O.W. Timm Aircraft Company

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O.W. Timm Aircraft Company
Founded 1922 Glendale California
Headquarters Van Nuys, California
Key people
 Otto Timm
Subsidiaries Timm Industries, Inc

The O.W. Timm Aircraft Company was an American aircraft manufacturer founded by Otto William Timm, based in Los Angeles, California.

History

Otto William Timm c. 1920s

Between 1911 and 1922 O.W. Timm built several aircraft with varying success before he founded, in 1922, the O.W. Timm Aircraft Company. Timm manufactured six models of a parasol design, the Collegiate. In 1934 Otto and his brother Wally Timm joined to form a new company named the Timm Airplane Company to produce the Timm T-S140, a high wing twin engine aircraft using new features developed at NACA such as flaps and tricycle landing gear.[1] Wally Timm formed his own Glendale based aviation company later on, the Wally Timm Inc.[2]

The company developed a "plastic" material made of resin and wood similar to the Duramold process. The Duramold and Haskelite process was first developed in 1937. Followed by Gene Vidal's Weldwood and later the Aeromold process. The Aeromold process differs in that it is baked at a low 100 °F (38 °C) at cutting and forming, and 180 °F (82 °C) for fusing together sections after the resins are added.[3]

In 1939, at the onset of World War II, the company operated as the Timm Aircraft Corporation, building the PT160K trainer prototype using the aeromold process. By 1941, the U.S Navy ordered the aeromold N2T-1 with a production run reaching 260 aircraft along with other small aircraft parts made of the aeromold process. Profits increased to $70,000 from $240 the year prior.[4] The company also license-built 436 of the CG-4A glider used by allied troops.[5] A Plywood construction variant, the CG-4B was developed by Timm in case of material shortages, but did not go into production.[6]

In some episodes of the 1941 movie serial, Sky Raiders, aircraft hangars of Timm Aircraft Corporation are clearly visible. They were located adjacent to the Van Nuys Airport in Van Nuys, Los Angeles.

After World War II, the company specialized in returning surplus Douglas C-47 aircraft back into airliner configurations.[7] The company also created a subsidiary, Timm Industries, Inc to manufacture vending machines such as the Frank-O-Matic and Coca-Cola bottle dispensers.[8]

By 1948, production had ceased to the point where the company leased out its production facilities to the Marquardt Corporation, a maker of Ramjet engines.[9]

In 1953, a proxy war among shareholders was started, with C. D. Rudolph winning control of the board. The company did not produce any new aircraft after this point.[10]

Timm N2T-1 basic trainer of the US Navy at the National Museum of Naval Aviation at NAS Pensacola.

Aircraft

Summary of aircraft built by
Model name First flight Number built Type
Timm 160 1937 4 Developed from the Kinner B2R after acquisition of the production rights.
Timm Aerocraft 2AS 1938 1 A Kinner B2R Sportwing modified as a 2-seat primary trainer for a USAAC competition which was won by the Fairchild PT-19.
Timm Argonaut 1927 1 (aka P Sedan) A 4-seat cabin biplane
Timm Curtiss Pusher replica 1927 2 replica Curtiss Pusher biplanes
Timm monoplane 1
Timm Skylark 1923 1 8-seater twin engined biplane
Timm Aircoach 1928 1 7-seat Cabin biplane
Timm Collegiate from 1928 8 Parasol sport (Timm K-90 / Timm-100 / C-165 / TC-165 / C-170 / C-185 / M-150 / TW-120)
Timm T-S140 1934 1 Twin engine tricycle gear
Timm T-840 1938 1 Aeromold (plastic-bonded plywood) Twin engine tricycle gear
Timm S-160 1940 1 Aeromold trainer precursor
Timm PT-160-K 1941 1 Aeromold trainer prototype
Timm PT-175-L 1941 1 175 hp Aeromold trainer
Timm PT-220-C 1941 1 220 hp trainer prototype
Timm N2T Tutor 1941 262 Low wing trainer
Timm AG-2 1940s 0 Proposed assault glider for the US Army, cancelled in 1943
Waco CG-4A 1942 434 Assault glider (license built)
Waco CG-4B 1943 1 Wooden structure CG-4 assault glider

References

Notes
  1. ↑ Hansen 2003, p. 340.
  2. ↑ Aero Digest, Volume 40, 1942.
  3. ↑ Ballard, Richard. "Plastic Airplanes." The Ohio State Engineer, April 1942, p. 24.
  4. ↑ Juptner 1993, p. 178.
  5. ↑ Andrade 1979, p. 96.
  6. ↑ Mrazek 2011, p. 374.
  7. ↑ American Aviation, Volume 10, 1946.
  8. ↑ Aviation News (Robert Hudson Wood), Volume 6, 1946.
  9. ↑ "Timm Leases Van Nuys Plant." The Los Angeles Times, November 20, 1948.
  10. ↑ "Rudolph Wins Timm Control." The Los Angeles Times, December 24, 1953.
Bibliography
  • Andrade, John M. U.S. Military Aircraft Designations and Serials since 1909. Earl Shilton, Leister, UK: Midland Counties Publications, 1979. ISBN 0-904597-22-9.
  • Hansen, James R. ed. The Wind and Beyond: A Documentary Journey Into the History of Aerodynamics, Volume I: The Ascent of the Airplane. Washington, D.C.: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 2003.
  • Juptner, Joseph P. U.S. Civil Aircraft Series, Volume 8. New York: McGraw-Hill Professional, 1993. ISBN 978-0830643738.
  • Mrazek, James. Airborne Combat: The Glider War/Fighting Gliders of WWII (Stackpole Military History Series). Stackpole, 2011. ISBN 978-0811708081.
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