Sold Into Mexico Via England, Canada And The U.S.

This aircraft is a deHavilland DH 60X Moth, S/N 626. It was built on 4/26/28 by deHavilland Aircraft Co. Ltd., Middlesex, England. It was equipped with an 85 HP Cirrus Mark II engine, S/N 339. It weighed 1,550 pounds as a two-place aircraft.

On 3/25/29 the airplane was sold to the T.C. Ryan Aeronautical Corporation, San Diego, CA. Ryan paid $2,160 for it. Interestingly, the airplane was imported into the U.S. and sold to Ryan (with Canadian registration G-LAXP) by John E. Carberry, a signer of the Register during the National Air Races of 1928. Ryan’s reason for purchasing the airplane was, “for flying service and flying school.” It was never used for this purpose, because it was not licensed in the U.S.*

Ryan sold it to Theodore Russell Smith (a student pilot) on 6/5/29, “for recreation and personal training.” The airplane had accumulated 102:03 total flight hours. Repairs were made to the landing gear, elevator and tail skid as of 8/30/29, and the NC registration was issued 12/7/29.

Smith sold the airplane to Richard T. Robinson of San Diego, CA on 9/18/30, and we find NC9305 at Tucson on 10/5/1930, piloted by Mr. Robinson. He arrived from San Diego in the early evening, and did not write his departure time or destination in the Register.

NC9305 was sold four more times through 1933. Its final owner, F.G. Flannery of Tabasco, Mexico, did not submit documentation of the sale and did not reply to government inquiries. On 11/21/33 the airplane was reported, “in Mexico permanently.” The registration was cancelled 1/15/34.

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* As of 4/5/29, about 20 de Havilland Moth aircraft were already imported from Great Britain. In the U.S. they were licensed on the basis of their British Certificate of Airworthiness by arrangement with the de Havilland company. NC9305 is an exception, and not accepted by the U.S. Director of Aeronautics, because it came into the U.S. from Canada.

UPLOADED: 08/16/05 REVISED: