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Registration Number 7246
A Neglected Western Aircraft
This aircraft is a Kreider-Reisner C-2 Challenger, S/N 198
(ATC 19). The Kreider-Reisner Aircraft Co., Hagerstown, MD
manufactured it on August 1, 1928. It was equipped with a 90 HP Curtiss
OX-5 engine, S/N M-4736. It weighed 2,000 pounds.
The airplane was sold for $3,335 (less 15%) on August 29, 1928 to
Phillips Flying Service, Inc. of Seattle, WA, Don S. Phillips,
President.
We find the month-old airplane in Tucson, piloted by Phillips, on September 9, 1928.
He was inbound from Lordsburg, NM enroute to Los Angeles. He and 7246 were competing in the 1928 National Air Races. A photograph of 7426 on the ground at Los Angeles, CA after the Race is at the link. 7426 is the second airplane back.
In Phillips’ hands, the airplane logged 132 flight hours
as of November 17, 1928. On May 7, 1929 it was involved in an accident at
Almira, WA. The reason, “severe storm, plane struck
pole after landing.” There was damage to the prop and
left wings. Pilot Phillips and passenger Eddie Brown were
uninjured.
On July 10, 1929 the mortgage was foreclosed and the airplane was
sold to Paul W. Schubert of Seattle, WA. New left wings were
installed and the airplane was inspected and approved for
registration on July 11, 1929.
Two months later, on September 7, 1929, the airplane was grounded for being
unairworthy. The right lower wing was badly warped and the
fabric, according to the inspector, was, “terrible.”
Over the next two years it was repaired, inspected and disapproved
for flight another couple of times. On November 7, 1931 it was sold
to W.M. Smith and Clifford S. Thomas of Everett, WA. It was
“rebuilt” as a Challenger KR-31 as of December, 1932 and
July, 1933.
It sold twice more until, finally, on May 23, 1935, its final
owner Murrel E. Gray of Payette, ID failed to submit an acceptable
bill of sale and did not apply for registration. The registration
was cancelled upon expiration on August 1, 1935. No further information.
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THIS PAGE UPLOADED: 07/24/05 REVISED: 12/29/14, 01/01/15
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