Founded in 1980 by Tom Prescott and Stan Blankenship in Wichita, Kansas, the Prescott Aeronautical Company focused on producing affordable home-built aircraft kits during the economic downturn of the 1980s. Their most popular model was the sleek Prescott Pusher, a 4-passenger, pusher-configured aircraft with the engine and propeller located at the rear of the aircraft. This unique style offered a large cockpit with enough room for four – a marketing concept the company banked on, as most homebuilt aircraft were normally one or two seaters.

After the plane made its debut at the 1985 Experimental Aircraft Association Convention in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, sales orders soon followed for the Prescott Pusher’s first kit. In order to build the entire plane, there were more than 30 kits total, estimating completion for one plane at about five years. There were also optional kits available for more add-ons. Unfortunately, in 1991 the company folded as builders were still completing their aircraft.

The Prescott Aeronautical Corporation Collection includes corporate records, from business plans, and press kits to engineering documents, like blueprint drawings and specific test information. In fact, the Prescott Pusher was the first aircraft in its class totally designed using CAD/CAM (computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing) techniques.

Instructions for each kit build included a table of contents, unpacking directions, kit inventory, a checklist, required equipment, procedure sequence, assembly, fixtures, cautions, sub-assembly, illustrated parts breakdown, most of these documents are now available in the collection as well.

Prescott Aeronautical Company was also one of the few homebuilt kit companies that would include a videotape with filmed instructions for the specific kit being put together, which can now be found in our audiovisual collection. 

Link to the collection's finding guide.