| E. M. Laird Airplane Company | |
| Industry: | Aerospace |
| Successors: | --> |
| Founder: | Emil Matthew Laird |
| Hq Location City: | Chicago, Illinois |
| Hq Location Country: | United States |
| Areas Served: | --> |
| Owners: | --> |
E. M. Laird Airplane Company was an American aircraft manufacturer of commercial aircraft and custom race planes.[1]
Emil Matthew Laird partnered with the founders of the Wichita Airplane Company to build a new commercial biplane aircraft in 1920. The E.M Laird Company built 45 Swallow aircraft of this design. The company turned down an offer to move to Monmouth, Illinois in 1922.[2] E.M Laird sold all rights on 27 September 1923 to J. M Mollendick, and formed a new company, the E. M. Laird Airplane Company based out of Chicago.[3] The original E. M. Laird Company then became the Swallow Airplane Company, retaining brother Charles Laird. Charles Laird concurrently started a short lived aircraft company named Laird Aircraft Corporation, publicly known as Whipporwhill in order to differentiate himself from Emil.[4]
The E.M. Laird Aircraft company returned to Laird's hometown, building facilities at Ashburn Field, in Ashburn, Chicago. By 1928, Laird's aircraft had reached a level quality and competition, that the Stout Metal Airplane Division of the Ford Motor Company offered to hire Laird, and purchase all the assets of his company.[5]
| Model name | First flight | Number built | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laird LC-B | 11+ | Single engine open cockpit utility biplane | |
| Laird LC-R | 2+ | Single engine open cockpit utility biplane | |
| Laird LC-AA | 1 | Single engine cabin utility biplane[6] | |
| Laird LC-DC | 2 or 3 | Single engine open cockpit racing monoplane | |
| Laird LC-DE Speedwing Junior | 1930 | 1 | Single engine open cockpit racing monoplane |
| Laird LC-DW Solution | 1930 | 1 | Single engine open cockpit racing biplane |
| Laird LC-DW500 Super Solution | 1931 | 1 | Single engine open cockpit racing biplane |
| Laird LC-RW | 1931 | 2 | Single engine open cockpit racing biplane[7] |
| Laird LC-EW | 1 | Single engine cabin utility monoplane | |
| Laird LC-1B | 1930 | 11+ | Single engine open cockpit utility biplane[8] |
| Laird-Turner Meteor LTR-14 (modifications) | 1936 | 1 | Single engine cabin racing monoplane |