“Transporting Foreign Liquors”

This aircraft is a Buhl CA-8 Senior Air Sedan S/N 34 (ATC #GR2-46) built in August, 1928 by Buhl Aircraft Company, Marysville, MI. It had a 400 HP Pratt & Whitney Wasp engine, S/N 842. It weighed 6,100 pounds and left the factory as a seven-place airplane. It was sold new on September 6, 1928 for $18,500 to G. Allan Hancock, Los Angeles, CA.

Below, 7570 pictured in Juptner, Volume 1, page 244.

Buhl CA-8 Senior Air Sedan, 7570, Ca. 1928 (Source: Juptner)

We find 7570 landing at Tucson on September 13, 1928 piloted by Moye Stephens from El Paso, TX to Los Angeles. This may well be the ferry flight from the factory. As an aside, Mr. Stevens is mentioned in "Pancho" p. 80 (see reference, left). He was a stunt pilot, born February 21, 1906; died December 10, 1995. Stephens carried three passengers identified as Dunn, Dormoy and Chapman. Dormoy was Ettienne Dormoy, designer of Buhl aircraft, pictured below from Juptner, op. cit., page 242.

Ettienne Dormoy, Date & Location Unknown (Source: Juptner)

Interestingly, after the airplane reached Los Angeles, it was inspected on November 7, 1928 and disapproved for licensing because of, “landing gear spreading – needs repair.” It was approved on January 4, 1929 for operation as a five-place airplane.

It then sold three more times. Finally, on December 19, 1932, it was purchased by Rex Johnson of Long Beach, CA, and licensed as a six-place airplane. In March, 1933 it was, “reported engaged in liquor smuggling activity out of San Ysidro, Baja, Calif., Mexico.” It had a counterfeit registration number, NC46H, painted on it.

Its final disposition is revealing of the smuggling operation. It was, “Thought to be airplane that crashed near Del Mar, Calif. March 10, 1933 while transporting foreign liquors. Pilot: Bob Crooks killed. A customs inspector stated that under the number NC46-H the number 7570 appeared.”

By the way, just eight thirsty months later, on December 5, 1933, Prohibition was abolished by Constitutional Amendment XXI.

This is the 100th airplane to be described and uploaded to the Web site.

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THIS PAGE UPLOADED: 07/25/05 REVISED: 06/28/10