An Awkward Early Life

This aircraft is a Mohawk Pinto MLV, S/N 109 (ATC #pending) manufactured July 27, 1928 by the Mohawk Aircraft Corp., Minneapolis, MN. It left the factory with a 70 HP Velie engine, S/N 1216. It weighed 1,332 pounds.

The airplane was manufactured for export to Canada, but the certificate of airworthiness for export was not issued, “on account of unfavorable flying characteristics.” The airplane was returned to Mohawk for modification and it was rebuilt as of February, 1929 in accordance with ATC #95 with a Velie 55 HP engine S/N 381. It received Canadian registration CF-AAW on February 25, 1929.

Here’s where it gets confusing. We find 7296 at Tucson some months earlier on October 26, 1928 piloted by H.M. O’Toole (transport license # 4068) carrying one passenger. They stayed for two days, departing on 10/28. They were on their way from Los Angeles, CA to Minneapolis. Was this the flight back to the factory in preparation for the February, 1929 rebuild? If so, who owned it then, and how did it get to California? There is no record of a U.S. purchaser in California. As an aside, pilot O'Toole had another landing in a Mohawk at Davis-Monthan Airfield. Look here for the result.

Regardless, 7296 did sell on July 21, 1930 to Herbert J. Browne of St. Louis, MO. At that time it wore Canadian registration CF-AAW. Below, from Juptner (cited, left sidebar), v.2. p. 235, is a photograph of the airplane in Canadian registration. See the link to Register pilot Ross Hadley for what might be another photo of just the fuselage of this aircraft.

Mohawk CF-AAW (nee 7296) Ca. July, 1930, Location Unknown (Source: Juptner)

In a letter of August 23, 1930, Inspector G.S. Abbott of the Dept. of National Defense, Air Service, Ottawa, Canada writes: “Imported by Continental Aero Corp. Montreal, Quebec, who applied for registration February 25, 1929. Identification markings CF-AAW allotted and painted on at factory. Continental could not procure export certificate of airworthiness and aircraft flown back to factory at Minneapolis, MN in Sept. 1929. As this aircraft was never registered, no cancellation was necessary. Continental Aero Corp. now in hands of receiver.” Browne wired an application for identity change back to 7296, which was granted August 14, 1930.

After all that, Browne sold the airplane to Edward R. Metzger of St. Louis, MO for $1,500 on August 28, 1930. Probably as an indicator of the nation’s economy at the time, it sold again on September 28, 1931 for $225. Then for $25 at public auction during a “constable’s sale” on January 14, 1033 to the Robertson Airplane Service Co., Robertson, MO. Robertson bumped the price up to $47 and sold it to Irving J. Koenig of St. Louis on February 16, 1933. An accident at Old Orchard, MO on July 29, 1933 resulted in the registration being cancelled on July 25, 1933.

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UPLOADED: 07/24/05 REVISED: 04/09/06, 08/25/11