Airplanes 1920-1929

Lawon L2 (1920) by Alfred Lawson

Origin: The Lawson L-2 was a 1920s American biplane airliner, designed and built by the Lawson Air Line Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The designer, Alfred Lawson, named the aircraft after himself. The aircraft Alfred Lawson developed, was influenced by the Wright Model, which was the norm at the time.

Diagram of the Lawson Aerial Transport Type L2

Purpose: The Lawson Air Line Company designed and built a series of large biplane airliners for use on its planned airline routes. The Lawson L-2 was built to demonstrate that a large commercial passenger plane could be built. The L-2 was a first of its kind, and was capable of carrying 26 passengers piloted by two different controls.

Value: This was significant for the time period, because for the first time people now had a efficient and faster way to travel all over the world. It was also the first time, that normal people had the opportunity to sit on a airplane. Seeing that this was the first passenger airline, it is the best expression of the time period compared to others.

Limitations: Even though this was a huge advance in the right direction, there was still some limitations. These airliners did not offer routes to many cities. This was because the fuel intake was low and the aircraft could not go long distances. Many times the excessive weight of the aircraft also led to this aircraft crashing many times, and eventually being shutdown.



Sources:
1. http://www.centennialofflight.net/essay/Commercial_Aviation/1920s/Tran1G1.htm
2. http://www.century-of-flight.net/new%20site/commercial/Commercial%20Aviation.htm