STINSON SM-6000-B NC10844

"DISMANTLED OR SALVAGED"

This airplane was a Stinson model SM-6000-B, S/N 5043. It was manufactured, inspected and approved for sale June 19, 1931 by the Stinson Aircraft Corporation, Wayne, MI. Called the "Model T," it was a large, high-winged, tri-motored monoplane. It was powered by three nine-cylinder Lycoming R-680 engines of 215HP each (NC10844 mounted with engine S/Ns Center 509; Right 506; Left 502) giving it a cruise speed of about 115MPH. It was, for the time, a high-capacity passenger and freight carrying airplane. It was flown by a crew of one. I have no photographs of this airplane, if you do, and would like to share them, please let me KNOW.

This REFERENCE, volume 5, page 59, states that the SM-6000-B's, "Excellent performance, inherent safety, and a compatible nature helped to promote the popularity and the longevity of the SM-6000-B, so we find that at least 25 examples were still flying actively in 1939, and some even for years afterwards." It could maintain an altitude of 6,000 feet with only two engines operating, even when fully loaded.

NC10844 appeared in the Grand Central Air Terminal (GCAT) Register at least 149 times between June 1931 and January 1932. As a new airplane, it was a liner in the employ of Century-Pacific, Ltd., which took delivery on June 19, 1931. It wore Century-Pacific Ltd. livery and carried passengers, mail and freight along the west coast from San Diego to San Francisco. Century-Pacific was organized by Oxnard Field Register pilot E.L. Cord.

During 1932, Century-Pacific was absorbed into the workings of the American Airways sytem, thus American inherited some 24 SM-6000-Bs and other craft in the merger. American operated the Stinsons for about three years, then offered them for sale as used aircraft to the highest bidder. We can trace NC10844 through this series of exchanges, because, thanks to the generosity of a site visitor, we have the complete registration and airworthiness records for NC10844. The paper trail comprising the chain of custody follows. First, the bill of sale.

Bill of Sale, Stinson NC10844, June 19, 1931 (Source: Site Visitor)

 

Stinson NC10844, Registration, June, 1931 (Source: Site Visitor)

 

Registration was applied for in June, 1931 and approved to carry ten passengers. The first registration card, or license, is at left, with an expiration date twelve months later. By law this card had to be carried in the airplane at all times, along with specified weight placards for passengers and baggage.

As of 1932, Century-Pacific operated thirteen Stinson Model SM-6000-B aircraft, of which nine were recorded in the GCAT Register during 1931. They were NC10810, NC10813, NC10814, NC10840, NC10843, NC10844, NC10845, NC10846 and NC10847.

Frustratingly, only six pilot names were noted in the Register by tower Operator A.J. Lygum or others that allowed us to associate particular pilots with any given flights by NC10844 or any of the other Century-Pacific Stinsons.

A three-page letter, below, from the Department of Commerce (DOC) dated February 25, 1932 clarified the registration currency of Century-Pacific's airplanes (plus two Stinson Juniors used by the air line). Of real interest in this letter is a listing of the pilots employed (either full-time or part-time?) by Century-Pacific.

One was Harold Sweet who was recorded nearly 200 times giving scenic recreational rides in the Ford trimotor NC5577. This activity was completely unrelated to Century-Pacific business.

 

DOC Letter to Century-Pacific Lines, Ltd., February 25, 1932 (Source: Site Visitor)

Some of the other pilots appeared in other Registers. For example, James L. Giffin appeared in the Davis-Monthan Airfield Register on November 14, 1931 flying the Stinson Jr. NC10866 operated by Century-Pacific. And Walton H. Smiley landed at Tucson November 16, 1931 flying the SM-6000-B NC10847. In addition, NC10872 and NC10893 were Register airplanes, visiting the Davis-Monthan Airfield on August 18, 1931, and between September 4 and 9, 1931, respectively, all within the period of Century operations.

DOC Letter to Century-Pacific Lines, Ltd., February 25, 1932 (Source: Site Visitor)

Likewise, Blackmore, Joseph Plosser, Williams, Muncie, Medler, Ben Catlin, Glennan, Robert Cantwell, and Erickson were signed in one or more Registers, some flying the Century-Pacific airliners.

DOC Letter to Century-Pacific Lines, Ltd., February 25, 1932 (Source: Site Visitor)

 

Stinson NC10844, Registration, 1933-34 (Source: Site Visitor)

 

NC10844 was transferred to American Airways, Inc. as of March 31, 1932. NC10840 went along in the deal. A DOC memorandum was entered into the aircraft's records on May 2, 1932, which summarized the transfers of fourteen Century Pacific Stinsons to American Airways. The maintenance records for the airplane show that American performed a thorough weight & balance calculation on NC10844 on July 9, 1932. By 1933, NC10844 was registered with American Airways and operating in Chicago. The registration/license is at right. Note that, compared to the Century-Pacific license exhibited above, the airplane was now licensed to carry only eight passengers plus mail.

On May 26, 1934, American sold the airplane to Lincon Airways, Inc., Islip, NY. Lincon reconfigured the airplane to carry ten passengers plus the pilot. This reconfiguration led to a correspondence between Lincon and the DOC regarding the drawings for geometry of the mail/cargo compartment.

That discussion, regarding, use of the lavatory for baggage, sealed drawings and the inspection of the airframe, persisted for almost a year. The following letter from the DOC to New Jersey-based inspector Lossow provided status as of March 19, 1935. Notice mention of New York inspector S.L. Willits, a signer of the Floyd Bennett Field Register. The matter was finally resolved on April 22, 1935 after the, "...additional data pertaining to the baggage tie-down straps in the subject airplane, submitted by Inspector Lossow are satisfactory. The airplane is now eligible for license so far as the baggage anchorages are concerned."

DOC Letter, March 19, 1935 (Source: Site Visitor)

 

Stinson NC10844, Registration/License, 1938 (Source: Site Visitor)

 

If this appears tedious and drawn-out to you, let it be said that it is this kind of technical oversight in the name of aircraft Approved Type Certificates that has helped make the safety record of contemporary aviation so exemplary. The airplane was thus operated by Lincon through July 26, 1937. On that date, title was transferred to Leslie E. Mulzer at Norton Field, Columbus, OH. Mulzer owned Mulzer Flying Service based at Columbus. NC10844 was registered to Mulzer Flying Service with its license set to expire July 15, 1938.

Mulzer didn't operate the airplane for long, because it was transferred to Hazel Perry of Kalamazoo, MI as of May 31, 1938. Perry's license for NC10844 is at left. The airplane had accumulated about 3,628 flight hours. I have no information about what Perry did with the airplane, except a letter that appeared in the official record dated October 17, 1938, below. The letter alludes to an October 2, 1938 letter that described an accident that involved NC10844 that took place on October 1, 1938 at Woodfield, OH.

Unfortunately, that October 2nd letter was not part of the official record. Only the official CAA response was in the record, below.

Letter, October 17, 1938, Accident, NC10844 (Source: Site Visitor)

The repair of the damage was, however, part of the Airworthiness record for the airplane. Below is page one, which documents all the relevant serial numbers for propeller blades, propeller hubs and engines. Fixing the airplane required major repairs to the airframe and one of the propellers.

NC10844 Accident Repair, November 2, 1038 (Source: Site Visitor)

Page two follows, which documents the repairs made. Based on the description of the damage, it sounds like the right engine and nacelle and the right side of the aircraft was damaged, perhaps by a collision with an obstruction or by colliding with or being rammed by a vehicle or another aircraft under the starboard wing. Elsewhere, the propeller was described as being "reconditioned," which suggests it was not badly damaged, which suggests the engine wasn't running.

NC10844 Accident Repair, November 2, 1038 (Source: Site Visitor)

 

The damage was repaired in a month, Perry registered NC10844 and received a license to expire July 15, 1939. Perry didn't use the airplane long after the October accident, because the record includes a tranfer to Frank B. Fuhr, Detroit, MI dated February 21, 1939. Fuhr received a license to expire August 15, 1940.

Fast-forward to January 16, 1942 and we find NC10844 sold in a chattel mortgage sale to Lewis Magin, Sr. As you might imagine, the CAA had issues with the ownership details of the airplane, it having been held in a partnership, reposessed and then sold in a constable's sale to the highest biddre (Magin). On September 1, 1942, the airplane ownership still unclear, Magin wrote a letter to the CAA as follows (the Stearman was another matter).

Magin Letter to CAA, September 1, 1942 (Source: Site Visitor)

The fate of NC10844 was described in Magin's letter. The final entry in the official record is a CAA form ACA-195, dated September 9, 1942, that stated that NC10844 was, "dismantled or salvaged."

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