Piper's Golden Age Overview:

Piper's Golden Age

Piper's Golden Age traces the full early history of Piper Aircraft, beginning with the original Taylor Brothers Aircraft Corporation in Rochester, New York, in the late 1920s and following the company through the postwar boom and bust of the late 1940s. Written by Alan Abel and Drina Welch Abel, with scale drawings by the late Paul Matt, this book is part of The Golden Age of Aviation Series from Wind Canyon Books.

The narrative covers the people and events that shaped one of general aviation's most recognized names: C.G. Taylor and his brother Gordon, the move to Bradford, Pennsylvania, the company's bankruptcy during the Depression, the split between Taylor and Piper, the Bradford plant fire, and the eventual relocation to Lock Haven in 1937 where the company was reorganized and renamed Piper Aircraft Corporation. World War II production and the postwar years are covered as well.

The book gives detailed attention to a wide range of Taylor and Piper models from this era, including the Taylor Chummy, Taylor E-2 Cub, Taylor/Piper J-2 Cub, Piper J-3 Cub, Piper J-4 Cub Coupe, Piper J-5 Cruiser, the military Grasshopper observation and liaison aircraft, Piper TG-8 Training Glider, Piper PA-11 Cub Special, Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser, Piper PA-14 Family Cruiser, Piper PA-15 Vagabond, Piper PA-16 Clipper, and Piper PA-18 Super Cub. Coverage includes factory operations, manufacturing details, original period photography, and original magazine advertisements from the era.

Piper's Golden Age Topics Include

• Taylor Brothers Aircraft Corporation origins and early development
• C.G. Taylor, Gordon Taylor, and the founding of the lightplane industry
• William T. Piper's involvement and the Taylor-Piper partnership
• Company bankruptcy during the Great Depression
• The Bradford plant fire and relocation to Lock Haven, Pennsylvania
• Reorganization and renaming as Piper Aircraft Corporation in 1937
• Taylor and Piper models of the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s
• World War II military production, including Grasshopper liaison aircraft and the TG-8 training glider
• Postwar models and the boom/bust period
• 130 photos including factory and archival images
• 11 pages of internationally recognized 3-view scale drawings by Paul Matt
• Original period magazine advertisements

Paperback, 100 pages, 8.5" x 11"
Published 2001
By Alan Abel and Drina Welch Abel
ISBN 9781891118609