The company was led by the famous pilot S. S. Shchetinin and the lead designer was Dmitry Pavlovich Grigorovich.
The company focused mainly on a series of flying boats, which initially were modeled after the American aircraft Curtiss Model K. A lengthy series of aircraft, starting with the designation letter "M" (Marine) followed.
The plant was founded by Sergey Sergeevich Shchetinin, a lawyer from St. Petersburg.
It was called "First Russian Aeronautical Company S. S. Shchetinin and Co. (PRTV)".
By the summer of 1914 the plant was mainly producing licensed and unlicensed copies of French aircraft.