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This is a fascinating ORIGINAL vintage promotional pamphlet from the Swallow Airplane Company, dated May 14, 1929. The Swallow Airplane Company was based in Wichita, Kansas, and was one of the early pioneers in commercial aviation during the 1920s.
Key Details:
The pamphlet showcases the "Swallow Flight Commander" (Type Certificate No. 125), which was a 3-place open-land biplane. The specifications show it had an Axelson 150 H.P. motor and impressive performance for its era:
• High speed: 115 MPH
• Cruising speed: 95 MPH
• Landing speed: 40 MPH
• Range: 6 hours or 570 miles
This document includes a SIGNED letter of recommendation for a Swallow airplane, dated May 14, 1929, from an associate of Lester Glasscock to the Swallow Airplane Company in Wichita, Kansas.
Key Details:
Sender: Signed by a pilot for Lester Glasscock, a manufacturer from Riverside, California. Glasscock was a known figure in early aviation and was involved in a crash of a different Swallow plane two years later in 1931.
Recipient: The Swallow Airplane Company in Wichita, Kansas, which was known for producing America's first commercial airplane, the Laird Swallow.
Engine: The aircraft was equipped with an Axelson motor, an engine manufactured by the Axelson Aircraft Engine Company, which was based in Los Angeles.
Historical Context: The Swallow Airplane Company was a significant early aircraft manufacturer whose production peaked in the late 1920s before being sold in late 1929.
