Warbird Information Exchange

We used to drive through McDermitt, Oregon/Nevada every year from Boise on the way to the Reno Air Races. For many years an old fuselage frame sat derelict on the Oregon (north) side of town on the west side of Hwy 95 in a vacant lot.

These pictures were taken I believe in 1994.

I often wondered what type of aircraft it was. I believe it was a parasol design. Never saw any wings. I stand 6'2" and am the guy in the blue sweatshirt. My then 6 or 7 year-old son is the guy logging time in the "racer".

Any ideas?












Lowell Thompson

The one possibility per the U.S. Civil Register is that this was a 1941 Interstate S-1A Cadet, N37269, serial 112.

That airplane is still found on the online Registration database sites as belonging to:

KENNETH REED
CORDERO MINE CAMP
MCDERMITT, NV

It was listed the same in my old July 1, 1964 copy of the Civil Aircraft Register. There it showed a last inspection date of June 1953.

Do the photos look like it could be an Interstate Cadet?

A very knowledgeable Intersate owner has just E-mailed me saying:

"Definitely not an Interestate. The "mystery plane" has only one seat, and appears to have some sort of mid-fuselage wing attachment with wire bracing (note the post above and behind the cockpit.)"

The mystery continues...

Probably a one of a kind homebuilt, looks like wing attach fittings at the lower cockpit edge.

Tom-