What are the pioneer aircraft companies in the world?

Question

What are the pioneer aircraft companies in the world?

Answer 1

Well Dehavilland (probably spelt it wrong) had the first Jet Commercial Aircraft in the form of the Comet. However some might regard Boeing as a pioneer aircraft company for coming up with the first flawless jet commercial aircraft, but Boeing probably learned from the mistakes that Dehavilland made in terms of metal fatigue so in my opinion Dehavilland was the pioneer aircraft company.

Answer 2

Just a quick correction about cal's post.  Heinkel was indeed the first company to produce a jet powered aircraft.  But they did not produce the first production jet fighter.  That honor goes to Messerschmitt with their ME 262.  Honestly the only reason the Me 262 was produced first was political, Heinkel made such good bombers that the government wanted it to concentrate on that sector of aviation.  The He 162 was eventually mass produced and entered service with the Luftwaffe, but way too late and its service was very short.

Answer 3

Scaled Composites Founded in 1982 by Burt Rutan

Heck they took the Xprice if I remember correctly...

http://www.scaled.com/

Answer 4

Wright

Curtiss

Sopwith

Bleriot

Avro

Aviatik

Short Bros.

Answer 5

pi·o·neer  (p-nîr)

1.  One who ventures into unknown or unclaimed territory to settle.

2. One who opens up new areas of thought, research, or development: a pioneer in aviation.

3. A soldier who performs construction and demolition work in the field to facilitate troop movements.

4. Ecology An animal or plant species that establishes itself in a previously barren environment.

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/

Using this definition (2) there are several companies that qualify.

The Wright Aeronautical Corporation.  It's founders built the world's first controllable aircraft.  Later it developed the world's first truly reliable aircraft engine (the J-5) in the 1920s.

Junkers.  Pioneered the use of metal in aircraft; first steel, then a lightweight but strong aluminium alloy called 'Elektron'.

Sikorsky.  Made the first large multi-engined aircraft.  Later made the first truly successful helicopter.

Northrop.  Pioneered the use of monocoque (where the skin supports the airframe loads) first with wood while working for Lockheed, then with aluminium.  All modern aircraft (except the newer composite ones) are built this way.  Later developed several flying wings including the current B-2 Stealth Bomber.

Douglas.  Made the world's first modern airliner (the DC-3) that was not only safe, but profitable as well.

Heinkel.  Developed the world's first jet-powered aircraft and later the world's first jet fighter.

Boeing.  Pioneered the use of pressurization in a commercial airliner (the B-307 Stratoliner) and later dominated the heavy jet bomber/jet airliner market.

Airbus.  Pioneered the concept of the wide-body twin; every successful airliner since has adhered to this basic Airbus formula.

Answer 6

Wright.  

Curtiss.

Answer 7

Airbus, Boeing

Answer 8

Define 'Pioneer' and you will probablky get more answers.

Answer 9

The five oldest non-airship airlines that still exist are Netherland's KLM, Colombia's Avianca, Australia's Qantas, Mexico's Mexicana and Finland's Finnair.

In the U.S.Tony Jannus conducted the United States' first scheduled commercial airline flight on 1 January 1914 for the St. Petersburg-routes, which would, through time and mergers, evolve into Delta Air Lines, Braniff Airways, American Airlines, United Airlines (originally a division of Boeing), Trans World Airlines, Northwest Airlines, and Eastern Air Lines, to name a few

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Pan Am and TWA were both international airlines that played a large part in the development and expansion of air travel, but did not survive into the current era.

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