Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation

Founded by Leroy Grumman in 1929, the Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation of Bethpage, New York, became famous as the "Iron Works" for creating rugged naval aircraft from 1931 through 1994 and played a key role in the design of U.S. Navy and Marine Corps aircraft. It built its reputation for tough, durable carrier-based aircraft during World War II, particularly the F4F Wildcat, F6F Hellcat, and TBF Avenger, and it was one of the first large wartime aviation employers to hire women, African-Americans, and workers with disabilities. Its postwar work included numerous Navy and civil aircraft as well as the Apollo Lunar Module, and examples of its jet age naval aircraft ranged from the F9F Cougar and F11F Tiger of the 1950s to the A-6 Intruder and F-14 Tomcat of the 1970s. In 1994, the company merged with Northrop to become Northrop Grumman, and the current firm continues aerospace as well as naval aviation work.

New York, New York · United States