Shortwing history and historical photos

[Steve Pierce]

That is amazing. Would love to see more pictures of that.

[CPC94V]

That is amazing. Would love to see more pictures of that.

Me too!! I zoomed in on the box and the shipping address looks like Liberia. What I'd give for those box stencils!

[CPC94V]

Kobelt (NY) Airport Fly-In, 1973. Looks like it was exported to the UK in 1981.

USR-KOBELT-1973-12.jpg

[Steve Pierce]

Can you imagine finding one of those boxes with the airplane still inside.

[CPC94V]

Can you imagine finding one of those boxes with the airplane still inside.

Screw the "plane in the barn" dream! I will now fantasize about the "plane in the shipping crate!!" haha!
You'd imagine there has to be one......somewhere......some dark, back corner of some port somewhere.......

[CPC94V]

This photo was taken in the late 40s-early 50s. Its a red bordered Kodachrome slide. The PA-15 is N4431H. Still exists. Would love to know more of its history.

USR-PA15-N4431H.jpg

[CPC94V]

Just scored this slide, taken in the early 1950s...'54-'55? of a late-model PA-20S Pacer flying for Alaska Coastal Airways. Cool shot of a working Pacer in original trim. I tried brightening up the first slide. I can't read the N# on the tail by the FAA side lists a PA-20 sn 20-1028, N8864C owned by Alaska Coastal Airways, going off register in 1956. Perhaps this is the plane. They also list Tri-Pacer 4342A, but this is a -20 (you can just make out "Pacer") on the nose. Does anyone know if Alaska Coastal had more PA-20's, or does this have to be 8864C? Cool stock late model PA-20S.....love that cowling. Would love to know more about this...
Enjoy!

AK-floatpacer-50s.jpgAK-floatpacer-50s-1.jpg

[Pacer42Z]

This is what I would call load testing.


Juergen
Pacer N3342Z

[CPC94V]

Now I need to know that N number.....

So, finally found the answer!
The "Smokey the Bear" Pacer was N7056K, s/n 20-163, so a 1950 Pacer. I found this youtube clip and near the end there are some good shots of the Pacer and some good ones from inside it in flight. Some great in-period Pacer footage in its own right. The plane didn't end up making it however, crashing in 1975. https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/_layouts/n...id=47894&key=0 Not sure what the seat being all the way back means....a seat rail failure?? Thats not a Cessna!! Anyway, enjoy. Oh, there is the PA-12 in the beginning too, its N4406M....it still exits:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAu2yQQEYWo

[CPC94V]

Just acquired these photos and scanned them in. They were taken at the Old Town, ME airport 1948-1950 it looks like.
The PA-15 Vagabond is pretty cool. Its 4168H. A few things to note: the "Lycoming" spinner plate that was per factory. Also the cub logos on the prop. You'll also note the owner-applied fuselage markings! Whats interesting is that it has the -17 gear. My Vagabond project is 4178H....just 10 away. In the logs to my project it notes that the plane was delivered in April of 1948 and early that August it was given -17 shock gear direct from Piper. So the gear swaps were going on right away it seems.
The Clipper is nice to see as well.....5229H.
Enjoy!!

OLDTOWNME-Vag-2.jpgOLDTOWNME-Vag-1.jpgOLDTOWNME-Clipper-1.jpg