Mystery Avian & US starlet?

[JDK]

My fellow writer 'Pondskater' is trying to identify the woman and confirm the aircraft in this photo:



He said:

"According to a caption written on the back, it shows an Hungarian film star and was apparently taken at the Grand Central Air Terminal, Glendale, California.

It seems to be an Avro Avian but I don't know which one. The number on the tail is very faint although the last three digits might be either 382 or 882.

Does anybody have any ideas about who the lady is and which aircraft it is please? Thanks.

AllanK"

Responses on the Flypast Key Forum:

...only a guess:
Avro Avian 594, with “unlicensed aircraft identification mark” 7083
owned by Amelia Earhart, she made a flight across the US 1928 and one station was Glendale (maybe the time and place for the photo?)

There once was a US reg no N6882 connected with an Avro Avian 594

John Adams:

It's probably a Whittlesey Avian, note the prop rotation.

Badger1968:

From 1925 to 1928 the "hottest" Hungarian actress in Hollywood was Vilma Banky. Her last film was in 1932 (her thick accent caused problems when Hollywood started shooting sound films).

Pic from SON OF THE SHEIK that also starred Rudolph Valentino (1926)


This shot has more than a passing resemblance:


Then there are Lucy Doraine, Maria Corda, Lya de Putti, and many others,,, all came over in the mid-1920s and lost their careers by the early 1930s due to their thick accents.
Most of these girls share similar facial features.

What does the WIX vintage aircraft brains trust think?

[Canso42]

What the heck kind of engine was in that thing, a straight eight?

[airknocker]

Try this link.
http://www.goldenwingsmuseum.com/Aircra ... Avian.html

[Canso42]

Uncowled it looks like a big four way forward or maybe a six. Talk to me guys, what's Cirrus? Who built it?

Canso the clueless

[JDK]

Four cylinder upright inline, Canso.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ADC_Cirrus

Avian:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avro_Avian

Meanwhile, any guesses as to the starlet?

[JDK]

Avoiding the 'Amelia effect', is there any evidence that the aircraft might have something to do with her?

Allan's added the following:

I've posted the enhanced detail of the signature


which matches Lya de Putti's signatures on the web.

But I can't see anything to show that it is her aircraft. And, while the propeller turns the same way as the one on Amelia's Avian (Courtesy of Airknockers' link above) I don't see anything which indicates it is Amelia's aircraft, tempting though that is.

My suspicion is that Lya was simply one of the Hollywood Celebs there in the Feb 1929 opening of the airport, and had her photo taken next to the aircraft - and signed a copy

Perhaps a WIX member in CA has a copy of the "Images of Aviation" series book on GCAT (See http://books.google.com/books?id=_abkNT ... q=&f=false )

The Google scan stops just short of 1929 - typically.

[Mike]

Perhaps a WIX member in CA has a copy of the "Images of Aviation" series book on GCAT

This one does!

Rather spookily, it arrived in the mail yesterday.

It doesn't help much though, with only a couple of pages on the opening, and it mentions that "the celebrity count came to well over 200" as well as an estimated 125,000 members of the public.

There is, however, a shot of Amelia Earhart's Avian (possibly taken in 1928), which carried the US Civil reg '7083' on the rudder (as well as the original 'G-EBUG' on the rear fuselage), so I'd say the shot could well be of her Avian. There's a shot in the book of it being wrecked at GCAT by a 'Lt Brian Shaw' (ex-RAF), wiping the gear off it (although it was presumably soon fixed)