The Abrams Air Craft Corporation was established in Lansing, Michigan in 1937 as an offshoot of Talbert Abrams' Aerial Survey Corporation . Abrams had founded an airline (ABC Airline ) in 1929 but found himself increasingly interested in aerial photography.

The new company was created for the purpose of designing and producing a dedicated survey aircraft. The result was the P-1 Explorer, designed by Abrams with assistance from Kenneth Ronan of Ronan & Kunzl .

World War II interrupted further work.