Suffolk County News wrote:
Roosevelt Field Air Museum
Gets Old French Neuiport
Undoubtedly the most interesting
war-time airplane procured to date by
the Roosevelt Field Aviation Historical
Museum is an old French Neuiport
18, a combination training and obser-
vation airplane used by the French
Air Corps during the World War. This
old battle wagon, built in 1915, was lo-
cated in Florida, N.Y., stored away in
a barn and has since been trucked to
the Field, and under the direction of
Hugh Copeland is being restored to its
original war-time condition. Long be-
fore airplanes were equipped with ma-
chine guns[,] these Neuiports flew over
the battlefields of Francec and made
war with the enemy. An observer arm-
ed with an ordinary rifle stood up in
the rear cockpit and took pot shots
at all enemy aircraft that came with-
in his range. This is believed to be
the only Neuiport of this model in
America.
(Source: “
Roosevelt Field Air Museum Gets Old French Neuiport,”
Suffolk County News, August 12, 1932, 10.)
Aero Digest wrote:
Roosevelt Field Adds to Museum
ONE OF THE most interesting and
best known of the war-time airplanes
procured to date by Roosevelt Field Avia-
tion Historical Museum is an old single
seater, French Spad 13, a type used by
many of the Allies during the latter days
of the war. This plane was procured for
exhibit from Lieut. Benjamin Kelsey of
the Army Air Corps who purchased it
several years ago and stored it away.
The plane is now at the School hangar
where it is being restored to its original
appearance.
(Source: “
Roosevelt Field Adds to Museum,”
Aero Digest, March 1934, 58.)
Carl B. Ogilvie wrote:
Do you know that in the United
States there is a Nieuport which
was flown by Charles Nungesser? Yes,
I have seen it and you may, too, if you
happen to drop in the Roosevelt Field
Historical Museum. And there you
might also see George Pickenpack, who
did a loit of flying with Nungesser. I
asked K.S. Lindsay, Operations Man-
ager of the field, to tell about Nun-
gesser's ship and his visit to this coun-
try. Mr. Lindsay said:
"Through communication with the
United States military attache in Paris,
France, we have learned that in 1924,
Captain Charles Nungesser and two
French pilots brought a Nieuport 18, a
Potez and a Hanriot, all French air-
planes, to this country. They made a
barnstorming tour, putting on stunting
exhibitions at county fairs, air meets
and large gatherings. Of these three
machines brought over, the Nieuport
which is now in our museum, is the only
one left in the country to the best of
our knowledge. We have made at-
tempts to locate the other machines
without any success.
"While making these barnstorming
tours, Captain Nungesser conceived the
idea of making an aviation movie thrill-
er. The picture, taken on Roosevelt
Field about 1925, was called the 'Sky
Raider' and was, I believe, the first real
aviation movie thriller ever filmed in
this country. Three pilots still flying
on Roosevelt Field took an active part
in that picture and remember Captain
Nungesser very well. One of these
pilots, George Pickenpack, is today one
of the Roosevelt Field Corporation staff
pilots.
"I am told that, shortly after the
picture was made, Captain Nungesser
had some financial reverses and lost
these three machines. The Nieuport
turned up later in a New York ware-
house and was purchased by Mr. Rus-
sell Simpson, now head of the Aero
Brokerage Service here on the field.
The original engine, a 130-horsepower
Clerget rotary engine, was removed by
Mr. Simpson and a eighty-horsepower
Le Rhone engine was installed in its
place. The machine was flown here for
a few years and then disappeared.
"Old airplanes, being large and bulky,
are rarely found on airports today. In
nearly every isntance, we have located
them stored away in barns and hay
lofts, often in towns not even having
an airport and, strange to say, most
old planes are found by aviation model
people who write and tell us about
them.
"I spent several months tracing
Nungesser's Nieuport and at last lo-
cated it stored away in a hay loft up
in Florida, N.Y. It was subsequently
purchased and brought back to Roose-
velt Field, where it was restored to its
original appearance and condition."
(Source: Carl B. Ogilvie, “
Nungesser: The Man of Iron,”
Popular Aviation, June 1934, 396.)
Popular Aviation wrote:
THAT Nungesser article by Carl B.
Ogilvie has raised a lot of com-
ment, particularly in respect to the
Hanriot brought to this country. But
it is for Frank P. Heck, 5439 Bryn-
hurst Ave., Los Angeles, Calif., to tell
of a Hariot pursuit plane of which he
sends a photo. This is what he has to
say.
I am sending you this message in
the hope that it will be of interest to
yourselves and to Mr. Carl Ogilvie. I
am a newsstand reader of P.A., and in
reading the article, "Nungesser-the
Man of Iron," written by Mr. Ogilvie,
I ran across something that immedi-
ately recalled a fact to my mind.
In this article, in the June issue, Mr.
Ogilvie states that Charles Nungesser
and two French pilots brought over to
this country a Nieuport, Potez and a
Hanriot. I believe he says that they
were brought over in 1924. He fur-
ther states that, to his knowledge, the
Nieuport is the only one left in this
country and that it is now in the
Roosevelt Field Historical Museum.
To my sincerest knowledge, I think
that I have visible evidence, as shown
in the accompanying photograph of the
Hanriot pursuit plane mentioned in
this article. Further evidence may be
had from the insignia on the side of
the fuselage.
I am somewhat of a "photo fan" and
happened to possess this particular pic-
ture in my collection. This plane may
still be found in a hangar adjacent to
the Douglas Aircraft Company, Santa
Monica, Calif.
I snapped this photo the day that
this ship was flown for exhibition over
the race course during the 1933 Na-
tional Air Races. I remember this
ship six or eight years ago; completely
torn down and stacked away in a cor-
ner. It is now reconditioned and is
capable of being flown.
This is, indeed, very interesting and
it would be a fine idea if some more
of these old-timers were reconditions
and flown. There are a number of
wartime ships that only need a little
work to put them in the air for the
enjoyment of the present generation.
(Source: “
An Airy Chat with the Editor,” Popular Aviation, August 1934, 133.)
American Airman wrote:
..World War I
Section..
Mr. Charles Donald recently sent
in these interesting photos of this
old Thomas Morse Scout taken in
the early 30's at Roosevelt Field
(once called Fitzmaurice Field) on
Long Island, New York.
The flying devil insignia on the side
of the fuselage of the "Tommy"
is now preserved among Mr. Don-
ald's excellent, personal World
War I collection.
The Thomas Morse Scout is
owned by Mr. Paul Kotze, who
completely reconditioned it and has
made it a beautiful and flyable
plane once again. The ship was
featured on the cover of our June
1960 AIRMAN, along with Part I
of the Thomas Morse Story. His
intentions are to donate this plane
to the National Air Museum in
Washington, D. C.
(Source: “World War I Section,”
American Airman, August 1961, 9.)
If the S-4C mentioned above, 38934, did ever make to the National Air Museum, it didn't remain there. It is currently on loan, reportedly from Mr. Kotze, to the Cradle of Aviation Museum.
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