Leeon D. Davis (March 9, 1930 – April 7, 2007) was an American aircraft designer, noted for his
homebuilt aircraft.
Davis started building aircraft models at the age of six. Davis graduated with a high school education and a correspondence course in drafting and engineering from the Ryan Aeronautical Institute. Davis specialized as an aircraft mechanic while in the Air Force. Davis worked as a sheet-metal worker at
Aero Commander before undertaking his own designs.
On 6 March 1957, Davis formed Davis Aircraft Corporation to build aircraft of his own design. All of Davis' aircraft featured a characteristic
V-tail, and the most successful of these was the
DA-2. Plans to develop this basic design into an aircraft capable of
certification
Certification is the provision by an independent body of written assurance (a certificate) that the product, service or system in question meets specific requirements. It is the formal attestation or confirmation of certain characteristics of a ...
went unrealized.
In 1964, Davis and George P. Migo won the
United States Weather Bureau's public service award for taking off in two planes alongside a Tornado that formed near Chicago, and flew ahead of its path warning people on the ground and via radio.
Leeon Davis died on 7 April 2007 at the age of 77.
References
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External links
Short video primarily about Leeon Davis' DA-11 aircraft
{{DEFAULTSORT:Davis, Leeon D
Aircraft designers
2007 deaths
Sheet metal workers
1930 births