The Pheasant Aircraft Company was an American aircraft manufacturer. Pheasant Flight

In 1927, flight school operator Lee R. Briggs had mobilized

Memphis, Missouri Memphis is a city in and the county seat of Scotland County, Missouri, Scotland County, on the northern border of Missouri, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, its population was 1,731. U.S. Route 136, U.S. Highway 13 ...

community members to incorporate a company for aircraft production. The first aircraft was a three-seater designed by Orville Hickman. Production peaked at one unit per week. On December 5, 1927 Biggs died in a training accident. Aircraft racer

Steve Wittman Sylvester Joseph "Steve" Wittman (April 5, 1904 – April 27, 1995) was an American air-racer and aircraft engineer. An illness in Wittman's infancy claimed most of his vision in one eye, which convinced him from an early age that his dre ...

took over as chief test pilot. The Pheasant Flight engine was developed in house for the H-10 Aircraft, but only three were built. The H-10 was flown successfully across the country in several events. Wittman and convinced investor Adolf Bechaud to move the company to

Fond du Lac, Wisconsin Fond du Lac () is a city in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 44,678 at the 2020 census. The city forms the core of the United States Census Bureau's Fond du Lac United States metrop ...

in 1929. The company was absorbed into Dayton Aero & Engineering Company in 1930. Red Cherry Airlines started the first private airline in

Saskatchewan Saskatchewan ( ; ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada, western Canada, bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and on t ...

with a Pheasant H-10 in 1928, using the aircraft for barnstorming charging passengers by weight for flights. The biplane eventually was sold to the Northern Aero Company flight school after the stock market crash. The airplane crashed in 1932, and was restored over four years in 1964. It now resides in the

Western Development Museum The Western Development Museum is a network of four museums in Saskatchewan, Canada preserving and recording the social and economic development of the province. The museum has branches in Moose Jaw, North Battleford, Saskatoon and Yorkton. Respe ...

Moose Jaw Moose Jaw is the fourth largest city in Saskatchewan, Canada. Lying on the Moose Jaw River in the south-central part of the province, it is situated on the Trans-Canada Highway, west of Regina. Residents of Moose Jaw are known as Moose Javians ...

. One example of a Pheasant H-10 is owned by the

Experimental Aircraft Association The Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) is an international organization of aviation enthusiasts based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, United States. Since its inception, it has grown internationally with over 200,000 members and nearly 1,000 chapt ...

and is on display in the

EAA AirVenture Museum The EAA Aviation Museum, formerly the EAA AirVenture Museum (or Air Adventure Museum), is a museum dedicated to the preservation and display of historic and experimental aircraft as well as antiques, classics, and warbirds. The museum is lo ...

. A mural of the Pheasant aircraft is painted on the side of the original factory in Memphis,. and a volunteer effort in April 2012 accomplished purchasing a surviving Pheasant and returned it to the city of its manufacture.

Aircraft

References

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External links

After a 76-Year Interlude, the Pheasant H-10 Bi-Plane Flies Again
Defunct aircraft manufacturers of the United States