Loening XOL-1

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     Loening Aeronautical Engineering is one of the post WWI names in aviation when numerous companies joined the market to build aircraft for United States armed forces. Nicknamed "Flying Shoehorns" Loening developed several amphibious aircraft for the US Army and Navy.

      The OL-1 was the first of this series specific to the US Navy and was developed from the US Army Air Service OA-1 Amphibian. The OL-1 only succeeded in the production of two aircraft. The US Navy BuNo's for the OL-1s were A-6879 and A-6880. Fortunate for aviation lovers photos of both aircraft are available in the US National Archives Record Group 80G. The following images are a few from the RG-80G collection at NARA II.
RG-80G-3740 Loening OL-1 A-6879 Left Side 19250504
     The two aircraft have some significant differences starting with the vertical fin and rudder. 6879 having a raked fin and rudder combination, 6880 having a rectangular vertical fin and a balanced rudder assembly. 6880 had open spoked wheels while the earlier 6879 had covered wheel centers.


RG-80G-3748 Loening OL-1 A-6880 Right Rear 192602xx
RG-80G-3744 Loening OL-1 A-6879 Right Front 192505xx
 The two aircraft are seen with several different propellers during their flight operations. Two, three and four bladed propellers have been photographed on these two machines.
Here is the two bladed propeller on 6880.
RG-80G-3747 Loening OL-1 A-6880 Right Front 192602xx

Here is one of the images with a four bladed propeller on 6879.

RG-80G-3750 Loening OL-1 A-6879 Front 19250509

      Nice closeup image of 6879 showing the three cockpits, fuel tank and rigging details.
RG-80G-3751 Loening OL-1 A-6879 RightRearCloseup 192512xx
     The Loening Aeronatical Engineering company eventually merged with the Keystone Aircraft company and became Loening Aeronautical Division of Keystone Aircraft in 1928. In 1931 Keystone became part of Curtiss-Wright Corporation. 

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