When Photography Really Was: Plate #7

This is a 3-1/2 x 5-3/4 inch plate.

I knew I had another one of these early aircraft images somewhere. Just had to find it. While it appears to be the same airport (note the fuselage insignia) at about the same time (note the small white sign in the background), this is not the same aircraft as shown in plate #1.

This close-up appears to be possibly a variant of the Curtiss JN-4 series. The famed barnstorming "Jenny" of the post-WWI era. At least that's my guess. The layout of the struts and control wires looks very close. And the engine compartment looks similar in overall shape to the nose of this magnificently restored JN-4D at Paine Field in Everett, Washington:

Paul Allen's Flying Heritage Collection
http://tinyurl.com/ca9llyd
(see 5th photo for a similar point-of-view)

The engine itself is obviously different looking. However, having seen Allen's JN-4D in person I believe I was told by one of the guides that the original OX-5 engine in Allen's aircraft was upgraded for safety and reliability reasons, as the planes in his collection are restored to fully flyable condition and demonstrated to the public every summer weekend.

The shadow of the presumed photographer is visible in the lower-left corner. If true, he does not appear to be holding up a camera. And the face of the pilot is wonderfully visible. Alas, there's no way to know anything more about him.

Ken, I've googled "Dycer Airport" and found a lot of info on its location or other Locations and its changes during the years. It may have started around Gardena- Lawndale area by Charles Dycer around 1920. It mentions Dycer doing a civil conversion of a JN-4D to a Dycer Sport Plane in 1926.

Another name of airport was Universal Airport. Seems like it ended up owned by Goodyear Tire Company (Goodyear Blimp) which was forced out of California by the state or city for air quality reasons , so was flattened to the ground with a lot of its history records and old hangers.

On this site your story is mentioned about the plates and the nice old lady. I do not have any personal knowledge to add, but those plates are wonderful and intriguing.


Mike

Mike, where exactly did you see the reference to a sport plane conversion of a JN-4D at Dycer Airport? That a great clue!

Contemporary with the original creation of these contact prints back in the 80s I actually drove out to the northwest corner of 139th Street and Western Ave (a few blocks north of Rosecrans Blvd), just to have a look around. This was the actual location of the airport. As Google Maps shows today, even back then it was all just industrial park buildings.

In the gallery upload of plate #1 I mentioned that it was the only image from these plates set previously shared. The site you reference contains the shared image I referred to, along with the story. (I need to contact the site owner to update that story.) For any in or from Southern California who may be interested, the site is this one:

Abandoned & Little Known-Airfields: California: Western Los Angeles Area
Dycer Airport/Universal Airport/Gotch's Airport/Western Avenue Airport/Gardena Valley Airport
http://tinyurl.com/b7szobg

The above link also has a 1946-47 aerial view from 800-feet of the airport after it was renamed Gardena Valley Airport. There's also a cool c.1945 photo of a North American Vega 35, one of reportedly only five manufactured. The technological changes from the JN-4s to this Vega 35 only about two decades or so later are staggering.

Never mind... I see it. It was right under my nose. Maybe this was one of those conversions??

[Edit: I've been thinking about this. If you look closely at the front cockpit you'll notice that the left-rear vertical strut is attached inside the cockpit opening. If you compare that with Paul Allen's JN-4D in the link given, the same strut is attached outside the opening. Because the note below indicates that the Sportplane conversion was from a 2-seat to a 3-seat configuration (2 in front, pilot in back), I'm going to say that this is a photograph of one of those 8-10 conversions mentioned below. If true, that would make it a pretty rare photograph.]



(Charles F & Edward A) Dycer Airport Corp, 136 St & Western Ave, Los Angeles CA. c.1938: Dycer Flying Service, 11156 South Main St.

1930 = 2pM with 160hp engine, no data. POP: 1.

Sportplane 1926 = 3pOB; 90hp Curtiss OX-5; span: 30'0" load: 350# v: 102/90/38 range: 225. Longer lower wing. Charles Dycer, William Hunt. $1,200; POP: 8 to 10 estimated from those found serially in registers [93, 94, 95, et al]. They, like some earlier models, were likely civil conversions of Curtiss JN-4D (eg: [3582] c/n DY-1sub) and Standard J-1, since the Dycers were listed as owning many war surplus planes in the 1920s.

Shades of "The Great Waldo Pepper"?

Ken, sorry I have not replayed earlier, but glad you found my reference. Wish I could add more, but did live around that area .

Mike

Nice combination of photographic history Thanks