Aerobatics!

View products that support dmairfield.org

OTHER RESOURCES

Your copy of the "Davis-Monthan Airfield Register" with all the pilots' signatures and helpful cross-references to pilots and their aircraft is available at the link. Or use this FORM to order a copy signed by the author. ISBN 978-0-9843074-0-1.

---o0o---

"Military Aircraft of the Davis Monthan Register, 1925-1936" is available at the link. This book describes and illustrates with black & white photographs the majority of military aircraft that landed at the Davis-Monthan Airfield between 1925 and 1936. The book includes biographies of some of the pilots who flew the aircraft to Tucson as well as extensive listings of all the pilots and airplanes. Or use this FORM to order a copy signed by the author. ISBN 978-0-9843074-2-5.

---o0o---

The top image comes to us courtesy of the Klein Archive of Aviation Photographs available for view on this website.

---o0o---

 
Davis-Monthan Aviation Field Register
CulturalMotion PicturesFriendsNon Profit statusProducts and services
ReferencesPublicationsCollectionsGuest EditorsPress Coverage

SIKORSKY XPS-3 (S-38) A-8287

A-8287 Sikorsky PS-3, Date Unknown
A-8287 Sikorsky PS-3

At right, the Sikorsky XPS-3 (S-38) A-8287. This airplane carried two Pratt & Whitney Wasp engines of 450 HP each. It was a sister ship of A-8089.

A-8287 landed at Tucson once, on August 13, 1929 flown by Lt. C.O. Fisher. Based at Anacostia, Washington, DC, Fisher was westbound from El Paso, TX to San Diego. He carried one passenger named Armstrong. They noted in the Remarks column of the Register, "Ferrying".

Update of January 20, 2010 It is interesting how airplanes pass through Tucson and appear in the Register on certain dates, then show up in photographs with known dates, and tempt us to conjecture their itinerary. This is the case for the photograph below. It is sent to us by site visitor Jeffrey Welsh. The photograph was taken by his grandfather in Kansas City, MO.

Sikorsky A-8287, Sometime Between August 13 and August 18, 1929 (Source: Welsh)
Sikorsky A8287, Sometime Between August 13 and August 18, 1929

This photo of A-8287 is among a group of others taken at Kansas City ca. August 18-19, 1929, just before the National Air Races (NAR) in Cleveland, OH. The NAR were held August 24th-September 2nd that year. Other photographs by Mr. Welch's grandfather included a group of Boeing F2Bs which passed through Tucson August 18th, also on their way to Cleveland.

Note that 8287 was westbound on August 13th. Could it be that it was turned around in San Diego and flown with that group back east to Cleveland? Unfortunately, it does not appear in the Register on its eastbound voyage, so we can't know for sure. What we do know is that it was eastbound from El Paso to San Diego and signed in the Register on the 13th, and captured in a photograph westbound the 18th-19th. Fill in the blanks.

---o0o---

THIS PAGE UPLOADED: 09/30/07 REVISED: 01/20/10

 
Home
The Register
People
Places
Airplanes
Events
YOU CAN HELP
I'm looking for information about this airplane to include on this page. If you have any you'd like to share, please use this FORM to contact me.
Thanks to site visitor Jeffrey Welch for the photograph, below, left, and to Tim Kalina for help identifying the airplane.
 
Contact Us | Credits | Copyright © 2008 Delta Mike Airfield, Inc.
This website is best enjoyed in a 1024 x 768 screen resolution.
Web design by The Web Professional, Inc