Industry Critical

When your job is critical, so are your tools.

You’ve logged thousands of hours on aircraft of all shapes and sizes. You carry the immense responsibility of making sure every flight takes off and lands without incident. And every day, the safety of countless passengers rests upon your shoulders.

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GREATEST MOMENTS IN AVIATION HISTORY

1920s

Aviation Roots

A new industry was gaining ground – or rather, sky – in the nation: aviation. Snap-on introduced its tools to aviation customers and immediately gained attention as a perfect fit for an industry that needed high quality, and high standards.

1927

The Spirit of St. Louis

Designated as the standard service tools for aircraft maintenance, our products helped service the Spirit of St. Louis, which accomplished a feat never before seen – a non-stop flight spanning the Atlantic Ocean.

1933

Byrd's Antarctic Expedition II

An expedition during the Great Depression? Not easy to do. But Snap-on stepped in with airplane tools for the trip to the South Pole. The expedition’s pilot was quoted as saying, “…I don’t know what I would have done without them.”

1938

Howard Hughes 'Round the World

It was a flight around the world, completed in a record 91 hours. Howard Hughes may have gotten the fame, but Snap-on gets the credit, having helped construct and fabricate the record-breaking airplane designed by Lockheed Aircraft.

1960s

To The Moon

It was one small step for man, made possible by one giant Snap-on innovation for the aerospace industry. By developing the world’s first Clean Room tools, we pioneered a system that helped man pioneer outer space.

1973

The Concorde

To make a prototype take flight, the proven quality of Snap-on tools was needed. Used to build, service, and maintain the record-breaking Concorde, we created groundbreaking special engine tools, and fabricated new high-performance ones from standard items.

1977

Flying With Blimps, Too!

Once a wartime battleship escort, the blimp went on to become a beloved floating icon. And as you might expect, Snap-on tools were used to maintain operations for these unique aircraft – and are the choice of better blimp mechanics even to this day.

1980s

Space Shuttles

From the start, Snap-on played an important part in the launch of the space shuttle era. Whether it was designing innovative tools like Torqometer adaptors, or increasing tool safety with tethering systems, Snap-on helped take the aerospace industry to new heights.

2008

Ares I Rocket

When NASA decided to build its flagship rocket, Ares I, they used the industry’s flagship tools. Snap-on supplied the tools to build the next generation rocket that will support the International Space Station – and send Americans back to the moon.