OTHER RESOURCES

Some of this information comes from the listings of Non-Prefixed and Non-Suffixed aircraft reviewed by me in the archives of the National Air & Space Museum (NASM), Washington, DC.

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THANK YOU!

YOUR PURCHASE OF THESE BOOKS SUPPORTS THE WEB SITES THAT BRING TO YOU THE HISTORY BEHIND OLD AIRFIELD REGISTERS

Your copy of the Davis-Monthan Airfield Register with all the pilots' signatures and helpful cross-references to pilots and their aircraft is available at the link. 375 pages with black & white photographs and extensive tables

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The Congress of Ghosts (available as eBook) is an anniversary celebration for 2010.  It is an historical biography, that celebrates the 5th year online of www.dmairfield.org and the 10th year of effort on the project dedicated to analyze and exhibit the history embodied in the Register of the Davis-Monthan Airfield, Tucson, AZ. This book includes over thirty people, aircraft and events that swirled through Tucson between 1925 and 1936. It includes across 277 pages previously unpublished photographs and texts, and facsimiles of personal letters, diaries and military orders. Order your copy at the link.

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Military Aircraft of the Davis Monthan Register, 1925-1936 is available at the link. This book describes and illustrates with black & white photographs the majority of military aircraft that landed at the Davis-Monthan Airfield between 1925 and 1936. The book includes biographies of some of the pilots who flew the aircraft to Tucson as well as extensive listings of all the pilots and airplanes. Use this FORM to order a copy signed by the author, while supplies last.

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Art Goebel's Own Story by Art Goebel (edited by G.W. Hyatt) is written in language that expands for us his life as a Golden Age aviation entrepreneur, who used his aviation exploits to build a business around his passion.  Available as a free download at the link.

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Winners' Viewpoints: The Great 1927 Trans-Pacific Dole Race (available as eBook) is available at the link. This book describes and illustrates with black & white photographs the majority of military aircraft that landed at the Davis-Monthan Airfield between 1925 and 1936. The book includes biographies of some of the pilots who flew the aircraft to Tucson as well as extensive listings of all the pilots and airplanes. Use this FORM to order a copy signed by the author, while supplies last.

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Clover Field: The first Century of Aviation in the Golden State (available in paperback) With the 100th anniversary in 2017 of the use of Clover Field as a place to land aircraft in Santa Monica, this book celebrates that use by exploring some of the people and aircraft that made the airport great. 281 pages, black & white photographs.

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I'm looking for information and photographs of this airplane to include on this page. If you have some you'd like to share, please click this FORM to contact me.

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WACO ASO NC3574

Waco NC3574 landed once at Clover Field, sometime between April 27-29, 1929. The pilot, 24 year old Howard Hughes, didn't list the date or time, home base or destination. He arrived at Clover Field from "San Fernando, CA," probably Caddo Field. Comparing his signature in the Register, below, with known examples of his signature, it is certain that he signed the Register himself.

Howard Hughes, Clover Field Register Signature, April, 1929 (Source: Webmaster)

This airplane, a model ASO (a.k.a. "Whirlwind Waco"), wore S/N 817. It was manufactured November 22, 1927 by the Advance Aircraft Co., Troy, OH. It left the factory with a Wright Whirlwind J-5 engine (S/N 8076) of 200HP. It was a three-place, open cockpit biplane. It sold on the date of manufacture to the American Aircraft Corporation of Los Angeles, CA. The president of the company was Register pilot Theodore Hull.

On December 5, 1927 American Aircraft sold NC3574 to the Caddo Company, Inc., Hollywood, CA, for $8,267 (which was about $1,000 more than what the airplane cost at the factory around that time - probably American Aircraft's markup). The president of Caddo was Howard Hughes. The NASM record for the airplane is sparse during Hughes' ownership. A few changes were made to wing fittings and cowling, and an exhaust ring was installed, and the airplane was moved to a couple of different airports around Los Angeles.

The significant thing about this airplane is that it was the first one owned by Howard Hughes. He had recently learned to fly, and successfully passed his flight test for his pilot certificate in NC3574. His pilot certificate was issued on January 7, 1928.

For context, Hughes and his movie company were in the midst of making "Hell's Angels," which began filming in the fall of 1927. We can see him commuting from home to his filming sites in this airplane. I wouldn't be surprised if NC3574 appeared in "Hell's Angels" dressed as a military airplane. If you have any information to share in that regard, please let me KNOW.

On March 26, 1932, Hughes sold NC3574 to A.B. Chalk of Miami, FL. It had 88.3 flight hours as of June, 1932, suggesting that Hughes didn't fly it much during the four years he owned it. It wore floats in Miami, and as of July 1, 1933 the airplane was in "dead storage."

Between September, 1933 and June, 1935, NC3574 sold five more times to owners in Florida and the Carolinas. On July 18, 1936 it was sold to J.L. Schroeder, Inc., operators of Houston Main St. Airport, Houston, TX. With about 474 total flight hours, it had a hopper tank installed for crop dusting. It was assigned the "NR" registration, restricted for agricultural work with only the pilot aboard. About a year later it had its engine and all wings replaced with all four wings from Waco DSO NC633N (not a Register airplane).

On October 26, 1937 it suffered an accident near Orlando, FL. There is no record of injuries or fatalities, or if the airplane was being used for dusting. Its license was revoked on November 12, 1937. No further information.

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