Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation
Encyclopedia
The Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation, later Grumman Aerospace Corporation, was a leading 20th century U.S. producer of military and civilian aircraft
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...

. Founded on 6 December 1929, by Leroy Grumman
Leroy Grumman
Leroy Randle "Roy" Grumman was an American aeronautical engineer, test pilot, and industrialist. In 1929, he co-founded Grumman Aeronautical Engineering Co. later to become Grumman Aerospace Corporation, now part of Northrop Grumman.-Early life:Born in Huntington, New York, Grumman's forebears had...

 with Jake Swirbul
Jake Swirbul
Leon A. "Jake" "The Bullfrog" Swirbul , was an aviation pioneer and co-founder of Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation....

 and William Schwendler, its independent existence ended in 1994 when it was acquired by Northrop Corporation
Northrop Corporation
Northrop Corporation was a leading United States aircraft manufacturer from its formation in 1939 until its merger with Grumman to form Northrop Grumman in 1994. The company is known for its development of the flying wing design, although only a few of these have entered service.-History:Jack...

 to form Northrop Grumman
Northrop Grumman
Northrop Grumman Corporation is an American global aerospace and defense technology company formed by the 1994 purchase of Grumman by Northrop. The company was the fourth-largest defense contractor in the world as of 2010, and the largest builder of naval vessels. Northrop Grumman employs over...

.

Early history

Leroy Grumman
Leroy Grumman
Leroy Randle "Roy" Grumman was an American aeronautical engineer, test pilot, and industrialist. In 1929, he co-founded Grumman Aeronautical Engineering Co. later to become Grumman Aerospace Corporation, now part of Northrop Grumman.-Early life:Born in Huntington, New York, Grumman's forebears had...

 and others worked for the Loening Aircraft Engineering Corporation in the 1920s, but when it was bought by Keystone Aircraft Corporation and the operations moved from New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

 to Bristol, Pennsylvania
Bristol, Pennsylvania
Bristol is a borough in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, northeast of Philadelphia opposite Burlington, N.J. on the Delaware River. Bristol was first incorporated in 1720. Although its charter was revised in 1905, the original charter remains in effect, making Bristol one of the older boroughs in...

, Grumman and his partners (Edmund Ward Poor, William Schwendler, Jake Swirbul
Jake Swirbul
Leon A. "Jake" "The Bullfrog" Swirbul , was an aviation pioneer and co-founder of Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation....

, and Clint Towl) started their own company in an old Cox-Klemin Aircraft Co.
Cox-Klemin
The Cox-Klemin Aircraft Corporation was an aircraft manufacturer on Long Island from 1921 to 1925.It was founded by Charles Cox and Alexander Klemin in College Point, New York....

 factory in Baldwin
Baldwin, Nassau County, New York
Baldwin is a hamlet located in the town of Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, United States. The population was 24,033 at the 2010 census.Baldwin is also a station on the Babylon Branch of the Long Island Rail Road....

 on Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...

, New York. All of the early Grumman employees were former Loening employees. The company was named for Grumman because he was its largest invester.

The company filed as a business on 5 December 1929, and opened its doors on 2 January 1930. Keeping busy by welding aluminum tubing for truck frames, the company eagerly pursued contracts with the US Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

. Grumman designed the first practical floats with a retractable landing gear for the Navy, and this launched Grumman into the aviation market. The first Grumman aircraft was also for the Navy, the Grumman FF-1, a biplane
Biplane
A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two superimposed main wings. The Wright brothers' Wright Flyer used a biplane design, as did most aircraft in the early years of aviation. While a biplane wing structure has a structural advantage, it produces more drag than a similar monoplane wing...

 with retractable landing gear
Landing Gear
Landing Gear is Devin the Dude's fifth studio album. It was released on October 7, 2008. It was his first studio album since signing with the label Razor & Tie. It features a high-profile guest appearance from Snoop Dogg. As of October 30, 2008, the album has sold 18,906 copies.-Track...

. This was followed by a number of other successful designs.

Navy contracts

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...

, Grumman became known for its Navy fighter aircraft
Fighter aircraft
A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...

, F4F Wildcat and F6F Hellcat, and for its torpedo bomber
Torpedo bomber
A torpedo bomber is a bomber aircraft designed primarily to attack ships with aerial torpedoes which could also carry out conventional bombings. Torpedo bombers existed almost exclusively prior to and during World War II when they were an important element in many famous battles, notably the...

 TBF Avenger. Grumman's first jet plane, the F9F Panther, became operational in 1949, but the company's big postwar successes came in the 1960s with the A-6 Intruder and E-2 Hawkeye and in the 1970s with the F-14 Tomcat. Grumman products were prominent in the film Top Gun
Top Gun
Top Gun may refer to:* Top Gun is a 1986 film starring Tom Cruise.**Top Gun , soundtrack to the movie**Top Gun , a number of games based on the movie...

and numerous World War II naval and Marine Corps aviation films.

Manned Spacecraft

Grumman was the chief contractor on the Apollo Lunar Module
Apollo Lunar Module
The Apollo Lunar Module was the lander portion of the Apollo spacecraft built for the US Apollo program by Grumman to carry a crew of two from lunar orbit to the surface and back...

 that landed men on the moon. They received the contract on 7 November 1962, and built 13 lunar modules. As the Apollo program neared its end, Grumman was one of the main competitors for the contract to design and build the Space Shuttle
Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons...

, but lost to Rockwell International
Rockwell International
Rockwell International was a major American manufacturing conglomerate in the latter half of the 20th century, involved in aircraft, the space industry, both defense-oriented and commercial electronics, automotive and truck components, printing presses, valves and meters, and industrial automation....

. The company ended up involved in the shuttle program nonetheless, as a subcontractor to Rockwell, providing the wings and vertical stabilizer sections.

In 1969 the company changed its name to Grumman Aerospace Corporation, and in 1978 it sold the Grumman-American Division to Gulfstream Aerospace
Gulfstream Aerospace
Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation is a producer of several models of jet aircraft. Gulfstream has been a unit of General Dynamics since 1999.The company has produced more than 1,500 aircraft for corporate, government, private, and military customers around the world...

. The company built the Grumman Long Life Vehicle
Grumman LLV
The Grumman Long Life Vehicle or LLV is a light transport truck designed for and primarily used by the United States Postal Service.In the United States, it is the most common vehicle used by letter carriers for curbside and residential delivery of mail, replacing the previous standard...

 (LLV), a light transport mail truck designed for and used by the United States Postal Service
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...

. The LLV entered service in 1986.

Long Island location

For much of the Cold War period Grumman was the largest corporate employer on Long Island. Grumman's products were considered so reliable and ruggedly built that the company was often referred to as the "Grumman Iron Works".

As the company grew, it moved to Valley Stream, New York
Valley Stream, New York
Valley Stream is a village in Nassau County, New York in the United States. The population in the village of Valley Stream was 37,511 at the 2010 census...

, then Farmingdale, New York
Farmingdale, New York
The Village of Farmingdale is an incorporated village on Long Island within the Town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County, New York in the United States...

, finally to Bethpage, New York
Bethpage, New York
Bethpage is a hamlet located on Long Island within the Town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County, New York, United States, as well as a census-designated place with borders slightly different from those of the hamlet...

, with the testing and final assembly at the 6000 acres (24.3 km²) Naval Weapons Station
Calverton Executive Airpark
Calverton Executive Airpark is a public-owned private-use airport located three miles west of the central business district of the Calverton hamlet, in the Town of Riverhead, Suffolk County, New York, United States...

 in Calverton, New York
Calverton, New York
Calverton is a hamlet in Suffolk County, New York, United States. The population was 5,704 at the 2000 census.The community is on the border of the Town of Riverhead and the Town of Brookhaven.-History:...

, all located on Long Island. At its peak in 1986 it employed 23,000 people on Long Island and occupied 6000000 square feet (557,418.2 m²) in structures on 105 acre (0.4249203 km²) it leased from the U.S. Navy in Bethpage.

The end of the Cold War, at the beginning of the 1990s, the reduced need for defense spending led to a wave of mergers as aerospace companies shrank in number; in 1994 Northrop
Northrop Corporation
Northrop Corporation was a leading United States aircraft manufacturer from its formation in 1939 until its merger with Grumman to form Northrop Grumman in 1994. The company is known for its development of the flying wing design, although only a few of these have entered service.-History:Jack...

 bought Grumman for $2.1 billion to form Northrop Grumman
Northrop Grumman
Northrop Grumman Corporation is an American global aerospace and defense technology company formed by the 1994 purchase of Grumman by Northrop. The company was the fourth-largest defense contractor in the world as of 2010, and the largest builder of naval vessels. Northrop Grumman employs over...

, after Northrop topped a $1.9 billion offer from Martin Marietta
Martin Marietta
Martin Marietta Corporation was an American company founded in 1961 through the merger of The Martin Company and American-Marietta Corporation. The combined company became a leader in chemicals, aerospace, and electronics. In 1995, it merged with Lockheed Corporation to form Lockheed Martin. The...

.

The new company closed almost all of its facilities on Long Island with the Bethpage plant being converted to a residential and office complex (with its headquarters at 1111 Stewart Avenue becoming the corporate headquarters for Cablevision) and the Calverton plant being turned into an airport that is being developed by Riverhead, New York. A portion of the airport property has been used for the Grumman Memorial Park. Northrop Grumman's remaining business at the Bethpage campus is the Battle Management and Engagement Systems Division, which employs around 2,000 people.

Products

Aircraft

  • The Cats
    • Grumman F4F Wildcat
    • Grumman F6F Hellcat
    • Grumman F7F Tigercat
    • Grumman F8F Bearcat
    • Grumman F9F Panther
    • Grumman F9F Cougar
    • Grumman XF10F Jaguar
    • Grumman F-11 Tiger
    • Grumman F-14 Tomcat

  • Other fighter aircraft
    • Grumman FF1
      Grumman FF
      |-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Cacutt, Len, ed. "Grumman Single-Seat Biplane Fighters." Great Aircraft of the World. London: Marshall Cavendish, 1989. ISBN 1-85435-250-4....

    • Grumman F2F
      Grumman F2F
      |-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Cacutt, Len, ed. “Grumman Single-Seat Biplane Fighters.” Great Aircraft of the World. London: Marshall Cavendish, 1989. ISBN 1-85435-250-4....

    • Grumman F3F
      Grumman F3F
      |-Popular culture:The F3F was featured as an "experimental fighter" in Warner Bros's Wings of the Navy .The F3F-2 was featured in the 1940 film Flight Command, starring Robert Taylor as a pilot whose work developing instrument landing systems helps his lost squadron return to NAS North...

    • Grumman XF5F Skyrocket
    • Grumman XP-50
      Grumman XP-50
      |-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Dorr, Robert F. and David Donald. Fighters of the United States Air Force. London: Temple, 1990. ISBN 0-600-55094-X....


  • Attack
    • Grumman AF Guardian
    • Grumman A-6 Intruder

  • Bomber
    • Grumman TBF Avenger

  • Amphibious
    • Grumman JF Duck
    • Grumman J2F Duck
      Grumman J2F Duck
      |-Popular culture:* A J2F Duck was used in the 1971 film Murphy's War, which includes a spectacular three-minute rough water takeoff scene along with numerous flying and aerobatic sequences...

    • G-21 Goose
      Grumman Goose
      The Grumman G-21 Goose amphibious aircraft was designed as an eight-seat "commuter" plane for businessmen in the Long Island area. The Goose was Grumman’s first monoplane to fly, its first twin-engined aircraft, and its first aircraft to enter commercial airline service...

       some modified as Super or Turbo Goose
    • G-44 Widgeon
      Grumman Widgeon
      |-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Donald, David. The Complete Encyclopedia of World Aircraft. New York: Barnes & Noble Books, 1997. ISBN 0-7607-0592-5....

    • Grumman HU-16 Albatross (Coast Guard UF-1/UF-2, Navy U-16, Civilian G-111)
    • G-73 Mallard
      Grumman Mallard
      |-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Hotson, Fred W. Grumman Mallard: The Enduring Classic. Scarborough, Ontario: Robin Brass Studio, 2006. ISBN 978-1896941448....


  • Other aircraft
    • Grumman C-1 Trader
    • Grumman E-1 Tracer
    • Grumman S-2 Tracker
    • Grumman E-2 Hawkeye
    • Grumman C-2 Greyhound
    • Grumman OV-1 Mohawk
    • Grumman EA-6B Prowler
    • Grumman X-29
      Grumman X-29
      |-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Thruelsen, Richard. The Grumman Story. New York: Praeger Publishers, Inc., 1976. ISBN 0-275-54260-2....


  • Civilian
    • Grumman Gulfstream I
      Grumman Gulfstream I
      |-See also:-External links:*...

    • Grumman Gulfstream II
      Grumman Gulfstream II
      The Gulfstream II is an American twin engine business jet designed and built by Grumman and then in succession, Grumman American and finally Gulfstream American. Its Grumman model number is G-1159 and its US military designation is C-11 Gulfstream II. It has been succeeded by the Gulfstream III...

    • Grumman American AA-1
      Grumman American AA-1
      The Grumman American AA-1 series is a family of light, 2-seat aircraft. The family includes the original American Aviation AA-1 Yankee Clipper and AA-1A Trainer, the Grumman American AA-1B Trainer and TR-2 and the Gulfstream American AA-1C Lynx and T-Cat.-Development history:The Yankee was...

       (1971–76)
    • Grumman American AA-1B Trainer
      Grumman American AA-1
      The Grumman American AA-1 series is a family of light, 2-seat aircraft. The family includes the original American Aviation AA-1 Yankee Clipper and AA-1A Trainer, the Grumman American AA-1B Trainer and TR-2 and the Gulfstream American AA-1C Lynx and T-Cat.-Development history:The Yankee was...

       (1971–76)
    • Grumman American AA-5 Traveler
      Grumman American AA-5
      The US Grumman American AA-5 series is a family of all-metal, 4-seat, light aircraft used for touring and training. The line includes the original American Aviation AA-5 Traveler, the Grumman American AA-5 Traveler, AA-5A Cheetah, and AA-5B Tiger, the Gulfstream American AA-5A Cheetah, and AA-5B...

       (1972–75)
    • Grumman American AA-5A Cheetah
      Grumman American AA-5
      The US Grumman American AA-5 series is a family of all-metal, 4-seat, light aircraft used for touring and training. The line includes the original American Aviation AA-5 Traveler, the Grumman American AA-5 Traveler, AA-5A Cheetah, and AA-5B Tiger, the Gulfstream American AA-5A Cheetah, and AA-5B...

       (1976–79)
    • Grumman American AA-5B Tiger
      Grumman American AA-5
      The US Grumman American AA-5 series is a family of all-metal, 4-seat, light aircraft used for touring and training. The line includes the original American Aviation AA-5 Traveler, the Grumman American AA-5 Traveler, AA-5A Cheetah, and AA-5B Tiger, the Gulfstream American AA-5A Cheetah, and AA-5B...

       (1975–79)
    • Grumman Ag Cat
      Grumman Ag Cat
      -See also:-References:* Michell, Simon. Jane's Civil and Military Aircraft Upgrades 1994-95. Coulsdon, UK:Jane's Information Group, 1994. ISBN 0 7106 1208 7.-External links:*...


Other products

  • Grumman Olson built aluminum truck bodies, known as stepvans
    Multi-Stop truck
    Multi-stop trucks are a type of light-duty and medium-duty truck created for local deliveries to residences and businesses. They are almost always forward-control vehicles, designed to be driven either sitting down or standing up, and often provide easy access between the driver and goods, hence...

    . Under the Grumman Olson
    Morgan Olson
    Morgan Olson is a leading producer of aluminum walk-in vans. Morgan Olson was founded in 1946 on Long Island, New York, by Jimmy Olson, and is currently located in Sturgis, Michigan...

     brand it made the P-600 and P-6800 step vans for UPS
    United Parcel Service
    United Parcel Service, Inc. , typically referred to by the acronym UPS, is a package delivery company. Headquartered in Sandy Springs, Georgia, United States, UPS delivers more than 15 million packages a day to 6.1 million customers in more than 220 countries and territories around the...

    . Grumman also manufactured fire engines under the name Firecat.
  • Grumman canoes
    Grumman sport boat
    A Grumman Sportboat or Sport Boat is a 15' 4" long, 43" wide square stern canoe manufactured in America. It A Grumman Sportboat or Sport Boat is a 15' 4" long, 43" wide square stern canoe manufactured in America. It A Grumman Sportboat or Sport Boat is a 15' 4" long, 43" wide square stern canoe...

     were developed in 1944 as World War II was winding down. Company executive William Hoffman used the company's aircraft aluminum to replace the traditional wood design. The canoe
    Canoe
    A canoe or Canadian canoe is a small narrow boat, typically human-powered, though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors. Canoes are usually pointed at both bow and stern and are normally open on top, but can be decked over A canoe (North American English) or Canadian...

    s had a reputation for being sturdier, lighter and stronger than their wood counterparts and had a considerable market share. Grumman moved its boat making division to Marathon, New York
    Marathon (town), New York
    Marathon is a town in Cortland County, New York, United States. The population was 2,189 at the 2000 census.The Town of Marathon contains the village of Marathon...

     in 1952.
Outboard Marine Corp. bought the division in 1990 and produced the last Grumman-brand canoe in 1996. Shortly thereafter former Grumman executives formed the Marathon Boat Group to produce the canoes. In 2000 the Group worked out an agreement with Northrop Grumman to sell the canoes using Grumman name and logo. The Grumman canoes with its logo are used in the film Deliverance
Deliverance
Deliverance is a 1972 American thriller film produced and directed by John Boorman. Principal cast members include Jon Voight, Burt Reynolds, Ronny Cox and Ned Beatty in his film debut. The film is based on a 1970 novel of the same name by American author James Dickey, who has a small role in the...

.
  • Grumman sport boat
    Grumman sport boat
    A Grumman Sportboat or Sport Boat is a 15' 4" long, 43" wide square stern canoe manufactured in America. It A Grumman Sportboat or Sport Boat is a 15' 4" long, 43" wide square stern canoe manufactured in America. It A Grumman Sportboat or Sport Boat is a 15' 4" long, 43" wide square stern canoe...

  • Grumman-Flxible 870
    Flxible Metro
    The Flxible Metro is a transit bus that was manufactured by the Flxible Corporation from 1978 until 1996. From 1978 until 1983, when Flxible was owned by Grumman, the model was known as the Grumman 870, with a Grumman nameplate.-History:...

     transit buses (1978–1983)
  • Ben Franklin (PX-15)
    Ben Franklin (PX-15)
    The Ben Franklin mesoscaphe, also known as the Grumman/Piccard PX-15, was a manned underwater submersible built in 1968. It was the brainchild of explorer and inventor Jacques Piccard. The research vessel was designed to house a six-man crew for up to 30 days of oceanographic study in the depths of...

    , a science submarine
  • Grumman LLV
    Grumman LLV
    The Grumman Long Life Vehicle or LLV is a light transport truck designed for and primarily used by the United States Postal Service.In the United States, it is the most common vehicle used by letter carriers for curbside and residential delivery of mail, replacing the previous standard...

     postal vehicle widely used by the United States Postal Service
    United States Postal Service
    The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...

     and Canada Post
    Canada Post
    Canada Post Corporation, known more simply as Canada Post , is the Canadian crown corporation which functions as the country's primary postal operator...


External links

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