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

Caproni Caproni, also known as ''Società de Agostini e Caproni'' and ''Società Caproni e Comitti'', was an Italian aircraft manufacturer. Its main base of operations was at Taliedo, near Linate Airport, on the outskirts of Milan. Founded by Giova ...

aircraft in America as part of the

Curtiss-Wright The Curtiss-Wright Corporation is a 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), consolidation ...

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 Dundalk ( or ) is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. The population was 67,796 at the 2020 census. In 1960 and 1970, Dundalk was the largest unincorporated community in Ma ...

with a 20-year lease from the city of

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

and the hiring of George C. Westervelt as manager. Construction was completed in 1930 at the peak of the Great Depression 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 Atlantic Aircraft Corporation, also known as Fokker-America and Atlantic-Fokker, was a US subsidiary of the Dutch Fokker company, responsible for sales and information about Fokker imports, and eventually constructing various Fokker designs."The ...

in 1931. Curtiss-Caproni was absorbed into its parent company, the new

, on 5 July 1929.

References

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Bibliography

Defunct aircraft manufacturers of the United States