data plate

[Ray]

I have a new data plate with all the info on the plane but at the bottom it has "M.A.A. plate number" does anyone know what this is?

[astjp2]

Re: data plate

I asked a few years ago, never got a response...Tim

[Ray]

Re: data plate

OH well it's getting engraved now anyway.

[M Towsley]

Re: data plate

It stands for Manufacturers Aircraft Association.

It was an association which decided how the aviation industry would standardize on different items. Plus the M.A.A. was heavily involved in lobbying on behalf of the aviation companies.

Here is a link explaining more: http://www.cptech.org/cm/maa.html

[astjp2]

Re: data plate

Ok, where can you find your MAA plate number?

[Dick Smith]

Re: data plate

In addition to Marty's info:
History

The Manufacturers Aircraft Association Inc. was created in 1917 by the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics to administer a cross-license agreement, issue licenses to aircraft companies, aid the aircraft industry, and encourage aeronautical development. The subscribers were airplane manufacturers who were stockholders and paid fees for every plane that they manufactured. The association protected its members' patent rights. From the day of its incorporation the motives of the manufacturers and the government were publically attacked by the press and Congress. The association was investigated numerous times by congressional committees throughout its history. In 1965 the government filed an anti-trust suit against the association. After a lengthy legal battle, the M.A.A. was dissolved in 1977.

The Association came into being when the United States government realized the utility of aircraft in military operations in 1916. Therefore inventions, patents, and design rights applicable to aircraft became a national interest. Because aeronautical development in the United Stated was seriously retarded by litigation over the validity and value of important airplane patents, the government thought that natural expansion and normal growth of the industry seemed impossible. In 1917 the Hon. Franklin D. Roosevelt, then Acting Secretary of the Navy, and Hon. W.M. Ingraham, then Acting Secretary of War, requested the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics to study this problem (the N.A.C.A. was created by congress in 1915 to advise the president and the executive departments on aeronautical questions).

The N.A.C.A.'s plan was to create an organization independent of the government. The Manufacturers Aircraft Association was formed to administer a cross-license agreement, issue licenses, aid the aircraft industry, and encourage aeronautical development. The M.A.A. was incorporated in the State of New York in 1917. The subscribers of the association were airplane manufacturers. They were stockholders and paid fees to the association for every airplane that they manufactured. In return the association protected their patent rights. It had a patent research division, extensive files on patent history, and published informational bulletins and reports for the subscribers.

From the day of its incorporation the motives of the subscribers and the government were publicly attacked by the press and some members of congress. The association was investigated numerous times by congressional committees throughout its history. Its policies and procedures were always found blameless by the committees. In 1965 the government filed an anti-trust suit against the association. After a lengthy legal battle, the M.A.A. was dissolved in 1977. http://www.cptech.org/cm/maa.html

Here is a link to a Stearman site, which explains how confusion can arise from numbers on
a M.A.A. tag as attached to a plane of that make:

http://dev.stearman.net/?p=596

An excerpt from the above link:

The Stearman Aircraft Co. and the Boeing Airplane Co. belonged to the Manufacturers Aircraft Association, which was an association which decided how the aviation industry would standardize on different items. Plus the M.A.A. was heavily involved in lobbying on behalf of the aviation companies.

On the Model 75 trainer, a M.A.A. tag, sometimes an oval shape, sometimes a diamond shape, was attached to the landing gear sponson horizontal tube, (part number 75-2624) or to the front lower horizontal tubing of the fuselage frame assembly. Usually this M.A.A. tag will have engraved in it, “S/N 3250” and the owner thinks he has serial number 3250 which normally would be C/N 75-1027, a U.S. Navy N2S-1. But sad to say, “It just ain’t so!”

In this case, the M.A.A. tag has listed the sales order number (S/N) and sales order number 3250 had the most Model 75s sold through it to the military. Hence more M.A.A. tags have S/N 3250 on them and the M.A.A. tag sort of becomes as fool’s gold to the owner/researcher.

Probably more than you cared to know!!! Dick

[M Towsley]

Re: data plate

Hey Dick,

That Stearman site was where I originally found my info, if you couldn't tell. Thanks for the additional info.

[astjp2]

Ok, I am bringing this thread back from the dead! I have found where the repository of the historical data for MAA (I am hoping that it includes the Taylorcraft plate numbers) is located and I have sent a request to the data custodian to see if I can acquire the info. I will try to track this down, hopefully allowing us to get the numbers to renew our data plates. I am not sure if it is only a few pages or a few thousand. Tim

[astjp2]

I got a response from the repository, They told me it would be 30-90 days to get me a page count then they will calculate the cost at that time. I hope it is in the affordable range.

[LostnSpace]

Thank you Dr. Tim, i always felt it showed an original plate vs. one made up after the plate was lost, Gary

[astjp2]

So I have been in contact with the repository, there is good an bad news. Good news is that there is data there, bad news is that someone (most likely me) will have to go to the repository, pull the boxes and make electronic copies of the data. I expect it would be a several day trip with a hotel so not a free adventure either. I probably will not be able to do this until next spring but I think I will be able to get it eventually. Tim

[Hank Jarrett]

Where is the repository currently located? Maybe there are some Tribe members close by. If it is close to SE Virginia I would love to do some digging there! I bet it is a historic gold mine!

[astjp2]

Where is the repository currently located? Maybe there are some Tribe members close by. If it is close to SE Virginia I would love to do some digging there! I bet it is a historic gold mine!

Wyoming...at one of the University repositories. Not close to anyone, it is about a 6 hour drive for me.

[Hank Jarrett]

That's a shame. Wish it was digitized or closer.

[LostnSpace]

Do you think it would help anyone, if those of us that have original plates with the M.A.A. # were to post it, or will that M.A.A. # be for a big block of aircraft