FOKKER UNIVERSAL NC3317

 

This airplane is a Fokker Universal that is cited twice in the Grand Central Air Terminal (GCAT) Register on September 28, 1932. The history of the airplane is documented at the Davis-Monthan Airfield Register Web site at the link. It had a significant presence at Tucson. It landed there 95 times between 1927 and 1930. The reason for the high number of landings is that NC3317 was a liner for Standard Air Lines, an early air transport company that operated the route from Los Angeles to Phoenix, Tucson and Douglas, AZ and east to El Paso, TX.

The two visits at the Grand Central Air Terminal are documented below in this view from the Register (see the dots in the left margin).

Fokker NC3317 at Glendale, September 28, 1932 (Source: Webmaster)

 

The Van Nuys News, December 28, 1936 (Source: Woodling)

 

NC3317 appears first near the top of the image and is identified by its registration number and "76 Endurance Plane," with an arrival time of 11:32AM. The pilot's name was not recorded in the Register, but, from this REFERENCE, we know it was Bobbi Trout, who, with her copilot John E. Sheasby (sometimes you'll see his name spelled "Sheasey." One reporter misspelled it and it proliferated to other newspapers), departed at 2:48PM (near the middle of the image) on a refueled endurance attempt.

As an aside, copilot Sheasby was an interesting character himself. Born September  11, 1913, he was only 19 years old at the time of the endurance flight attempt with Bobbi Trout. His small, simple, Christmas Eve wedding was announced, right, in the Van Nuys News of December 28, 1936.

The newspaper trail dries up for Sheasby after his wedding. The 1940 U.S. Census lists him living with his wife and mother-in-law and working as a pilot in a "flying school" as of April 18 that year. According to public records, he was a "retired airline pilot" living on San Juan Island, WA in 1959. He passed away Wednesday, December 1, 1999 at age 86 years, 2 months, 20 days.

Interestingly, Sheasby's new wife, right, is cited as an, "accomplished musician," having studied with "Abby de Avirett of Hollywood." Below, a print advertisement, ca. 1923, announcing a concert by Mr. Avirett's students.

 

Musician's Print Ad, Ca. 1923 (Source: Web)

 

Back to NC3317. From publicity photographs commissioned by Union Oil, we have good documentation of the airplane and crew before their departures. Below are six of Union Oil's photographs from the University of Southern California Digital Library (USC). If you follow the link, you'll be able to zoom in on these photographs to see their details. Note, for example, the handwriting on Bobbi Trout's flying helmet in the second one below ("Lt. E.G. Phillips"): autographs for souvenirs or good luck, or maybe she borrowed the helmet from Lt. Phillips.

The first photograph shows NC3317 with Bobbi Trout at left and (probably) copilot John E. Sheasby. Can anyone VERIFY the identity of the man? He certainly looks to be about age 19.

 

 

Fokker Universal NC3317, Ca. September, 1932, Glendale, CA (Source: USC)

The flight was sponsored by the Union Oil Company, who provided the fuel and lubricants for the flight. There was a refueling crew consisting of Garland E. Lincoln and Gus Axelson. They flew two aircraft, which are documented as "Refuel Ship" in the Register image above. The first refueling ship, departing at 4:55PM was NR7738, a Stinson, and the Douglas M-2 NR1490, which departed a few minutes later. It is reasonable to guess the two men at right in the photo below are Axelson and Lincoln. Can anyone VERIFY this?

Fokker Universal NC3317, Ca. September, 1932, Glendale, CA (Source: USC)

The airplane in the right background of both these photographs appears to be the Douglas M-2 refueling plane. Notice, above, the 76 logo just visible on the aft fuselage just above the squatting pilot's gaze.

Fokker Universal NC3317, Ca. September, 1932, Glendale, CA (Source: USC)

Below, two portraits of Bobbi Trout and (probably) her copilot John E. Sheasby. If you zoom into the right-hand photograph (USC Web site, above) you can see the details of the open cockpit of the Fokker Universal. At the front of the windshield appears to be a binnacle-type compass. Magnifying the crankshaft area exposes a large oil leak suggesting a faulty propeller oil seal. This record flight was cancelled at 40 hours because the airplane was forced down by a damaged propeller.

Fokker Universal NC3317, Ca. September, 1932, Glendale, CA (Source: USC)

Fokker Universal NC3317, Ca. September, 1932, Glendale, CA (Source: USC)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Below, the final Union Oil publicity photograph of Bobbi Trout in the airplane and (probably) her copilot John E. Sheasby.

Fokker Universal NC3317, Ca. September, 1932, Glendale, CA (Source: USC)

If you follow the link to the USC Web site, above, you'll be able to zoom in on this photograph to see a map pocket with chart just to the left of Bobbi Trout's head. Upon magnification, you can tell that it is a chart of Southern California, as it shows the Salton Sea clearly labeled. Note, too, the bullet-shaped, airstream-powered generator mounted to the side of the fuselage. Upon magnification, it looks like the end of the propeller was broken off. The cord dangling from the middle of the generator might by tying the other blade to prevent the propeller from spinning, which would undoubtedly set up a very annoying vibration, if not a dangerous threat to the integrity of the airframe.

NC3317 was used for two additional attempts to set refueled endurance records earlier in September (4th and 11th).  Both of those failed, too.  I believe these photographs from the University of Southern California Digital Library are most probably of the preparations for one or both of those flights.  One of the people in one photograph has an “M” monogram on his belt buckle (zoom in and you'll see it on the person standing in the middle of the second photograph): most likely Fred Murillo, who was copilot of the these two attempts. John E. Sheasby was the pilot. Garland E. Lincoln and Gus Axelson flew the same refueling planes. There were no entries in the GCAT Register regarding landings or departures of NC3317 earlier in September.

Built in 1927, NC3317 had about a year more to live of its hard life after the record attempts at Glendale described above. It was wrecked in Los Angeles on November 17, 1933, almost 80 years before the upload date of this Web page.

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THIS PAGE UPLOADED: 08/21/13 REVISED: 08/22/13