Paul H. Knepper
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Paul H. Knepper was an American aircraft engineer.
Early life[edit]
Knepper was born in Tamaqua, Pennsylvania.
Career[edit]
He worked at several aircraft companies before becoming an instructor at the Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics. There he designed his first airplane,[1] the Ka-1 Crusader as a prototype for a training plane that he wanted to commercially produce in Lehighton, Pennsylvania. The two-seater featured an innovative tricycle landing gear with a wheel under its nose that prevented the tail from dragging upon landing.[2]
Although advanced for its day the Crusader was never commercially produced, since World War II forced a halt in the manufacture of commercial aircraft.
In 1990, friends of Paul Knepper restored the Crusader and donated it to the State Museum of Pennsylvania.[3][4]
References[edit]
- ^ "Manuscript Group 430". Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
- ^ Eckland, K. O. (7 March 2009). "American airplanes: Ka - Ku". Aerofiles. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
- ^ Kraft, Randy (10 February 1991). "Crusader Lands in State Museum, Plane was Designed by Tamaqua Man". The Morning Call. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
- ^ Wittman, Bob; Braden, Tyra (16 December 1990). "Museum Display Honors a Man's Love of Aviation". The Morning Call. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
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