Still Flying!

This airplane is a Travel Air 2000, S/N 418. It was manufactured in Wichita, Kansas in March 1928 by the Travel Air Manufacturing Company. Walter Beech was the president of the Company, and the airplane was designed by Lloyd Stearman. The present owner of NC4834 sent us the image below, ca. 1938.

NC4834, Ca. 1938 (Source: Dalton)

The airplane came from the factory as a Travel Air Model 2000 3-place open cockpit biplane. It was equipped from the factory with a Curtiss OX-5 engine developing 90 horsepower.

The airplane was sold on April 9, 1928 to William H. Emory, Jr. of Bradford, Pennsylvania, a Travel Air dealer. On May 11, 1928, he sold it to Julius von der Heyden of Newark, New Jersey. Julius was flying the airplane when it stopped at the Davis-Monthan Airfield on September 4, 1928, presumably for gas. He was probably on a ferry flight to Los Angeles, perhaps to deliver the airplane to Leslie Miller who may have been in the process of buying it at the time.

Mr. Miller bought the airplane on September 18, 1928 and used it as a demonstration airplane for his renowned "Millerized OX-5" engine modifications (see below). He in turn sold the airplane in March 1929 to Josephine Kepler of Los Angeles who used it for student instruction. The airplane then passed through a number of owners and it was active in agricultural operations.

During its life it flew actively in the west. It was purchased by the current owner, Brian Dalton in 1976. The aiplane has been based in Arizona at least twice, in Phoenix in 1943-44 and Buckeye and Tucson in 1951. It passed through Arizona, flown by the current owner, on its way to San Antonio in 1988, and again in 1993 through Gila Bend on its way to Oregon. Since 1993 it has been based in Independence, Oregon.

Over the years it has gone through several engine changes. Included have been: OX-5 (S/N 1864-supplied new in 1928); OX-5 (S/N 1961 - installed 1928); OX-5 (S/N 6450 - installed 1933); OX-5 (S/N 5915 - installed 1937); Comet D (S/N 535 - installed 1939); Wright J-5 (S/N B9772 - installed on or before 1944); Lycoming R680-17 (S/N L-014095 - installed 1946); Lycoming R680-13 (S/N 4133 - installed 1951); Wright J-5A (S/N B9685 - installed 1985). The airplane was completely restored to Travel Air Model 4000 configuration (Wright J-5 engine) during the period 1976 to 1985.

NC4834, Ca. 2005 (Source: Dalton)

Mr. Dalton had this to say about pilot von der Heyden: "On May 11, 1928, Julius von der Heyden was living at 11 Lincoln Park, Newark, NJ. This information comes from the Department of Commerce Aeronautical form for the Application for Identification Mark for his purchase of Travel Air Model 2000, NC4834, SN 418, from W. H. Emory, I believe a Travel Air dealer in Bradford, PA. On July 10, 1928, he transferred ownership of the airplane to Mildred von der Heyden. At that time the airplane had 80 hours on it. On September 18, 1928, she sold the airplane to Leslie Miller of Los Angeles.... Mr. Miller owned several OX-5 Travel Airs during this period."

Further, Mr. Dalton has corresponded with Leslie Miller. While it is clear that Mr. Miller once owned this airplane, it is not clear if he "Millerized" the OX-5 supplied with the aircraft from the manufacturer, or the next one installed in 1928. The engine log books from this era do not exist, so it is difficult to verify. Probability is very high, though, that they were "Millerized". For examples of Miller's products, download this Nicholas-Beazley parts catalog from 1931 (note: PDF file size is 15.0MB; it'll take 5 minutes or so to download). Refer to pp. 54-55.

Below, the present coaming and instrument panel configuration of this beautiful airplane.

NC4834 Instrument Panel, Ca. 2005 (Source: Dalton)

Below, another photograph aloft of NC4834 shared by Mr. Dalton on January 15, 2014.

Travel Air NC4834, 2014 (Source: Dalton)

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THIS PAGE UPLOADED: 02/07/06 REVISED: 05/05/06: 09/28/07, 01/08/10, 01/15/14