Enoch Thulin - AETA story english version

The aircraft was ready just outside its storing place East Landskrona on the 14th of May 1919. Enoch Thulin had announced his arrivel at 19:15, but was in place already 7 min past. John Pärsson, Palle Mellblom and Emil Nilsson had order to prepare the plane. It was Thulin's private plane. His own Model K. The one he used for test flying and also today. Enoch checked it and asked if everything was alright, started the engine and let it run to be warm.

After he had got a clear signal he started to move and lifted off. His way was first over Landskrona, then turned to Barsebäck, came back to Landskrona. Over the shipyard at about 1500 of height. Now he dived heavily which at last was almost vertical and then he went back to horizontal flying. Suddenly is mechanics, who very interested looking at the plane, saw a part that fly away from the aircraft. This would later show up to be the new aileron rudder. The plane goes into a continuous fore and back movement. Before it will be thrown from side to side. Then a bigger part is flying away from the aircraft. This was presumed to be the body of Enoch Thulin. His safety belts had been torn off. The body of Thulin hit the side of the third stocks and the head was separated from his body and rolled along the quay. Parts of the body were spread over a large area. They were of course gathered and brought to the hospital where he was officially declared dead.

The airplane hit the quay 40 meter away beside the fourth stocks. At the immediate control it was found that the right aileron rudder line was torn off. The cause of the accident was that the aircraft had come into an uncontrollable situation. This was a situation that was not yet known in Sweden.
As the matter of fact von Porat had just come home from

France where he had studied and learned how to handle this phenomenon called spin, but not yet have had time to inform about his knowledge to all pilots.
Type K was a high winged monoplane and was equipped with Thulin A rotary 90 ps. As all early aircrafts Typ K was originally equipped without ailerons on the wings. Although the Thulin Type K had these installed as test. According my phone call (2010) to Landskrona museum Thulin expert. She had interviewed Thulin's mechanic, may be Mellblom, for several years ago. He had told that they did not believe the construction to be strong enough. The cause of the accident was later confirmed to be drivers fault when Thulin had put the aero plane in an over stressed flying position. New aileron was then mounted on next model Thulin L.

Thulin didn't like show flying but was forced by three reasons. He had planned to got to Copenhagen for a show and for second the two Austrian pilots Sparmann and Perini had the day before on there way to Stockholm cheered AETA by making falling leaf and loops outside the works with their Phönix DIII and C1 (later named Dronten) fighters. These kind of show flying were always started by straight diving. Enoch had been out the day before and the Thulin K then got hard beating movements in it's control column which was not able to withstand. He wanted as primary test research the cause. Because of this heavy beating the wire for the aileron was broken and then the airplane was lost. Sparmann and Perini was later employee at AETA for a year.

The death of Enoch Thulin was the beginning of the fall of AETA. Surely his company had succeeded the hard period which was to come if it's leading man had survived.

This picture is a type Tuhlin A aircraft. It is much a copy of a Bleriot XI. In the eye of a non specialist these two are impossible to separate. The first plane Thulin bought was just a Bleriot XI.

The Bleriot Thulin bought came from a shoe company in Örebro Sweden. This shoe producer later sold his company to the cooperative confederation and got the name Oscaria. The plane was not in god stand and Thulin wasn't able to fly it. It was transported to Cederström's hangar at Malmslätt outside Linköping. Here Thulin started to renovate it.
This plane was from the beginning bought by Carl Cederström and he named it Nordstiernan (Northstar). After the well known Baron Cederström. He was the first certificated pilot in Sweden (1909). Hugo Sundstedt had persuade two producers of shoes in Örebro to buy it for advertizing flying. Sundstedt should of course be the pilot. In this business Thulin was cooperating with Thord Ångström.

Thord was the son of professor Ångström who worked with measurement of atomic spectra. Thord used his inheritance to learn flying. Thord pressed the price down to 6000 Skr. This plane was later copied by AVIS the forerunner of AETA. It was used for school and trial plane equipped with different engines. Hugo Sundstedt was later teacher at Thulin's flying school Ljungbyhed and later emigrated to America. Cederström ended his days 1918 during a delivery flight to Finland with one in Sweden license built plane at NAB, a 2 engines Curtis hydroplane together with Krokstedt. According to Arvid Flory it is quit certain that they came into a heavy fog and had tried to land on water and because of this crashed. May be got engine trouble which was not unusual at that time. Surely they had drowned of exhaustion. The body of Cederström was found but Krokstedt was for ever disappeared.
Cederström, Krokstedt, Flory and von Porat were in periods active with the company of AETA flying school.

In the small fishing village Simris south of Sweden another boy was born at vice vicar Andreas Thulin 1881. He was christened to Enok (swedish spelling). The mother was named Ingrid and was born Rasmusson. Totally the family got 6 children of these 1 was a girl named Clara.

After the death of his father the widow moved with the children to Lund. Here Enoch (latin spelling) studied and graduated Swedish "student examination" 1899 and continued in physic study. The mother didn't like that. He should of course study to be a priest, but as a luck one of his brothers chose that profession. Enoch got several stipendiums and could continue his education. He had no goal for a special work, but was most interested for physics and continued and ended with lic. examination. With this examination Enoch could start his working life as teacher in physic, chemistry and mathematics. Because of his interests for flying he became, mostly because of his examines, a member of Swedish Aeronautical Society (SAS).

This society, which had members of highly educated and respected persons. This membership should be the possibility for Enoch to get contacts with persons in Swedish industry for his coming activities. In Sweden at that time there was no knowledge for the technical causes to get planes heavier than air to fly. Several of the first pioneers mainly in France didn't understand the principle that streaming air around upper and lower parts of the wings. Simply saying there is a longer way for the air on upper side which gives a lower pressure and therefore a force upwards. They gave the wings a shape like the birds wings. These pioneers ended normally up bankrupt. Enoch who now had change the spelling of his first name graduated with an essay about the streaming of air around plane surfaces. This investigation was later the main ground for his lic. examination.
As his family had no money after the vice vicar he always had search for economical support for everything. 1908 - 1909 he visited France. As a member of Aeronautical society, he had got in contact with Gustaf Dalén, the owner of AGA, Gustaf Ericsson at LM Ericsson and Einar Egnell. These men became later some of his patrons of the arts and financiers.

Picture during building a copy of Bleriot XI, 2009, at Svedinos Museum. Ref 1

When I visited Svedino's museum 2008, which time in order I don't know, they had made room where Mikael Carlsson could build and mount a copy of Bleriot XI. It didn't look liked he had come so far. Mikael use this aero plane at markets during 2009.

Also at servereal times in Europa. Mikael has also built a copy of Tummelisa. Together with 6 copies of historical aircrafts. He is known to follow the original drawings which makes his planes just like the originals. See also his website.

This picture shows when Robert Svendsen as the first pilot flew over Öresund between Amager and Malmö, on the 17th of July 1910. The flight started at Klövermarken on Amager to Malmö. The airplane was a Voisin and you can see it just before landing at the Limhams field. It was given away to the Swedish Marine and became the first aircraft in the Swedish defence. A prize was set up by the Swedish fly attaché in Paris for 5000 Skr and it was understood that Cederström should win it.

The picture shows the first airplane from Nyrop & Ask 1910. It is on exhibition at the celebration hall at Landskrona Town Hotel. The plane got the name Grasshopper when it just made a few jumps. Most because of too weak engine. Nyrop & Ask started at once to make it better. It was of course mainly a copy of a Bleriot.

As with all new inventions there are several enthusiasts who want to lead the development. Usually they have very little knowledge about what to do. In the childhood of flying this was no news. Many fortune hunters tried to make themselves a name.

No one should succeed until a reliable engine was developed giving at least 35 ps. Richard Nyberg who designated himself as an inventor tried to fly with a steam engine of his own construction. The unit was of course too heavy and too less power. Other things was to know how to cut a propeller in wood which could take advantage of the engine power. Bror Berger built a plane with 35 ps engine but didn't know about wings. The test machine was scraped. Others tried 1912 as Karl Gustaf Meister. Enoch Thulin and Otto Witt made experiments which were dropped from André's balloon, in order to see how they would move through the air. All these trials made by great enthusiasts didn't show any progress, in spite of that a French pilot, Legagneaux, had shown how to fly already 1909 at a large field in Stockholm, Lugårdsgärde. The airplane was alike the Svendsen Voisin in the picture.

Now the progress should speed up with Nyrop & Ask in Landskrona. Nyrop owned a ship yard for smaller boats and he got together with a businessman Oscar Ask. They used the yard as the place to built airplanes. 1910 they had their first plane ready and it was tested at Ljungbyhed. It was equipped with a 2 cylinder, 30 ps Farco engine. The plane didn't succeed to lift. Instead it just made small jumps. It was rebuild and got a 25 ps Anzani engine giving 25 ps. They succeeded to fly and made also a demo flying in Stockholm. Oscar Ask withdraw 1911 and Nyrop continued and built a plane according to Bleriot XI. This became his third plane. It was given away to the Swedish Marine through a businessman Neumöller and was sent to Stockholm.

Otto Ask had a workshop in Landskrona where he tried to build airplanes. Otto build 3 airplanes which all were crashed. Now he had no more money and rejoined his old work with repairing.
1913 Oscar joined with Enoch Thulin and founded the company Ask & Thulin Airplane company. Now 2 competent persons had found each other. One technician with good education and one practical person. The first plane they got to repair was Cederström's Bleriot XI. This plane was well known for them because it had been repaired several times. They decided to build two copies. This needed their firm to get another configuration. It was changed to the name AVIS, Aeroplane Yard in Skåne. Otto Ask joined also.

The war was now close and they got orders for spare parts for the Swedish Marine and the Army. 1914 even AVIS became to small for Thulin and he bought the company. Oscar and Otto became employee. Oscar was sick and later moved to South Africa. Otto became later accountant at Thulin. At the same time Thulin bought the old Ship yard of Nyrop and establish AB Thulin in Nyrop's old yard. This became with AVIS soon AB Enoch Thulin Aeroplane company, AETA. Thulin became vd and test pilot. Now he had to speed up the business.

The picture shows a montage hall at AETA 1918. Closest there is a Thulin A, next a Thulin LA and far back probably a Thulin FA. FA was equipped with a Thulin developed Benz/Mercedes 6 cyl water cooled engine. This engine type was never ready tested and was ceased.

1913 Enoch travelled to France in order to learn as pilot. He went to different flying schools and negotiated and lastly he stayed for Sommer. Here he learned flying. The captain in Swedish military Karl Albert Byron Amundson, more known as KABA is his mecenat and helped him to a engine course at engine factory Seguins in Paris.

At Seguin they manufactured the Gnome engine. It gave the power of 50 up to 130 ps from 7 and 9 cylinder configuration. All planes were more or less copies of the mono winged Bleriot airplane. Such an aircraft the adventurer baron Cederström bought 1909. With that he made flying shows on different places i Sweden. First time 1909 at Ladugårdsgärde together with the French pilot Lagegneaux. Cederström drowned flying to Finland with a two engines Curtiss airplane. The Cederström former Bleriot was named Nortstar had been used by Hugo Sundstedt. He had succeeded to sell it to a shoe maker Johan Behrn and partner in Örebro. His company was then bought by Cooperative Confederation and named Oscaria. The ex Cederströms airplane was now for sale and Enoch together with Ångström bought it for 6000 Skr. It was moved to Malmslätt outside Linköping for renovation. Enoch Thulin made this work himself. At this place Cederström had established a flying school and for this built up a hangar of plates. This hangar was still left 2004. The Bleriot was flying again 1913. Now during the period 1913 to 1915 several years of show flying for Enoch Thulin. One can suppose that it was done to get money in order to buy a more modern plane with the possibility to take passenger. A collection for this was started by a paper but it became no good result.

Nyrop and Ask had founded a company and here they built a plane together. Now Oscar Ask starts a new company in order to produce airplane. It is obvious that Ask and Nyrop had different opinions how to build an airplane. Nyrop continued with is first construction and made several test flying till he crashed. During this time Thulin and Ask opened a company together as Swedish Airplane Company. Here they decided (Thulin) to build two copies of a Bleriot and one should be able to take passenger. The company was named AVIS. Read Airplane Yard of Skåne. Their greatest difficulty was that they had no engines. They meant that the only way was to copy a rotary engine. This was a good business idea. Hugo Sundstedt had bought a Farman plane but it was hold by the Swedish custom for import fee. This plane should later be the help of engine copying. Enoch Thulin who now had changed the spelling of his first name from Enok to the Latin spelling Enoch got money from Gustaf Dalén of AGA. He travelled now to Paris twice beginning of 1913. Now several things were solved during this visit. furthermore during his second visit he got offer to buy a new Morane-Saulnier aircraft.
By the reason of strained relations between France and Germany Enoch had to travel over Switzerland in order to enter France. He came there to buy the Morane-Saulnier plane. The first buyer had redrawn his order and they were willing to sell it quite cheap. Enoch had the opportunity to buy it. Enoch flew it to Sweden 1914. The Sundstedts Farman plane was now paid by Swedish government by reason of the coming war. He crashed it quite soon again and AVIS got the job to rebuilt it. Now Enoch hade an engine and he took the opportunity to make drawings of it and decided the material in the parts. He had got copy licenses from his travel to Paris and also copy licenses of Morane-Saulnier. The decision to built two planes with Oscar Ask were cancelled for the time being as they already had a new plane. Now a very intensive period for manufacturing engines started and also to copy the Morane-Sauliner. All this demanded larger working locals and new employees. The AVIS company was changed to AETA with the economical support from Gustaf Dalén.

Swedish government had now bought all private aircrafts in Sweden in order to establish a Swedish Air Force. AETA had now a competition situation with Södertelge Workshops. The army and Marine had decided that the coming aircrafts that will be ordered should be of Albatross and/or Nieuport types. This meant that Thulin was sidestepped, although Enoch got this decision changed. He meant that a Nieuport was out of date. Now he could start to copy his Morane-Sauliner. AETA had now orders for new planes and engines. New employees were hired every day in Landskrona and the company created a profit.

Vabis in Södertelge hade got the order to copy the engine in the Albatross aircraft. It was a 6 cylinders straight engine giving 160 hp. This airplane was left in Sweden when war started. The engine was later manufactured at AETA in a new series. It got the name Thulin E. Thulin started also his Flying school at Ljungbyhed 1915. Enoch Thulin had gathered some highly educated people. He had a border of well known industrial persons and was now a company with more highly educated scientists than even L.M. Ercisson. This was an ideal building up for a company that was going to produce airplane and engines.

At AETA, in this time there was not the questions to get high profit from the investors. Only that their money for the good sake, should in the future generate some money in return.

The first rotation engine at Thulin named Thulin A. Ref 1

The new factory now grew rapidly and got as most near 800 employees. The production were engines and aircrafts in many different models. The engineer staff continued to show new ideas. On the way, there were 4 different airplanes and 3 engines of rotary type.

Everything had to be ready as fast as possibly. Sweden had the same situation as just before WWII. At that time engine production was on without license of the American TWIN Wasp for B18 and J22. Just alike Thulin SAAB worked hard to produce new aircrafts. Thulin now travelled to France 1915 to get licenses and drawings for engines and airplanes. This journey was done over Germany and Switzerland in order to enter France. In the middle of January. AETA was of course depending of the war in that they had export to countries outside the war. Holland was

the largest customer for planes and engines.
The activity with development of airplanes, engines and propellers, started to demand a material lab and also a wind tunnel. This was built in Landskrona. At the same time Landskrona got to make big investment for water, drainage and connections for electricity. The electricity company South Power build a transformer so AETA could get power direct from the power station in the

river Lagan. The flying school at Ljungbyhed was modernized and new airplanes were built in two different types. One for rolling trials equipped with a 25 hp Anzani engine and a flying Thulin A. The engine production started 1916. For the employees first a vacation of 3 days and later 8. He entered also a profit sharing system for the workers. The activities were now so extensive that Enoch Thulin had no time to take care of everything. Leaders got responsibility for different areas. For example Nils Norrman took care of the flying school. He hade earlier been educated by Thulin who had been the only teacher. For theory Ivar Malmer took the stand. A marine flying station was established on the island Gråen outside Landskrona. This place got the first AETA marine plane a Thulin B. It was floating on three pontoons. The Swedish Air force had not yet any weapons and the aircrafts was only for reconnaissance.

Large money collections were done in order to buy airplanes for the Swedish Air Force. Normally there were female organizations that organized these. It became a competition between Swedish counties which one could collect most money. Since Thulin who built up his company as independence from other deliverers. He could easy and quick deliver engines, airplanes and repaired all sorts of planes and as well take pupils for his flying school at Ljungbyhed. This was main cause for his lucky activity. Of course the war and the orders from Swedish government did help a lot. May be Sweden should be lucky for AETA because no preparing had been done to establish defence for Swedish Air territory. Remember that the Swedish people didn't like the reduction of Swedish army. The big collection was first started when Bishop of Gothenburg started to gather money for 2 Panzer Ships. Much money was left and it was moved to buy aircraft materials. Sweden was almost isolated form outside world and in that way dependent of three companies for air defence in Sweden. After that AETA had constructed a new model based on Bleriot or Cederström's North Star and Thulin's Morane-Sauliner, new and more suited what Sweden needed. The development line was pointing against larger machines and last a three engines marine plane. It was called the cruiser because Thulin wanted it to be a passenger plane after war. It was not a lucky construction as Swedish army cancelled the order.

In the end of the war AETA got an order worth 33 millions from a south American country. Great discussion about this, if it this only was a veiled order from one of the war countries.
AETA prepared this by starting the production before it was signed, just to be able to deliver in time. Anyway peace was signed November 11 1918 and AETA lost all of it's investments. If peace had come 2 weeks later they at least had got half of the order sum. This was for AETA very unlucky and the down of the company started with difficulties to pay their deliverers.

Early Thulin car at Landskrona museum. Ref 1

AETA had not prepared enough in time for the peace and the loss of aircraft selling.
Thord Ångström had developed a 1000 cc motorcycle and through Gustaf Dalén, who had interests in a German car factory, AGA, Aktiengeselschaft Automobilbau Berlin. This company had med machine guns for the German army. This company started with the AGA (FN) car and produced 15000 before production ceased. From this AETA got the basis for the AGA car. Good projects but too late.

The AETA border was in a chock state after the death of Thulin and it is difficult to recapitulate in which order things were decided.

But probably this way. Car production of the AGA car, which from the beginning was a Belgian construction by the FN company and the motorcycle already good for production was I dare say decided before death of Thulin. The motorcycle was internally constructed by Thord Åström and all drawings for the car had been received from Germany.

AETA had been changed and named to Thulin Works. The company should work with engines, repairing, production of cars and motorcycles and also other workshop business. Almost all personnel had been dismissed in the beginning of 1920 and only key persons were left. It was 80 persons. The new activities now started and the number of workers started to increase during 1920. Soon there were 720. The company was not under threat of bankruptcy even if it had a bad solvency because of to large production capacity. This crises led to a top in August 1920 and when the bank refused another production loan of 1 million the company made a bankruptcy petition. The main cause of this was the order from a South American country worth 13 million short before the end of the war. To be able to made this order in time large sum of money had been invested in tools and also material to be able to deliver in time. Too much money was bound in this and when peace was declared the order was dismissed. If the peace had com just two weeks later AETA had got half of the order sum. A pity for AETA but happy time for Europa. The trustee now took over and succeeded to pay all current accounts.
The large losers were of course Gustaf Dalén and Thulin's estate. Up to 1922 the company was handled by the trustee.

The company was now transformed into a holding company named TEVE. This continued with the original production of cars, motorcycles, reparation and general workshop works. There was also a large joiner's workshop for car bodies. This was under the leadership of Palle Mellblom even if car bodies were transferred to a close company of Palle Mellblom.

1925 the name AB Thulin works was resumed with the same model of workshop. Cars were produced up to 1927 after about 500 units? and a few motorcycles. This year two brothers Weietz tock over and produced a more modern car. This lasted only for 30 cars before money was empty. Volvo started car production this year. This company with financial resources from SKF and others made the situation for Thulin works bad.

Thulin works existed up to 1947 when the trade boom made it more solid. SAB Brake regulator which had been established 1916, in which Thulin was involved, bought Thulin works 1958 and was developed during 10 years to SAB Automotive. Today named Faiveley Transport Nordic AB.The 1984 the Haldex group was established and transformed into Haldex AB. This is now a world wide company with production and main office in Landskrona. This company has the ownership of one Thulin car. See picture.

In Landskrona Palle Mellblom started a joiner's workshop, Mellbloms Snickeri, still situated in Landskrona. Mellblom's children continue with this company.

This is what lastly became of the old AETA. One international workshop within car industry, based on an invention with Thulin involved and one large joiner's workshop.
Maybe Enoch thinks that it was solved to the best.

Remaining cars

About the Haldex Car

This car came inte the ownership of Haldex through the following story. Bo Andersson who ownes some parts for a Thulin motorcycle was on a tour in north of Sweden stopped at Torsångs museum in the landscape of Dalarna south and near the city of Borlänge in order to ask for motorcyckle parts for his Thulin mc. The Torsång owner had been interested for old motor vehicles for a long time. If there were any parts he should know. He didn't know of any MC parts but there was a Thulin car type A (picture from veteran car magazine Signalhornet) in the north of Sweden for sale. Bo took this information back to Haldex Company and they at last succeeded to buy this car. As you can see on pictures it was thoroughly renovated and is now in a good stand. Haldex has also built a special trailer in order to be able to take the car to markets and meetings.
The investments that Thulinverken or Teve as it was called for a time after bankruptcy was the beginning of bad solvency because of expensive production tools in order to produce the cars. The bankruptcy estates did continue the production up to 1927 when Volvo started to deliver their first, car popular named Jakob. This was the final end.
The car type was bought to Thulinverken through Gustaf Daléns subsidiary AGA company outside Berlin. The name AGA had noting to do with Swedish AGA production.. The German Works had bought the car construction from FN producer in Belgium. Most of the parts of the car was produced in Sweden except carburator and electrical equipment which were imported. Thulinverken had also a contract with a reseller for 1000 cars, of these only 300 were produced. The car got a coach work made of wood. It was Palle Mellblom who led this work in the beginning. He had knowledge from the airplane production. The car was for sale with a coach according to the customer wish. Different coach works offered can be seen here. The engine had a motor block casted including the gearbox. During WWI the AGA factory had a main production of machine guns and it was when this production ended that the FN-car was bought. About 15000 AGA cars where produced before the factory ceased. Picture of AGA car was found in Finland and renovated by enthusiast, now placed for ever at Dahlen museum Stenstorp.
I have got these pictures marked Ref 34 from Haldex - Jonas Benson.

Motorcycles
These two pictures, with necessary permission, scanned from the book Swedish motorcycle history by Gert Ekström.
They were constructed by Thord Ångström together with Ivar Malmer. The first mc was ready 1920 with 1000 cc. then came one with 570 cc and 1923 the small mc with 350 cc.

Pictures from the following owners have been used in bjorns-story.se with the necessary permission:
Reference 1: ©Björn Bellander bjorn.bellander(at)telia.com
Reference 33: Bengt Weberg Borgeby © Gert Ekström
Reference 34: © Jonas Benson Haldex Landskrona
Facts for this website are gathered from the following books: Jan Waernberg - Enoch Thulin Forskare, flygare, företagare. Kåa Wennberg - Flygbaronen Carl Cederström. Lennart Andersson - Svenska Flygplan. Svensk Flyghistorisk Förening - History of Breguet B1. Mikael Forslund - Arvid Flory En Flygarlegend berättar. Gösta von Porat - Flyget blev mitt liv. Nils Söderberg - Med spaken i näven. Lares Olefeldt - Palle Mellblom. Further most websites on the net.