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han, Sons and Company, manufacturers of motor cars. The firm was engaged in research pertaining to all-metal plane construction and William assisted in these projects. This company later became the Cunningham-Hall Aircraft Corporation and some experimental all-metal commercial aircraft were built, including a special machine to enter the Guggenheim Safe Plane Competition in 1929.
Frank Burnside remained as Chief Pilot for Thomas-Morse until 1923 when he left to join the Airmail Service. The firm remained in business, operating in a small way on military development and airmail plane contracts, but with no production orders, until April 9 [[Strikethrough]] th [[/Strikethrough]], 1929 when Thomas-Morse was sold to Consolidated Aircraft Company, Buffalo, New York, and merged with their business. 
During this time William moved to Florida to make his permanent home, where in the 1930s he became active in model plane building and amateur astronomy. In these hobbies he contributed much to help the national youth movement in the building and flying of model planes. With his son, William Jr., they actively participated in this competitive sport and won numerous national awards in contests. He also became a founding member of the Daytona Beach Stargazers Club, a local group interested in astronomy, and for many years bimonthly meetings were held in the Thomas home for talks and viewings with their homemade telescopes. This group helped the Government to meet a shortage of optical prisms during World War II by making them in their own workshop. William and his son also became engaged in building gas model engines for their model planes and in 1960 made one of the first Wankel rotary engines to run successfully in the United States. 
Following a lingering illness William T. Thomas died at his home on July 29, 1966 at age 78, survived by his wife and son. His brother, Oliver W. Thomas, had previously passed away suddenly at Brighton, England, on June 14, 1948. William was a member of the Early Birds, the Society of Automotive Engineers, a former President of the Academy of Model Aeronautics, and a founding member of the Daytona Beach Stargazers Club.
Flying Pioneers William and Oliver Thomas rightfully deserve great credit for their major contributions to the early development of aviation progress in the United States. They started at the very beginning of its growth, and by
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