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I started compiling what I thought would be a simple list of designs by Max Harlow ... instead, things got unexpectedly complicated. But first the designation-related stuff, then the blather ...
Background on Max B. Harlow
Max B. Harlow joined Pasadena Junior College's Aerotech program as an instructor in 1935. [1] He convinced the College board that students in the program would benefit most from designing and building fully-modern aircraft of all-metal construction. In 1938, Harlow formed his own company, which became Harlow Aircraft Company in 1939. [2] The listed designations all relate - more or less directly - to the College or to the Harlow Aircraft Company.
Harlow Aircraft Designation Style
The first four Harlow Aircraft designs received sequential PJC-x designations. Obviously, that 'PJC' stood for those designs' place of origin - the Pasadena Junior College.
The fifth and sixth designs received PC-x designations. The change in style may have been the result of the junior college having become Pasedena City College in 1938. [3] If so, 'PC' would have stood for Pasadena City. But the known PC-x series were all military trainers. Perhaps, for business reasons, the management of Harlow Aircraft thought it better to distance their firm from the college?
When the unfinished PJC-4 trainer airframe was finally completed by students in 1945, it received the designation PCC-10. If the 'PC-x' series was intended to distance Harlow Aircraft from the school, the PCC-10 designation may have been chosen to re-establish the Pasadena City College connection. Or, perhaps, the designation change was simply meant to distance the students' work from Harlow's commercial enterprise.
'Missing' Designations
If the PCC-10 designation continues the sequence begun with the PJC-1, then there are three designation numbers missing between the PC-6 and the PCC-10. Assuming that the 'missing' designs 7-through-9 did exist, the question becomes: Did they represent now-forgotten student projects or were these designations which were to be applied to Max Harlow's 'outside interests'?
In 1940, Harlow Aircraft had bought a one-third share of Porterfield Aircraft Corp. Was that a simple investment opportunity? Porterfield had just built a new plant in Kansas City, MO, and the firm looked likely to gain wartime military orders - for aircraft or as a parts supplier. Neither ever happened.
Perhaps Max Harlow hoped to develop a USAAF 'Grasshopper'-style liaison version of Porterfield's 65-series Collegiate design. After all, such orders were given for similar aircraft from Aeronca, Interstate, Piper, Stinson, and Taylorcraft. [4] At the time, it must have seemed reasonable that USAAF orders might be given to Porterfield. The question is: Did Max Harlow intend to build such aircraft under his own name? Might a 'missing' PC-x designation have been reserved for a militarized Collegiate?
Backing up this otherwise unsubstantiated 'Grasshopper' speculation, is Max Harlow's later purchase of the rights to the Interstate S-1B1 design. But wait! There's even more unsubstantiated speculation ...
In 1941, Harlow Aircraft was taken over by Intercontinent Corporation which later, in turn, sold Harlow to Vultee Aircraft. There is online speculation that the Vultee purchase was the reason behind the PC-6 not proceeding (never mind that it shed its under-engineered wings in flight!). Did Vultee also nix the 'missing' Harlow designs? Or were those designs applied to components made by Harlow for other firms - such as tailplanes for Lockheed-Vega, Waco CG-4A fuselage frames for O.W. Timm Aircraft Corp., etc.
Or did Pasadena City College students pick the designation PCC-10 at random in 1945 and all this business of 'missing' Harlow designation is just me chasing unicorns?
A sequential listing of Harlow aircraft designations will follow.
__________________________________________________
[1] Harlow took part in a number of private aviation ventures in the 1940s but he remained an instructor at Pasadena until his death in 1967.
[2] The original company was called the (Max) Harlow Engineering Corporation. In mid-1938, the more accurately-named Harlow Aircraft Corp. was formed and acquired the assets of (Max) Harlow Engineering Corp. In 1939, the corporate name was changed again to Harlow Aircraft Company.
[3] Wikipedia erroneously lists PJC as becoming Pasadena City College after a 1954 merger with John Muir College (sic). Actually, the John Muir Technical High School merged with Pasadena Junior College in 1938.
[4] These were the Taylorcraft Model D (O-57/L-2); Aeronca 65 (O-58/L-3); Piper J-3 Cub (O-59/L-4); Stinson 105 (O-62/L-5 Sentinel); Interstate S-1B/'B1 (O-63/L-6A); Monocoupe 90AF (Universal L-7); and Interstate S-1A (L-8A Cadet) ... along with a range of similar impressments.
Background on Max B. Harlow
Max B. Harlow joined Pasadena Junior College's Aerotech program as an instructor in 1935. [1] He convinced the College board that students in the program would benefit most from designing and building fully-modern aircraft of all-metal construction. In 1938, Harlow formed his own company, which became Harlow Aircraft Company in 1939. [2] The listed designations all relate - more or less directly - to the College or to the Harlow Aircraft Company.
Harlow Aircraft Designation Style
The first four Harlow Aircraft designs received sequential PJC-x designations. Obviously, that 'PJC' stood for those designs' place of origin - the Pasadena Junior College.
The fifth and sixth designs received PC-x designations. The change in style may have been the result of the junior college having become Pasedena City College in 1938. [3] If so, 'PC' would have stood for Pasadena City. But the known PC-x series were all military trainers. Perhaps, for business reasons, the management of Harlow Aircraft thought it better to distance their firm from the college?
When the unfinished PJC-4 trainer airframe was finally completed by students in 1945, it received the designation PCC-10. If the 'PC-x' series was intended to distance Harlow Aircraft from the school, the PCC-10 designation may have been chosen to re-establish the Pasadena City College connection. Or, perhaps, the designation change was simply meant to distance the students' work from Harlow's commercial enterprise.
'Missing' Designations
If the PCC-10 designation continues the sequence begun with the PJC-1, then there are three designation numbers missing between the PC-6 and the PCC-10. Assuming that the 'missing' designs 7-through-9 did exist, the question becomes: Did they represent now-forgotten student projects or were these designations which were to be applied to Max Harlow's 'outside interests'?
In 1940, Harlow Aircraft had bought a one-third share of Porterfield Aircraft Corp. Was that a simple investment opportunity? Porterfield had just built a new plant in Kansas City, MO, and the firm looked likely to gain wartime military orders - for aircraft or as a parts supplier. Neither ever happened.
Perhaps Max Harlow hoped to develop a USAAF 'Grasshopper'-style liaison version of Porterfield's 65-series Collegiate design. After all, such orders were given for similar aircraft from Aeronca, Interstate, Piper, Stinson, and Taylorcraft. [4] At the time, it must have seemed reasonable that USAAF orders might be given to Porterfield. The question is: Did Max Harlow intend to build such aircraft under his own name? Might a 'missing' PC-x designation have been reserved for a militarized Collegiate?
Backing up this otherwise unsubstantiated 'Grasshopper' speculation, is Max Harlow's later purchase of the rights to the Interstate S-1B1 design. But wait! There's even more unsubstantiated speculation ...
In 1941, Harlow Aircraft was taken over by Intercontinent Corporation which later, in turn, sold Harlow to Vultee Aircraft. There is online speculation that the Vultee purchase was the reason behind the PC-6 not proceeding (never mind that it shed its under-engineered wings in flight!). Did Vultee also nix the 'missing' Harlow designs? Or were those designs applied to components made by Harlow for other firms - such as tailplanes for Lockheed-Vega, Waco CG-4A fuselage frames for O.W. Timm Aircraft Corp., etc.
Or did Pasadena City College students pick the designation PCC-10 at random in 1945 and all this business of 'missing' Harlow designation is just me chasing unicorns?
A sequential listing of Harlow aircraft designations will follow.
__________________________________________________
[1] Harlow took part in a number of private aviation ventures in the 1940s but he remained an instructor at Pasadena until his death in 1967.
[2] The original company was called the (Max) Harlow Engineering Corporation. In mid-1938, the more accurately-named Harlow Aircraft Corp. was formed and acquired the assets of (Max) Harlow Engineering Corp. In 1939, the corporate name was changed again to Harlow Aircraft Company.
[3] Wikipedia erroneously lists PJC as becoming Pasadena City College after a 1954 merger with John Muir College (sic). Actually, the John Muir Technical High School merged with Pasadena Junior College in 1938.
[4] These were the Taylorcraft Model D (O-57/L-2); Aeronca 65 (O-58/L-3); Piper J-3 Cub (O-59/L-4); Stinson 105 (O-62/L-5 Sentinel); Interstate S-1B/'B1 (O-63/L-6A); Monocoupe 90AF (Universal L-7); and Interstate S-1A (L-8A Cadet) ... along with a range of similar impressments.
