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An historic event in aviation occurred on June 26, 1929 when two major aircraft companies:

the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company merged with the Wright Aeronautical Corporation to

form the Curtiss-Wright Corporation. After this merger, the former Wright organization took

over all of the engine and propeller manufacture while Curtiss concentrated on airplanes. This

merger was completed by organizing two major divisions under their original names, but

under the direction of a corporate headquarters located in New York City. However, there was

a recognized separation of spirit as well as specialized facilities that was never completely

resolved in succeeding years. The election of former Wright personnel to key corporate

positions soon led to Wright becoming the dominant division. At the height of the Lindbergh

Boom during the 1920s and 1930s, the Curtiss-Wright Corporation was made up of the

following identified organizations: The Curtiss Aeroplane & Motor Company; The Curtiss-

Caproni Corporation; The Curtiss- Robertson Airplane Manufacturing Company; The Keystone

Aircraft Corporation; The Moth Aircraft Corporation; The Travel Air Manufacturing Company;

The Wright Aeronautical Corporation; Curtiss-Wright Flying Service; The Curtiss-Wright Sales

Corporation; The Curtiss-Wright Export Corporation. Curtiss-Wright was quickly becoming the

'General Motors of the Air' until the great depression in October 1929. Sales dropped and

Curtiss-Wright was forced to close certain satellite plants and transfer some of their product

lines to the St. Louis facility. It looked like even the Buffalo plants would also have to close

when Curtiss-Wright received an order from Colo mbia, South America for Hawks and Falcons.

This was the largest military order to Curtiss since the war. The Colombia sale saved the

Curtiss-Wright organization at this low point in its history. This order kept the production lines

going until new military and civil markets began to open up as the depression waned and the

build-up for World War II began. During the U.S. military build-up prior to the attack on Pearl

Harbor, all existing Curtiss-Wright plants were expanded and new aircraft factories were built

at Columbus, Ohio and Louisville, Kentucky. The dropping of the two atomic bombs on Japan

resulted in an unexpected early end to World War II. All of the major U.S. airplane builders

including Curtiss-Wright were hit by massive contract cancellations because of the Japanese

surrender. In 1946 Curtiss-Wright had only two experimental military models at hand for

postwar delivery and no assurance of production orders. Curtiss-Wright was forced to shut

down all airplane plants and transfer all units of the Aeroplane Division to their Columbus

Plant. The eventual sale of the Airplane Division to North American included design rights to

the former Curtiss-Wright airplanes. The Curtiss-Wright Airplane Division, which

manufactured airframes, finally closed down in 1951.

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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