“Fuselage Uncovered For School Purposes”

This aircraft is an Alexander Eaglerock A-2, S/N 594. It was built with a center section of “new type” and called the “Model A-2 center section Eaglerock.” It was manufactured 8/3/1928 by the Alexander Aircraft Company, Denver, CO. It came from the factory with a 90 HP OX-5 engine S/N 5349. It weighed 2,230 pounds.

It was sold on 8/10/28 to Aero Corporation of California, Los Angeles, CA, Jack Frye, President; Paul Richter, Treasurer. Aero sold it to the Union Oil Company of California, Los Angeles, CA on 9/1/28. At Union, the airplane was called the, “V-4 airplane, to be operated mainly in California and occasionally over western coast, including Canada and Mexico.” It didn’t do this long, as it sold back to Aero on 10/30/28 for $$3,546, with, “credit to be applied on purchase of new model Eaglerock.” According to the records, that new model was NX6355, which landed at Tucson two times. I’m looking for information on that airplane.

Our airplane, 7486, also landed at Tucson twice. First on 11/22/1928 and the next day on 11/23/28 piloted by Jack Frye. He carried no passengers on what appears to be a quick round trip from Los Angeles to El Paso.

It suffered an accident at Simi, CA on 12/7/28, caused by, “wet field delayed takeoff. Struck fence in take off.” It sustained a broken propeller, damage to the landing gear, radiator and both lower wings. Pilot E. Burrell Smith (who landed seven times at Tucson) and passenger Ray Rice were uninjured. The airplane was repaired and flown for about another year. On 1/10/30 the, “original wings removed and uncovered wings installed. Fuselage uncovered for school purposes. Being used for ground school.” The registration was cancelled 3/13/30.

UPLOADED: 07/25/05 REVISED: