Ohio Fire

This aircraft is a Ryan B-1 Brougham, S/N 154 (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 September 17, 1928. It was equipped with a 220 HP Wright J-5A Whirlwind engine, S/N B-9049. It weighed 3,300 pounds. It was sold on September 18, 1928 to Aircraft and Airways of America, Inc. of Pittsburgh, PA.

NC7207 landed at Tucson twice. The first was on September 19, 1928 when it was brand new. The pilot was 2nd Lt. E.J. Rundquist, whose home base is identified as Kelly Field, San Antonio, TX. He was solo during what was probably the ferry flight from the factory to its new owners in Pittsburgh. It’s interesting that this military pilot was contracted to fly the airplane. I wonder if he needed to get from San Diego to San Antonio and simply volunteered to fly the airplane that far, depending upon someone else to take over and fly it farther east (although he did cite his destination as Pittsburgh—was that for him or the airplane?). Anyone KNOW?

On May 31, 1929 the airplane was sold to Main Aeronautics Company of Pittsburgh and was issued Pennsylvania State license #P-102 (the state’s pound of flesh). After that it stayed in the Pittsburgh area three additional owners. It was sold finally for $1,250 to Howard G. Mayes of Chesapeake, OH (Huntington, WV airport) on October 1, 1931. Mayes was the manager of Huntington Airport.

About a year later, Mr. Mayes (transport license #3321; A&E license #9379) landed solo at Tucson on September 19, 1932 eastbound from San Diego to Huntington, WV. He kept the airplane a total of three years. It had accumulated 1354:25 flight hours as of October 12, 1933. It was involved in an accident and destroyed by fire at Vandalia, OH on September 9, 1934. No record of who was flying it. The registration was cancelled October 20, 1934.

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UPLOADED: 07/09/05 REVISED: 05/01/06