Eleven Sales in Nine Years

This aircraft is a Ryan B-1 Brougham, S/N 86 (ATC 25). It shares lineage with the “Spirit of St. Louis”, but was built during the following year. The B.F. Mahoney Aircraft Co., San Diego, CA manufactured it on April 23, 1928. It was equipped with a 220 HP Wright J-5 engine, S/N 8340. It weighed 3,300 pounds.

NC4932 sold on April 24, 1928 to the Marvin A. Northrop Aeroplane Co. of Minneapolis, MN (Marvin A. Northrop, President & Clyde S. Yarnell, Jr. VP/Treasurer). See also Ryan NC4562.

NC4932 landed at Tucson April 25, 1928 piloted by Leon S. DeLong carrying three passengers, Harry Ryan, Harvey G. Ellis and Jean E. Ellis. They arrived from San Diego, but did not list a destination. Probably it was Minneapolis, taking their new airplane home.

It sold a month later on May 15, 1928 to Charles L. Semans of Uniontown, PA for $12,500 (Semans Air Transport Co.) It had been re-engined with Wright engine S/N 6762. Below, courtesy of site visitor J. Carr, is a photograph of NC4932 when it wore Semans' livery.

Ryan NC4932, Ca. 1928 (?), Pennsylvania Location (?) (Source: Carr)

On September 30, 1928 NC4932 suffered an accident at Wellsville, OH. Pilot R.J. Clohecy of Smithfield, PA with Mr. Semans as passenger, were unhurt. The report says, “small field, brakes insufficient to stop in time. Plane ran over bank and overturned. Broken rudder, rear spar of right wing, 15” crack in center, one wheel smashed.” It was repaired and re-engined with Wright S/N 8340 (the original engine).

It then sold nine more times,moving from PA to FL to TX. It finally settled in Kilgore, TX with Ray E. Goodwin (Transport license #33094) on July 24, 1936. It had a total of 641 flight hours. The record ends with the registration being cancelled on August 15, 1937. There is no record at the NASM of the final disposition of the airframe.

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UPLOADED: 06/05 REVISED: 10/30/07, 09/13/11