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Vought Airplane Co. In 1918 a biplane was parked at the Hazelhurst Field on Long Island. Painted on the tail was the logo “Airplanes Vought”. The plane was at Hazelhurst to enter the Army competition for a contract to build an advanced trainer to replace the Curtiss Jenny and Standards.
Standing next to the biplane, with some Army officers, was a well dressed young man with his staff of mechanics who had built the plane. It was built on the third floor of a woman’s shoe factory, the Garside Building in Astoria, Long Island. It was lowered out the window and trucked 25 miles to the Mineola field. The company’s name was “The Lewis and Vought Corp. of Long Island”organized June 1,1917.
Only six years before, Chance M. Vought designer of the VE-7 (Vought Experimental), had learned to fly in a Wright B
Max Lillie needed a better plane than the Wright B. He had Vought design and build his first airplane in 1913, the Lillie-Vought biplane. Vought went on to design planes for many companys (PLV),Mayo-Simplex, Wright-Martin and as a consultant to the Curtiss Co. At the Wright-Martin Co. he designed the Wright-Martin V (only one built) in 1916.
By 1917 he wanted to start his own company so on June , with Birdseye B. Lewis,he formed the Lewis and Vought Co, in Astoria,L.I. To get his new company started he contacted the to build a new trainer. The plane at Hazlehurst Field was the VE-7 “Bluebird”. He received a contract to construct an advanced trainer which was found to outperform fighters in European front lines. Just 91 days after receiving the contract the plane was delivered to Hazelhurst Field. Thus started the Vought long line of planes, as shown below.
Chancey M. Vought Feb.26 1888--1930
© 2004 The Long Island Early Fliers Club, P.O. Box 221, Bethpage, NY 11714-0221 • info@longislandearlyfliers.org |
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