Briefly, A Duster

This aircraft is a Stearman C-3B S/N 215 (ATC #55). It was manufactured on 4/1/29 by The Stearman Aircraft Co. of Wichita, KS. Installed originally was a 200 HP Wright J-5 engine, S/N B 9742. It weighed 2,650 pounds as a three-place airplane.

It sold on 4/2/29 to W.A. Hosking of Sacramento, CA (Peerless Ice Cream Co.). Hosking kept the airplane for about four years before selling it to Stanley C. Hack of Sacramento on 2/6/33. Hack had an accident with it at Sacramento on 2/19/33, which damaged the right wing, propeller and landing gear. It was repaired and he flew it another hundred hours or so and, with 452:30 total flight hours, Hack sold it to William H. Royce of San Bruno, CA on 7/16/33. On 6/19/34 Royce sold it to Edwin G. Bofferding, Los Angeles, CA, who moved to Seattle, WA on 8/21/34.

Now comes NC8198 to Tucson on 10/2/1934 piloted by Edwin G. Bofferding. He remarked that he was, "Buzzing around". This was quite an understatement, given that he was based in Seattle, WA, and was inbound from there on his way to Phoenix, AZ. Pilot Bofferding was a member of the OX-5 Club, limited to pilots that had flown a plane powered by a 90hp OX5 WWI engine. Bofferding was involved in a forced landing with the airplane on 10/6/34 at Sawyers Bar, OR. No damage to airplane or pilot.

The airplane sold four more times over the next three years and suffered another accident at Tacoma, WA. Its final owner, Floyd D. Stone of Tacoma, WA bought it on 4/24/37 and had a, “metal dusting hopper and gear installed, removing fuselage gas tank and front seat.” The hopper weighed 91 pounds, valve 16 pounds and venture 6.5 pounds.

It flew as a duster for the next couple of years under pilot Stone’s command. It had accumulated 848:20 flight hours as of 1/9/40. There was no further information forthcoming on the airplane and its registration was cancelled upon expiration on 1/15/41.

UPLOADED: 07/28/05 REVISED: