{{Short description|Aircraft manufacturer}} {{Infobox company | name = Snow Aeronautical | logo = | logo_caption = | logo_alt = | type = | industry = Aerospace | fate = Merged | predecessor = <!-- or: | predecessors = --> | successor = Aero Commander | founded = <!-- if known: {{Start date and age|YYYY|MM|DD}} in city, country --> | founder = Leland Snow | defunct = {{End date|1965}} | hq_location_city = Olney, Texas | hq_location_country = United States | area_served = <!-- or: | areas_served = --> | key_people = | products = | owner = <!-- or: | owners = --> | num_employees = | num_employees_year = <!-- Year of num_employees data (if known) --> | parent = | website = <!-- {{URL|example.com}} --> }} thumb|upright=1.25|Early Snow S-2A open-cockpit ex-crop sprayer of 1959 at Santa Fe, New Mexico, in 1997 thumb|upright=1.25|N9462R Snow S-2C-600 built circa 1961, seen here at a later date after being fitted with enclosed cockpit
'''Snow Aeronautical''' was an American aircraft manufacturer established in 1956 in Olney, Texas by Leland Snow to manufacture and market agricultural aircraft of his design.
==History== Leland Snow, a graduate of the aeronautical engineering program at Texas A&M University, had designed and flown his S-1 in 1953.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Anderson |first1=Mabry |title=The Early Days Down South |url=http://www.pt6nation.com/en/articles/article/experience-the-difference-the-early-days-down-south |website=PT6 Nation |accessdate=26 October 2020}}</ref> Originally working at Harlingen, Texas, he moved to Olney, Texas in 1958 where production of the S-2 began. <ref>{{cite web |title=Air Tractor 50th Anniversary |url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ev0JPb4rWUI |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/Ev0JPb4rWUI| archive-date=2021-12-12 |url-status=live|website=YouTube |accessdate=26 October 2020 |date=8 April 2011}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
The British aviation company of Britten-Norman acted as distributors for Snow's aircraft and later took a 17% equity stake in the company.<ref>{{cite magazine |date=24 June 1965 |title=Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander |url=https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1965/1965%20-%201951.html |magazine= Flight |page=1035 |access-date=23 October 2020 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180130013831/https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1965/1965%20-%201951.html |archivedate=30 January 2018}}</ref> In 1965 Snow Aeronautical was purchased by the Aero Commander division of North American Rockwell, who refined and marketed the S-2 design as the '''Rockwell S2R Thrush Commander'''.<ref>{{cite news |title=Aero Buys Another Aircraft Plant |work=Daily Oklahoman |date=16 November 1965 |page=1N}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=McConal |first1=Jon |title=Aircraft Plant at Olney Sold for $1 Million |work=Fort Worth Star-Telegram |date=16 November 1965 |page=3}}</ref>
==Aircraft== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Model name ! First flight ! Number built ! Type
|- |align=left| Snow S-1 |align=center| 1953 |align=center| 1 |align=left| Single engine agricultural monoplane |- |align=left| Snow S-2 |align=center| 1956 |align=center| 414 |align=left| Single engine agricultural monoplane |- |}
==See also== * Air Tractor * Ayres Corporation * Call Aircraft Company * Thrush Aircraft
== References == {{commons category}}
=== Notes === {{Reflist}}
=== Bibliography === {{Refbegin}} * {{cite news |last1=Alexander |first1=E. D. |title=Olney Moved Fast to Establish New Industry |work=Fort Worth Star-Telegram |date=7 August 1960 |page=7}} * {{cite news |last1=Dromgoole |first1=Glenn |title=Olney Gambles and Wins |work=Fort Worth Star-Telegram |date=15 January 1967 |page=8-C}} {{Refend}}
Category:Defunct aircraft manufacturers of the United States
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