Howard Aircraft Corporation was a small USA aircraft manufacturer in the 30's and 40's. The factory was initially on the south side of Chicago Municipal airport at 5301 W. 65th Street; during World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 a second plant was opened at DuPage Airport

DuPage Airport

DuPage Airport is a general aviation airport located west of downtown Chicago in West Chicago, DuPage County, Illinois. It is owned and operated by the DuPage Airport Authority, which is an independent government body established by law by the State of Illinois...

 west of Chicago.

History

The success of Mister Mulligan led to the formation of the Howard Aircraft Corporation on January 1, 1937, to produce commercial versions of the now-famous DGA cabin monoplanes, each custom-built by Ben Howard and Gordon Israel.

One of the airplanes produced by the company was the DGA-11, powered by a nine-cylinder 450 hp Pratt & Whitney R-985 Wasp Junior

Pratt & Whitney R-985

The Pratt & Whitney R-985 Wasp Junior is a series of nine-cylinder air-cooled radial aircraft engines built by the Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Company from the 1930s to the 1950s. These engines have a displacement of ; initial versions produced , while the most widely used versions produce...

 radial engine

Radial engine

The radial engine is a reciprocating type internal combustion engine configuration in which the cylinders point outward from a central crankshaft like the spokes on a wheel...

, was purportedly the fastest four-seat civil aircraft of the late 1930s, able to achieve a top speed of about 200 miles (321.9 km) per hour. A favorite of the high society and Hollywood circles, the DGA-11

Howard DGA-11

|-See also:-Notes and references:*...

 cost about $16,500 in 1938 — a princely sum for the time. A slower and less costly version, the DGA-12, used a 300 hp Jacobs engine.

Production of the Howard Aircraft Corporation from 1936 to 1939 totaled about 30 aircraft. In 1939, Howard developed the DGA-15

Howard DGA-15

|-See also:-References:*Bushell, Sue J. "Some Damn Good Airplanes". Air Enthusiast, Thirty-two, December 1986-April 1987. Bromley, UK:Pilot Press. pp. 32–44.-External links:* * * *...

, building about 40 of the four/five-place aircraft, powered by one of three different engines. The founder, Ben Howard, left the company at this time to join Douglas Aircraft Company as test pilot.

The onset of World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 signaled the end of the civil Howard aircraft line. The U.S. Navy procured about 525 modified DGA-15s for use as the GH-2 Nightingale air ambulance, the GH-1 and GH-3 utility transport, and the NH-1 instrument trainer aircraft. Exceptionally roomy and high-powered, the modified DGA-15 was also difficult to land and quite unforgiving—earning the unwanted nickname of “Ensign Eliminator.” The U.S. Army Air Corps also acquired a variety of prewar Howard aircraft as utility aircraft.

Howard also produced a two-seat open-cockpit DGA-18 trainer (also referred to as DGA-125), and later a license-built version of the Fairchild PT-23

Fairchild PT-19

|-See also:-Bibliography:* Mondey, David. American Aircraft of World War II . London: Bounty Books, 2006. ISBN 978-0-7537-1461-4....

.

After producing several of the most famous racing and private aircraft of the Golden Age of Aviation, the Howard Aircraft Corporation ceased production in 1944. Stockholders elected not to produce civilian aircraft after the war, sold the aviation assets, and used the proceeds to buy an electric-motor manufacturing company in Racine, Wisconsin, and named it Howard Industries.

See also

Howard Designed Planes
DGA-1	DGA-2	DGA-3 (Pete)	DGA-4 (Mike) Howard DGA-4 -External links:*...	DGA-5 (Ike)	DGA-6 (Mr Mulligan)
DGA-7	DGA-8	DGA-9	DGA-11 Howard DGA-11 |-See also:-Notes and references:*...	DGA-12	DGA-15 Howard DGA-15 |-See also:-References:*Bushell, Sue J. "Some Damn Good Airplanes". Air Enthusiast, Thirty-two, December 1986-April 1987. Bromley, UK:Pilot Press. pp. 32–44.-External links:* * * *...	DGA-18