 | |
| Industry | Aerospace engineering |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1902 |
| Defunct | 1975 |
| Headquarters | , United States |
| Parent |
|
The Franklin Engine Company was an American manufacturer of aircraft engines. Its designs were used primarily in the civilian market, both in fixed wing and helicopter designs. It was briefly directed towards automobile engines as part of the Tucker Car Corporation, returning to aviation when that company failed. The company was later purchased by the Government of Poland.
The firm began as the H. H. Franklin Co. in 1902 in Syracuse, New York, US, to produce Franklin air-cooled automobiles. Barely surviving bankruptcy in 1933, the company was purchased by a group of ex-employees and renamed Aircooled Motors in 1937. While the company kept the name of "Aircooled Motors," its engines continued to be marketed under the Franklin name. [1] Engineers Carl Doman and Ed Marks kept the company alive through the depression by manufacturing air-cooled truck and industrial engines.
During World War II Aircooled Motors was very successful producing helicopter and airplane engines. Several aircraft carried its engines, including the Aero-Flight Streak, Bartlett Zephyr, Bell 47, Bellanca Cruisair, Brantly B-1, Goodyear Duck, H-23 Raven, Hiller 360, Piper J-3F Cub, Seibel S-4, Sikorsky S-52, Stinson Voyager, Taylorcraft 15, Temco TE-1B, and the YT-35 Buckaroo.
Aircooled Motors was purchased by Republic Aviation Company in 1945 to produce engines for its Republic Seabee light amphibious aircraft. [2] After the war, demand for the engines dropped dramatically and Republic was unsure of the company's future.
In 1947 Aircooled Motors was purchased for $1.8 million by the Tucker Car Corporation to produce an engine for the 1948 Tucker Sedan. [3] After the purchase, Tucker cancelled all of the company's aircraft contracts so that its resources could be focused on making automotive engines for the Tucker. At the time Aircooled Motors had held over 65% of postwar U.S. aviation engine production contracts. As a result of the shift, when the Tucker Car Corporation failed amidst allegations of stock fraud, Aircooled nearly failed with it.
Tucker and the Tucker family owned the firm until 1961, when it was sold to Aero Industries, which restored the name Franklin Engine Company.
In 1975 the government of Poland bought the company and moved it to Rzeszów, first under the name PZL-Franklin and later PZL-F.
The company is now called Franklin Aircraft Engines Sp. z o.o. with the address ul. Chełmińska 208 in 86-300 Grudziądz city in Poland. At Aero Friedrichshafen 2016 the company had new engines on display. The innovations include modifications to the type certificate of the 6A-350; the approval for MOGAS, as well as fuel injection is pending at EASA.
| Model name | Configuration | Power |
|---|---|---|
| Franklin O-110 | O2 | 45 hp |
| Franklin O-120 | O2 | 60 hp |
| Franklin O-150 | O4 | 40 hp |
| Franklin O-170 | O4 | 60 hp |
| Franklin O-175 | O4 | 80 hp |
| Franklin O-180 | O4 | 80 hp |
| Franklin O-200 | O4 | 65 hp |
| Franklin O-225 | O4 | 75 hp |
| Franklin O-235 | O4 | 125 hp |
| Franklin O-265 | O6 | 110 hp |
| Franklin O-300 | O6 | 130 hp |
| Franklin O-335 | O6 | 225 hp |
| Franklin O-350 | O6 | 235 hp |
| Franklin O-400 | O8 | 235 hp |
| Franklin O-405 | O6 | 200 hp |
| Franklin O-425 | O6 | 240 hp |
| Franklin O-500 | O6 | 215 hp |
| Franklin O-540 | O8 | 300 hp |
| Franklin O-595 | O12 | 300 hp |
| Franklin O-805 | O12 | 450 hp |
Preston Thomas Tucker was an American automobile entrepreneur who developed the innovative Tucker 48 sedan, initially nicknamed the "Tucker Torpedo", an automobile which introduced many features that have since become widely used in modern cars.
The Bristol Aeroplane Company, originally the British and Colonial Aeroplane Company, was both one of the first and one of the most important British aviation companies, designing and manufacturing both airframes and aircraft engines. Notable aircraft produced by the company include the 'Boxkite', the Bristol Fighter, the Bulldog, the Blenheim, the Beaufighter, and the Britannia, and much of the preliminary work which led to Concorde was carried out by the company. In 1956 its major operations were split into Bristol Aircraft and Bristol Aero Engines. In 1959, Bristol Aircraft merged with several major British aircraft companies to form the British Aircraft Corporation (BAC) and Bristol Aero Engines merged with Armstrong Siddeley to form Bristol Siddeley.
PZL was the main Polish aerospace manufacturer of the interwar period, and a brand of their aircraft. Based in Warsaw between 1928 and 1939, PZL introduced a variety of well-regarded aircraft, most notably the PZL P.11 fighter, the PZL.23 Karaś light bomber, and the PZL.37 Łoś medium bomber.
Sikorsky Aircraft is an American aircraft manufacturer based in Stratford, Connecticut. It was established by aviation pioneer Igor Sikorsky in 1923 and was among the first companies to manufacture helicopters for civilian and military use. In short time periods, it also produced surface vehicles such as trains and boats.
Subaru Corporation, formerly Fuji Heavy Industries, Ltd., is a Japanese multinational corporation and conglomerate primarily involved in both terrestrial and aerospace transportation manufacturing. It is best known for its line of Subaru automobiles. Founded in 1953, the company was named Fuji Heavy Industries until 2017. The company's aerospace division is a defense contractor to the Japanese government, manufacturing Boeing and Lockheed Martin helicopters and airplanes under license. This same division is a global development and manufacturing partner to both companies.
The Franklin Automobile Company was a marketer of automobiles in the United States between 1902 and 1934 in Syracuse, New York. Herbert H. Franklin, the founder, began his career in the metal die casting business before establishing his automobile enterprise. Controlled by Herbert H. Franklin it had very few other significant shareholders. Franklin bought its vehicles from the H. H. Franklin Manufacturing Company which was only moderately profitable and frequently missed dividends on common stock.
Lycoming Engines is a major American manufacturer of aircraft engines. With a factory in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, Lycoming produces a line of horizontally opposed, air-cooled, four, six and eight-cylinder engines including the only FAA-certified aerobatic and helicopter piston engines on the market.
Continental Aerospace Technologies is an aircraft engine manufacturer located at the Brookley Aeroplex in Mobile, Alabama, United States. It was originally spun off from automobile engine manufacturer Continental Motors Company in 1929 and owned by Teledyne Technologies from 1969 until December 2010. The company is now part of Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), which is a Government of the People's Republic of China state-owned aerospace company headquartered in Beijing.
Industria Aeronautică Română (IAR) or Romanian Aeronautic Industry in English, is a Romanian aerospace manufacturer. It is based in Ghimbav, near Brașov, Romania.
PZL Mielec, formerly WSK-Mielec and WSK "PZL-Mielec" is a Polish aerospace manufacturer based in Mielec. It is the largest aerospace manufacturer in postwar Poland. In 2007, it was acquired by Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, which retained the brand name. Between 1948 and 2014, the company manufactured approximately 15,600 aircraft.
The PZL W-3 Sokół is a medium-size, twin-engine, multipurpose helicopter developed and manufactured by Polish helicopter company PZL-Świdnik, now owned by Leonardo. It was the first helicopter entirely designed and produced in Poland.
PZL-104 Wilga is a Polish short-takeoff-and-landing (STOL) civil aviation utility aircraft designed and originally manufactured by PZL Warszawa-Okęcie, and later by European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS), who had acquired the original manufacturer during 2001.
The Republic RC-3 Seabee is an all-metal amphibious sports aircraft designed by Percival Spencer and manufactured by the Republic Aircraft Corporation.
The Franklin O-335 was an American air-cooled aircraft engine of the 1940s. The engine was of six-cylinder, horizontally-opposed layout and displaced 335 cu in (5.5 L). The power output of later variants was 225 hp (168 kW).
Gyro Motor Company was an American aircraft engine manufacturer.
The Franklin 2 series of American two-cylinder air-cooled horizontally opposed aircraft engines were produced in the 1930s and 1940s.
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