Loening Aeronautical Engineering Company

[Bill S]

A 1917 aeronautical startup by Grover Loening, the Loening Aeronatical Engineering company eventually merged with the Keystone Aircraft company and became Loening Aeronautical Division of Keystone Aircraft in 1928. In 1931 Keystone became part of Curtiss-Wright Corporation. The "Flying Shoehorns" are probably the product normally associated with the company. In my recent visits to the US National Archives I scanned a number of Loening photographs and here are a few from Record Group 80G:

 

[Bill S]

The first post had photos of the Loening OL-1. This post will feature the XOL-1 aircraft.
Again these are RG 80G photograph scans from NARA II.

Let me know if these are of interest.

 

[Dynoman]

An interesting development by Loening was the XSL submarine launched aircraft. It was designed in order to be transported by a submarine with wings that would fold and the aircraft fitted in to a steel container (hangar) for submarine transport. At sea and on the surface the submarine would deploy the seaplane for reconnaissance and submarine direct attack missions. This involved assembling the aircraft then ballasting the sub where the deck submerged under the water allowing the XSL to drift off the deck. The plane first flew in 1931 and was powered by a Warner Scarab (XSL-1) and later Menasco B-6 (XSL-2) engines. BTW the photo of the S-1 submarine, which was designated for experimental duties in the 1920s-1930's conducted similar earlier experiments with the Martin MS-1 as shown in the picture with S-1.

 

[Dynoman]

Loening Aeronautical Engineering Company aircraft designations:

Flying Boat (1911)
First monoplane flying boat.

Loening-Milling (1912)
Single engine, land-based biplane built in the Curtiss factory for Loening.

Duckling (1918)

LS-1 (1918)
300 HP Hisso

M-2 Kitten (1918)
Submarine and ship launched aircraft

M-3 (1918)
Development of M-2 with floats.

M-8 (1918)
Fighter and racing aircraft for the US Army and Navy.

M-80 (1919)
Navy seaplane with floats

PW-2 (1920)

Loening Air Yacht (1922)
Single 400 HP Liberty 12 in pusher configuration

PW-2A (1922)

PW-2B (1922)

R-4 (1922)
Racing aircraft with 600 HP Packard 1-A.

PA-1 (1922)

Amphibian (1923)

S-1 Army Seaplane (1923)

XCOA-1 (1924)
Four prototypes powered by 400hp V-1650-1 engines, three later to COA-1

CW-1 Amphibian (1927)

C-2C Air Yacht (1928)

C-2H Air Yacht (1928)

C-4C Cabin Amphibian (1928)

C-5 (19??)

C-6 Commuter (1929)

Duckling (1929)

FL-1 (19??)
Fighter design study XFL-1 USN S/N 9346

HL (1930)
Aerial Ambulance based on C-2H.

COA-1 (1924)
Three prototypes and nine production aircraft for the Army Air Service

OA-1A (1926)
Army production aircraft with redesigned vertical tail and powered by a 420-horsepower, water-cooled Liberty V-12 engine that was mounted inverted, 15 built.

XOA-1A (1925)
One prototype with a single retractable mainwheel and skids fitted to wing floats. Powered by a inverted V-12 Wright Typhoon,[1] redesignated OA-10 before delivery in 1929.

OA-1B (1927)
Same as an OA-1A with a water-cooled V-1650-1 engine, nine built.

OA-1C (1928)
OA-1B with redesigned fin and rudder, ten built.

OA-2 (1929)
OA-1C with 480hp Wright IV-1460-1 engine modified tail surfaces and forward-firing machine gun moved to port upper wing, eight built.

XO-10 (1925)
One XOA-1A redesignated before delivery by the U.S. Army.

OL-1 (1925)
Naval version with third cockpit, two prototypes powered by a 440hp Packard 1A-1500

OL-2 (1925)
Naval version similar to the COA-1, five built.

OL-3 (1927)
OL-1 powered by a 475hp Packard 1A-1500 and other detail changes, four built.

OL-4 (1927)
OL-3 powered by a 400hp V-1650-2 engine, six built.

OL-5 (1926)
Three of these were built for the U.S. Coast Guard in 1926

OL-6 (1927)
OL-3 with a redesigned vertical tail as OA-1C, 28 built.

XOL-7 (1928)
One OL-6 fitted with experimental thicker wing.

XOL-8 (1928)
One OL-6 re-engined with 450hp Pratt & Whitney R-1340-2 engine.

OL-8 (1928)
As XOL-8 with two cockpits and a 450hp R-1340-4 engine, 20 built.

OL-8A (1929)
An OL-8 fitted with arrestor gear, 20 built.

XSL-1 (1931)
Submarine launched seaplane

XSL-2 (1931)
Re-engined submarine launched seaplane.

OL-9 (Keystone 1934)
An OL-9 with equipment changes, 26 built.

XO2L-1 (1932)
An improved version of the OL-6, prototype only.

XO-37
A development of the OA-2 with a 200hp R-1340-0 engine, project cancelled.

 

[Bill S]

Great information and photos, many thanks!

 

[Dynoman]

Your welcome! Although not a complete list when you consider all of the Keystone-Loening variants after 1928, but at least covers Loening Aeronautical Engineering Co.

Here is a unknown Loening model. It looks like the OL-8.

 

[Dynoman]

According to the San Diego SDASM this is the Loening C-5.

 

[NeilChapman]

As I recall, the CAP was comprised of privately owned aircraft during WWII. Has anyone information on whether these aircraft made it to that duty?

 

[Dynoman]

Neil...I know that Loening aircraft were operated by the Coast Guard (first 3 bought in 1926), but I don't know of a Civil Air Patrol role for Loening aircraft, although the light amphibians would have been ideal in the role.

 

[NeilChapman]

Neil...I know that Loening aircraft were operated by the Coast Guard (first 3 bought in 1926), but I don't know of a Civil Air Patrol role for Loening aircraft, although the light amphibians would have been ideal in the role.

Sure looks like it would have been ideal. Thanks for your thoughts. I checked the CAP website and there was no indication there but that is not definitive.

 

[Bill S]

Some more Loening OL-1s
US National Archives RG 80G

 

[Bill S]

Some more Loening OL-1s
US National Archives RG 80G

 

[Bill S]

Loening OL-7 A-7335
US National Archives R 80G

 

[Dynoman]

S-1 Army Seaplane of 1923. The amphibian, also known as the Loening Model 23, won the Collier Trophy in 1921 for speed of a seaplane. In 1923 the US Army Air Service ordered nine S-1's.

 

[Dynoman]

One of those unique US indigenous fighter aircraft projects that received orders, but came too late in the Great War to see any large numbers or real service. The Loening M8 monoplane fighter. Although 5000 were ordered only 55 were built with two delivered to the USAAC and one to the USN. The Navy had two variants, two seat aircraft with and without floats.

 

[hesham]

What was this Loening aircraft ?.

http://archive.aviationweek.com/image/spread/19270328/16/2

 

[Bill S]

What was this Loening aircraft ?.

According to Dynoman's list it is a
"XOA-1A (1925) One prototype with a single retractable mainwheel and skids fitted to wing floats. Powered by a inverted V-12 Wright Typhoon,[1] redesignated OA-10 before delivery in 1929."

 

[hesham]

Thank you Bill.

 

[Dynoman]

Here is the Loening XO-10 with the pogo's and center wheel applied.

 

[Boxman]

Looks like Grover Loening employed a center-wheel float with with outriggers on a de Havilland DH.60X (NC-5359; c/n 547) he had purchased in June 1928.

There are several photos of the aircraft within the B.A. "Bud" Gillies (Loening associate and test pilot, later Grumman test pilot and VP) Collection at the San Diego Air & Space Museum's (SDASM) Fickr Commons site. Here are a couple examples:

Grover Loening and the center-wheeled float DH60X (NC-5359)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sdasmarchives/9843588964/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sdasmarchives/9843606054/

 

[hesham]

Hi,

this is well known Loening airplane,but they called model-34,and I know most of Loening
aircraft,but Model series is mystery for me ?.

http://www.avia-it.com/act/biblioteca/periodici/PDF%20Riviste/Ala%20d'Italia/L'ALA%20D'ITALIA%201925%2006.pdf

 

[hesham]

Hi,

here is a patent for Loening,was it converted into a real Airplane or Project ?.

http://www.avia-it.com/act/biblioteca/periodici/PDF%20Riviste/Ala%20d'Italia/L'ALA%20D'ITALIA%201926%2001.pdf

 

[hesham]

Hi,

from Aircraft Yearbook,there was a mystery,a Model numbered to some Loening airplanes,
Model-23,Model-24,Model-29,Model-25 & Model-34 ?.

 

[dan_inbox]

from Aircraft Yearbook,there was a mystery,a Model numbered to some Loening airplanes,
Model-23,Model-24,Model-29,Model-25 & Model-34 ?.

The model 23 Air Yacht was purchased by the USAAS (9 units) which gave it the military designation "S-1".
See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loening_Model_23

The Model 24 and 25 schemas you posted say it is the PW-2A, and -2B respectively, but the vertical stab for both looks more like the PW-2B. (which was itself a modded -2A). Again the 24 would be a company name whereas PW-2 was the USAAS' deignation.

The Model 29 is the racer developped under contract for the USAAS in 1922, and the USAAS called it R-4 (The Pulitzer Air Races: American Aviation and Speed Supremacy, 1920–1925 By Michael Gough)

So your mystery is the company model number, vs the more known USAAS designations.

 

[hesham]

So your mystery is the company model number, vs the more known USAAS designations.

My dear Dan,

the mystery for me is that designation never mentioned in the Aerofiles site;

http://www.aerofiles.com/_loening.html