Union Aircraft Company
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| Company type | Aircraft Manufacturer |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1937 |
| Headquarters | Santa Monica, California, Glendale, California |
Key people | Keith Rider, CS Story, WK Gawley |
| Parent | Story-Gawley Propeller Company |
Union Aircraft Company was an American aircraft manufacturer specializing in race aircraft.[1]
California based aircraft designer Keith Rider had developed aircraft since 1916, and specialty aircraft for the National Air Races in the early 1930s.[2] Starting his career as a draftsman for the Glen L. Martin Company. His five early racing designs built in a casket factory were state of the art monoplanes of the era. Despite large payoffs in the height of the depression, Rider fell into debt with the Story-Gawley Propeller company. He founded the Union Aircraft Company as a subsidiary of Story-Gawley to produce an aircraft that would provide enough winnings to pay off the debts, and seek future profits.[3] The company produced the Rider R-6 "Eight-Ball".
The profits did not come about, leading to the end of aircraft production. In 1941 the parent company Story-Gawley was absorbed by Industrial Forming.[4] Rider went on to become Vice President of Doak Aircraft, and project engineer for the Timm Aircraft Company.[5]