | Detroit, Michigan |
Key people | Thomas Towle |
Towle Marine Aircraft Engineering Company was an American aircraft manufacturer of light amphibious aircraft.
The short lived Towle Marine Aircraft Engineering Company, and its successor Towle Aircraft Company were founded by former Stout Metal Airplane Division of the Ford Motor Company engineer Thomas Towle initially to build a custom round-the world amphibious aircraft, and follow-on aircraft based on the design. [1]
In a 1930 patent, Towle listed the Towle Aircraft Company as part of the Michigan Amphibian Airplane Corporation. [2]
At the height of the depression, financing was difficult. Towle's TA-3 used diesel engines on loan from Packard, and was funded by Dr. Adams, a "painless dentist" of the Detroit region. [3]
Model name | First flight | Number built | Type |
---|---|---|---|
Towle WC | 1928 | 2 | Amphibious |
Towle TA-2 | 1929 | 1 | Amphibious |
Towle TA-3 | 1931 | 1 | Amphibious |
A V12 engine is a twelve-cylinder piston engine where two banks of six cylinders are arranged in a V configuration around a common crankshaft. V12 engines are more common than V10 engines, however they are less common than V8 engines.
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Axial engines are a type of reciprocating engine with pistons arranged around an output shaft with their axes parallel to the shaft. Barrel refers to the cylindrical shape of the cylinder group whilst the Z-crank alludes to the shape of the crankshaft.
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The Towle WC, aka Towle TA-1, was a custom built aircraft for a 1929 round-the world flight.
The Towle TA-2 was an amphibious aircraft based on the T owle WC built for a 1929 round-the world flight.
The Towle TA-3 was an amphibious aircraft based on the Towle TA-2.
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Jesse Gurney Vincent was an American aircraft, marine, and automobile engine designer. Famed initially for his design of the World War I Liberty aircraft engine, he rose to enduring prominence as the longtime chief engineer for Packard automobiles.