Lake Aircraft
Lake Aircraft was a manufacturer of amphibious aircraft. Its factory was in Sanford, Maine, United States, and its sales offices were located at Laconia / Gilford, New Hampshire and Kissimmee, Florida.
| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Aerospace |
| Founded | 1959 |
| Headquarters | Kissimmee, Florida New Hampshire |
Key people | Armand Rivard |
| Products | parts for LA-4 aircraft |
Number of employees | 6 |
| Website | lakeamphib |
The assets of the company were sold in 2004 to an investor which incorporated as "Sun Lake Aircraft" in Vero Beach, Florida.
The assets are currently owned by Revo Inc, owned by Armand Rivard, although the company was put up for sale again in August 2018.[1]
History
The first design in the series produced was the Colonial Skimmer. It was derived from an original design produced by David Thurston in 1946 when he was with Grumman Aircraft. Grumman never produced the design, but Thurston formed Colonial Aircraft Corporation as a side business to continue development.
Colonial's first amphibious aircraft, designated the "Colonial Aircraft C-1 Skimmer" and based on the original Grumman G-65 Tadpole design, first flew in 1948. Colonial grew to produce almost 50 of the C-1 and larger C-2 design before being sold in 1959.
The new owner, M.L. (Al) Alson, renamed the company Lake Aircraft and enlarged the basic design again into the LA-4, a 180-horsepower, 4-seat aircraft, which was the basis for the entire line of aircraft that continues today.
Lake aircraft produced in the 1960 - 1980 range are listed by the Federal Aviation Administration as having been built by "Consolidated Aeronautics."
For many years the Lake LA-4-200 was advertised as "The world's only single-engine production amphibian."
In January 2009 company owner Armand Rivard indicated that he intended to sell the company and retire. The company had previously been offered for sale in 2001, 2002, via auction in 2005 and in 2007. Lake Aircraft produced one aircraft in 2007 and none in 2008, but continues to make parts for existing aircraft. In 2009 the company employed six people, down from the 200 employees that it had in the 1980s. In August 2018 the company was once again offered for sale, including all the LA-4 tooling, type certificate and the designs.[1][2]
| Years Produced | Model | seats | Horsepower | Max Cruise Speed | Payload with Main Full Fuel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1948–1959 | C1 and C2 | 2 | 150-180 | 90 mph | 340 lb payload |
| 1960–1969 | Lake LA-4 | 4 | 180 | 110 mph | 440 lb |
| 1970–1982 | Lake LA4-200 | 4 | 200 | 105 knots | 500 lb |
| 1982–1985 | Lake LA4-200 EP | 4 | 200 | 110 knots | 550 lb |
| 1984–1995 | Lake Model 250 | 6 | 250 | 132 knots | 800 lb |
| 1987–2005 | Lake Model 250 Turbocharged | 6 | 270 | 155 knots | 720 lb |
| 2006 | Seafury | 250 & 270 |
References
- Grady, Mary (27 August 2018). "Lake Aircraft Seeks Buyer". AVweb. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
- Pew, Glenn (January 2009). "Lake Aircraft Again Puts Assets Up For Sale". Retrieved 2009-01-12.
