Thomas-Morse Aircraft


The Thomas-Morse Aircraft Corporation was an American aircraft manufacturer, until it was taken over by the Consolidated Aircraft Corporation in 1929.

History

Founded in 1910 by English expatriates William T. Thomas and his brother Oliver W. Thomas as Thomas Brothers Company in Hammondsport, New York, the company moved to Hornell, New York, and moved again to Bath, New York, the same year. At the Livingston County Picnic in 1912 The Thomas Brothers Hydro-aeroplane was scheduled to fly the first Hydro-aeroplane in Livingston County but later reported the winds prevented the flight. During 1913, the company operated the affiliated Thomas Brothers School of Aviation at Conesus Lake, McPherson Point in Livingston County, New York state. In 1913, the name became Thomas Brothers Aeroplane Company and based in Ithaca, New York. On December 7, 1914, the company moved to Ithaca.
In 1915, Thomas Brothers built T-2 tractor biplanes for the Royal Naval Air Service. and to the United States Navy as the SH-4. They received an order for 24 T-2's from the British, for use in the European war. Because the Curtiss OX engines weren't available they founded an engine subsidiary the Thomas Aeromotor Company which would stress their finances. In 1916, the company won a contract from the United States Army Signal Corps for two aircraft for evaluation, the D-5.
In January 1917, financial difficulties led to the company merge with Morse Chain Company, who was backed financially by H T Westinghouse, becoming Thomas-Morse Aircraft Corporation, still based in Ithaca. The company then made an attempt at selling training biplanes to the United States Army and was successful with the S-4 trainer and MB series of fighters. The last company design was the O-19 observation biplane. In 1929 the company was taken over by the Consolidated Aircraft Corporation, becoming the Thomas-Morse Division, and ceased business in 1934.

Aircraft

Model nameFirst flightNumber builtType
Thomas Brothers D-2
Thomas Brothers D-5
Thomas Brothers HS
Thomas Brothers T-2191425Single engine biplane
Thomas Brothers S-41917Single engine biplane advanced trainer
Thomas Brothers SH-415Floatplane version of T-2
Thomas-Morse MB-119181Single engine monoplane fighter
Thomas-Morse MB-219182Single engine biplane fighter
Thomas-Morse MB-31919265Single engine biplane fighter
Thomas-Morse MB-419202+Twin engine biplane mail plane
Thomas-Morse MB-619213Single engine biplane racer
Thomas-Morse MB-719212Single engine monoplane racer
Thomas-Morse MB-919221Single engine monoplane fighter
Thomas-Morse MB-1019211Single engine monoplane trainer
Thomas-Morse R-519222Single engine monoplane racer
Thomas-Morse TM-2419251Single engine biplane observation airplane
Thomas-Morse O-65-6All metal version of Douglas O-2
Thomas-Morse O-19176Single engine biplane observation airplane
Thomas-Morse XP-13 Viper1Single engine biplane fighter