Keystone Aircraft
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Aerospace |
| Founded | 1920 |
| Founder | Thomas Huff, Elliot Daland |
| Fate | Acquired by Curtiss-Wright; production ended 1932 |
| Headquarters | Bristol, Pennsylvania , United States |
Key people | James McDonnell (chief designer from 1924) |
| Products | Agricultural aircraft, military bombers, airliners |
| Parent | Curtiss-Wright (from 1929) |
Keystone Aircraft Corporation was one of the pioneering airplane manufacturers in the United States.
History
Based in Bristol, Pennsylvania, the enterprise originated in 1920 under the name "Ogdensburg Aeroway Corp," established by Thomas Huff and Elliot Daland. It soon adopted the name "Huff-Daland Aero Corp," later becoming "Huff-Daland Aero Company," and gained prominence for its agricultural aircraft as well as early bomber models developed for the United States Army Air Corps. Beginning in 1924, James McDonnell took on the role of chief designer.
In 1926, following Huff's departure, the firm was purchased by Hayden, Stone & Co., which boosted its capital to $1 million and rebranded it as Keystone. Two years later, in 1928, it merged with Loening to create Keystone–Loening. The subsequent year saw Keystone–Loening acquired by Curtiss-Wright, which shut down the New York facility and centralized production in Bristol, Pennsylvania. Key personnel from Loening—including Leroy R. Grumman, Leon "Jake" Swirbul, and William Schwendler—chose not to move and instead founded Grumman Aircraft in 1930, a company that later became known for producing significant military planes and the Lunar Excursion Module.
In 1932, Keystone entered a competition held by the Army Air Corps with a design for an advanced heavy bomber. This aircraft was an all-metal low-wing monoplane featuring retractable landing gear and powered by two Curtiss V-1570 Conqueror engines. Its armament included up to three .30 caliber machine guns, and it could carry an external bomb load of 2,000 pounds. However, after failing to satisfy the specified requirements, Keystone withdrew its proposal. The contract was ultimately granted to Martin for their B-10 Bomber. This effort represented Keystone's last submission for a military aircraft design.
After being acquired, Keystone functioned as a manufacturing branch within Curtiss-Wright until production ended in 1932. The former Keystone manufacturing site was sold to Fleetwings in 1934.
A notable tragedy involved Lieut. Comdr. Noel Davis and Lieut. Stanton H. Wooster, who lost their lives while testing the Keystone Pathfinder American Legion shortly before attempting a trans-Atlantic flight for the Orteig Prize.
Aircraft
| Loening XS2L (Keystone–Loening XS2L) | 1933 | 1 | Single-engine biplane flying boat || Model name | First flight | Number built | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Huff-Daland TW-5 | 26 | Single-engine biplane trainer | |
| Huff-Daland XB-1 | 1927 | 1 | Prototype twin-engine biplane bomber |
| Keystone PK | 18 | Licensed variant of Naval Aircraft Factory PN | |
| Keystone XLB-3 | 1 | Prototype twin-engine biplane bomber | |
| Keystone LB-5 | 1927 | 36 | Twin-engine biplane bomber |
| Keystone LB-6 | 1927 | 18 | Twin-engine biplane bomber |
| Keystone B-3 | 36 | Twin-engine biplane bomber | |
| Keystone B-4 | 30 | Twin-engine biplane bomber | |
| Keystone B-5 | 30 | Twin-engine biplane bomber | |
| Keystone B-6 | 44 | Twin-engine biplane bomber | |
| Keystone K-47 Pathfinder | 1927 | 2 | Trimotor biplane airliner |
| Keystone K-55 Pronto | 1927 | Single-engine biplane mail plane | |
| Keystone–Loening K-85 Air Yacht | 1928 | 4 | Single-engine biplane flying boat |
| Keystone NK | 1928 | 20 | Single-engine biplane trainer |
| Keystone K-78 Patrician | 1929 | 3 | Trimotor monoplane airliner |
| Keystone–Loening K-84 Commuter | 1929 | Single-engine biplane flying boat | |
| Keystone XO-15 | 1930 | 1 | Prototype single-engine observation biplane |
| Keystone XOK | 1931 | 1 | Single-engine biplane floatplane |
Keystone Bomber Design (USAAC XB-908)
| align=center | 1932 | 0 | Twin-engine monoplane bomber prototype (unbuilt) | |