Bert Kinner

Winfield Bertrum Kinner
Born	Winfield Bertrum Kinner (1882-12-16)December 16, 1882 Iowa, United States
Died	July 4, 1957(1957-07-04) (aged 74) Long Beach, California
Nationality	American
Other names	Bert Kinner
Occupation(s)	Aircraft and aircraft engine designer, constructor
Spouse	Cora Kinner

Winfield Bertrum "Bert" Kinner (December 16, 1882 – July 4, 1957) was an American aircraft engine designer and designer of the first folding wing aircraft.

Bert Kinner was born on December 16, 1882, in Benton County, Iowa.^[4] His father was from New York. His mother was born in England and her maiden name was Lee.

Career

Kinner worked, as a streetcar operator, in Denver before going to Minnesota, there working as a barber, taxi service operator, and car dealer.^[5][6][7]

Aviation career

On May 25, 1915, pioneer pilot and aviation designer, Otto Timm crashed in a field in Magnolia, Minnesota, owned by Kinner. His aircraft's Anzani engine was repaired by Kinner, who was fascinated by the aircraft.^[8]

Later that year, he and his family went to California, where Kinner opened a business as an

"Snooky" turned out to be a good hire as she not only chatted up customers, and ran the air operation, but also served as a mechanic. Kinner hired Snook to test fly his aircraft and to provide flight instruction for a prospective training school.[12]

Kinner Airplane & Motor Corporation

At the Kinner Airplane & Motor Corporation, he began to design his first small, light aircraft called the Kinner Airster. The tiny biplane was powered by a three-cylinder Lawrence L2 engine that put out 60 hp.^[11]

Glendale

In 1923, Kinner moved his airplane and engine manufacturing firm to Glendale.

Kinner continued to design and build a limited series of light aircraft; the Kinner series of engines powered aircraft from the late 1920s to the early 1930s. The earliest Kinner engines had three cylinders, and were modeled after the French Anzani 3-cylinder fan engines. Later Kinner developed a range of five cylinder engines. The airplane business ended in the mid-1930s, but the engines were produced through World War II. Kinner became the West Coast's largest producer of aircraft engines in 1941.^{[citation needed]} The last series of Kinner engines powered PT-22 trainers.^[11][17]

Later years

In the 1930s, Kinner, formed Security National Aircraft Corporation^[18][19] and built planes at Long Beach, California,^[5] and Downey Field,^[20] that later became Downey Studios, in Downey, California,^[21]

Personal life

Kinner married Cora M. Brusse (1887-1982), the sister of his test pilot, Lee V. Brusse. In Minnesota, they had two children, Winfield Bertrum Kinner II (1911–1993), and Donald W. Kinner (1914–?).^{[citation needed]} In California, they had two children, Donna M Kinner (14 August 1922—?),^[22] and Robert H Kinner (21 October 1924—?).^[23]

Lee V. Brusse became Kinner's chief pilot and test pilot.^[24] Cora sewed fabric for airframes.

Kinner was a Quiet Birdmen.^[4]

About 1939, Kinner retired from active business, transferring his business to

Earhart soloed in the Airster, and after Neta left Kinner field to get married, Earhart stayed on, and continued flying. In October 1922, the Kinner Airster was used to set a world high altitude record of 14,000 ft (4,267 m) for women pilots, the first of the many records set by Earhart.[26]

Due to a change in the family fortunes, Earhart was forced to sell "The Canary", but later put together enough money to purchase a second Airster.

See also

• Kinner in the 1920 US Census

References

Notes