Valle Airport

[C170BDan]

Found this web page that shows some of the vintage aircraft at Valle. Check out the Cessna Airmaster with spring gear! Looks like a nice Robin... and wow... a Travel Air 6000!

http://www.valleairport.com/antiques.htm

Neat stuff...

[bdk]

I used to own that Robin!

[Roger Cain]

I used to own that Robin!

Do tell............

Another website with the vintage aircraft at the airport is Schellville in Sonoma CA: http://www.napanet.net/~arbeau/usaah/saa2.htm

[bdk]

I used to own that Robin!

Do tell............

Purchased by me from the estate (wife) of Mr. Milton Kuntz who was an Allison engine rep during the war. Mostly as a favor to a friend because the widder needed the money and I was flush with cash at the time. I held on to it for a few years and sold it to Mr. John Travis, who completed the restoration Milt had started some 30 years earlier at Chino. John named the aircraft "Chino Robin." Documantation I had included a letter that Milt got from a mechanic in New York that had fixed the aircraft in the 30's after the tailwheel was ripped off on landing. I looked, and I could see the repair he described!

John later sold the aircraft to its present owner who keeps it at the museum in Valle. The Robin has a 220 Continental on it which is a far better engine than either the OX-5 or the Challenger.

Surprisingly some of these rare and historic aircraft aren't worth very much. A nice Stearman can go for double the price. Bootleggers loved the Robin because it could carry a huge load with its generous wing area.

[Roger Cain]

Thanks for the info, I saw that bird at the Merced Fly-In back in 1992

[C170BDan]

So you had the "Chino Robin" when it was still a project? I have thought that a 220 powered Robin would make a fun antique. Any other pictures of it floating around?

[Roger Cain]

Here's the business end of that 220 at Merced Fly-In June 1997. Unfortunately in those days I wasn't too good at composition, and didn't realize that the legs in the backgrond would make it hard to see the engine

[bdk]

Here's the business end of that 220 at Merced Fly-In June 1997.

As I recall it won a trophy at Merced. Shane Freeburn flew it there with John. I must have some pictures around somewhere! The wings were stored in Lane Leonard's hangar at Cable Airport for years. It was a real job to get them out.