Emil Matthew Laird
Emil Matthew Laird, often called Matty Laird, was an American aircraft designer, builder, pilot, and businessman. He was born November 29, 1895, in St. Charles, Illinois, and died December 18, 1982, in Palm Beach, Florida. He put the first commercial aircraft into production at his E. M. Laird Aviation Company.
Laird grew up in Chicago. After his father died in 1909, he left school after eighth grade to help his family. He worked at the First National Bank of Chicago, where he first encountered aviation and decided he wanted to fly. He began by building model airplanes, then created his first full-size craft—a bicycle with glider wings—at age 15. He later built the Laird Baby Biplane in 1914 and flew it in local meets. A promoter hired him to demonstrate aircraft, paying him to take off and circle a field.
During the barnstorming era, Laird learned plane construction by working at the Sloan Aircraft plant in Bound Brook, New Jersey. He became a well-known exhibition flyer, performing daring maneuvers with early biplanes. His 1915 Biplane, nicknamed Boneshaker, could perform loops thanks to its powerful engine. In 1916 he loaned this plane to Katherine Stinson for the first tour of aviation in Japan and China, which drew international attention. The plane is now displayed at a museum.
In 1917 Laird crashed during a test flight, suffering serious injuries that ended his chance to serve in World War I. He recovered and returned to Chicago to continue building airplanes. In 1920 he moved to Wichita, Kansas, and co-founded the E. M. Laird Aviation Company to build the Swallow. About 43 Swallows were produced. Early in the company’s history were notable figures like Lloyd Stearman, Walter Beech, and Clyde Cessna, who would go on to found other major aviation ventures. After a dispute with a major stockholder, Laird left in 1923 and started the E. M. Laird Airplane Company to focus on commercial aircraft. He kept the company small, with no more than about 85 employees, but earned a reputation for sleek, rugged, fast aircraft.
In 1930 Laird’s team designed the LC-DW300 Solution, which won the Thompson Trophy in three weeks. He also developed other racing planes such as Super Solution and the RT-14 Meteor, and his company won the Bendix Trophy in 1931 as well as the Thompson Trophy in 1938 and 1939. Laird’s workmanship helped him achieve high speed with relatively low power. During the 1930s the company also did work for the airline industry, such as refurbishing DC-3 fuel tanks and building passenger loading stands.
As World War II approached, Laird closed his plant in July 1941 and became vice president of a manufacturing company in Laporte, Indiana. He helped produce parts for B-24s, B-26s, and other aircraft. After the war he retired to Boca Raton, Florida, with his wife Elsie to focus on aviation history and restoration. He served as president of the Early Birds of Aviation and helped restore his famous racers. Emil Laird died in 1982 at age 87 and was later inducted into the Kansas Aviation Hall of Fame.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 21:19 (CET).