Thieblot Aircraft Engineering Company

Maveric

Maveric

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Armond J. Thieblot, a former chief engineer at Fairchild, started his own company, Thieblot Aircraft Engineering Company, in West Virginia.

The book American Secret Projects 2 - US Airlifters 1941 to 1961 shows the Project Thieblot T.A. 13, a very interesting three-engine transport aircraft.

Unfortunately, the T.A.13 is the only aircraft or project I know of from this company. However, the project sparked my interest in the company, which is why I asked the forum whether any of you know any other Thieblot projects.

Regards
 
Maveric said:
Armond J. Thieblot, a former chief engineer at Fairchild, started his own company, Thieblot Aircraft Engineering Company, in West Virginia.

The book American Secret Projects 2 - US Airlifters 1941 to 1961 shows the Project Thieblot T.A. 13, a very interesting three-engine transport aircraft.

Unfortunately, the T.A.13 is the only aircraft or project I know of from this company. However, the project sparked my interest in the company, which is why I asked the forum whether any of you know any other Thieblot projects.

Regards
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Maveric: (From Armand Thieblot, Jr.)

Just stumbled on to your post from 2020. Hope a response is still in order.

Thieblot Aircraft Engineering Company was renamed slightly when its headquarters moved to Martinsburg, WV in about 1955 or so and was known thereafter as simply Thieblot Aircraft Co. (TACO).

Most of its projects undertaken there were done as subcontractors to Republic Aviation. It did installations of aerial cameras in an F-84F, so far as I know the first installation of the GE Vulcan machine gun anywhere, and air-to-air refueling systems in the same aircraft type, among other things.

There were also independent design studies performed by the company for updated cargo aircraft and personal jet transports, but none got past the design phase. The company tried to get involved in installing a nuclear plant in an aircraft but was unable to pursue it because it lacked a "Q" clearance--necessary to nuclear work but only available to companies who had a nuclear project underway. (Thieblot had had a similar circular problem when the government refused to allow access to the specifications of the Norden bombsight for a bomber crew trainer (the AT-14) he was designing for the Army for Fairchild Aircraft in 1942.

Eventually that problem was overcome and a dozen or so were built, but they became obsolete by 1943 when actual B-17s started coming back from active duty.) With respect to Thieblot's designs for Fairchild, if you are unfamiliar with the Fairchild M-121, in competition with the Boeing B-52 in 1948, let me know and I will supply you details on it and photographs of its wind tunnel model, which I have.

Cheers.
 
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Thank you and welcome aboard AThieblot,

and can you also tell us about TA-1 to TA-17 ?.
 
PaulMM:

First, I am indeed the son of Armand Thieblot, Chief Engineer of Fairchild Aircraft from the late 30s to the early 50s, owner of Thieblot Aircraft through the late 50s, then again Chief Engineer of Fairchild for a couple of more years.

Second, you asked for additional information on the Fairchild M-121 and other projects. As a starting selection, I have eight photos of the M-121, four of the model and four from the Prospectus, one of which I attached as a sample.

I also have four photos from a Fairchild prospectus on trainer aircraft, two from their prospectus for the four-engined version of the C-119, and four from a prospectus on the M-124 personal aircraft. But I think I would totally overwhelm the post if I attached all of those (which are just a starting selection, anyhow).

I would appreciate your advice as to how to post them, if you think the forum would be interested in seeing them. I have, obviously, not posted to the forum before.

Armand Thieblot, Jr.
 

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Hi all!

Welcome Mister Armand. Of course it will be very interesting to provide documents on projects that your father developed.
 
You can attach 20 pictures per message up to 10MB per message, so no real issues there.

For other models, you can search forum for appropriate topics - use the search button top right.

Our collective attempt to document the Fairchild M- series of projects is here - https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/fairchild-m-list.3686/ but we don't have an entry for M-124 yet - this is new to me.

Regarding a 4 engine C-119 design we have:

M-161 was a four engined variant of C-119H
M-173 was a four-engine (R-3350) version C-119H type cargo carrier
M-179 was a four Wright Turbo Cyclone R-1820-82 engines,(version of C-119H)
M-180 was a four P&W R-2800-12 'Twin Wasp' engines,of C-119
M-190 was a four-engine freighter version of C-119H

There are a few trainer designs; the late John Aldaz posted a picture of his M-178 model here: https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/fairchild-m-list.3686/page-2#post-233011
 
OK, here you go:

First, 4 pictures of the M-121 wind tunnel model:
Next, 4 pictures from the M-121 prospectus;
Next, the cover of the Primary Trainer prospectus and photos of the XNQ-1 and the M-114A
Next, another variation of 4-engined C-119, the M-135--prospectus cover and one picture;
Finally, prospectus cover and three pictures of Fairchild M-124, styled "personal transport"

I'll try to dig out some visuals of Thieblot Aircraft proposals.
 

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