Everything about Vought totally explained
Vought is the name of several related
aerospace firms. These have included, in the past,
Lewis and Vought Corporation,
Chance Vought,
Vought Sikorsky,
LTV Aerospace (part of
Ling-Temco-Vought),
Vought Aircraft Companies, and the current
Vought Aircraft Industries. The first incarnation of Vought was established by
Chance M. Vought and Birdseye Lewis in 1917. In 1928, it was acquired by
United Aircraft Corporation, the first of many reorganizations and buyouts. Vought produced thousands of planes during
World War II, including the iconic
F4U Corsair.
Ling-Temco-Vought bought Vought in 1961, and while designing and producing a variety of planes and missiles throughout the
Cold War, suffered numerous reorganizations. Vought was sold from LTV and owned in various degrees by the
Carlyle Group and
Northrop Grumman in the early 1990s. It was then fully bought by Carlyle, renamed Vought Aircraft Industries, and continues aerospace work today.
History
The Chance Vought Years 1917-1928
The Lewis and Vought Corporation began in
1917 and was soon succeeded by the Chance Vought Corporation in
1922 when Birdseye Lewis retired. A former chief engineer of the
Wright Company,
Chance Vought began the company to take advantage of the growing field of military and civilian aviation after
World War I. Operations began in
Astoria, New York and in
1919 were moved to
Long Island City, New York.
Vought died from
septicemia in
1930, but in that short time period succeeded in producing a variety of
fighters,
trainers,
flying boats, and
surveillance aircraft for the
US Navy and the
US Army Air Service. Vought made history in
1922 when their
VE-7 "Bluebird" trainer made the first takeoff from the decks of the
USS Langley, the first American aircraft carrier. Following this success came the VE-11 naval fighter and the
O2U Corsair, the first of the Corsair aircraft.
In
1928, the company was acquired by
United Aircraft and Transport Corporation, but stayed its own separate division among the likes of
Pratt and Whitney and
Boeing.
World War and Postwar Era 1930s-1960
Despite the
Great Depression, Vought continued to design and manufacture aircraft at a growing pace. Soon after Chance Vought's death in 1930, the company moved its operations to
East Hartford, Connecticut. Under the
Air Mail Act of
1934, United Aircraft and Transportation Corp. was forced by law to divide its businesses, resulting in Boeing Aircraft,
United Airlines, and the United Aircraft Corp, of which Vought was a part. In
1939 United Aircraft moved Vought to
Stratford, Connecticut where their
Sikorsky division was located and renamed the entire division Vought-Sikorsky Aircraft.
Chief Engineer
Rex Beisel began in
1938 to develop the XF4U, recognized by its distinctly inverted gull wings. After a maiden flight in
1940, thousands of
F4U Corsairs were produced for the Navy and Marines in
World War II. By the end of its production in
1952, Vought,
Goodyear, and
Brewster had all produced the aircraft at one point or another. Vought was reestablished as a separate division in United Aircraft in
1942.
In postwar
1949, Vought moved operations to
Dallas, Texas where the former
North American "B" plant was located. Initiated by the Navy, who feared having their two main aircraft manufacturers located on the East Coast posed an unnecessary risk, Vought moved 27 million pounds of equipment and 1300 employees in 14 months, a record breaking industrial move at the time.
In
1954, the company fully separated from United Aircraft and became the independent Chance Vought Aircraft Inc.
Vought began manufacture of its
F-8 Crusader for the US Navy in
1957, one of the first Navy fighters capable of
supersonic flight and the Navy's last all-gun fighter. The same basic design was later revised and used for Vought's
A-7 Corsair II in the 1960s, which was engaged in a variety of close support and strike missions during the
Vietnam War.
LTV Acquisition 1960-1990
Vought was bought by
James Ling in
1962, forming the new conglomerate Ling-Temco-Vought (LTV). Yet despite the buyout, Vought Aeronautics and Vought Missiles and Space continued to develop and produce for the Air Force and Navy under the umbrella of LTV Aerospace.
By the early
1980s, LTV was struggling, and Vought suffered heavy layoffs. The first of two decades of reorganizations began in
1972 with the creation of Vought Systems by the merging of the Vought Missiles and Space and Aeronautics divisions.
All of LTV Aerospace was renamed the Vought Corporation in
1976, but by
1983 the Vought company was again split along aeronautic and missile lines under LTV Aerospace and Defense.
1992 proved the end of Vought's relationship with LTV. In mid-year the aircraft division was purchased by
Northrop and the
Carlyle Group, each owning roughly 50% of the company. Additionally, the missile division was entirely sold to the
Loral Corporation. That original legacy Vought missiles division in Texas is currently a vital part of Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control.
1990s to Today
Northrop Grumman, the successor to
Northrop, bought out the Carlyle Group's share of Vought for $130 million in
1994. The Carlyle Group then purchased the entire company from Northrop Grumman in
2000 and established Vought Aircraft Industries, Inc., the current incarnation. It is now primarily an
aerostructures subcontractor. Vought is heavily involved in the
Boeing 747,
Boeing 787 aircraft as well as supplying parts for the
F-22 Raptor and
F-35 Lightning II and the
V-22 Osprey. In July 2003, the Aerostructures Corp., owned by the Carlyle Group and based in
Nashville, Tennessee, merged with Vought. Vought's Nashville site supplies wing components for
Airbus A319,
A320,
A330, and
A340.
Notable Vought Systems
Aircraft
Missiles
SSM-N-8 Regulus
ASM-135 ASAT
M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System
Workshare projects
Boeing C-17 Globemaster III (ailerons, elevators, and rudders)
Bell/Boeing V-22 Osprey (empennage, ramp/ramp door)
Boeing 747 (fuselage panels, tail section)
Boeing 767 (center wingbox, horizontal stabilizer)
Boeing 777 (spoilers, flaps)
Boeing 787 (fuselage barrels—Sections 47 and 48)
Lockheed C-5M Super Galaxy (flight control surfaces)
Lockheed C-130 Hercules (empennage)
Lockheed/Boeing F-22 Raptor (stabilator)
Northrop B-2 Spirit
Sikorsky UH-60 Blackhawk/SH-60 Seahawk
Airbus A319 A320 (upper wing panel assemblies)
Airbus A330 A340 (mid- and outer-leading edge assemblies, mid-rear spars, center spar assembly, flaps, fairings and upper panel assemblies )
Airbus A340/500-600 (mid- and outer-leading edge assemblies, mid-rear spars, center spar assembly, upper panels and stringers)
Joint ventures
Global Aeronautica, LLC (50%, with Boeing) — for the Boeing 787
Further Information
Get more info on 'Vought'.
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