Helton Aircraft Corporation Shares

Gloriahale

Hi,

My 87 year old father has 5 shares of this stock. It's dated 1/17/67. Does anyone know if this has any value?

Thanks!

TimothyAanerud

I'd take a lark that the value of this stock certificate is probably worth more if it is a framed piece of aviation art.

Pima Air Museum says:

The Helton Lark is the result of several brief attempts to turn the World War II era Culver PQ-8 target drone into a civilian sport plane. Despite the aircraft's good speed and handling the low payload of less than 600 pounds resulted in a very limited interest in the aircraft. The Lark Aviation Company in Tracy, California was the first to attempt to manufacture the aircraft. Beginning in 1961, two years of redesign and testing resulted in a modernized and improved aircraft with plywood covered wings in place of fabric, a fiberglass cowling, sliding canopy, and aerodynamic improvements. Production began and ended in 1963. In 1965, the Helton Aircraft Corporation of Mesa, Arizona acquired the rights to the Lark 95 and began production late in 1966. Production continued into the first part of 1967 when the last attempt at producing the Lark ended.

DougRobertson

There are a dozen Helton Lark 95s registered on this site, including one reregistered in the U.K. Six of them are photographed. Apparently, at least 16 were constructed based on the serial number ranges. Have a look here!

More information on the company is in Volume 8 of U.S. Civil Aircraft by Joseph Juptner. The aircraft were variously built under Approved Type Certificate #748 granted 9-11-1941, which covered the Culver "Cadet", the LAR-90 (PQ-8) drone and the Helton Lark 95. The book includes one photo of the Lark 95 prototype version as built by California Aero.

Homer H. Helton acquired the rights to build the design via Culver Aircraft Corp. to Superior Aircraft to California Aero to Lark Aviation Corp. Cal Aero built the prototype Lark 95, then Helton's Lark Aviation Corp. built two and had ten in production when the company folded. Rights to the design were then sold to M.H. "Pappy" Spinks in Texas. That is where Juptner's trail ends. The postwar 1947 Culver Model V was built under a different ATC #778. Timothy's idea bears merit.