Schweizer Aircraft
The Schweizer Aircraft Corporation was an American manufacturer of sailplanes, agricultural aircraft and helicopters located in Horseheads, New York. It was incorporated in 1939 by three Schweizer brothers (Paul, William, and Ernest), who built their first glider, the SGP 1-1, in 1930. Previously the oldest privately owned aircraft company in the United States, Schweizer was acquired by Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation of Stratford, Connecticut in 2004, and became a diversified aerospace company. Schweizer Aircraft ceased operations in 2012. It was sold to Schweizer RSG in 2018 and production lines were opened in Fort Worth, Texas. The company was producing three helicopter models in 2021. History The company grew out of the Mercury Glider Club which produced the first two Schweizer gliders in the Schweizers' barn. The company was originally called the Schweizer Metal Aircraft Company. Attorney Bob McDowell indicated to the Schweizers that they should move their manufacturing operation out of their father's barn and relocate to the Elmira, New York area. The Schweizers received the suggestion positively as they needed more space to produce gliders, but they had no money with which to make the move. McDowell convinced Elmira Industries Inc, the local business development corporation, to provide space for