The Museum of Flight in Seattle, Washington, is the largest independent, non-profit air and space museum in the world. It has more than 175 aircraft and spacecraft. Here are some of the airplanes of the 1920s which are displayed in the Museum’s Great Gallery.
1926 Ryan M-1
The Ryan M-1 was America’s first production monoplane. It was developed in response to the 1925 privatization of the airmail business in which contract carriers replaced the Post Office flyers. The M-1 was the first commercial plane to fly with Pacific Air Transport (P.A.T.) along the West Coast, linking Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.
The Museum’s M-1 is thought to be the first Ryan airframe built. T. Claude Ryan was the founder of Ryan Airlines, Inc. and the creative influence behind the M-1.
The M-1 had a cruising speed of 110 mph, a top speed of 125 mph, a range of 400 miles, and a ceiling of 15,00 feet. It was powered by a 150 hp Hispano-Suiza V-8 engine.
1927 Stearman C-3B
Stearman airplanes were known for their rugged dependability and no-nonsense design. The 3-Cs became popular replacement planes on the short-haul “feeder” lines of the commercial airmail system. The C-3Bs were used as sportplanes and advanced trainers.
The Stearman C-3B had a cruising speed of 108 mph, a top speed of 126 mph, a range of 620 miles, and a service ceiling of 18,000 feet. It was powered by a 220 hp Wright J-5 “Whirlwind” engine.
1928 Swallow Commercial
In 1925, the U.S. Post Office awarded a contract mail route from Pasco, Washington to Elko, Nevada to Walter T. Varney, Six Swallows were acquired to make the flights over the mountains and desert. The CAM 5, as the route was known, was 455 miles of the highest and roughest terrain in the country.
The Swallow had a cruising speed of 85 mph, a top speed of 100 mph, a range of 450 miles, and a service ceiling of 18,000 feet. It was powered by a 90 hp Curtiss OX-5 engine.
1928 Curtiss Robin C-1
The Curtiss Robin, designed for private owners, had an unusually large, enclosed cabin and a reasonable price. According to the display:
“The dependable Curtiss Robin became one of the most commercially successful airplanes of the day, with 769 made from 1928 to 1930.
The Curtiss Robin has a cruising speed of 102 mph, a top speed of 120 mph, a range of 300 miles, and a service ceiling of 12,700 feet. It was powered with a 185 hp Curtiss Challenger engine. It carried a pilot and three passengers.
The Museum’s Robin, The Newsboy, was owned by the Daily Gazette in McCook, Nebraska, and was flown 380 miles daily to deliver 5,000 newspapers to 40 rural towns.
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