1886-1982 |
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Photo from collection of Lester Bishop Courtesy of David Balanky |
From CHIRP, January, 1972 |
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I assume you have enough Lairds but just in case , for whatever reason, heres another. ( I assume this is the motor he had sitting in his living room of his Boca Raton Home when I visited him there) Regards, Tom Yanul 8-4-01 |
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Chicago, 1919 - Billie's Plane #2. Built by Matty Laird. Small, high-powered stunt ship in which he made exhibitions at fairs over many of
the mid-western states that summer. From left - Matty Laird & Billie. |
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Collection of William Burke, Jr. |
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In 1910 Mr. Laird saw his first airplane __ A Wright Brothers -- near Chicago. Even though he was working days as a clerk in the 1st National Bank downtown, all his spare time and thoughts were directed toward flying. From 1915 till World War I he "barnstormed" the midwest to encourage cities to create airports and publicize flying. During World War I he was a civilian flying instructor until he had an accident and was hospitalized for nine months. During this convalescence in 1918, he designed the first airplane to be sold in the commercial market. Laird Swallow Manufacturing Company was formed in Wichita, Kansas, and the first "Swallow" was built and flown in 1920. For three years he ran this company and sold out to other interests so he could devote his time to developing designs for other airplanes which developed into "Airmail" as well as forming the nucleus for our present day airlines. His airplanes won the 1st Thompson Air Race in 1930 and Jimmy Doolittle won the Bendix Race in one of his airplanes. He continued to manufacture sub assemblies for aircraft through World War II and then he retired. |
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Spread 36 FT. Weight 1075 lbs. Speed 86 MPH Climb, 4000 ft. in 10 minutes with two passengers, pilot and fuel for 2 1/2 hrs. Climb, pilot alone, 3000 ft. in 4 1/2 minutes. A wonderful stunting outfit. A money maker for passenger carrying, etc. Distributors wanted. Courtesy of David Balanky |
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After spending several hours in the Harold Warp Pioneer Village, Mr. Laird said, "It has been my privilege to visit most of the important museums. Mr. Warp has a most interesting collection of airplanes and aircraft engines all properly displayed and placarded with pertinent information. Airplanes are my first love, but other exhibits are equally well done in "The Village." It gave me a thrill to see a "Swallow" here and I am proud that Mr. Warp's first airplane he flew and owned was another "Swallow." January 1972, Number 78 Here you may view a listing of the planes and engines on display in the museum, including Matty Laird's Swallow. Simply click on either Planes or Engines. I spoke this morning (3-19-00) with a representative of the Harold Warp Pioneer Village in Minden, Nebraska. She knew the name "Matty" Laird and assured me that his Swallow was still on exhibit in the Airplane Collection, along with 19 other planes, a number of engines and other memorabilia. I invite you to click on the name Harold Warp Pioneer Village, especially the Virtual Tour pages which will highlight the various attractions of the village. I think you will enjoy it. Matty reports good progress by the Florida unit of the Experimental Aircraft Association which has taken over the restoration of his "Super Solution." During January the parts as repaired and fabricated thus far were shown during a fly-in at Lakeland, Fla. It's good to know that this beautiful bird will again be seen in its full plumage and dynamic power. The background of this project is that the National Air and space Museum had its fuselage, and the Connecticut Aeronautical and Historical Association had some wing panels, landing gear units and odd parts. Both NASM and CAHA wanted to see the "Super Solution" restored but NASM is facing a deadline of July 4, 1976 for the opening of its new building and has undertaken preparation of flightcraft which can be ready for exhibition by that most Bicentennial of all dates. The "SS" is a major job that can't be condensed into a limited time. CAHA also has parts of the "Solution" and is proceeding with its restoration first. Meanwhile the EB's Smithsonian Liaison Committee, Waldo Waterman, Chairman, has maintained a stimulating interest in bringing interested persons as well as existing parts of the airplane together. Into this picture came the E.A.A. and that group of initials as we know stands for an excellent organization of artisans, pilots, historians, researchers, students of flight history, and wonderful cooperators including wives and girl friends all very capably led by Paul Poberezny, founder and director. So, with the enthusiastic cooperation of all interested parties, the work is moving ahead. March 1976, Number 82 |
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You will find a whole page devoted to his planes, many with pictures, on the AEROFILES website. You can visit that reference by clicking on: E. M. "Matty" Laird Plan to spend some time on this wonderful site. |
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From The Early Birds of Aviation Roster of Members, 1996 |
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