1897
April 30
Percival
Hopkins "Spence" Spencer is born in Windsor, Connecticut,
USA, as the third child of then 63 year old inventor genius
Christopher Miner Spencer. Percival
always hated his name and preferred to be called "Spence".
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1911 April 11
Spence makes
his first solo flight from Prospect Hill, when flying a hang glider
built by himself from plans published in Popular Mechanics Magazine.
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1914 May 15
Spence makes
his first flight in a motor powered airplane, flying a Curtiss-type
flying boat from Connecticut River in Hartford.
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1937
Spencer-Larsen Aircraft Corporation is organized.
Spencer and ex Sikorsky engineer Vincent A. Larsen design the single
engine SL-12C amphibian.
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1940
September
Spencer leaves Spencer-Larsen and starts the work on
his own S-12 Air Car amphibian design.
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1941
March 01
The first parts are cut for the Spencer Amphibian Air Car.
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August 08
The Spencer
S-12 Amphibian Air Car, NX29098, takes to the air for the first time,
from sea on Belmore, Great South Bay, Long Island.
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December
After the USA is at war, from the Pearl Harbor attack
on 1941-12-07, Spence put the Air Car in storage.
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1942
Spence starts working with
Republic Aviation Corporation as a test pilot on their P-47 Thunderbolt
fighters. Flight testing 134 Thunderbolts.
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1943
Spence accepts
a job offer from The Mills Novelty Company, Chicago, IL. In April
the Air Car is flown from Long Island to Chicago, Illinois.
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Using the
wood-forming facilities at Mills, the Air Car forward cabin or reformed
to a rounder 'egg'-shape.
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December
The Air Car
plans and manufacturing rights sold to Republic Aviation Corporation,
Farmingdale, New York.
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1944
January
Redesign of the Air Car design
starts, to develop an all metal production version. The first
development prototype is named Model RC-1 Thunderbolt Amphibian.
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November 30
The RC-1 prototype, NX41816, makes
her first flight from Republic Farmingdale Airport on Long Island.
Spence is at the controls.
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December
The Republic Amphibian is presented at the St. Louis Convention. A
'Seabee' diorama was displayed at the RAC booth at Jefferson Hotel.
Tentative arrangements are made with the first distributors. Quota
commitments made at the convention totals 1972 airplanes at a basic
retail price of $3,500. The Republic Aviation Corporation's Board
of Directors approves the plans for RAC's entry into the personal plane
market.
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December
NX41816 is demonstrated for the USAAF, US Navy and USCG from National
Airport, Washington D.C.
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1945
February 19
US Navy officially approves the commercial use of the name
"Seabee" for the new Republic amphibian.
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April 17
RAC President Alfred Marched orders full steam ahead for engineering,
tooling and manufacturing divisions, after initial contract is made with
US Army for the order of OA-15 Seabees to be used for rescue work in the
Far East. The projected military rescue amphibian was to be
powered by a geared engine and have a cabin arrangement for 2 litters.
The contract is later cancelled, when US Army after V-J Day cancelled
orders with RAC for $242,000,000.
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November 22
First prototype
model RC-3 Seabee, NX87451, rolled off the construction line at
Republic Aviation Corporation.
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December 01
At 9:17 a.m. the first prototype Model RC-3 Seabee, NX87451, makes her first flight, taken
to the air by designer and test pilot Percival H. Spencer from Republic
Airport, Farmingdale.
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December 27
Aircooled Motors, manufacturers of
the Franklin aircraft engines, are acquired by Republic.
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1946
March
First standard
production Model RC-3 Seabee rolled off production lines at Republic.
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July 21
P. H. Spencer, designer of
Republic's Seabee, smilingly paints the coveted 'NC' on the tail of
Seabee NC87457 (ex NX87457) to celebrate the CAA certification of the
Seabee.
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July 25
The first Seabee, N87463 (s/n 13) is officially
delivered to a customer, when handed over to president J. G. (Tex) Rankin, Rankin Aviation Industries,
Tulare, California, at Republic.
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1947
October 04
Republic Aviation Corp. announces that the production
of the RC-3 Seabee amphibian has been terminated. Last production RC-3
Seabee was N6770K (s/n 1060). The last Seabees were not sold until
early 1948.
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