[Boatanchors] Hiram Percy Maxim, 1AW, "The Old Man" (TOM)

[Ian]

I have always been interested in Hiram Percy Maxim because I not only
remembered reading a lot about him in QST but I also knew that he did
engineering for the H.H. Franklin Company and was peripherally involved in
the development and manufacture of the Franklin Automobile.

The Franklin was an air cooled automobile manufactured in Syracuse, NY from
the very early 1900s to 1934 when it was a casualty of the Depression.
Franklin pioneered the use of aluminum engines and used castings as well as
body panels from aluminum years before they appeared in other cars.
Franklin engines were used in tanks and aircraft and my understanding from a
pilot friend is that they are still available from a former Soviet Bloc
company that bought up the rights to the patents when the US source of
engines stopped production.

Since the late 1940s we have had at least one Franklin Automobile in our
family, starting with a 1928 Franklin Airman (guaranteed 55 mph with
Lockheed 4 wheel hydraulic brakes) in 1947.

One of my two brothers has a 1929 Coupe and the other has and somewhere
between 15 and 20 Franklins, including a 1903 that is hardly larger than a
riding lawnmower to a 1930s limousine that has gone less than 30,000 miles.

When my father asked the three of us who wanted which Franklin in his
collection then at 6 or 7, I opted out since my garage was already full of
electronic junque and ham gear.

This first link will take you to interesting information from QST about "The
Old Man".  Below the picture you will are links to further pages.  You can
also access those pages directly from the second link below.  It doesn't
really talk about his involvement with the Franklin Automobiles but page 2
shows him with one of his Franklins and talks about some of his involvement
with automobiles.

It is obvious to me that he was truly a visionary "genius."

http://www.earlyaviators.com/emaxim.htm

http://www.earlyaviators.com/emaxim09.htm