Williamsport, PA - February 19, 2004 - As the next century of powered flight begins, Lycoming Engines will recall the height of the Golden Age of Aviation as it celebrates its 75 th Anniversary of aircraft engine production begun in 1929. Shortly, more than 100 aircraft manufacturers and different air transport companies would emerge in this fledgling industry. Today, Lycoming Engines powers the majority of the world's general aviation fleet.
On February 19, 2004 , in conjunction with the Williamsport/Lycoming Chamber of Commerce, Lycoming Engines is hosting a PM Exchange today from 5-7 p.m. featuring the grand opening of their factory museum. Chamber members, business leaders and dignitaries were invited as Lycoming kicks off its year-long celebration of this pivotal year when flying captured the hearts and imagination of America, indeed of the world.
Sean D. Tucker, one of the premier air show performers and aerobatic pilots sponsored by Lycoming, will be on hand to autograph prints of his custom Pitts Special biplane. His highenergy performances have enthralled airshow crowds across the nation. Crowned in 1988 as the U.S. National Advanced Category Aerobatic Champion, Tucker has won every aerobatic airshow competition in the world. He currently serves as a FAA designated ACE (Airshow Certification Evaluator) where he spends countless hours counseling young air show performers on their routines.
Lycoming's beginnings predated its foray into aircraft engine production. Early history shows that in 1908, the plant was known as the Lycoming Foundry and Machine Shop with a forty-seven-man workforce. Two years later, the young company produced its first automobile engine. Soon production was expanded to include engines for virtually all the famous automobile and truck manufacturers of the day. In 1915, the first Lycoming-designed engine was produced for the Dort automobile. In all, Lycoming produced fifty-seven different types of motors for all makes of automobiles in the 1920s. Charles Lindberg had landed his "Spirit of St Louis" in Paris just two years prior to Lycoming's announcement that it would fly its first aircraft engine, adding aircraft and marine engines to its growing product line of world class automobile engines.
Today, Lycoming Engines, a Textron Company, employs over 500 in its work force at its Oliver & High Street facility and has produced over 300,000 engines. Focused on providing general aviation piston engines, Lycoming is the market leader in this industry segment. Its' first aircraft engine, the R-680 was a nine cylinder, 215 horsepower radial engine. On April 3, 1929 , an orange and black Beech-designed TravelAir biplane was the first plane to carry a Lycoming motor (R-680) on successful trial flight. This engine eventually powered the nation's earliest scheduled airlines. Over 25,000 of these engines were produced spanning almost 20 years.
Lycoming is an operating division of Textron's Avco Corporation subsidiary, specializing in manufacture and support of piston aircraft engines. More than half of the world's general aviation fleet - both rotary-wing and fixed-wing - is powered by Lycoming piston engines.
Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) is a $10 billion multi-industry company with more than 43,000 employees in 40 countries. The company leverages its global network of businesses to provide customers with innovative solutions and services in industries such as aircraft, fastening systems, industrial products, industrial components and finance. Textron is known around the world for its powerful brands such as Bell Helicopter, Cessna Aircraft, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO and Greenlee, among others. More information is available at www.textron.com.