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The Lawson L-2 was a 1920s American biplane airliner, designed and built by the Lawson Air Line Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

L-2
Lawson C.2 or T-2
Role	Biplane airliner Type of aircraft
Manufacturer	Lawson Air Line Company
Designer	Alfred Lawson,[1] Vincent Burnelli[2]
First flight	1920
Primary user	Lawson Air Line Company
Number built	1

Design and development

The Lawson Air Line Company designed and built a series of large biplane airliners for use on its planned airline routes. The initial Lawson "Aerial Transport" Lawson C1 or T-1 was built early in 1919 to demonstrate that a large commercial passenger plane could be built. The L-1 was a single pilot, 10 passenger biplane with twin Liberty 400 hp pusher engines. It was followed by the Lawson C.2 or L-2. The L-2 was a tractor biplane also with 400 hp engines, capable of carrying 26 passengers, and piloted by two pilots, with differential controls.[3]

Mr. Lawson took it on a 2000-mile multi-city tour to advocate commercial air travel.[4]

Some sources state Mr. Lawson himself as the sole designer; others mention involvement of Vincent Burnelli.[5]

Operators

 United States

• Lawson Airline Company

Specifications (L-2)

General characteristics

• Capacity: 10
• Wingspan: 91 ft 0 in (27.74 m)
• Gross weight: 13,000 lb (5,897 kg)
• Powerplant: 2 × Liberty L-12 piston engine , 400 hp (298 kW) each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 100 mph (161 km/h, 87 kn)

See also

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

• L-4

References

• The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982–1985). Orbis Publishing.

External links

• "The "Lawson" Aerial Transport" (PDF). Flight. XI (37): 1220–1222. September 11, 1919. No. 559. Retrieved January 12, 2011. Contemporary technical description of the Lawson C-1 and C-2 (early versions of the L-2) with scale drawings of the C-1 and photographs of the C-2.

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