LOCKHEED VEGA Model 2 NC857E
CONFUSED FINAL DISPOSITION
This airplane is a Lockheed Vega Model 2 (S/N 64; ATC #140)
manufactured in May 1929 by Lockheed Aircraft Corporation,
Burbank,
CA. It left the factory with a Wright Whirlwind
J-6 engine (S/N 10390) of 300 HP. It was a five-place
airplane.
It sold on June 1, 1929 to Schlee-Brock
Aircraft Corporation,
Detroit, MI, and transferred on October 30, 1929 to their
subsidiary, Canadian American Airlines, Inc., Ltd., Minneapolis,
MN. Interestingly, we find NC857E landing at Tucson
on May 17, 1929, a couple of weeks before it was formally
sold. It was piloted by Joe Crosson, a fairly well-known
pilot of the era. He carried four passengers, a Mr. & Mrs.
Hursten, and a Mr. & Mrs. Powell. They were eastbound from
Los Angeles, CA to Detroit, MI. This could have been the
ferry flight preceding the sale to Schlee-Brock, with a few
paying passengers to defray factory expenses.
A few months later, NC857E suffered an accident at Grand Forks, ND on November
11, 1929. The motor mount was bent and several holes
were punched in the top of the wing (did the pilot run it
under a tree?). It was a long time out of service,
the NASM record indicating it was repaired as of August 1930.
NC857E was sold at a sheriff’s sale on July 15, 1930
to M. & S. Company, Antigo, WI. M. & S. sold
it five months later on December 16, 1930 to M.M. Rubner,
Chicago, IL. At this time it had Wright engine S/N
10212 installed. The NASM record states that Rubner
transferred title to Rubner Flying Service, Inc., Chicago,
IL on May 18, 1931 (note the date).
This is curious. The NASM record also states that
NC857E suffered an accident on May 11, 1931 at Toledo, OH
(note the date). The pilot, Michael M. Rubner, president
of the company, and a passenger were killed. This is
either an example of shifting assets posthumously, or a transcription
or typographical error on the NASM record. Does anybody
know?
Regardless, the airplane was demolished. No further
information.
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UPLOADED: 04/19/06 REVISED: 01/10/07, 03/08/08
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