Warbird Information Exchange

Hello,

There were remains of a Curtiss Condor in the Chicago area for many years. I heard somewhere that the airplane was transported out west somewhere for restoration but there has been no subsequent news. Surely someone must have heard of or seen this!

Apologies for a non-warbird question.

Kevin

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Kevin McCartney

I think you may be talking about the one that was recovered from a mountainside in the Northeast many years ago. The name of the man who recovered it escapes me right now but I spoke with him a few years ago. The Condors were built here in St. Louis and I always dreamed of building a replica (providing I hit the Power Ball Lottery Jackpot) so I was looking for parts and drawings when I came into contact with the fellow who recovered the wreck. I think he has the N# registered and I think he is working with Greg Herrick on a restoration/replica. Of course I may have some of this story wrong. It sure would be cool to see a flying Curtiss Condor, that's for sure!

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Albert Stix Jr.
"Work is the curse of the drinking class"

This the one?

Of the 45 Condor II and 14 Model 19 and B- Bombers built by Curtiss Wright Corporation only NC12363, serial number 23 has survived. It is currently located in Moab, Utah to be restored to flyable status. It was recovered from an accident site in 1966 for American Airlines but then stored in a suburban Chicago area garage until 2004. Many original components of the aircraft were located, acquired and will be used in the restoration process.

quote from http://aeroweb.brooklyn.cuny.edu/specs/curtiss/b-2.htm

Hello again,

The Chicago owner was (is?) Dick Newmann. There was an Air Classic article some while ago that stated that the Condor was to be restored by Austin Sky Services, wherever that is. The Condor was crashed in teh 1930s, recovered in the 1960s and in outside storage for many years, so must be in poor condition, but I have never seen any photos of that airplane in storage. As a American twin-engined biplane passenger carrier this would be the rarest of surviving aircraft, if indeed it is a survivor.

Does anyone have more information on this rare bird?

There are also reports of a surviving wreck in Honduras, which Greg Herrick might have interest in. A Byrd Expedition Curtiss Condor, that is a previous life was a presidential aircraft, was left on an island off Antarctica in 1941 as the war approached, and presumably remains there under tens of meters of ice.

There is also the Curtiss (Keystone?) B-2 Condor. I have heard that fragments of one of these survive and that someone was workign on a reproduction, but again further information is not to be foudn.

Kevin

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Kevin McCartney

from Holedigger:


I have seen this link. I think it refers to the Curtiss Condor American Airlines (?) commercial aircraft recovered by Dick Newmann, but that is not a Curtiss II B-2 bomber. I think wither the listing is an error, or someone is using the Newmann parts to build a B-2 reproduction?

Either as a commercial Curtiss Condor or as a B-2 Condor II, this is an extraordinarily rare aircraft for which there should be more information out there.

Kevin

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Kevin McCartney

Mr Fred Austin and Mr. Newman are under the promising project of rebuilding a Curtiss Condor and hopefully this year we'll have more news about it.



Some parts of that aircraft were recovered (propeller,engine parts and landing gear) and now are on display at the air museum in Tegucigalapa.
The rest of the aircraft was buried by a mudslide and it's wating to be dug out.

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