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COMPANY PLANE
This airplane is a CA-8A Senior Airsedan (S/N 40; ATC# 98)
manufactured by the Buhl Aircraft Company, Marysville, MI
in November 1928. It came from the factory with a Wright
Cyclone R-1750 engine (S/N 9596) of 525HP. This eight-place
airplane weighed 6,100 pounds gross. Interestingly, it was
a sesqui-plane, with its upper wingspan being 48 feet
and its lower only 31 feet.
The photograph of NC9626 is from this link,
where full disclosure of the chain of custody for the image
is recorded. An identical image is found in Juptner, Volume
1, page 241.
NC9626 landed at the Davis-Monthan Airfield twice, on January
10, and January 21, 1929 piloted by Louis B. Meister, who
gave his home base as Marysville, MI. In what looks like
a 10-day business trip to the west coast, he landed the first
time westbound from Ft. Worth, TX headed for Los
Angeles, CA. On January 21st, he had departed Santa
Monica, CA and was eastbound back to Marysville.
NC9626 does not have any sales or owners as part of its
record. It appears to have been used only by company pilots,
including its chief engineer. Etienne Dormoy. It also appears
to have suffered an accident in mid-1929, as it had, "new
L/G [landing gear], wings repaired and tubing in fuselage
repaired where bent or damaged." It was approved for flight
again on August 10, 1929.
It had another accident at St. Clair, MI on June 13, 1931
and a "new right upper wing and other minor repairs" were
performed. Total time as of December 1, 1932 was 120 hours.
On November 20, 1933 the title was transferred to A.H &
L.D. Buhl of Buhl Sons Co. Detroit, MI (purveyors of "wholesale
hardware, iron & steel, factory & railway supplies, wire
robe, roofing, etc. etc."
On May 23, 1934 it was reported that the airplane was "dismantled,
salvaged and no longer in existence". No further information.
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UPLOADED: 03/13/06 REVISED:
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