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Archives at The Museum of Flight


Sobol, Walt, 1901-1993

 Person

Dates

  • Existence: 1901-1993

Biographical Note: Walt Sobol

Walt Sobol worked in aircraft manufacturing in the U.S., China and India from the late 1920s through the 1950s.

Walt Sobol was born August 2, 1901 in Scranton, Pennsylvania. In the late 1920s and early 1930s he lived and worked in Missouri as a steel worker and welder primarily in the aircraft manufacturing industry, with time spent at American Eagle Aircraft Company from 1926-1927, Nicholas-Beazley Airplane Company from about 1927-1929, and then Barling Aircraft, Inc. from about 1929-1931. Then he worked for B/J Aircraft Corporation and the Glenn L. Martin Company in Maryland during 1931-1932 and at Chance Vought Corporation from 1932 until 1934.

Then, in June of 1934, he left for China and began working for Central Aircraft Manufacturing Company (Camco) as Superintendent of welding and manufacturing. He was in China with Camco until 1942. During that time, Camco had to relocate its factory five times due to Japanese bombings.

From 1942 until 1959 Sobol lived in India working for Hindustan Aircraft Ltd. in Bangalore which manufactured both aircraft and railcars. He held several positions during his time at the company including Plant Engineer, Welding and Manufacturing Superintendent, and Assistant Factory Manager.

In 1959 Sobol returned to the U.S. and worked in a missile facility in Hanford, Washington. Sobol died August 19, 1993 in Seattle, Washington.

Biographical sketch derived from donor information, collection materials, and records on Ancestry.com.

Found in 1 Collection or Record:

Walt Sobol Photographs and Negatives

 Collection
Identifier: 2018-10-02
Content Description The Walt Sobol Photographs and Negatives is a collection comprised of 2,169 black-and-white photographic prints and 1,193 photographic negatives taken by Sobol during his career in aircraft manufacturing in China, Burma, India and the U.S. from the late 1920s through 1950s. The photographs are a mix of personal images, scenes of daily life in the various places he traveled, and documentation of the aircraft manufacturing industry in Missouri, China and India.The photographs are...

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