123:
35:
243:
44:
273:
Trainer. At its peak, Great Lakes had as many as 650 deposits for new aircraft. With the onset of the great depression, the Great Lakes
Aircraft Company went out of business closing their doors in 1936. The company built just 264 of the Sport Trainers ordered. The remaining stock of aircraft parts, as well as a complete set of drawings, were purchased at a bankruptcy sale by Charles E. Smith of
358:, bought the Great Lakes Sport Trainer type certificate and tooling. In 2006, Duncan announced his plan to bring the Sport Trainer back into production once again. When he gets 10 airplane orders, the factory will begin production. Duncan's company today is called The Great Lakes Aircraft Company, LLC.
350:
In 1978, Dean
Franklin bought Champlin's interest in Great Lakes and the factory, inventory and several airframes in various stages of completion were moved to Eastman, Georgia. Franklin completed the in process airframes and then built serial numbers 1001 through 1010. Franklin still owns serial
272:
came it was lowered to $ 3,985. The first four Sport
Trainers built were of a rare straight-wing design, one of which was modified into a special racer. Because of problems recovering from flat spins, the top wing was swept back and that is what most people recognize first when looking at a Sport
334:
In 1973, Doug
Champlin brought the Great Lakes back into production in Oklahoma. The general design was not changed much. The fuselage was strengthened by using thicker walled tubing, and the engines used were 150 or 180 hp Lycomings. The wings utilized
305:
For about 30 years, until the late 1960s, the Great Lakes Sport
Trainer was the top American-made acro plane. Other pilots who made the Great Lakes reputation famous were: Hal Krier, Hank Kennedy, Bob "Tiger" Nance, Lindsay Parsons, Dorothy Hester,
326:
During the 1960s, Harvey Swack of
Cleveland, Ohio, obtained the rights to the Sport Trainer design and all the factory drawings for it. Harvey then sold plans to homebuilders until 1990, when he sold off the plans business to Steen Aero Lab of
293:, and horizontally-opposed Lycomings, Franklins, or Continentals. Tex Rankin, a stunt pilot of the 1930s and 1940s, made the Great Lakes Sport Trainer famous. He had one specially modified and installed a 150 hp
297:
Menasco engine. It was painted red, white and blue with his name upright on one side, and upside down in the other, so folks would know who he was when he flew by upside down. Tex's airplane is being restored by the
347:
were added to the top wing. 137 airframes were produced. Doug
Champlin also built one Turbine powered Great Lakes 2T. With 420 hp (310 kW), it was quite a show stopper.
122:
611:
This trophy will be awarded to the pilot in the 1930 tour who scores the highest number of points in a plane powered with an engine of 510 cubic inches or less.
833:
838:
533:
843:
268:
negative. It had outrigger landing gear with spring oleo shock struts, and the range was 375 miles. The sale price started out at $ 4,990 but as the
602:
548:
764:
331:. There have been a great number of homebuilt Great Lakes Sport Trainers built over the years, which kept interest in this old biplane alive.
203:
The Great Lakes Trophy was awarded in 1930 and 1931 to the fastest plane with an engine of 510 cubic inches or less that participated in the
215:
The model that most people think of today when someone says, "Great Lakes aircraft," is the enduring 2T biplane; also known as the
250:
The original models had a wing span of 26 feet 8 inches and length of 20 feet 4 inches. The useful load was 578
757:
17:
848:
750:
518:
429:
351:
number 1001. Franklin sold Great Lakes to a group in New
England, and they went out of business in 1983.
286:
700:
785:
216:
195:. In 1933, the Company was reportedly working on a steam power plant for driving aircraft turbines.
34:
142:
126:
687:
355:
232:
95:
637:
242:
8:
653:
224:
290:
130:
714:
503:
490:
328:
228:
204:
807:
274:
269:
812:
592:
Air law review, Volume 4, Alison Reppy editor, New York
University, 1933, page 11
475:
459:
399:
184:
176:
172:
76:
227:. The 2T biplane was not as large as some of its contemporaries manufactured by
797:
792:
383:
315:
285:
As the years went by, the original Cirrus engine installation was replaced by
827:
563:
310:, Charley Hillard, and Frank Price. The first United States entry in a world
307:
622:
219:. It was designed and sold as a two-place, open cockpit biplane. The first
737:
340:
294:
251:
188:
336:
180:
802:
742:
444:
414:
311:
236:
111:
57:
314:
contest was a Great Lakes biplane that Frank Price of Texas took to
43:
344:
255:
160:
157:
138:
259:
220:
192:
153:
134:
299:
171:
In 1929, the Great Lakes
Aircraft Company (GLAC) was formed in
715:"420 HP Turbine Powered Great Lakes....No, We're Not Kidding."
156:. The company has a long history of building both private and
152:
is an aircraft manufacturer known for the 2T-1A Sport Trainer
409:
BG with retractable landing gear and enclosed bomb bay
603:"Great Lakes Aircraft Gives New Light Plane Trophy"
321:
825:
758:
607:Michigan Manufacturer & Financial Record
834:Aircraft manufacturers of the United States
839:Manufacturing companies based in Cleveland
765:
751:
470:Prototype biplane observation flying boat
42:
33:
844:Manufacturing companies based in Colorado
772:
241:
121:
179:Company. They built civilian biplanes,
145:of the Great Lakes Aircraft Corporation
14:
826:
746:
198:
129:on September 27, 1930 accepting the
280:
24:
25:
860:
731:
343:, and on some models, additional
223:were an 85 hp (63 kW)
724:. Retrieved: December 16, 2010.
322:Re-establishment of the company
707:
672:
646:
641:greatlakesaircraftcompany.com.
631:
626:greatlakesaircraftcompany.com.
616:
595:
586:
558:Development of Inland Model T
13:
1:
643:Retrieved: December 16, 2010.
628:Retrieved: December 16, 2010.
579:
210:
738:Great Lakes Aircraft Company
573:Reengined version of 2-T-1E
569:
567:
554:
552:
539:
537:
524:
522:
509:
507:
496:
494:
481:
479:
466:
463:
450:
448:
435:
433:
420:
418:
405:
403:
390:
387:
289:radials, inline Menascos or
258:) and it was stressed for 9
175:, at the former site of the
150:Great Lakes Aircraft Company
28:Great Lakes Aircraft Company
7:
660:. December 1936. p. 79
519:Great Lakes 2-T-2 Speedster
430:Great Lakes TG-1 Commercial
361:
246:Great Lakes 2T-1A Sportster
10:
865:
572:
562:
557:
547:
542:
532:
528:Racing version of 2-T-1-A
527:
517:
512:
502:
498:
489:
484:
474:
469:
458:
454:Reengined version of TG-1
453:
443:
438:
428:
423:
413:
408:
398:
393:
382:
166:
781:
485:Prototype torpedo bomber
217:Great Lakes Sport Trainer
112:greatlakesaircraftcompany
106:
90:
82:
63:
53:
41:
32:
849:El Paso County, Colorado
543:Twin engine flying boat
354:In 2000, John Duncan of
439:Civilian version of TG
623:"Great Lakes Company."
247:
191:under contract to the
146:
143:David Vincent Stratton
127:Eddie August Schneider
48:1932 Great Lakes 2T-1A
356:Palmer Lake, Colorado
245:
183:, as well as biplane
125:
96:Palmer Lake, Colorado
720:, November 1976 via
654:"Great Lakes Owners"
225:American Cirrus III
29:
682:: 47. Winter 1971.
424:License built T4M
248:
199:Great Lakes Trophy
147:
131:Great Lakes Trophy
27:
18:Great Lakes Trophy
821:
820:
695:Missing or empty
577:
576:
534:Great Lakes 4-A-1
513:Training biplane
504:Great Lakes 2-T-1
491:Great Lakes 2-S-W
329:Palm Bay, Florida
302:Aviation Museum.
291:Fairchild-Rangers
205:National Air Tour
120:
119:
16:(Redirected from
856:
767:
760:
753:
744:
743:
725:
713:Davisson, Budd.
711:
705:
704:
698:
693:
691:
683:
676:
670:
669:
667:
665:
650:
644:
635:
629:
620:
614:
613:
599:
593:
590:
445:Great Lakes TG-2
415:Great Lakes TG-1
366:
365:
281:Aerobatic planes
275:Willoughby, Ohio
270:Great Depression
116:
113:
74:
72:
46:
37:
30:
26:
21:
864:
863:
859:
858:
857:
855:
854:
853:
824:
823:
822:
817:
777:
771:
734:
729:
728:
712:
708:
696:
694:
685:
684:
678:
677:
673:
663:
661:
652:
651:
647:
636:
632:
621:
617:
601:
600:
596:
591:
587:
582:
476:Great Lakes TBG
460:Great Lakes XSG
400:Great Lakes B2G
364:
324:
283:
264:positive and 6
213:
201:
185:torpedo bombers
177:Martin Aircraft
173:Cleveland, Ohio
169:
110:
102:
98:
77:Cleveland, Ohio
70:
68:
49:
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
862:
852:
851:
846:
841:
836:
819:
818:
816:
815:
810:
805:
800:
795:
789:
788:
782:
779:
778:
770:
769:
762:
755:
747:
741:
740:
733:
732:External links
730:
727:
726:
706:
671:
645:
630:
615:
594:
584:
583:
581:
578:
575:
574:
571:
568:
566:
560:
559:
556:
553:
551:
549:Great Lakes 41
545:
544:
541:
538:
536:
530:
529:
526:
523:
521:
515:
514:
511:
508:
506:
500:
499:
497:
495:
493:
487:
486:
483:
480:
478:
472:
471:
468:
465:
462:
456:
455:
452:
449:
447:
441:
440:
437:
434:
432:
426:
425:
422:
419:
417:
411:
410:
407:
404:
402:
396:
395:
392:
389:
386:
384:Great Lakes BG
380:
379:
376:
373:
370:
363:
360:
323:
320:
316:Eastern Europe
282:
279:
212:
209:
200:
197:
168:
165:
118:
117:
108:
104:
103:
100:
94:
92:
88:
87:
84:
80:
79:
65:
61:
60:
55:
51:
50:
47:
39:
38:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
861:
850:
847:
845:
842:
840:
837:
835:
832:
831:
829:
814:
811:
809:
806:
804:
801:
799:
796:
794:
791:
790:
787:
786:Sport Trainer
784:
783:
780:
775:
768:
763:
761:
756:
754:
749:
748:
745:
739:
736:
735:
723:
719:
716:
710:
702:
689:
681:
675:
659:
655:
649:
642:
639:
634:
627:
624:
619:
612:
608:
604:
598:
589:
585:
565:
564:Great Lakes X
561:
550:
546:
535:
531:
520:
516:
505:
501:
492:
488:
477:
473:
461:
457:
446:
442:
431:
427:
416:
412:
401:
397:
385:
381:
377:
375:Number built
374:
372:First flight
371:
368:
367:
359:
357:
352:
348:
346:
342:
338:
332:
330:
319:
317:
313:
309:
308:Betty Skelton
303:
301:
296:
292:
288:
278:
276:
271:
267:
263:
262:
257:
253:
244:
240:
238:
234:
230:
226:
222:
218:
208:
206:
196:
194:
190:
186:
182:
178:
174:
164:
162:
159:
155:
151:
144:
140:
136:
132:
128:
124:
115:
109:
105:
101:United States
97:
93:
89:
85:
81:
78:
66:
62:
59:
56:
52:
45:
40:
36:
31:
19:
773:
721:
718:Air Progress
717:
709:
697:|title=
688:cite journal
679:
674:
662:. Retrieved
657:
648:
640:
633:
625:
618:
610:
606:
597:
588:
394:Dive bomber
353:
349:
341:Sitka Spruce
339:in place of
333:
325:
304:
295:supercharged
284:
265:
260:
249:
214:
202:
189:dive bombers
181:float planes
170:
149:
148:
91:Headquarters
774:Great Lakes
658:Aero Digest
609:: 4. 1929.
369:Model name
337:Douglas Fir
86:John Duncan
828:Categories
722:airbum.com
680:Air Trails
638:"History."
580:References
312:aerobatics
237:Travel Air
211:2T biplane
318:in 1960.
58:Aerospace
776:aircraft
362:Aircraft
345:ailerons
229:Stearman
161:aircraft
158:military
139:Michigan
54:Industry
221:engines
193:US Navy
167:Origins
154:biplane
135:Detroit
107:Website
83:Founder
69: (
64:Founded
664:31 May
300:Oregon
287:Warner
252:pounds
510:~240
464:1931
388:1933
378:Type
254:(262
141:from
701:help
666:2021
235:and
233:WACO
187:and
114:.com
71:1929
67:1929
813:XSG
808:TBG
798:B2G
451:32
421:18
391:61
133:in
75:in
830::
803:TG
793:BG
692::
690:}}
686:{{
656:.
605:.
570:1
555:1
540:3
525:1
482:1
467:1
436:2
406:1
277:.
256:kg
239:.
231:,
207:.
163:.
137:,
99:,
766:e
759:t
752:v
703:)
699:(
668:.
266:G
261:g
73:)
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.