“Came In Downwind To Drag Field”

This aircraft is a Curtiss-Robertson Robin 1, S/N 10 (ATC 40/68). The Curtiss-Robertson Airplane Manufacturing Co., Anglum, MO manufactured it on 9/4/28. It was equipped with a 90 HP Curtiss OX-5 engine, S/N M-2729. It weighed 2,117 pounds. It landed twice at Tucson.

The airplane was sold on 9/7/28 for $3,900 to Harry Sperl Aero Corp., Los Angeles, CA. We first see it landing at Tucson on 9/9/1928 piloted by W.F. Shelton. He was westbound from St. Louis, MO to Los Angeles. He carried no passengers on what was probably the ferry flight from the factory to the new owner in California.

The airplane sold again on 10/29/28 to Santa Maria Air Lines, Inc., Santa Maria, CA, and a year later, on 10/30/29, to the Hancock Foundation College of Aeronautics in Santa Maria. It had accumulated 253:42 flight hours as of the date of this sale, so it was a well-used airplane for its first year of life. Even so, it endured only one minor accident, at Santa Maria, on 7/9/30.

It sold again on 5/9/31 to Virgil G. Wilkinson of El Segundo, CA with OX-5 engine #7296. We next see the airplane landing at Tucson sometime between 8/24/1931 and 9/4/31 piloted by S. Saiten with Mrs. Saiten as passenger. They wrote no origin or destination for their flight, nor their date of arrival or departure (date of visit interpolated from surrounding entries in the Register).

It then sold eight more times through 1939, remaining in the California area and accumulating at least 1155:46 flight hours. It then moved east on 12/18/39 to its last owner, Carl L. Washburn of Graham, TX. Its demise began immediately upon return from Ft. Worth where the airplane was purchased.

It suffered an accident at Graham on 12/18/39 when student pilot Washburn, “came in downwind to drag field, when motor cut out. Touched down, attempted to go on, overshot airport, and settled into a garage near airport.” Pilot Washburn suffered a broken collar bone and right arm. His passenger, C.L. Washburn, Jr. suffered a minor head injury. However, the, “garage was demolished, landing gear washed out, motor mount broken, prop bent, both wing struts and tips bent, motor cowl bent, both safety belts broken, instrument panel bent.”

No documents were submitted for registration, since the airplane crashed on the day of purchase. Registration cancelled 3/8/40.

UPLOADED: 07/25/05 REVISED: