Curtiss-Caproni was an Italian-American aircraft manufacturer formed in the late 1920s to produce Caproni aircraft in America as part of the

Curtiss-Wright The Curtiss-Wright Corporation is an American manufacturer and services provider headquartered in Davidson, North Carolina, with factories and operations in and outside the United States. Created in 1929 from the consolidation (business), consoli ...

aviation conglomerate. As early as 1917, Curtiss was contracted to build Caproni-designed aircraft. On 18 May 1918, Curtiss received an order to build 500 Caproni aircraft. The Caproni test pilots died testing prototypes, and replacements never materialized. A production partnership was tried again in 1929 with the forming of the Curtiss-Caproni Company. Curtiss-Caproni built a construction factory in Dundalk, Maryland with a 20-year lease from the city of

Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...

and the hiring of George C. Westervelt as manager. Construction was completed in 1930 at the peak of the

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

with the intent of hiring 500 to 1000 employees. Employment was reduced to two after completion of the plant and agreements were made to delay operating expenses with the city of Baltimore until production commenced. The factory was later occupied by the General Aviation Corporation in 1931. Curtiss-Caproni was absorbed into its parent company, the new

, on 5 July 1929.

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Defunct aircraft manufacturers of the United States