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Local NewsThis (very) late 1930′s American smallish short/medium-haul airline transport has long attracted my interest for several reasons. It was placed into production with airline orders growing, but its future was abruptly cut short by the outbreak of World War Two after only 12 had been delivered. It was decided that maximum effort should be dedicated [...]
Part 1. Development, design, specifications and cockpit. I am pleased to dedicate this essay to a very dear old chum, the late Dick Beattie. The photograph below and attached is Dick topdressing the hills near Napier, where he was based for many years. Dick attended one of the early Wanganui Commercial Pilot School courses in [...]
Abrams P-1 “Explorer” Talbert (Ted) Abrams was born in Tekonsha, Michigan, in 1895 and lived until 1990. At 18, he moved to Detroit where he worked as a mechanic with the Benoist Airplane Company and learned to fly at the Curtiss Aviation School. In 1917 he joined the U.S. Marines and trained at the U.S. [...]
Now this U.S. pre-WWII working aeroplane really is interesting. I selected it because it is a rare bird and I admit to not being able to recall it at all during some 58 years of idling away the time studying historic aircraft. Its creator was also a most interesting, far-sighted and innovative sort of chap. [...]
It is with sadness and regret that I am advising those of you who may not know, that Don lost his life on Saturday, August 30th. He was still working hard at low-level flight operations at age 68 and with over 22,000 hours behind him.
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