Page 34 - Volume 14 Number 4

was reassembled, rigged, under- went engine runs and flight control systems checks in preparation for its first flight. Always the meticulous designed and cautious aviator, Matty scrutinized every inch of the biplane before pronouncing it ready to fly.
Late in the afternoon of April 8, he donned his leather flying helmet, goggles and a jacket before climbing into the rear cockpit. Ground crewmen primed the OX-5 engine, a mechanic spun the propeller with all his might and the Curtiss powerplant came to life; its eight exhaust stacks spitting out puffs of smoke before the engine settled into a staccato rhythm. Matty checked oil pressure and water temperature before signaling the mechanic to remove the chocks. Satisfied that
all was well, Laird advanced the throttle and began taxiing a short distance across the grass and turned the ship into a light, southeast wind.
At 5:43 p.m., the biplane acceler- ated steadily, its tail rising easily as it passed by a small group of spectators that were invited to witness the momentous event. After a takeoff run of only 200 feet, Laird’s creation lifted gracefully into the sky, and two minutes later had attained an altitude of 1,000 feet. Laird began a series of flight control checks and probed the ship’s basic handling characteristics. It flew well; Matty was pleased. He flew above the field for another 10 minutes before descending back to earth, setting his creation down gently on the Kansas sod.
What happened next put the finishing touch on what had been a highly successful flight of the first Laird Tractor. Although the story has undergone many modifications during the past decades, apparently William “Buster” Lassen, a former Army Air Service pilot who operated the Lassen Hotel downtown, was among the group who witnessed the flight. As Matty was climbing down out of the cockpit, Lassen is reported to have run up to Laird and exclaim, “She flies just like a Swallow!” His statement struck Laird like a brick: “Swallow” was the perfect name for an airplane that flew so well. He quickly exchanged the name “Tractor” for “Laird Swallow.”
Despite the rapidly waning daylight, Burke took the ship up and after climbing to about 2,500 feet performed a series of aerobatic maneuvers that included loops and spins before landing. According to Laird, Burke then took four passengers aloft on two separate flights before darkness ended any further flying that day. In the wake of those flights, Laird and
Burke agreed to proceed with the manufacture of 10 of the biplanes and made further plans to build and sell 25 ships by the end of the year – an ambitious goal for a fledgling company.
Word about the Swallow spread rapidly through the Midwest and gradually to the East and West coasts. Within a few weeks of the first flight, Laird began receiving letters of inquiry and telegrams from air taxi operators seeking more details. Although Matty and Billy welcomed interest in the aircraft, what they needed was sales. Among the first customers was the Heddon Aviation Company based in Michigan that bought three Swallows, and by early summer orders were flowing in from New York, New Jersey and Colorado, selling out production for the remainder of 1920.
As business increased for the E.M. Laird Company Partnership, Burke was busy demonstrating the biplane and signing up dealerships while Laird supervised production. By the end of August workers were completing one airplane per week and Matty had high hopes to build two per week by December to meet demand. Laird’s success did not go unnoticed by the local press that embraced the city’s latest industry: “Our 1920 pride in our production of one plane per week doubtless will serve for a humorous little commentary. In the present state of the aircraft business a factory producing one plane per week is a large factory ... and the future of the business looks bright.” As autumn settled in, the payroll had increased to 45 men. They had already built 10 ships and were building another 10.
Although the E.M. Laird Company Partnership claimed that the Swallow was “America’s First Commercial Airplane,” a surprising variety of new, non-military airplanes were already available as
32 • KING AIR MAGAZINE
APRIL 2020