Aircraft used in the 1931 film "THE LAST FLIGHT" ...

[Mark Allen M]

Anyone know the type biplanes these are? ...
The series states: "The photos were used by Jack Okey for reference in his role as Art Director of the 1931 film "THE LAST FLIGHT"

[JohnB]

The "German" is an early water cooled Travel Air 2000.

That distinctive nose with the cowl bumps looks the the Curtiss PW-8 or a water cooled Boeing pursuit.
Travel Airs were nicknamed "Witichta Fokkers" because of their tail shape and were used in several old films subbing for Fokkers.

The other aircraft looks familiar, I've seen that nose bowl before.
It looks like a Curtiss OX or Hisso-type engine (doesn't it look like the exhaust exits to the front?).
Based on its size, I don't think it's a warbird, despite the rear cockpit with the gun installation.

After checking the first two volumes of Juptner (they should be in everyone's library) I can't pin it down.
I know what it's not, just not what it is.

[p51]

Can't help you with the planes, but I had to look this up as I'd never heard of it before. Sounds interesting: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_ ... (1931_film)

[JohnB]

I saw that too. It does most of the serial work was lifted from the first version of Dawn Patrol made in 1930.

The other aircraft remains a puzzle to me. While it has some features of several aircraft, it's not an exact match for any (even with accounting for the back hun position), either the gear or struts are inevitably wrong.
Of course it could have been extensively modified, but that is unlikely if it flew in the film (as opposed to ground shots) and given the apparent limited use of new aerial footage in the film.

I checked several sources (including a new one to me, the French-language aeromovies.fr site) and still aren't sure.

Anyone know Hollywood partition expert James Farmer?
He might know.

[marine air]

A fe w more e clues: 1:) the propellor May hint at the manufacturer. Have seen that bent steel design on a few German and British aircraft. 2) the four ailerons might suggest needed maneuverability for the military 3) the two fuel tanks suggest longer range. The landing gear isn’t all that beefy for a military type.
Last, who would’ve designed it? Before Beechcraft, before Travelair, etc? My guess is it was built by Lincoln-Page, Keystone, or Maybe Loening. My guess is something by a fledgling Lloyd Stearman.

[JohnB]

It's center struts are similar to a Spartan, but nothing else matches.

It looks a bit like a Lincoln (or Lincoln-Page), especially the OX-5 powered PT, but it's fuselage is a lot slimmer.

But It's not a Fairchild, a Command-Aire, or New Standard.
It's not a Travel Air, or anything by Beech or Stearman after they left that firm (the Model 17 "Staggerwing" was the only Beechcraft biplane).
Also, I'm not aware Keystone ever producing a light plane (though its predecessor company, Huff Daland built a few dusters) likewise Loening was into amphibs.


However, it looks like does have a metal prop (or painted wood)...indicating its late manufacture...not a disguised Jenny, J-1 or DH.

Believe me, I'm no expert when it comes to early civil types, and there were a lot of firms with small production runs, so I'll defer to those more knowledgeable than I on this topic.

Last edited by JohnB on Wed Feb 20, 2019 7:17 pm, edited 3 times in total.

[Courier Sportster]

what is with the yardstick? rare and exciting to see the brain-trust stumped.

[Cubs2jets]

The "German Airplane" is a Travel Air 2000. Shapes of flying surfaces, flying wires, struts and even shaping of metalwork under covered front cockpit all match.

A couple pictures of each airplane have a yardstick in them from a hardware business in Los Angeles.

C2j

[JohnB]

The "German Airplane" is a Travel Air 2000.
C2j

Which is what I said in post #2.

[Champ driver]

I'm unable to identify the American plane as well.
I watched some of the movie and there's about 2 minutes of aerial scenes in the first part. A couple of the scenes are right out of "Wings' or "Hells Angels" with 'Wichita Fokkers'. The entire rest of the movie is about two flyers who were wounded both physically and psychologically and trying to forget the past war while in Paris.

A couple of points, the engine is Curtiss OX-5, or some model derivative, I believe the logo on the prop is Curtiss , and the engine exhaust is turned around to exit out the front. I've seen a few photos of that on other planes, so I assume it bolts right up either way.
Interesting point about the yard sticks lying on the wings here and there.

The wings have a very blunt leading edge with a fat airfoil, not like the 'Fokkers' and many other planes of the era.

[marine air]

Almost solved. I believe it to be of Huff-Daland manufacture. It would've had various engines when new including a Curtiss-Hispano v-12 water cooled. It's possible when it was sold off to the civilian market that the engine was exchanged for the still new in the box OXX5 at cheap prices.
Huff Deland made 24 dual open cockpit biplanes for the U.S. Army. The AT-1, etc. The Navy purchased three HN-1s and one HO-1. for longer range patrol and flight training. The Navy version did not have the half loops under the wingtips to prevent damage during ground loops because the aircraft could be flown on floats.
Huff Daland later went on to build crop dusters that also look a lot like the airplane in the picture.

Anyone agree?

[Baldeagle]

Huff Dalands had cantilever wings with no wire bracing, so not one of those. I saw those photos on eBay a couple of months ago, Travel Air was easy, but I sent the photos of the other one around to people who I thought would know, and nobody could ID it.



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[JohnB]

I don't know. The plane in the photo looks too small to be a duster.
As as I said in post #6, I'm not aware of Huff Daland building a smaller aircraft.
And I don't see a lot of resemblance between the film aircraft and the Huff Daland types I've seen.
-Different gear
-Different center struts
-Different wing struts

Here's a link to a illustrated list of HD aircraft...I don't know how complete it is.

http://www.aerofiles.com/_huff.html

What similarities do you see?
I'm willing to be convinced...