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Author Topic: X16020  (Read 118075 times)

Ric Gillespie

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Re: X16020
« Reply #45 on: October 18, 2015, 12:00:16 PM »

Here's my new chronology based on the new information from Macleod's logbook.

Sunday, July 19, 1936
Lockheed completes the airplane and has it inspected. Lockheed applies for and is granted registration as X16020.

Monday, July 20, 1936
Lockheed test pilot Elmer McLeod makes the first flight in X16020. His logbook entry reads “First Test. A & E [Airframe and Engine], Lockheed to Lockheed.”  The duration of the flight is 1 hour 50 minutes covering 280 miles for an average speed of 153 mph.

Tuesday, July 21, 1936
Earhart’s makes her first flight in the aircraft.  Lockheed test pilot Elmer McLeod is at the controls. His logbook entry reads “Test – Lockheed.” The duration of the flight is 2 hours 10 minutes covering 400 miles for an average speed of 154 mph.  The flight includes 6 takeoffs and landings. Clearly an instructional flight.
The press is invited and she poses for photos.  The aircraft is marked NR16020 apparently for the press but McLeod logs the flight as X16020.

Earhart gives Lockheed a letter authorizing Paul Mantz to take delivery of the airplane on her behalf in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Wednesday, July 22, 1936
McLeod logs “Test – Lockheed” in X16020. The duration of the flight is 1 hour 30 minutes covering 210 miles for an average speed of 140 mph. There are four takeoffs and landings. This is probably more dual instruction for either Earhart or Mantz.

Thursday, July 23, 1936
McLeod logs another “Test – Lockheed” in X16020.  The duration of the flight is 50 minutes covering 150 miles for an average speed of 181 mph. There are two takeoffs and landings.

Friday, July 24, 1936
McLeod delivers X16020. His logbook entry reads “Del. to Las Vegas, Nev.”  The duration of the flight is 1 hour 20 minutes covering 280 miles for an average speed of 210 mph.  The flight includes 2 takeoffs and landings.
In Las Vegas, Lockheed conveys ownership of the Electra to Amelia Earhart presumably via Mantz for $10.  A Nevada Notary notarizes the transaction. The document gives the airplane's registration number as NR16020 but the NR is written-over by hand with X.  There is no way to tell when the correction was made.
McLeod does not log a return trip.  Lockheed and Mantz are both based in Burbank.  It seems likely that Mantz rode with McLeod and, after going through the formalities of delivery, flew the aircraft home as Pilot In Command.

Saturday, July 25, 1936
McLeod logs another test flight in X16020. The airplane no longer belongs to Lockheed so McLeod’s log book entry reads “Test – Burbank to Burbank.” The duration of the flight is 1 hour 5 minutes covering 200 miles for an average speed of 185 mph.  The flight includes 3 takeoffs and landings. This is probably more dual instruction.

Monday, July 27, 1936
Lockheed notifies the Bureau of Air Commerce that Serial No. 1055 has been sold to Amelia Earhart and encloses an application for re-assignment of license number NR16020 "as executed by Miss Earhart." The application applies for registration in the Restricted category but many of the questions on the form are not answered and it says that NR16020 is the registration displayed on the aircraft.  The application is not granted.  The application is incomplete and the aircraft has not been approved for international flight so it cannot carry the N designation. 

Sunday, August 2, 1936
According to a newspaper article, Earhart and McLeod make a 1 hour and 55 minute flight to Mills Field, San Francisco but there is no such flight in McLeod’s log book. Apparently Earhart is Pilot In Command. Until a new application can be submitted the airplane must carry the only registration number that has been approved, X16020.

According to McLeod’s log book, that same day he makes an hour and a half test flight in CFAZY, Model 10A c/n1063 built for Canadian Airlines. Apparently he made that flight earlier in the day.

Monday, August 3, 1936
Earhart and McLeod fly the Electra across the bay to Alameda to see Elmer Dimity’s big parachute and fog dispeller. This is apparently the only time the plane is photographed while displaying the X16020 registration.  They return to Burbank that afternoon.  It was a busy day for McLeod. He then delivered CFAZY to Las Vegas and brought it back to Burbank.  Apparently the Las Vegas delivery was a standard sales tax dodge.

Wednesday, August 5, 1936
McLeod makes a 1 hour flight logged as “Test Burbank.” The flight covers 180 miles for an average speed of 180 mph and includes 3 landing and takeoffs. McLeod logs the airplane as NR16020 even though Earhart’s application for registration in the Restricted category has not been approved.


Thursday, August 6, 1936
Earhart submits a new application. The registration displayed on the aircraft is listed as simply 16020.
 

Friday, August 7, 1936
The application is still not right and is stamped VOID. Corrections are made and the application is re-submitted There is a handwritten notation “see corrected application” and another in a different hand “OK 12 mos” with initials.   The application is approved.  Registration number is R16020.
McLeod’s log book records a flight “To S. F. airport 4 A. & E.” The duration of the flight is 2 hours covering 350 miles for an average speed of 175 mph. There are two takeoffs and landings.

Saturday, August 8, 1936
McLeod logs a 15 minute “Test Burbank” in NR16020 although no return from San Francisco is logged.  Apparently someone else was PIC for the return flight.

Sunday August 9, 1936
McLeod logs 1 hour and 15 minute “Test Burbank” covering 200 miles for an average speed of 160 mph. There are 3 landing and takeoffs.

Speculation:
I see indications of a maintenance problem. The flight to San Francisco is not another instructional fight because McLeod is PIC and the purpose of the flight is “A&E.” Earhart probably rides along and is PIC for the return flight.  The Lockheed shop works on the problem and McLeod’s 15 minute flight on Saturday is a check to see if the problem is fixed.  McLeod is PIC for the test flight on Sunday so apparently there is still a problem and there is apparently some urgency because he is working on Sunday.
   
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John Ousterhout

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Re: X16020
« Reply #46 on: October 26, 2015, 10:06:28 AM »

Is the whereabouts known of Paul Mantz' logbook from that time?  I found an old ebay auction of one of his logbooks from the 1950's, so at least one of his later logbooks is still in existence.  Wouldn't it be nice if his earlier ones were too?
Cheers,
JohnO
 
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Ric Gillespie

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Re: X16020
« Reply #47 on: October 26, 2015, 10:43:27 AM »

Wouldn't it be nice if his earlier ones were too?

Indeed it would.  The EAA Library in Oshkosh has some of Mantz's papers including some references to Earhart.  I looked through the collection briefly a few years ago but I don't recall seeing a logbook. 
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Jerry Germann

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Re: X16020
« Reply #48 on: November 06, 2015, 02:47:14 PM »

http://mustangnews.net/amelia-earhart/

Some time back, I believe there was some discussion concerning the horizontal bar across the cabin window and it's removal...this article seems to imply Lockheed 10s were delivered with that bar installed. This article provides some electra details, along with debate concerning timeline, airplane Earhart arrived in, and purpose of the visit.

Snip from article;

The picture with Earhart and the plane shows a horizontal bar in the rectangular window of the back of the plane, which Keezer said is an indicator of what sort of plane she was flying at the time of the trip.

“When they delivered every Lockheed Electra Model 10, each had some type of stiffener or bar to secure each window,” Keezer said.

The bar in the back window suggested the plane was an Electra.
« Last Edit: November 06, 2015, 03:16:42 PM by Jerry Germann »
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Ric Gillespie

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Re: X16020
« Reply #49 on: November 07, 2015, 07:13:36 AM »

Some time back, I believe there was some discussion concerning the horizontal bar across the cabin window and it's removal...this article seems to imply Lockheed 10s were delivered with that bar installed.

The article is wrong. 
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Hal Banks

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Re: X16020
« Reply #50 on: January 01, 2016, 06:56:34 AM »

Ric, I see two dates listed on the photo's reverse side;  "Aug 3" and "8-4-36". Where are you getting the September 3 date?
Hal
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Ric Gillespie

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Re: X16020
« Reply #51 on: January 01, 2016, 07:16:20 AM »

Ric, I see two dates listed on the photo's reverse side;  "Aug 3" and "8-4-36". Where are you getting the September 3 date?

Thanks Hal.  My bad.  Typo. The date of the photo is August 3, not September 3.

The 8-4-36 date seems to be the date of distribution of the photo to AP bureaus in various cities.
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Hal Banks

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Re: X16020
« Reply #52 on: January 01, 2016, 07:21:36 AM »

Thought that was the case.  This will be a very interesting book when you've finished.
Hal
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Ric Gillespie

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Re: X16020
« Reply #53 on: January 01, 2016, 07:22:15 AM »

Here's the posting again with the correct date.
***************************************
TIGHAR member Larry Inman has assembled an incredible collection of Earhart photos, documents and memorabilia from which he has produced an exhibit called "Remember Amelia."  He hopes to have it displayed at museums.  I've helped him where I could and he has been kind enough to give me a copy of his collection.  One of the most valuable things about his photo collection is that he has gone to great pains to track down the most original print of each photo and had copied not only the front but also the back of the print which often contains information for publishers.

Larry's photos are a tremendous help in researching "The Earhart Electra - From Drawing Board to Disappearance."  For example, Larry has a copy of the photo that appeared in the old Air Classics article including a notation on the reverse that confirms that it was taken in San Francisco on August 3, 1936.  This is the only known photo of the aircraft wearing the X16020 registration.
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Jerry Germann

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Re: X16020
« Reply #54 on: January 23, 2016, 09:57:21 PM »

Was wondering if the timeline concerning the cowl/leading wing edge paint scheme has been determined? I have noted several R version photos with the engine cowling/wing paint scheme and several R version photos lacking that detail. ( Bendix Throphy Race only???)

http://www.earlyaviators.com/ebehr3.htm

http://photoblog.nbcnews.com/_news/2011/06/14/6859283-new-yorks-historic-floyd-bennett-field-to-become-nations-largest-urban-campground

http://theoldmotor.com/?p=132887
« Last Edit: January 23, 2016, 10:51:17 PM by Jerry Germann »
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Ric Gillespie

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Re: X16020
« Reply #55 on: January 24, 2016, 10:08:15 AM »

Was wondering if the timeline concerning the cowl/leading wing edge paint scheme has been determined? I have noted several R version photos with the engine cowling/wing paint scheme and several R version photos lacking that detail. ( Bendix Throphy Race only???)

The registration NR16020 was put on the wings and tail for a photo op soon after the airplane was delivered but the "N", signifying approval for international flight was not legitimate at that time and was removed. The airplane was marked R16020 from August 1936 until January 26, 1937. The red/orange markings on the wings and tail seem to have been applied around that same time.
The painted cowlings only appear around the time of the Bendix Trophy Race in early September 1936.
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Jerry Germann

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Re: X16020
« Reply #56 on: January 24, 2016, 03:36:40 PM »

Wonder the procedure to remove all that bling, and return it to polished surfaces?

http://rmyauctions.com/1936-amelia-earhart,-inspects-her-plane-to-enter--lot2580.aspx
« Last Edit: January 24, 2016, 03:45:16 PM by Jerry Germann »
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Ric Gillespie

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Re: X16020
« Reply #57 on: January 24, 2016, 03:48:18 PM »

Wonder the procedure to remove all that bling, and return it to polished surfaces?

All it takes is stripper. I wish we knew the colors.
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Jerry Germann

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Re: X16020
« Reply #58 on: January 31, 2016, 01:45:48 PM »

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Ric Gillespie

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Re: X16020
« Reply #59 on: January 31, 2016, 02:12:43 PM »

Is this NR 16020?

Yes.  This photo must have been taken just before or just after the airplane was delivered to AE.  It was erroneously marked NR16020 for a photo shoot and soon had the N removed.  The N (signifying approval for international flight) was approved on September 21, 1936 but the airplane remained marked R16020 until January 26, 1937.
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