Lawson L-2

{{Short description|1920s American biplane airliner}}

{{Infobox aircraft

|name = L-2

|image = Lawson T-2.jpg

|caption = Lawson C.2 or T-2

|type = Biplane airliner

|manufacturer = Lawson Air Line Company

|designer = Alfred Lawson,{{cite web |url=http://dev.eaa838.org/museum.asp |title=Welcome to EAA Chapter 838 |access-date=2012-04-03 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120708030755/http://dev.eaa838.org/museum.asp |archive-date=2012-07-08 }} Vincent Burnelli{{Cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1964/06/23/archives/vincent-j-burnelli-dead-at-69-an-early-designer-of-airplanes.html | title=Vincent J. Burnelli Dead at 69; an Early Designer of Airplanes | newspaper=The New York Times | date=23 June 1964 }}

|first_flight = 1920

|introduction =

|retired =

|status =

|primary_user = Lawson Air Line Company

|more_users =

|produced =

|number_built = 1

|developed_from =

|variants =

}}

The Lawson L-2 was a 1920s American biplane airliner, designed and built by the Lawson Air Line Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Design and development

File:Lawson C1 Plans -1919.jpg

The Lawson Air Line Company designed and built a series of large biplane airliners for use on its planned airline routes. The initial Lawson "Aerial Transport" Lawson C1 or T-1 was built early in 1919 to demonstrate that a large commercial passenger plane could be built. The L-1 was a single pilot, 10 passenger biplane with twin Liberty 400 hp pusher engines. It was followed by the Lawson C.2 or L-2. The L-2 was a tractor biplane also with 400 hp engines, capable of carrying 26 passengers, and piloted by two pilots, with differential controls.{{cite journal|journal=Air Progress|date=November 1978|page=16}}

Mr. Lawson took it on a 2000-mile multi-city tour to advocate commercial air travel.{{cite journal|author=The Royal Aero Club of the UK|title=The Lawson Aerial Transport|journal=Flight- the Aircraft Engineer & Airship Weekly|date=Sep 11, 1919|volume=XI|series=37|issue=559|pages=1220–1222}}

Some sources state Mr. Lawson himself as the sole designer; others mention involvement of Vincent Burnelli.{{Cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1964/06/23/archives/vincent-j-burnelli-dead-at-69-an-early-designer-of-airplanes.html | title=Vincent J. Burnelli Dead at 69; an Early Designer of Airplanes | newspaper=The New York Times | date=23 June 1964 }}

{{clear}}

Operators

Specifications (L-2)

{{Aircraft specs

|prime units? = imp

|capacity=10

|span m=27.74

|span ft=91

|span in=0

|gross weight kg=5897

|gross weight lb=13,000

|eng1 number=2

|eng1 name=Liberty L-12 piston engine

|eng1 kw=298

|eng1 hp=400

|max speed kmh=161

|max speed mph=100

}}

See also

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|related=

|similar aircraft=

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References

{{Reflist}}

  • {{cite book |title= The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982–1985)|publisher= Orbis Publishing}}