REVISED: 10/23/08

Howard

1922: Ben O Howard, Chicago IL. 1936: Howard Aircraft Corp formed, occupying old Laird factory at Chicago Municipal Airport. 1939: Ben Howard left the presidency of his company to start a new career as test pilot, aviation consultant, etc. 1945: Howard Aircraft Corp liquidated. 1957: Ben Howard & Associates formed in Santa Monica CA to produce conversion kits for DC-3.

C-70 1942 = Impressed and contracted DGA as USAAF personnel transport.

UC-70 1942 = Impressed DGA-15P. POP: 18 [42-38264, -38364/38366, -43618, -43627, -47390, -47451, -49075/49076, -53004, -53010, -53533, -63351, -68338, -68674, -88615/88616].

UC-70A 1942 = Impressed DGA-12. POP: 2 [42-x].

UC-70B 1942 = Contracted DGA-15J. POP: 4 [42-x].

UC-70C 1942 = Impressed DGA-8.

UC-70D 1942 = Impressed DGA-9. POP: 2 [42-x].

DGA-1 1922 = 3pOB; 90hp Curtiss OX-5. Ben Howard, Gordon Israel. POP: 1 backyard barnstormer using Standard J-1 wings. Start of the DGA ("Damn Good Airplane") line.
DGA-2 1927 = 1pOB; 150hp Hisso. POP: 1 Standard J-1 converted with a large, extra "fuel tank" for a whiskey smuggler to store his wares.
Howard DGA-3 Pete [NR2Y] (magazine clip)
Howard DGA-3 with B O Howard (National Archives)

DGA-3 Pete 1930 = 1pOlwM; 90hp Wright-Gipsy; span: 20'1" length: 17'9". Built as a class project at Von Hoffman School of Aeronautics at Lambert Field in St Louis MO as a racer for the 1930-35 Nationals, it won five first-place prizes the first year [NR2Y]. Sold to Joe Jacobsen in 1932, who raced it until 1939, then placed it in storage with the Baker brothers during WW2 (SEE Baker Pete). About 1990 the original fuselage and tail went to Repeat Aircraft, Riverside CA, for use in restoration back to the original 1930 configuration with a Wright-Cirrus. There it was noted that Benny Howard, an inveterate scrounger, had used salvage material from scrap piles and wrecks to such an extent that there wasn't a piece of tubing in the entire fuselage more than two feet long, including the longerons! Presently the only Golden Age racer still flying with original parts, reregistered [N2YX]—the original number had been spoken for by another replica.
Howard DGA-4 Ike [NR56Y] (Morris A Koshchuk coll)

DGA-4 Mike, Ike 1932 = 1pOlwM; 160hp Menasco; span: 20'1" length: 17'0". POP: 2 racers for 1930-35 Nationals [NR55Y] Mike and [NR56Y] Ike. The latter, assumed as DGA-5, was identical except for landing gear, engine mount, and carburetor. It was reconstructed 1962 in Ohio with 200hp Ranger and reported as a restoration with original Menasco B-6 in 2007 by Karl Engelskirger & Tom Matowitz (Wadsworth OH). A DGA-5 designation here apparently is invalid, and was originally applied by Howard on an air-show version of Lincoln Playboy (qv).

For years it was thought "Ike" and "Mike" were DGA-4 and -5, perhaps because Howard compiled a list of his creations for AAA's Bob Taylor, which indicated that was so. However, it was all off the top of his head and he erred on several numbers. "Ike" and "Mike" were both on regs as DGA-4s because they were virtually identical in construction and originally intended for an ATC as -4s. Vincent J Berinati, who worked for Howard as an engineer and is the sole survivor from that era, is in accord with these findings. (— John W Underwood 10/19/07)
Howard DGA-6 Mr Mulligan [NR273Y] (WASM coll)

DGA-6 1935 = 3-4pChwM; 550-830hp supercharged P&W Wasp SE; 38'0" length: 31'8" (?>25'1") v: 290/262/64. POP: 1 Nationals racer Mr Mulligan [NR273Y]; 1935 Bendix Trophy (p: Ben Howard), 1935 Thompson Trophy (p: Harold Neumann); destroyed in crash after prop failure during the 1936 Bendix race. Two post-war replicas were built, one crashed in a speed test (p: Bob Reichardt).
Howard DGA-7 Ben Howard and prototype [X14835] (Bob O'Hara coll)

DGA-7, -8 1936 (ATC 612) = 4pChwM; 320hp Wright R-760; span: 38'0" (?>35'0") length: 25'8" load: 1470# v: 192/188/52 range: 900 (data for DGA-8). $14,850; POP: 1 prototype DGA-7 [X14835] with 420hp R-760, converted to -8, and 11 DGA-8 [NC14870/14874, NC14885/14888, NC18204, NC18209], of which 1 to USAAF as UC-70C.
DGA-9 1937 (ATC 645) = 4-5pChwM; 285hp Jacobs L-5; span: 38'0" length: 25'8" load: 1450# v: 175/166/50 range: 540 ceiling: 18,000'. Optional Deluxe model with controllable prop. $9,800; POP: 7 [NC14886, NC14889, NC18202/18203, NC18205/18207], of which 2 to USAAF as UC-70D.
Howard DGA-11 [NC18211] (Morris A Koshchuk coll)

DGA-11 1937 (ATC 672) = 5pChwM; 400hp P&W Wasp; span: 38'0" length: 25'5" load: 1650# v: 196/190/65 range: 1000. $17,685; POP: at least 6 factory-built [NC14875, NC18208, NC18210/18211, NC22402], plus some converted from DGA-8 [NC14871], -9, and -12.
DGA-12 1937 (ATC 645) = 4-5pChwM; 300hp Jacobs L-6; span: 38'0" length: 25'8" load: 1500# v: 190/187/52 range: 930 ceiling: 19,000'. Optional Deluxe model with controllable prop. $12,800; POP: 3 [NS55, NC20400/20401], of which 2 were impressed by USAAF UC-70A.
DGA-15J 1939 (ATC 717) = 4-5pChwM; 300hp Jacobs L-6; span: 38'0" length: 24'10" load: 1650# v: 178/165/61 range: 1075. $19,885. 4 to USAAF as UC-70B.
Howard DGA-15P (Ralph Nortell)

DGA-15P 1939 (ATC 717) = 450hp P&W R-985 Wasp; v: 201/170/61 range: 955. 11 to USAAF as UC-70. To USN as NH and USCG as GH.

DGA-15W 1939 = 350hp Wright R-760; v: 180/170/61 range: 1060. POP: 1, converted to DGA-15P.

. Howard DGA-18 [NC31620] (Ralph Nortell)

DGA-18 (DGA-125) Trainer 1941 (ATC 739) = 2p OlwM; 125hp Warner Scarab; span: 34'0" length: 26'6" load: 607# v: 118/108/50 range: 380. Gordon Israel. First use in Civilian Pilot Training Program.
DGA-18K (DGA-160) 1941 (ATC 739) = 160hp Kinner R-5; length: 27'0" load: 605# v: 120/110/55 range: 330.

DGA-18W (DGA-145) 1941 (ATC 739) = 145hp Warner Super Scarab; load: 589# 130/115/57 range: 300. POP: 60.

Flyabout 1928 = 2pOB; 90hp Curtiss OX-5; span: (lower) 31'6" (upper) 28'0" load: 730# v: 97/x/36. Side-by-side cockpit with dual controls. An article in Aviation of 9/9/26, places its manufacture by Howard at Houston TX.
Howard GH-2 (USCG)

GH 1942 = DGA-15P as USN and USCG personnel transport and aerial ambulance. POP: 34 as GH-1 [04390/04395, 08006/08028, 09769/09770, 09775, 09779, 09781], 131 as GH-2 ambulance [08029, 32336/32385, 32787/32866], 115 with 122-gal fuel tank as GH-3 [44921/44922, 44935/44937, 44939, 44941/45049].
Howard NH-1 (USN)

NH 1943 = DGA-15P as USN instrument trainer with a third set of controls in the rear seat. POP: 205 as NH-1 [29376/29550, 44905/44920, 44923/44934, 44938, 44940/45049].