The Swanson Coupe Model W-15 was a

high-wing A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft configuration with a single mainplane, in contrast to a biplane or other types of multiplanes, which have multiple planes. A monoplane has inherently the highest efficiency and lowest drag of any wing confi ...

, cantilever-type

monoplane A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft configuration with a single mainplane, in contrast to a biplane or other types of multiplanes, which have multiple planes. A monoplane has inherently the highest efficiency and lowest drag of any wing confi ...

produced in 1931 by Swedish aircraft designer and manufacturer

Swen Swanson Swen (Sven) Swanson (1897/98 – February 1935) was a Swedish aircraft designer. He designed aircraft for various aviation companies in the United States and also designed prototype and experimental airplanes. He was known as an innovative aircraft ...

. Its design was considered innovative and the aircraft was viewed as part of a trend of producing safe and economical airplanes, which would appeal especially to automobile drivers. The Swanson Coupe was also designed to function as

trainer aircraft A trainer is a class of aircraft designed specifically to facilitate flight training of pilots and aircrews. The use of a dedicated trainer aircraft with additional safety features—such as tandem flight controls, forgiving flight characteristi ...

Design and development

Swanson's design of the Kari-Keen Coupe monoplane incorporated his trademark seating design of two people in

side-by-side configuration Tandem, or in tandem, is an arrangement in which a team of machines, animals or people are lined up one behind another, all facing in the same direction. The original use of the term in English was in ''tandem harness'', which is used for two ...

which was unusual at the time. Following the first version of the Kari Keen Coupe, Swanson designed the Kari-Keen 90, an improved version. But the Kari-Keen factory fell victim to 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 ...

and by early 1930 it closed its doors. Swanson did not wait for long and left Kari-Keen to devote his time to the design of his Swanson Coupe W-15. In 1931, after he left Kari-Keen, Swanson established the Swanson Aircraft Co. Inc. with headquarters at

Hopewell, Virginia Hopewell is an independent city surrounded by Prince George County and the Appomattox River in the Commonwealth of Virginia. At the 2020 census, the population was 23,033. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Hopewell with Prin ...

, and built the Swanson Coupe W-15 whose design incorporated new breakthroughs such as a new type of patented wing mounting structure which enabled unobstructed view from the cockpit to both pilot and passenger even from above their heads. The new wing mounting technique also increased the peripheral field of view of the cabin. This was accomplished by eliminating an extra wing span which used to enter the cabin area and obstruct the ceiling of the cockpit thus limiting the overhead field of vision. The Swanson Coupe Model W-15 has been described as "beautiful", and its cantilever wing design has been called "ingenious". The plane was

certified 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 ...

by the

United States Department of Commerce The United States Department of Commerce is an executive department of the U.S. federal government concerned with creating the conditions for economic growth and opportunity. Among its tasks are gathering economic and demographic data for bu ...

and was powered by the

Warner Scarab The Warner Scarab is an American seven-cylinder radial aircraft engine, that was manufactured by the Warner Aircraft Corporation of Detroit, Michigan in 1928 through to the early 1940s. In military service the engine was designated R-420. Vari ...

engine, which produced 85 h.p. at 1950 rpm. The Kari-Keen Coupe and the Swanson Coupe featured the characteristic Swanson cantilever wing design. The Swanson planes also shared a similar seating configuration; the two-passengers were seated beside each other. Model W-15 featured detachable passenger-side controls which could be mounted or removed depending on whether a student pilot was present. This design feature made the plane suitable for use in flight schools. The cabin windshield was made using

safety glass Safety glass is glass with additional safety features that make it less likely to break, or less likely to pose a threat when broken. Common designs include toughened glass (also known as tempered glass), laminated glass, and wire mesh glass (al ...

and the door window panes were retractable. The plane had two variants: Standard and Deluxe. Both variants had dual flight controls, low pressure tires and

mohair Mohair (pronounced ) is a fabric or yarn made from the hair of the Angora goat. (This should not be confused with Angora wool, which is made from the fur of the Angora rabbit.) Both durable and resilient, mohair is notable for its high luster ...

interior. Both models featured dual engine throttle controls: the main throttle control and a secondary throttle control button installed on the brake lever. The Deluxe came with an electric starter and more elaborate instrumentation. The prices were $4,450 for the Standard model and $4,985 for the Deluxe.

Impact

Swanson did not have any commercial success with his Swanson Coupe. He subsequently decided to dissolve his aircraft company and went to the

midwest The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four Census Bureau Region, census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of ...

to join the aircraft company of his friend

Ole Fahlin Ole (Olaf) Fahlin (May 8, 1901 – January 26, 1992) was a Swedish aviator who made his career manufacturing propellers and aviation products in the United States. He also developed prototype airplanes and worked in projects with Chrysler and Lock ...

. The Swanson Coupe became the basis of the first airplane produced jointly by them, the Fahlin SF-1. The Swanson Coupe was mentioned in a 1931 article of ''

The Tuscaloosa News The '' Tuscaloosa News '' is a daily newspaper serving Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States, and the surrounding area in west central Alabama. In 2012, Halifax Media Group acquired the ''Tuscaloosa News''. Prior to that, the paper's owner was Th ...

'' as an example of a closed-cabin, safe and economical airplane which was intended for use by "average men" who also drive cars.

Specifications (W-15)

References

{{reflist, 30em High-wing aircraft

Coupe A coupe or coupé (, ) is a passenger car with a sloping or truncated rear roofline and two doors. The term ''coupé'' was first applied to horse-drawn carriages for two passengers without rear-facing seats. It comes from the French past parti ...

1930s United States civil utility aircraft Single-engined tractor aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1931