REVISED: 8/1/08
Thomas, Thomas-Morse
1910 Thomas (National Archives) 1911 Thomas The first dual-control trainer? (Roy Wingate coll) 1911 Thomas 2-view (1911 Aeronautics) 1911 = 1-2pOB; 65hp Kirkham I-6 pusher; span: 31'6" length: 20'0". Quad gear; aka Thomas Headless Biplane. 1912 = 1pOB; 65hp Kirkham tractor version of TA. POP: 1. Further development was abandoned in favor of pusher versions. 1913 = 1pOmwM; 40hp Maximotor or 65hp Kirkham pusher; span: 32'0" length: 30'0". Blériot look-alike with quad gear, aka Thomas Monoplane. 1913 = 2pOB; 65hp Kirkham pusher; span: (upper) 37'0" (lower) 27'0" v: 58 range: 70-100. Design modification of the 1912 tractor TA with nacelle fuselage; twin tails, underslung lower wing; aka Thomas Standard Biplane and Nacelle Pusher. Thomas B-4 (Consolidated) B-3, -4 1912 = 2-3pOBFb; 90hp Austro-Diamler pusher; v: 65. Wood hull covered with galvanized iron sheeting. 1914 version incorporated streamlining, 1915 model was 3p "luxury cruiser" with mahogany hull. POP: 3 or 4. BP 1916 - Huge 3pOB twin-motor, folding-wing "battleplane" project; span: 78'6" length: 37'6" v(est): 89/x/46. Construction underway, but cancelled after Army expressed no interest. Thomas D-2 (clip: 1915 Flying) D-2 1915 = Civil trainer. 2pOB; 135hp Sturtevant; span: 52'9" length: 29'9" load: 1200# v: 86/x/38. Benjamin D Thomas (no family relation; principal designer for most Thomas and T-Ms). Improved T-2. POP: 2 to USN as HS. D-5 1916 = Army observation. Remotored D-2; 135hp Thomas 8. POP: 2 [AS114/115]. E 1913 = Developed from TA; 65hp Kirkham pusher; span: (upper) 37'0" (lower) 27'0" length: 27'0". POP: reportedly 12. One, aka Thomas Special Biplane, with 33'0" wings and 80hp Curtiss pusher, set an altitude record of 13,000' in 1913 (p: Frank Burnside). Thomas HS (Naval Review via Jos Heyman) HS 1915 = 2pOBF; 135hp Thomas Aeromotor. POP: 2 D-2s ordered by USN in 1916 [A57/58], but both were involved in crashes before delivery. Rebuilt in 1916 with 48'6" wing and 135hp Sturtevant for use as trainers. Thomas T-2 with OX motor (aerofiles.com) T-2 1914 = 2pOB; 90hp Austro-Diamler; span: 36'0" load: 897# v: 83. Benjamin D Thomas, based on his Curtiss J design. POP: 24 with 90hp Curtiss OX exported to Great Britain in 1915. TA 1910 = 2-3pOBAm/F; 50-65hp Kirkham pusher; span: The second Thomas product. Four trailing-edge ailerons, nacelle fuselage; early seaplane models had tubular wing floats. POP: 2 recorded, plus perhaps others built with varied motors of 65-90hp; first was the 1910 model with exposed cockpit and interplane ailerons, which set an endurance record of four hours in 1912 (p: Walter Johnson). Tested as a single-float tractor version 1912, but results were inconclusive. Thomas-Morse TA TractorTA Hydro 1913 = 1pOBFb; 90hp Austro-Diamler; span: 33'0" length: 23'0". First all-metal hull in USA. Also fitted with 100hp Maximotor. -Morse M-23 1922 = 1pOB; 425hp Curtiss D-12; span: 36'3" length: 20'0". POP: 1 for Army evaluation. Thomas-Morse MB-1 (Consolidated) -Morse MB-1 1918 = 1pOhwM; 400hp Liberty 12; span: 37'0" length: 22'0". Faired lifting struts, parasol wing. POP: 1, flown only once, as the landing gear proved to be too frail for its weightit collapsed while taxiing out for another trial flight. Thomas-Morse MB-2 [AS25806] (USAAF) -Morse MB-2 1918 = 2pOB; 400hp Liberty 12-C; span: 31'0" length: 24'0" load: 726#. POP: 1, refitted with 450hp Liberty and four-bladed prop, but lacked performance [AS25806]. Unrecorded if it ever completed flight tests. Thomas-Morse MB-3 [AS63336] (USAAC) Thomas-Morse MB-3 Painted WW1 for film "Wings" (art: K O Eckland) -Morse MB-3 1919 = 1pOB; 300hp Wright-Hisso H; span: 26'0" length: 20'0" load: 823# v: 141/125/x (?>152/144/x) range: 310 (?>288) ceiling: 23,700'; ff: 2/2/19. Design influenced by French SPAD. Design elements went into Boeing PW-9. POP: 50 for Army [AS63331/63380], 10 for USMC [A6060/6069]; plus 1 static and 3 flying prototypes [AS40092/40095], and 4 production for tests at McCook Field [AS63332, AS63336/63337]. Thomas-Morse MB-3A (USAF Wright Field) Thomas-Morse MB-4 (Consolidated) -Morse MB-4 1920 = Mail carrier. 2pOB; two 300hp Wright-Hisso H; span: 45'6" length: 25'5" load: 2010# v: 140/122/x (single-engine cruise: 100) range: 600. A centerline tractor/pusher engine nacelle pod in the middle, and twin fuselages from surplus MB-3s on either side, provided only bad characteristicsone fuselage tended to take off before the other, no communication between cockpits, excessive motor vibration, etc. POP: 1, never used in USPO service, scrapped 1921, and 3 to Army [AS64306, AS64373/64374]; the first one to McCook Field as P-172. -Morse MB-5 = Enigmatic model showing up on Army records but not in T-M references. POP: 10 to Army [AS64375/64384]. Thomas-Morse R-2 [AS68537] (NASA) -Morse MB-6, R-2 1921 = From MB-3; v: 185. POP: 3, of which 1 was used for static tests, 1 crashed, and the last was redesignated R-2 for 1921 Pulitzer races (p: John A Macready) [AS68537]. Thomas-Morse MB-7 [64373] (AAHS coll) -Morse MB-7, R-5 1921 = USN racer from USAS inventory. MB-3 converted to 1pOhwM; 400hp Wright-Hisso H-3 (?>585hp Packard 1A-2025); span: 29'0" length: 25'0" v: 155; ff: 9/29/22 (p: Capt Frank O Hunter). Strut-braced, gulled, parasol wing. POP: 2 as R-5 military entries in 1921 Pulitzer races; [AS64373=A6070] (dropped out with lubrication problems) and [AS64374=A6071] (destroyed in crash during trial flight) (?>[AS68561/68562]?). One reportedly tested with 400hp Curtiss D-12, both subsequently destroyed in static testing. -Morse MB-9 1921 = Army pursuit. 1pOhwM modified from MB-10 with 300hp Wright H-3 and 29'0" wing, but still suffered design and structural problems. POP: 1, was test-flown a few times (p: Paul Wilson), then relegated to storage. Thomas-Morse MB-10 (Consolidated) -Morse MB-10 1921 = Army primary trainer. 2pOhwM; 110hp LeRhône rotary. All-metal trainer had poor flight characteristics, was converted into MB-9. POP: 1. -Morse O-6 - 2pOB; 400hp Liberty 12. Metal-frame versions of Douglas O-2 built under government contract. Thomas-Morse XO-6 [25-435] (USAAF) -Morse O-19 - Improved version of XO-6 design. 2pOB; span: 39'9" length: 28'4" load: 1078# v: 139/121/x range: 462 (data for O-19B). XO-19 1929 = Prototype with 450hp P&W R-1340-3; ff: 4/x/29. POP: 1 [28-400]. Became XO-19B. -Morse O-20 1929 = O-19 with 525hp P&W R-1690-1. POP: 1 as YO-20 [28-402], plus 1 redesignated from O-19 [28-401]. -Morse O-21 - O-19 with 600hp Curtiss H-1640 Chieftain. Thomas-Morse XO-21 [28-403] (USAF) -Morse O-23 1929 = O-19 with 600hp Curtiss GV-1570-29 Conqueror; span: 29'9" v: 192. POP: 1 as YO-23 [29-352]. Thomas-Morse YO-41 [30-90] as X0-932 (Albert Hansen coll) Thomas-Morse YO-41 [30-90] as X0-932 (Albert Hansen coll) -Morse O-33, O-41 1931 = 2pOswB conversion from O-19B with Curtiss V-1570-11, sesqui-wings, revised tail; ff: 6/4/31. POP: 1 as Y1O-33 (aka XO-932) [30-90], thn redesignated as Y1O-41 for Wright Field tests (v: 195). Rebuilt as Consolidated 23 in 1934 for use as company plane [NR33Y], then sold to Mexico in 1936 [XABDX]. -Morse O-42 (XO-924) 1932 - Monoplane project, never completed beyond the fuselage stage, which was used for static testing. Thomas-Morse XP-13 [29-453] (Gordon S Williams coll) -Morse P-13 Viper 1929 = 1pOB; 600hp Curtiss H-1640-1; span: 28'0" length: 23'6" load: 994# v: 172/138/x ceiling: 20,775'. Metal fuselage with corrugated skin. POP: 1 prototype as XP-13 for Wright Field tests [29-453]. Thomas-Morse XP-13A [29-453] (USAF Museum) -Morse R-2 SEE MB-6. -Morse R-5 SEE MB-7. Thomas-Morse S-4 Possible Yackey 3p conversion -Morse S-4 - 1pOB with various rotaries. B D Thomas. Evaluated for combat, but rejected and used as a trainer. In considerable varied civil use from war surplus; about 60 show thusly on records, with many converted to 90hp Curtiss OX-5. Thomas-Morse S-4 Prototype Thomas-Morse S-5 [A-762] (USN) -Morse S-5 1917 = S-4B with two short main floats and a tail float. POP: 6 for USN [A757/762]. Thomas-Morse S-6 -Morse S-6 1919 = 2pOB; 80hp LeRhône; span: 29'0" length: 27'4" v: 105/x/35 ceiling: 19,500'. T-M's only production with tandem cockpits and dual controls. POP: 1 sportplane [C98], used in racing competitions; placed second in 1919 Nationals. -Morse S-7 1919 = 2pOB; 80hp LeRhône; span: 32'0" v: 90/x/35. W T Thomas, Agnew Larsen, Raymond Dowd. Side-by-side cockpit, advertised thusly as "The Sociable Seater." POP: 1. Thomas-Morse S-9 (Consolidated) -Morse S-9 1923 = Army trainer. 2pOB; 200hp Lawrance J-1 (one source says Wright J-3); v: 140/x/40. Widened side-by-side cockpit in an all-metal corrugated fuselage, wings from S-6 and tail from S-4C. POP: 1. During Army flight tests at Kelly Field TX, it showed structural problems and the pilot bailed out; however, the plane reportedly glided to an "almost-successful landing" except for losing its wings when it went between two trees. It was sent back to T-M, but never repaired. -Morse SH-4 1915 = USN float version of Thomas T-2 with single main pontoon and wingtip floats, larger tail, three-bay wings; various engines (Curtiss OX-5, Hisso A, et al); span: 44'0" length: 29'9" load: 897# v: 83. $7,575; POP: 15 [A134/136, A395/406]. The first design for Thomas-Morse by B D Thomas incorporated much of the same look as his Curtiss J. Thomas-Morse TM-22 as R-5 racer (Drina Welch Abel coll) -Morse TM-22 SEE MB-7. -Morse TM-23 1923 = 1pOB; 440hp Curtiss D-12; span: 19'6" (later 23'0") length: 16'8" (later 17'6") load: 788# v: 167/125/80 range: 280 ceiling: 20,150'. All-metal, corrugated-skin pursuit design with inherent design and cooling problems despite several modifications. POP: 1 for Army evaluation at McCook Field, rejected for its flight characteristics and high landing speed, dismantled in 1926. Thomas-Morse TM-24 -Morse TM-24 1924 = 2pOB; 440hp Curtiss D-12; span: (upper) 25'0" (lower) 30'1" length: 20'5" load: 1500# v: 143/114/63. 63" chord upper wing, 52" chord lower wing; bridge-truss struts; biplane tail. All-metal, corrugated-skin pursuit was an improvement over TM-23, but still had enough design problems to result in rejection by the Army after McCook Field tests [P-380]. POP: 1, dismantled and stored away.
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