Below are 47 images of civil aircraft. We'll begin this section of the Klein Archive by featuring one of the uses to which Golden Age pilots put their aircraft: Racing. Below are candid images of three competitors in the trans-Pacific Dole Race of August 1927. The Race was held between Oakland, CA and Honolulu, T.H. None of these airplanes landed at the Davis-Monthan Airfield as far as is known, but one of their pilots did.

The first two images are of the "Woolaroc", Travel Air NX869. The "Woolaroc" was flown in the race in August 1927 by Register pilot Art Goebel. He and his navigator, William V. Davis, Jr., won the event in 26 hours, 17 minutes and 33 seconds and took home the $25,000 prize. Please see the two books in the left sidebar on the subject of the Dole Race.

Travel Air NX869

The caption on the above image states, "Travel Air “Woolaroc” before start of Dole Race to Hawaii, Oakland, Calif., 1928" [NOTE: this date is an error; the race took place in August, 1927]. There was no caption for the image below.

Travel Air NX869

In real life this airplane was brightly colored. It had a Travel Air Blue fuselage and orange wings. The following color swatches (not part of the Klein Archive) are offered to us by William V. Davis, III, the son of the "Woolaroc's" navigator.

Color Swatches from the "Woolaroc"

These are actual pieces of the cotton fabric from the airplane.

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Below, the "Aloha", NX914, a Breese M-5 with a Wright J-5 220 HP engine. There is no date or location listed for the image, but it is undoubtedly August 1927 at Oakland, CA during preparations for the Dole Race. This airplane placed second in the Race, arriving about two hours after Goebel and Davis. Neither of its crew (pilot Martin Jensen and Paul Schluter) signed the Davis-Monthan Register, nor is NX914 identified in the Register. Jensen, however, is pictured among these six images exhibited at the Cosgrove Collection.

The "Aloha", a Breese M-5

After the Race, "Aloha" remained for a time in Hawaii and was used for passenger and freight transport between Honolulu and Hilo.

As happens on this site, people write in and offer interesting additions to the images and texts that I put online. The following email comments and three images of "Aloha" are from frequent contributor to dmairfield.org Tim Kalina. Below, we see "Aloha" in the livery of the Lewis Hawaiian Air Express company. Note the taijitu-like symbolism on the wheels.

"Aloha" in Hawaii

"Aloha" on U.S. West Coast, Late 1920s

At left another image of "Aloha" in yet a third livery. Mr. Kalina says about this image, "This photo was lent to me by Martin [Jensen, the pilot of the "Aloha" during its trans-Pacific flight in the Dole Race] when I visited with him back in the mid 1970s. Martin stated that he thought the location was somewhere on the west coast (of the mainland) after the plane was sold by Lewis Hawaiian Tours. [After the sale] The plane has had it’s Dole Race markings painted back on (but not quite the same way as the original markings). The plane was being used for sight seeing flights [when owned by Lewis]."

Further, he says, "As with the other photos of the ‘Aloha’ when owned by Lewis and also the Daily News [see below], you’ll note some modifications made to the plane (other than the obvious cabin windows and cabin seats). A tailwheel has been added (in the Lewis photo it still has a tailskid) and the bottom of the rear fuselage is not as deep or curved as when flown in the Dole Race."

"Aloha" was transferred back to the United States sometime in 1929, registered NR914 and used "for photography only" at Mineola, LI, NY. It was destroyed by fire at Garden City, NY on June 2, 1933.

"Aloha" in NY Daily News Livery

Mr. Kalina says of his image at right, "I noted that below the latest photo of the ‘Aloha’ you posted that you make mention of the plane ending it’s days as a photo ship. Indeed, the former ‘Aloha’ was owned by the NY Daily News and used as a photo/news gathering plane.

"Attached is an old, original photo from my collection of the Breese in it’s Daily News markings. Sure wish I knew the colors! This is the only photo I have ever seen of the plane in it’s Daily News markings. Although NR914 is not a D-M aircraft I thought you’d like to see the photo."

The logo on the fuselage reads "DAILY NEWS, Transpacific Monoplane, ALOHA". Thus, we have the "Aloha" in four different liveries in less than six years after its success in the trans-Pacific Dole Race. Does anyone know the colors of any of the liveries?

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The Goddard “El Encanto”, NX5074, with a Wright J-5 220 HP engine. This airplane was especially constructed for the Dole Race. It's pilot, Lt. Norman Goddard was an engineer and personally did the stress analyses.

Goddard “El Encanto”

Unfortunaely, it ground looped at Oakland during takeoff for the Race, was damaged and never got airborne. It ran off the runway on August 16, 1927 and demolished the right wing.

It was rebuilt with a brand new wing and landing gear and lived for another five years. Toward the end of its life it was disapproved on inspection on February 6, 1931 because, "wing not properly designed & vibrates in flight', and because because it had, "wet rot in lower longerons." The last word on the airplane came March 3, 1932, it, "was completely destroyed and is no longer in existence."

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Below, the Gwinn Aircar. Although this airplane did not land at the old Davis-Monthan Airfield, it was part of the lives of at least one Register pilot, namely Frank Hawks.

Gwinn Aircar

The annotation on the image reads: "Gwinn Aircar, Pobjoy Niagara 90HP, X1271, Cleveland 9/6/37".

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Bellanca Skyrocket, "Miss Veedol"

At right , according to the notation on the original image, this airplane is “'Miss Veedol' at Wenatchee, Washington After non-stop flight from Tokio, Japan --- Pangborn & Herndon". What looks like a crash was not, since the landing gear had been jettisoned before the flight to reduce drag. The belly landing at the end was planned.

"Miss Veedol", a Bellanca Skyrocket, NR796W, did not land at the Airfield, but its pilot, Hugh Herndon, did on December 6, 1929. Follow the link for lots more information on Herndon and this airplane, as well as the historic flight he, his co-pilot and this airplane made on October 3, 1931.

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Below, NC11324 is rare among Davis-Monthan Airfield aircraft, because it is still registered with the FAA and is, as of 1985, still flying. The annotation on the original image says, "Great Lakes 2T-1A Restored, Menasco B-4 “Pirate”  95 HP, Chino CA 1985".

Great Lakes NC11324

This airplane landed at Tucson on May 2, 1933 flown by Peter Dana. He carried one passenger identified as M.G. Wallace. Based in San Diego, CA, they were eastbound from San Diego headed for "New Hampshire".

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This airplane is a significant artifact of the Golden Age. Follow this link for lots more information about it on this site. Today, NC11Y is on exhibit at the National Air & Space Museum.

Northrop Alpha NC11Y

The original image is annotated: "Northrop 4A 'Alpha' ex 'Alpha' 2, P&W R-1340-SC1  450 HP, NC11Y s/n 3, Rebuilt 'Alpha' 2 & 4, Cleveland Ohio 12/24/40". NC11Y landed at Tucson on June 2, 1931.

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Lockheed Vega NC32M

At right, Lockheed Vega NC32M. The annotation on the original photograph says, "Lockheed 5C Vega, P&W R-1340-7 425 HP, NC32M c/n 102, Crashed Mexico June ‘43, Pittsburgh". Follow the link for information on this airplane's visit to Tucson and the pilots who flew it.

Although no date was given for when the image was taken, it was probably during 1934-35 when the airplane was owned and flown by Pittsburgh Airways and Central Airlines (note the signage on the fuselage).

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Below are two images of NC105N. Please follow the link for further information about this airplane, its pilots and its visits to the Davis-Monthan Municipal Airfield.

Lockheed 5-B Vega, NC105N

The annotation on the first image, above, reads, "Lockheed 5-B Vega, P&W R-1340-7 450 HP, NC105N c/n 117,Standard Oil of NJ, Newark, NY 1935".

Lockheed Vega 5-C NC105N

The annotation on the second image (note difference in data), right, reads, "Lockheed Vega 5-C NC105N, 450 HP Wasp S3D1". The image was taken June 19, 1937, location unknown. If the date of this image is to be believed, then the date of an accident six-months earlier cited in the link above suggests this image was taken after repairs were made. The airplane no longer has the NR registration. It was not clear from the National Air & Space Museum record what the final disposition/fate was for this airplane.

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Below are two images of Lockheed Sirius NC117W.

Lockheed Sirius NC117W

The annotation on the first image, right, states, "Lockheed Sirius 8-C, Wasp 450 HP". The image date is unknown, but, since it looks like the camera mount and cockpit are installed behind the pilot's seat, it is probably after 1936-37 when it was so modified by Paul Mantz (follow the link to find out more).

The second image, below, is annotated, " Lockheed 8A Sirius, P&W R-1340C 450 HP, NC117W s/n 151, Glendale, CA 8/36". The camera mounting ring in the rear cockpit is clearly visible in this image.

Lockheed Sirius NC117W

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Below are two images of Lockheed Vega NC199E.

Lockheed Vega NC199E

This airplane was owned by George Westinghouse, a Davis-Monthan Airfield pilot (landed four times; three times in this airplane) with strong Pittsburgh connections (his family's business was founded and located in Pittsburgh).

The annotation on the image reads, "Lockheed Vega 2-D; Wasp Jr. 300 HP". At right we see it on floats. The date of the image is not given, but the paint scheme is the same as when Westinghouse owned it, and he was known to fly it on floats. Compare this image with those at the link above.

Lockheed Vega NC199E

The annotation on this image, left, reads, "Lockheed 2-D Vega, P&W R-985A 'Wasp' 300 HP, NC199E c/n 40". This image was dated 1935. Chances are it was taken the same time as the one above

Compare the image below with the one at NC199E. The image at the link was taken in California; this one is at Cleveland during the same year. I've left the original documentation at the bottom of this photograph.

Lockheed Vega NC199E

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1935
"Wallace 'Touroplane' Kinner K-5 100 HP, NC209N  c/n 17".

See Tony LeVier data, as he was the pilot.

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Timm M-150 NC279V

NC279V is a Timm. The annotation on the image states, "Timm M-150 'Collegiate',
MacClatchie 'Panther' 150 HP, NC279V, ex. X279V c/n 105, Only one built with “Panther” engine, Glendale, CA 1934".

This airplane was flown to Tucson August 2, 1930 by pilot T.C. Alexander. He carried one unidentified passenger. Based in Los Angeles, CA, they were westbound from Lordsburg, NM to Los Angeles.

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American Eagle 430, NC284N

Left, NC284N is an American Eagle. The annotation on the original image reads, "American Eagle 430, Continental A-70 165 HP, S/N 902, Ex. NC200N prototype".

American Eagle 430, NC284N

NC284N landed at Tucson on December 31, 1934 flown by J.C. Barnett. He carried one unidentified passenger. Based at Roswell, NM they were westbound from Roswell to Los Angeles, CA.

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NC308E is a Consolidated aircraft. Consolidated was owned by Register signer Reuben H. Fleet. The annotation on the original image reads, "Consolidated 14 Husky Jr., Warner R-420 Scarab  110 HP, C308E ATC 84, Buffalo November 1928".

Consolidated Husky, NC308E

This airplane was flown once to Tucson solo on January 2, 1930 by pilot Albert Pyle. Based in Phoenix, AZ he was homeward bound from Lordsburg, NM.

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Part of Shell Oil’s fleet of aircraft, the airplane of interest in this image is the aircraft at far left, the Lockheed Sirius NC349V. Please follow the link to learn more about this airplane and its visits to Tucson.

The annotation on the original photograph states, "A Lockheed 'Sirius', Timm 'Collegiate', And a Stearman C-3R  1930". Whereas all these airplanes were part of the Shell fleet, the Timm and the Stearman are not recorded in the Davis-Monthan Airfield Register. The location of the photograph is unknown.

Lockheed Sirius NC349V, Left

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NC381 is a big Boeing single-engine airplane. The annotation on the original image states, "Boeing 40Y, P&W R-1340 “Wasp”  420 HP, C381, Built especially for Standard Oil of Calif. #2 Seattle 12/9/28". Please follow the link to find out more about this airplane and its visits to Tucson.

Boeing 40Y, NC381

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NC752K is a Waco BSO, S/N A-153 mfg 1929, flown to Tucson by female pilot Billie Rice. She carried one passenger indentified simply as "Boy friend". The annotation on the original images states, " Waco BSO, Wright R-540E 175HP, NC753K s/n A153, Bettis Field, Pgh. 6/10/37".

Waco BSO, NC752K

Based in Los Angeles, CA, unfortunately Rice did not record their origin or destination. Neither did she record the date of their landing, but it was sometime between August 24, 1931 and September 4, 1931.

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Emsco NC849E

At left, Emsco NC849E. Please follow the link for a color image of this airplane, and for information about its visit to Tucson.

The date of this image is unknown and the annotation on the original photo reads, "Emsco Challenger 3 Challenger engines 185 HP".

NOTE: this airplane is recorded "NC" in the D-M Register; it is "NX" in the image, suggesting the photograph was taken sometime between its date of manufacture in April 1929 and the date it was registered as "NC" on October 22, 1931.

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Lockheed Vega, NC926Y

At right, NC926Y is a Lockheed Vega of some renown. Please follow the link for information and additional images. This photo was taken June 16, 1934 at Pittsburgh, PA, about three years after it landed at Tucson flown by John Macready and about a year before its attempted trans-Atlantic flight to Lithuania from New York on September 21-22, 1935.

The annotation on the original photograph reads, " Lockheed 5B “Vega Special”, P&W R-1340-1 450HP, NC926Y c/n 134, 'Lituanica II' New York to Lithuania.  Pilot: Lt. Felix Waitkus, Pittsburgh 6/16/34"

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Bellanca CH NC/NX4050

Here we have two images of Bellanca NX/NC4050. The date of the first image is unknown, but it is probably soon after the airplane was manufactured in 1927 because it does not yet have its "NX" registration.

The caption on the original images reads, "Bellanca CH, Wright 320 HP". "Schlee-Brock Aircraft Co." is painted on the side of the fuselage.

Please follow the link to learn more about the visit of this airplane to Tucson during the 1928 Ford Reliability Tour and about its "NX"/"NR" registration assignments.

Annotated on the second image, below, is, "Bellanca CH-200 the 'Bow-legged' Bellanca, Wright J-5-9 220 HP, C4050 , The FIRST or second CH built, Bettis Field, Pittsburgh July 1928."

Bellanca CH NC/NX4050

You may see this airplane in motion on the ground at Tucson at this link, which shows a one-minute moving picture clip of the fourth National Air Tour for the Edsel B. Ford Trophy when it visited Tucson on the morning of July 10, 1928.

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Below is Ryan NC3257 among what looks like an admiring crowd. The annotation on the original image reads, "Casper P. Mayer’s First Ryan, Mahoney-Ryan B-1, Wright R-790 (J-5-9)  220 HP, C4398  c/n 71, Mr. Mayer, Walt Chambers and Mayer’s pilot, J. Warren Smith.  Mayer Field Bridgeville, PA 1928". Further, the caption identifies the airplane registration number as NC4398. This is an error. But see the link to learn how 3257 is related to another Register pilot.

Mahoney-Ryan B-1 NC3257

Incidentally, Mayer's pilot F. Warren Smith landed at Tucson flying another Ryan B-1, NC2054 on September 11, 1927. He carried Walt Chambers as passenger. They were eastbound from San Diego,CA to Pittsburg (sic). Written in the Remarks column was "Edward P. Runge", which was probably the signature of a U.S. Border Patrol agent.

NC3257 was not brought through Tucson by Smith or any other pilot, and is not signed in the Register. However, Ryan NC4398 was also owned by Mayer and it did land at Tucson twice , on February 19, 1929 and March 1, 1929. Both times it was piloted by Frank T. Dunn carrying passengers Capt. H. Young and Phil D.C. Ball. Dunn's home base was given as St. Louis, MO.

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NC4834 is still registered with the FAA and it is still flying. Please follow the link to learn more. The data on this image says it was taken September 6, 1970 (but see below). The annotation with the photograph states, "Travel Air W-4000, Lycoming R-680B , 225 HP, NC4834  c/n 418, Oshkosh, WI 9/6/70".

Travel Air W-4000 NC4834

I heard from the current owner of this airplane (follow the link, above) on the same day I put this page online. There appears to be a discrepancy in the date given in the annotation on the original photograph. He says, "Your photo is indeed of my airplane, but certainly not in Oshkosh in 1970.  I can't be certain of where and when it was taken but it almost certainly was taken in the period 1985 to 1987 here in the Northwest.  The photo was probably taken in Washington state at a fly-in, possibly Arlington.  The surrounding terrain looks like the Arlington Airport.  In any case, the photo was definitely taken after the Spring of 1985 when I had restored the airplane to the configuration seen in the photo.  It most certainly was not taken after 1987, when I flew the airplane to California and later to Texas where it stayed for many years."

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Ryan B-1 NC5217, below, landed at Tucson twice on September 11, 1928 (westbound El Paso to Yuma, AZ) and September 21, 1928 (eastbound Los Angeles to El Paso, TX). The annotation with the original photograph reads, "Ryan B-1, Wright J-5-9  220 HP, NC5217  c/n 105  October 1928, D. Roy Bradford’s of New Castle". As can be seen on the side of the fuselage, Mr. Bradford was manager of New Castle Aircraft, Inc.

Both visits to Tucson it was flown by New Castle's pilot, Raymond J. Merritt. He carried eastbound as passenger D. Roy Bradford. They identified their home base as New Castle, PA. The image below was taken within a month after they landed at Tucson.

D. Roy Bradford With Ryan B-1 NC5217

Their passing through Tucson was with purpose. They were competing in the 1928 National Air Races Class "B" Transcontinental race from New York to Los Angeles. Merritt placed 12th in the race with an elapsed time of 33:59:32, about 11 hours behind the winner, the superlative John Livingston.

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Travel Air 4-D NC5426

Travel Air 4-D NC5426 landed at Tucson on May 17, 1933 flown solo by Henrietta Sumner. The annotation on the original photograph states, "Travel Air 4-D, Wright J-5-9 220 HP". The date of this image is unknown.

The Cleveland Plain Dealer of July 8, 1934 has Sumner agreeing to compete in a 1934 transcontinental race.

NC5426 was was used earlier, however, by Register pilot Louise Thaden during her March 16-17, 1929 endurance record of 22 hours, 3 minutes, 28 seconds.

Site visitor Russ Plehinger (please see his book cited in REFERENCES) provides the following: " Travel Air 5426 began as a model 3000 with a Hisso engine. Later fitted with J-5. It was at one time used by TA distributor Douglas C. Warren and may have been raced by him. I think it was raced by Henrietta Sumner at NY in June 1933 and at LA in July 1933. During the years 1933-1937 it was flown and raced by west coast flyer Harry Sham. Henrietta set an inverted flight record for women of 1h 45m in June of 1935, exact date and place not known."

Friend of dmairfield.org and Travel Air owner Brian Dalton sends the following regarding this airplane: "NC5426 was first registered as a Travel Air 3000, normally a 150 or 180 hp Hisso V-8 engine.  It was serial number 515 indicating it was built in the summer of 1928 or so.  It was later registered as a D-3000 and after that a D-4000 some time before 1947.  A D-4000 would have had speed wings (no elephant ears, faster airfoil) and extra fairings, also for speed.  It would have had a round engine, probably a Wright J-5.  The first factory D-4000 was built around SN 619 in 1928.  In the photo of NC5426, it looks like it sports a J-5 judging by the plumbing coming out the bottom, but that is uncertain from the tiny photo.  That N number is no longer current so the airplane appears to have disappeared."

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NC5900 Stinson SM-1DA Detroiter

At right is NC5900 a Stinson SM-1DA Detroiter flown to the Davis-Monthan Airfield on July 10, 1928 by Eddie Stinson. He was one of many aircraft to land that morning as participants in the National Air Tour. Please follow the links for further information on this airplane, its visit to Tucson and its pilot.

This image was taken at Mills Field, San Francisco, CA. While the image date is not identified, it is probably July 14, 1928, the day the Tour was scheduled to be in San Francisco. A Maddux Air Lines Ford can be seen in the background, right. The annotation on the original photograph says, "Stinson SM-1, Wright J-5 220 HP".

You may see this airplane in motion on the ground at Tucson at this link, which shows a one-minute moving picture clip of the fourth National Air Tour for the Edsel B. Ford Trophy when it visited Tucson on the morning of July 10, 1928.

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Travel Air 4-U NC6113

At left, Travel Air NC6113 landed at Tucson 9/1/1929 flown by pilot Joe K. Hicks. He was westbound from Lordsburg, NM. Based at San Bernardino, CA Tri City Airport, he remained overnight in Tucson and departed for Los Angeles the next day.

This image was taken at Seattle, WA in 1937. The annotation on the original images states, "Travel Air 4-U, Comet 130 HP installed by Otto Timm, Seattle, WA 1937".

Friend of dmairfield.org Brian Dalton sends us the following about NC6113: "... the 4-U designation signaled that it had been converted to a Comet engine.  The Comet engine was a 7-cylinder engine made in Oakland, CA ranging in horsepower from about 130 to 150 hp.  Apparently Otto Timm was making these conversions involving Travel Airs in Glendale, California in the 1930s and did about 16 of them." 

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Cessna NC7107 is also an airplane of interest to us. It was a frequent visitor to the Airfield, landing five times between 1928 and 1931. When it landed at Tucson the first time on September 9, 1928 it was flown by Earl Rowland, who was a competitor in the 1928 National Air Races. Tucson was an interim checkpoint for the race that year. Rowland ultimately was the first-place trophy winner with an elapsed time of 22:00:31. There is another image of NC7107 at the link with the nose cowl installed, and with a different race number and paint job.

Please note, there appear to be some discrepancies among sources regarding the identification of this airplane. Follow along to see what I mean. The annotation on the original image says, "Cessna BW 'Red Wing', Wright R-790  220 HP, C7107, Casper P. Mayer’s, Bettis Field 1928". Bettis Field was in Pittsburgh, PA. For background, Mayer owned another airplane, seen above.

Cessna NC7107

There is probably a typo on the original photo, shown here, because, according to aerofiles.com, the airplane shown, NC7107, is a model Cessna AW, 140. Likewise, the Rodengen source cited at the Air Races link, above, identifies NC7107 as a model AW with race number 30 (see other race numbers, below).

Also, according to Rodengen, it was another airplane, Cessna NC5035, that had “My Name is Red Wings” written under the cockpit window. That airplane, pictured at the Air Races link, wore race number 96, and had "MAYER" writ large upon the fuselage. According to Rodengen, NC5035 is, indeed, a model BW.

So, either the annotation on this image is in error, or two reliable and researched sources are in error. There is a chance that NC7107 has been confused with NC5035. If you can clear this up, please let me KNOW.

Regardless of the possible discrepancy, NC7107 was flown to Tucson by Rowland again on September 18, 1928, probably returning east after Air Races. The next two visits to Tucson on July 15 and 19, 1929 were east-west and west-east transits. Both were flown by pilot Stanley T. Stanton carrying a Major Wehele and his son. The final landing was on August 19, 1931. The pilot was Eldon Cessna carrying passenger Roscoe Vaughan. Eldon wrote "OK" in the Remarks column of the Register.

Site visitor Russ Plehinger (please see his book cited in REFERENCES) provides the following: "Further data on Cessna 7107 raced in 1931 by Eldon Cessna as race #5, raced in 1932 by Eldon Cessna as race #18, raced in 1933 by Eldon Cessna as race #30, raced in 1934 by Paul W. Clough as #37, raced in 1935 by Fred Wallingford as # ?." Clearly this was a well-used airplane with some reputation among the Cessna Company and others.

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This image of Lockheed NC7954 was taken in 1928. It was flown to Tucson by Wiley Post and Art Goebel. The annotation on this image states, "The first 'Winnie Mae', Lockheed 5 Vega, P&W R-1340  420 HP “Wasp”, NC7954 c/n 24 At Burbank, CA 1928, Bought by Wiley Post." While it is the first "Winnie Mae" (there were three), it was not bought by Post, rather it was purchased by F.C. Hall, for whom Post was pilot, and whose daughter was Winnie Mae. Please follow the links to learn more.

Lockheed NC7954

We see the airplane here as it was owned by Hall and flown by Post, about two years before it was owned by Goebel.

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Stearman C-3B NC8809

At left and below are two images of Stearman C-3B NC8809, which landed at Tucson three times between 1930 and 1932. Each time it was piloted by Ross Hadley. The annotation on the original image states, " Stearman C-3B Special Wright 220 HP". There is no date for this image. Please follow the links for further information about this airplane and its landings at Tucson.

Stearman C-3B NC8809

This second image, right, was taken at Glendale, CA on September 24, 1934. The annotation states,"Stearman C3MB, Wright R-760 225 HP, NC8809 Ross Hadley’s 'Round-the World' Stearman, Glendale, CA 9/23/34".

This image would be just before or just after his trip to Europe. Note the wheel pants are absent vs. the top image. If you examine the image at the link for 8809 you'll see the pants absent there, too, when the airplane was in the Netherlands.

As an aside, Hadley was the 6th owner of Pancho Barnes' Travel Air NC4419.

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Travel Air NC9049 is still registered with the FAA. The image below was taken at Wenatche, WA in 1984. The annotation reads, "Travel Air W-4000 1929, Wright J-5-9  220 HP, NC9049  s/n 850, Wenatche, WA 1984".

Travel Air W-4000 NC9049

This airplane was flown by Michael C. Casserly to Tucson on June 19, 1929. His passenger was Livingston Longfellow. Based in Boston, MA they were westbound from Midland, TX to Santa Barbara, CA. They remained in Tucson overnight, continuing their journey on the 20th.

Friend of dmairfield.org Brian Dalton sends us this information regarding NC9049. "This airplane was restored by Jack Lanning of Arlington, WA circa 1970s. He obtained the airplane from Harry MacFarlane of Oregon. Harry ran several Travel Airs as crop dusters throughout Oregon. NC9049 was originally equipped with a Warner engine, but Jack converted it to a Wright Whirlwind J-4 engine. For a short while in the middle 1980s he installed a Wright Whirlwind J-5 on it, but most of the time it has retained the J-4. The airplane has not flown for the last few years and now is based at Port Townsend, WA where Jack has placed it on loan to the Port Townsend Aero Museum. For more information and another photo, check out this link."

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Fairchild NC9738

Fairchild NC9738 visited three times at Tucson. Please follow the link to learn about the dates of landing and pilots. The annotation on the original photo states, "Fairchild 71 Wasp C 420 HP".

No date was given on this image, but at the link it is possible to deduce the date within a year or so. The airplane had floats installed in September 1936. It had water rudders installed on the floats in July 1937. The image was taken sometime between those two dates, since there are no water rudders on the floats.

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Boeing 100 NC872H

NC872H is a Boeing 100. It is the civilian version of the Boeing P-12-A. At left and below are two images of this airplane. Written on the first image is, "Boeing 100 Special Wasp 450, 'Milo Burcham' is painted on the head rest". Burcham named his aircraft the "Blue Flash". In this craft, Burcham won the International Aerobatic Championship.

This first image is identified as being taken in 1929. This is in error, since it is painted in Burcham's design and Burcham didn't own the ship until Sept. 27, 1933.

Friend of dmairfield.org Mike Gerow writes, "The pic at left shows 872H circa 1936 when it went on an R license after Burcham's modifications for airshow work which included an inverted fuel system (that's the tank between the gear struts) and a smoke-generation system that he used for skywriting for Chevrolet."  There are, "... metal struts bolted to either side of the fuel tank supporting the exhaust pipe. As part of his modifications, Burcham had metal-skinned the fuselage, and I'm guessing that's also what was used to fair in the landing gear struts." 

"If you look carefully at the tail, it should say R872H. At this time, Burcham was sponsored by Chevrolet and had that name in large block letters across the entire top wing. According to Milo's younger son, Vance, the emblem in the blue tear drop portrayed a sweating buzzard about to be overtaken by a speeding bullet, symbolizing this plane. The pic at left was how the ship looked at the 1936 NAR when Burcham took the international aerobatic title."

Boeing 100 NC872H

The second image, right, was identified as being taken in 1933 at Glendale, CA. Photo two identifies the engine as a, "P&W R-1340 Wasp of 450 HP; A/C S/N 1143".

Mike Gerow says this about this image, "The photo at right, probably taken in the 33-34 time frame, reflects the ship earlier in Burcham's career with it, when it still flew under an NC license."

Burcham brought this airplane to Tucson once on January 29, 1934.

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GeeBee NR2101

At right and below are two images of GeeBee NR2101 as photographed by Gordon S. Williams. The location and dates are unknown, but according to aerofiles.com the photos are, "of the 1933 R-1/R-2 'longtail' that used the repaired fuselage of Boardman's R-1, lengthened by about 18" behind the cockpit, and the old 1932 R-2 wings, which had been replaced in the 1933 R-2. Powered by a 1,000 hp P&W Hornet, it had a tighter cowl with bumps for the rocker covers." The bumps are clearly visible in these images. Follow the link for more information.

The annotation on the right-hand image states, "Granville 'Gee Bee 1', Hornet 1000 HP, Cecil Allen’s ill fated ship, Photo by Gordon S. Williams". Cecil Allen, a Register pilot, was killed in 1935.

GeeBee NR2101

The annotation on the left-hand image states, " Hall 'Gee Bee' 7-11, P&W R-1690 “Hornet” 800-900 HP, NR2101 crashed on takeoff 31, August 1935 at Burbank, During Bendix Race. Cecil Allen killed." Although this is Allen's airplane, the annotation seems to be in error regarding the difference in HP specifics. Allen's name can be seen painted just under the cockpit on the original photograph.

Regardless, to complicate things a bit more, according to aerofiles, "Both planes were destroyed in crashes, but fuselage parts and landing gears from their remains were used by E. Morgan Voelker of Tucson AZ to make a 1934 hybrid replica that bore the original R-2 numbers—it, too, was destroyed, in a 1935 crash, marking an end to the original barrel-bodies."

Follow that second aerofiles link to see another image of this airplane (top image). You'll note that our image doesn't have the severe oil streaking on the forward fuselage, and the lettering "Spirit of Flight" is not on the aerofiles image.

That leaves us with the Tucson visit of NR2101. According to the Register pilot Joe Lafayette Thomas brought the airplane to the Airfield on August 5, 1934. His entry in the Register is suspect, because he lists two passengers (the airplane has a single cockpit), he identifies his destination as the Tucson, AZ Transfer Co., and in the Remarks column he notes, "Lafayette we are here". Please refer to Zantford Granville's page for further interpretation of this puzzle.

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Lockheed Vega NR/NX7429

Lockheed Vega NX7429 landed four times at Tucson during 1928-29. The annotation on the original photograph reads, "NR7429, Lockheed Vega 1, Wr R-790 220 HP, Reg Robbins’ trans-pacific attempt". The date of the image is not given.

This Vega is S/N 18 built on August 27, 1928. It was painted yellow it was raced by Robert Cantwell in the 1928 National Air Races, plane #22. Cantwell won class C. Please follow the link for more information on this interesting and accomplished man.

NX7429 appears in the Register four times. It was flown three times flown by Cantwell and once by Maurice Marrs. Note the difference in registration ID.

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Fleet NS-36 landed twice at Tucson, first on or about May 2, 1933 and then on September 18, 1933. The date for this image is August 1, 1931. Notice the tail wheel. The type certificate for this model was granted on June 18, 1931, so this was a very new airplane in this picture.

Fleet NS-36

The annotation on the original image says, "Fleet 9 DeLux, Kinner B-5  125 HP, NS36  c/n 505, US Dept of Commerce 8/1/31". The pilots who flew it to Tucson were identified as "Mouton" (Edison "Monte" Mouton) on May 2nd and James N. Peyton. They were generally covering routes in Arizona and Texas. No purpose was listed for their flights.

An image of NS-36 similar to this one can be found in Juptner, vol. 5, page 85 (REFERENCES).

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Ryan NX211 "Spirit of St. Louis"

Behind the Wright Flyer, Ryan NX211 is probably the most well-known aircraft in the world. This photograph shows a replica of NX211. A site visitor identifies this craft as, "... a photo of one of Paul Mantz' movie NYP Broughams.  Please note the forward looking windshield, tailwheel and wheel brakes.  Of course the actual Ryan NYP, NX-211 Spirit of St. Louis had none of these." The date and location of this image are unknown.

Regarding the real "Spirit", you may view here a four-minute moving picture sequence of Lindbergh and the "Spirit of St. Louis" in the air and on the ground when it visited Tucson, September 23-24, 1927. Tucson was one of the cities Lindbergh visited during the U.S. tour about four months following his trans-Atlantic flight. Lindbergh wrote in the Remarks column of the Register, "Your field is excellent."

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Fairchild NX5501 appears in the Davis-Monthan Airfield Register twice, on September 11 and 21,1928. Both times it was flown by C.B.D. Collyer. On September 11 he was westbound competing in the 1928 National Air Races that used Tucson as a waypoint in the Class "C" race that year. Collyer and his passenger, identified simply as "Findley" in the Register, did well.

They placed second overall with an elapsed time of 27:10:45, about two hours behind the winner (and about 20 minutes ahead of the 3rd place winner). According to the 1929 Aircraft Yearbook (REFERENCES), for their efforts, Collyer and Findley earned $2,500 in second-place prize money, plus another $175 in lap prize awards. It is unknown if they kept the money, or had to share it with their race sponsor, the Fairchild Airplane Mfg. Co.

Fairchild NX5501

The annotation on the original photograph states, " Fairchild FC-2W, P&W R-1340 “Wasp” 410HP, NX5501  c/n 86, 'The City of New York', John Mears and Charles Collyer’s, 'Round-the-World' in 23 days, 15 hours at, Bettis Field 7/21/28." This was about two months before it landed the first time at Tucson. The second landing on 9/21 was eastbound from Los Angeles, CA to El Paso, TX. He carried two passengers this time, identified simply as "Roberts" and "Stribner". This was almost certainly the return trip to their home base in New York after the end of the Air Races.

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THIS PAGE UPLOADED: 09/30/07 REVISED: 10/01/07, 10/02/07, 10/04/07, 10/12/07, 10/25/07, 01/26/09, 10/13/10, 08/25/11