View source for Call Aircraft Company

{{Refimprove|date=September 2014}}The '''Call Aircraft Company''' ('''CAC''' or '''CallAir''') was established by Reuel Call in 1939 at [[Afton, Wyoming]], to build a touring [[aircraft]] of his own design.
{{Infobox company
| name = Call Aircraft Company
| logo = 
| logo_caption = 
| logo_alt = 
| type = 
| industry = [[Aerospace]]
| fate = 
| predecessor = <!-- or: | predecessors = -->
| successor = [[Intermountain Manufacturing Company]]
| founded = <!-- if known: {{Start date and age|YYYY|MM|DD}} in [[city]], country -->
| founder = Reuel T. Call
| defunct = {{End date|1962}}
| hq_location_city = [[Afton, Wyoming]]
| hq_location_country = United States
| area_served = <!-- or: | areas_served = -->
| key_people = 
| products = 
| owner = <!-- or: | owners = -->
| num_employees = 10<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Unique Wyoming Aircraft Plant Builds Planes for Mountain Work |magazine=Aviation Week |date=4 February 1946 |publisher=McGraw-Hill Publishing Company |volume=5 |issue=4 |page=19 |url=http://archive.org/details/Aviation_Week_1946-02-04/page/n10 |accessdate=9 June 2021}}</ref>
| num_employees_year = 1946
| parent = 
| website = <!-- {{URL|example.com}} -->
}}

==History==
The Call Aircraft Company hoped to advance the development of its CallAir Model A to the point of starting production in 1940, but the start of World War II delayed their plans, with the factory operating as an aircraft repair facility for the duration of the conflict. The company was able to continue doing research and development on the Model A, earning a type certificate in July 1944, with the future production model was designated the Model A-2.

CallAir started production of the Model A-2 in late 1945, but first it had to obtain the raw materials. That same year it purchased the inventory of materials from Interstate Aircraft and Engineering as supplies of steel tubing, engines, instruments, fittings, etc had been diverted to those companies with government contracts during the war. Rights to both models of the [[Interstate Cadet]] (the S-1A and S-1B) were first transferred to the [[Harlow Aircraft Company]] in what Joseph Juptner described in his U.S. Civil Aircraft, Vol 8, as a "deal of some kind" in 1945 and then to CallAir for a reported $5,000 in 1950 <ref>FAA Type Certificate Data Sheets A-737 and A-754</ref> (${{Inflation|US|5000|1952|r=-3|fmt=c}} in {{Inflation/year|US}}). CallAir built two S-1A Cadets: The first, built in 1951 with the ambitious serial number of 1001, was badged as an Interstate, likely due to the preponderance of built-up Interstate components used in construction; the second was badged a CallAir, serial number 1002, the only Cadet built with their name on it, in 1952. 

Production of the Model A commenced after the war with variations developed over time. Sales of the Model A grew with the A-4, which was adapted in 1954 into what Carl Petersen described as the world's first purpose-built [[agricultural aircraft]].<ref>Petersen, The CallAir Affair, self-pub 1989</ref> This was pure advertising hype as the first purpose built agricultural aircraft was the Huff-Daland Duster designed in 1923-1924, some of which were built for Delta Dusters, later Delta Air Lines <ref>Aeronautical Chamber of Commerce of America (1926). Aircraft year book 1925.</ref> The CallAir A-4 evolved into the A-5, the best seller (83 built, including the A-5 Texan) of the Model A-series. 

CallAir found itself struggling against fierce competition from [[Cessna]], [[Piper Aircraft|Piper]], and the masses of war-surplus aircraft flooding the market.<ref>{{cite journal|journal=Air Progress Sport Aircraft|title=The Quiet Professor|date=Winter 1969}}</ref> After 20 years of ownership, founder Reuel Call sold the company in 1959, and the company foundered by the end of the year.

In 1962 the company's assets were purchased by the [[Intermountain Manufacturing Company]] (IMCO), headed by Barlow Call, Sr. and Carl Petersen.<ref>{{cite news |title=Star Valley Group Seeks to Reopen Plane Plant |work=Billings Gazette |agency=AP |date=18 March 1962 |page=2W}}</ref> IMCO, less the Cadet type certificates, was later purchased by [[Aero Commander]] in December 1966.<ref>{{cite news |title=R-S Buys Aero Firm |work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |agency=AP |date=24 December 1966 |page=7}}</ref> However, in 1968 [[Polaris Inc.|Polaris]] leased the former factory buildings to build snowmobiles.<ref>{{cite news |title=Afton Gets Snowmobile Plant |work=Billings Gazette |agency=AP |date=7 July 1968 |page=14}}</ref> Following the death of Barlow Call in a mid-air collision while herding horses,<ref>AviationDB.com: NTSB Pre 1982 Accident Query</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Wheelan |first1=Joan |title=Father and Son Collide in Air |url=http://www.newspapers.com/clip/15905125/father-and-son-collide-in-air-barlow |access-date=25 July 2021 |work=Casper Star-Tribune |date=17 September 1968 |page=1}}</ref> the Cadet type certificates were sold separately by the Barlow Call estate to William Diehl as Nikiski Marine Corporation of [[Anchorage, Alaska]] in 1969 and Arctic Aircraft Company, Inc in 1970.<ref>FAA Type Certificate Data Sheets A-737 and A-754</ref>

==Museum==
The CallAir Foundation maintains a museum of the company in its hometown.

==Aircraft==
[[File:CallAir A-2 (N2916V).jpg|thumb|right|Callair A-2]]
[[File:Cadet sn1002.png|thumb|CallAir Cadet sn1002]]
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Model name
! First flight
! Number built
! Type

|-
|align=left| [[CallAir S-1]]
|align=center| 
|align=center| 1<ref>{{cite web |last1=Nelon |first1=Alex |title=The One and Only CallAir Cadet |url=http://generalaviationnews.com/2018/07/26/the-one-and-only-callair-cadet |website=General Aviation News |access-date=20 December 2020 |date=26 July 2018}}</ref>
|align=left| Single engine cabin monoplane
|-
|align=left| [[CallAir A]]
|align=center| 1940
|align=center| 1
|align=left| Single engine cabin monoplane
|-
|align=left| [[CallAir A-1]]
|align=center| 
|align=center| 5
|align=left| Single engine cabin monoplane
|-
|align=left| [[CallAir A-2]]
|align=center| 
|align=center| 16
|align=left| Single engine cabin monoplane
|-
|align=left| [[CallAir A-3]]
|align=center| 
|align=center| 15
|align=left| Single engine cabin monoplane
|-
|align=left| [[CallAir A-4]]
|align=center| 
|align=center| 65
|align=left| Single engine cabin monoplane
|-
|align=left| [[CallAir A-5]]
|align=center| 
|align=center| 74
|align=left| Single engine cabin monoplane
|-
|align=left| [[CallAir Model A|CallAir A-5T Texan]]
|align=center| 
|align=center| 9
|align=left| Single engine cabin monoplane
|-
|align=left| [[CallAir A-6]]
|align=center| 
|align=center| 34
|align=left| Single engine cabin monoplane
|-
|align=left| [[CallAir A-7]]
|align=center| 
|align=center| 1
|align=left| Single engine cabin monoplane
|-
|align=left| [[CallAir A-9]]
|align=center| 1963
|align=center| 
|align=left| Single engine monoplane agricultural airplane
|-
|}

==See also==
* [[Aviat]]
* [[Snow Aeronautical]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book |last1=Petersen |first1=Carl J. |title=CallAir Affair |date=1989 |location=Denver, Colorado |url=http://lincolncountywy.org/archives/VirtualMuseum/Aviation,%20Carl%20J.%20Peterson,%20'Call%20Air%20Affair',%201989,%20Book%20Soft,%2080p,%20Website,%20(749).pdf |accessdate=19 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201019002333/http://lincolncountywy.org/archives/VirtualMuseum/Aviation,%20Carl%20J.%20Peterson,%20%27Call%20Air%20Affair%27,%201989,%20Book%20Soft,%2080p,%20Website,%20%28749%29.pdf |archive-date=19 October 2020}}

== External links ==
{{commons category|Call Aircraft Company}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20211127044020/http://www.callairmuseum.org CallAir Museum]

[[Category:Defunct aircraft manufacturers of the United States]]
[[Category:Companies based in Wyoming]]
[[Category:Manufacturing companies based in Wyoming]]