Vought
is currently the world's largest independent aerostructures
subcontractor serving a customer base that includes Boeing,
Gulfstream, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, General
Electric and Pratt & Whitney.
Vought has a long history of supplying the U.S.
Navy and Marine Corps with excellent aircraft.
History
1917: Chance
Vought and Birdseye Lewis form The Lewis & Vought Corp.
First aircraft completed by lowering parts from 3rd floor and
assembling in the street.
1922: Lewis retires, company renamed Chance
Vought Corp.
1929: Vought becomes a division of United
Aircraft (with Pratt & Whitney,
Boeing and Hamilton Standard).
1934: The Air Mail Act orders airline companies to divorce
themselves from aircraft manufacturers. United Aircraft -
Transport Corp. splits into three independent companies--United
Airlines, United Aircraft Corp. and Boeing Airplane Co.
1939: United Aircraft merges Vought with Sikorsky
to form the Vought-Sikorsky Division of United Aircraft.
1942: Vought again becomes a separate
division of United Aircraft.
1954: Vought ceases to be a division and is
re-incorporated as Chance Vought Aircraft Inc.
1961: Vought merges with Ling-Temco
Electronics to form Ling-Temco Vought (LTV).
1970s: Troubles at LTV force Vought to
scale back. Vought re-focuses on aircraft component
subcontracting and missile systems.
1992: LTV finally declares bankruptcy with
its aircraft business being purchased by the Carlyle Group and Northrop.
The aircraft division is renamed Vought Aircraft.
1994: Northrop Grumman buys Carlyles' share
of Vought. Vought operates as a division of Northrop Grumman.
