Nicholas-Beazley Airplane Company was an American aircraft manufacturer of the 1920s and 1930s
History
In 1921, the Nicholas-Beazley Airplane Company was founded by Russell B. (Penny) Nicholas and Howard Beazley. Nicholas started Central Aviation Company reselling surplus propellers, and in 1924 renamed the company to reflect the addition of Howard Beazley as partner. Nicholas-Beazley Airplane Company started as a reseller of surplus
Curtiss OX-5
The Curtiss OX-5 was an early V-8 American liquid-cooled aircraft engine built by Curtiss. It was the first American-designed aircraft engine to enter mass production, although it was considered obsolete when it did so in 1917.Smith, 1981, pa ...
parts through mail-order catalogs, expanding into a wide variety of airplane construction materials. Nicholas-Beazley resold 57
Armstrong-Siddeley Genet
The Armstrong Siddeley Genet was a five-cylinder, air-cooled, radial engine for aircraft use built in the UK, first run in 1926. It developed 80 hp at 2,200 rpm in its final form and was a popular light aircraft powerplant. Followin ...
engines originally sold by Fairchild, becoming the US distributor. Surplus
Standard J
The Standard J is a two-seat basic trainer two-bay biplane produced in the United States from 1916 to 1918, powered by a four-cylinder inline Hall-Scott A-7a engine. It was constructed from wood with wire bracing and fabric covering. The J-1 ...
aircraft were modified and marketed by the company.
In 1927,
Walter Barling
Walter may refer to:
People
* Walter (name), both a surname and a given name
* Little Walter, American blues harmonica player Marion Walter Jacobs (1930–1968)
* Gunther (wrestler), Austrian professional wrestler and trainer Walter Hahn (born 19 ...
was hired to engineer the first in-house aircraft, the Barling
NB-3. The aircraft was advertised as being able to right itself from any position with the hands off the controls, and spin-proof. In 1929,
Tom Kirkup
Tom or TOM may refer to:
* Tom (given name), a diminutive of Thomas or Tomás or an independent Aramaic given name (and a list of people with the name)
Characters
* Tom Anderson, a character in '' Beavis and Butt-Head''
* Tom Beck, a character ...
was hired to design the
NB-8G. 57 units were completed and sold. At its peak, the company produced as many as one aircraft per day.
In 1937, production of aircraft ceased, after the
great depression
The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
.
The Nicholas-Beazley Aircraft Company Museum resides at
Marshall Memorial Municipal Airport
Marshall Memorial Municipal Airport is a city-owned, public-use airport located two nautical miles (4 km) south of the central business district of Marshall, a city in Saline County, Missouri, United States. It is included in the Na ...
in
Marshall, Missouri
Marshall is a city in Saline County, Missouri, Saline County, Missouri, United States. The population was 13,065 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Saline County. The Marshall Micropolitan Statistical Area consists of Saline County. It ...
, featuring a NB-3 on display.
Aircraft
References
{{Reflist
External links
A brief history of Nicholas-Beazley Aircraft Manufacturing Company
Defunct aircraft manufacturers of the United States