This is the story of Edward Bavard Heath for whom the 1920's era Heath CompanyHe was born in New York state in 1888. His family owned a machine shop where he acquired his engineering education by the trial and error method, and this is where he built his first plane. This plane was much like the other monoplanes of that period, and did not possess the individuality that later characterized the Heath planes. But, it flew - and from that day on, Edward Heath dedicated his life to a career in aviation. He was only five feet tall and weighed about one hundred ten pounds; long, sharp, inquiring nose; his face carried the permanent wrinkles of a smile; and his eyes were small and bright. He was blessed with a great deal of vision and courage, and an abundance of determination. He settled in Chicago and founded the E.B. Heath Aerial Vehicle Company in 1913. This company started like many other American firms - with a basic idea, perseverance, long hours, ingenuity, enthusiasm, and a lack of capital.

It was often referred to as Heath's 26 Airplane Trading Post. It was a parts and materials store - a place where pilots could buy things cheaply. sold aircraft dope by the barrel. He built wings to anyHe sold wires, cables, turnbuckles, fuel tanks, wheels, new andIf someone needed a part that he did not have, he designed and In 1913 he built his second plane, a biplane with a 33 foot span and equippedThe pint-sized pilot who was a veteran designer at the age of twenty five became a familiar figure to Chicagoans as he flew out over Lake Michigan in this plane. Up until this time flying was a costly hobby, and only the well-to-do could afford to take an active interest. Ed Heath had the idea for years of introducing low cost flying to Mr. Average American, and at the end of World War I he introduced his next plane, The Feather. This was a single-seater with a 20-foot span, weighed, empty, 270 pounds, and was powered with a 7 hp Thor

motorcycle engine that hauled it through the sky at the rate of 45 mph. ready to market this little plane when the government released a huge amount of surplus planes and engines. Because he couldn't compete with these cheap products, he shelved the promotion of the Featherand became a dealer in surplus Renamed the Heath Airplane Company, Heath founded a flying school, his reasoning being that it was foolish To sell planes to people who then had to go someplace else to learn to fly them. It is true that Heath turned his students loose with the bare minimum of instruction, but for the benefit of his critics, it may i)e said that he never lost a student in an accident. This was due to the fact that he was extremely thorough in his instruction. Hundreds of Heath students became expert airplane and engine mechanics as well as flyers. Ed Heath could be spotted regularly at the airport. Except in warm weather he always wore black leather riding breeches, black, laced, high boots, a black leather cap, a blue

flannel shirt, and a black bow tie. classic motocross bikes for sale niWhen the temperature climbed he dressed in amotorcycle store woodbridge ontario blue shirt and cloth riding breeches, but he clung stubbornly to the high boots.motorcycle dealers near stratford upon avon He also inaugurated an apprentice plan - learn while you earn - which became amotorcycle footpeg extenders permanent fixture of his company. motorcycles for sale chicagoland

With this method he built a solid business andmotorcycle tire road hazard insurance turned out pilots and A & E mechanics at the same time.motorcycle tow dolly canada The only time he deviated from his original, light plane idea, was when he built the Favorite in 1923. This was a 90 hp OX-5 biplane. Heath flew this plane with four passengers in it to St. Louis where he won several events in the National In 1925 Heath and Claire Linstead, a designer whom he employed, designed andIt was a single-seat, full cantilever monoplane with a span of about 22 feet. The wing butts attached at the top longerons. built around a 32-hp Bristol Cherub engine and its speed was 103 mph. Heath used it to win the light plane events at the National Air Races in Philadelphia in

1926. His take for the winning was $2,500. In 1926 Heath and Linstead produced the first Heath Parasol. single-seat, high-wing, monoplane with a span of 26 feet. It was built around a 27 hp Henderson motorcycle engine. The designers improvised somewhat - the wing was contrived of two lower wings of a Thomas-Morse Scout biplane, braced with steel tubing and cables. The following year they constructed another version of the ParasoL This planeIt had a 24 foot span and was powered with a Cherub. the Spokane Super Parasol and proceeded to annex the light and sport plane events with it at the Nation-al Air Races in Spokane. This event marked a turning point; Heath had found his light plane market and he used every kind of bait possible to push the sale of his Parasols. a Parasol, fly-away, Chicago, for $975. If you couldn't afford that, you could buy it, less the engine, for $690. You could buy it in kitThe kit came in eleven groups.

The first group cost $12.47. of the eleven groups, less the engine, was $199! buy the blueprints for $5 and get your own materials. These were the first Heathkits and, evidently they didn't have a 1 0% down, twelve month to pay time payment plan such as we have now. Listed below are the general specifications of the Parasol (1930 model) equipped with the Heath B-4 engine: The Heath Parasol, or to be exact, Super Parasol, created an entirely new groupGuys who had never taken an active interest in flying because of the high cost flew into aviation sitting in a Parasol cockpit. who heretofore could not afford to own and maintain an airplane became ParasolThousands of these little planes were built in barns, garages, andSome were assembled in rooming houses, others in deserted theaters, and one in a church. The only tools necessary to assemble one of the kits were a pair of small pliers, screwdriver, hacksaw (with plenty of blades), hammer, small hand drill,

chisel, center punch, file and drill. The little Heath craft was a well designed, compact monoplane with exceptionallyIt was sturdy, stable and flew easily. This was a dream come trueHe had successfully marketed a low cost airplane. prospered and won an international reputation. The Baby Bullet of 1928 was followed by a brace of Super Parasols that captured first and second places in a light plane event at the National Air Races in Cleveland, and Heath provided a change of pace with a 27-hp seaplane that performed commendably on Lake Zurich, near Chicago in 1930. That same year the Heath Cannonball, a bigger version of the Baby Bullet, powered with a 110-hp, four cylinder Heathbuilt engine, came in ahead of the field in one event at the National Air Races in Chicago. interest in every phase of aviation, Heath built a biplane glider. say he was the first man ever to loop an engineless heavier-than-air craft. The Parasol had proved itself.