The Travel Air 6000 (later known as the Curtiss-Wright 6B when Travel Air was purchased by Curtiss-Wright) is a six-seat utility aircraft manufactured in the United States in the late 1920s.
Travel Air 6000
Travel Air A-6000-A preserved in flying condition carrying the logo of the 2003 National Air Tour
It was developed as a luxury version of the Travel Air 5000 marketed principally as an executive aircraft, although its size proved popular with regional airlines, which purchased most of the roughly 150 machines built.
The 6000 was a high-wing braced monoplane with a fuselage constructed of steel tube and covered in fabric. In keeping with its intended luxury market, the fully enclosed cabin was insulated and soundproofed, and included wind-down windows. The basic model was priced at $12,000, but numerous options were offered that could nearly double that price; actor Wallace Beery's aircraft cost him $20,000 and was the most expensive Model 6000 built.
Operational historyedit
Airline operationedit
6000s were operated in 1928 by National Air Transport on their US mail and passenger routes from Chicago to New York, Chicago to Dallas and Chicago to Kansas City.[1]
Business aircraftedit
Frame number 6B-2012 was delivered to Harry Ogg of Newton, Iowa, on August 20, 1929, who used it as a mobile office and technology demonstrator for his Automatic Washing Machine Company, which eventually morphed into Maytag Corporation. The aircraft was significant in that it included space for a secretary and stenography machine, as well as hook-ups for up to 4 washing machines for demonstration purposes. The aircraft was nicknamed "Smiling Thru" and carried the registration of NC677K.[2]
Foreign serviceedit
Two Travel Air 6000 were purchased by the Paraguayan government during the Chaco War (1932-1935) for the Transport Squadron of its Air Arm. These aircraft belonged to TAT with the registrations NC624K (c/n 6B-2011) and NC9815 (c/n 6B-1029); They received the military serials T-2 and T-5 (later re-serialled as T-9). The aircraft were intensively used during the conflict as air ambulances. They both survived the war and continued flying in the Air Arm. In 1945, they were transferred to the first Paraguayan Airline, Líneas Aéreas de Transporte Nacional (LATN) and received the civil registrations ZP-SEC and ZP-SED. They were withdrawn from use in 1947.
Movie appearanceedit
A Travel Air 6000 was a "star" in the Howard Hawks 1939 film Only Angels Have Wings which was a fictional depiction of the early mail service in South America whose early days mirrored the aircraft and issues of US civilian mail service. Movie crash is a Hamilton Metal Plane
A Travel Air 6000 also appeared in the 1959 movie, "Edge of Eternity". Registration N377M is still active and it is owned and registered in Mount Pleasant, TX.
A Travel Air 6000 or Curtiss-Wright 6-B performed stunts in the 1939 Laurel & Hardy movie "The Flying Deuces".
Variantsedit
Model 6000 - six seat version, powered by a 220 hp (164 kW) Wright J-5 engine
Model 6000A (or A-6000, or A-6000-A) - version powered by 450 hp (336 kW) Pratt & Whitney Wasp engine
Model SA-6000A - floatplane version of the Model 6000A
Model 6000B (or B-6000, later 6B) - version powered by 300 hp (224 kW)Wright J-6-9 radial engine.
Model S-6000-B - floatplane version of the Model 6000B
Model 6B - 1931 and up Curtiss Wright production. Four built in Wichita, Four Built in San Diego.[3]
^Lednicer, David. "The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage". m-selig.ae.illinois.edu. Retrieved 16 April 2019.
Bibliographyedit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Travel Air 6000.
Bibliographyedit
Auliard, Gilles. "Time Machine." Air Classics, April 2006.
Davies, R.E.G. Airlines of the United States since 1914. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1998. ISBN1-888962-08-9.
Hagedorn, Dan and Antonio Luis Sapienza. Aircraft of the Chaco War, 1928-1935. Atglen, Pennsylvania: Schiffer Publishing Co., 1996.
Pelletier, A. J. Beech Aircraft and their Predecessors. Annapolis, Maryland, USA: Naval Institute Press, 1995. ISBN1-55750-062-2.
Sapienza, Antonio Luis (June 2000). "Les premiers avions de transport commercial au Paraguay" [The First Commercial Transport Aircraft in Paraguay]. Avions: Toute l'Aéronautique et son histoire (in French) (87): 45–47. ISSN 1243-8650.
Taylor, Michael J. H. Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions, 1989.
January 01, 1970
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The Travel Air 6000 later known as the Curtiss Wright 6B when Travel Air was purchased by Curtiss Wright is a six seat utility aircraft manufactured in the United States in the late 1920s Travel Air 6000 Travel Air A 6000 A preserved in flying condition carrying the logo of the 2003 National Air Tour Role Civil utility aircraft Manufacturer Travel Air Curtiss Wright Designer Herbert Rawdon First flight April 15 1928 Number built ca 150 Contents 1 Design and development 2 Operational history 2 1 Airline operation 2 2 Business aircraft 2 3 Foreign service 2 4 Movie appearance 3 Variants 4 Operators 5 Surviving aircraft 6 Specifications 6000B 7 References 7 1 Bibliography 8 BibliographyDesign and development editIt was developed as a luxury version of the Travel Air 5000 marketed principally as an executive aircraft although its size proved popular with regional airlines which purchased most of the roughly 150 machines built The 6000 was a high wing braced monoplane with a fuselage constructed of steel tube and covered in fabric In keeping with its intended luxury market the fully enclosed cabin was insulated and soundproofed and included wind down windows The basic model was priced at 12 000 but numerous options were offered that could nearly double that price actor Wallace Beery s aircraft cost him 20 000 and was the most expensive Model 6000 built Operational history editAirline operation edit 6000s were operated in 1928 by National Air Transport on their US mail and passenger routes from Chicago to New York Chicago to Dallas and Chicago to Kansas City 1 Business aircraft edit Frame number 6B 2012 was delivered to Harry Ogg of Newton Iowa on August 20 1929 who used it as a mobile office and technology demonstrator for his Automatic Washing Machine Company which eventually morphed into Maytag Corporation The aircraft was significant in that it included space for a secretary and stenography machine as well as hook ups for up to 4 washing machines for demonstration purposes The aircraft was nicknamed Smiling Thru and carried the registration of NC677K 2 Foreign service edit Two Travel Air 6000 were purchased by the Paraguayan government during the Chaco War 1932 1935 for the Transport Squadron of its Air Arm These aircraft belonged to TAT with the registrations NC624K c n 6B 2011 and NC9815 c n 6B 1029 They received the military serials T 2 and T 5 later re serialled as T 9 The aircraft were intensively used during the conflict as air ambulances They both survived the war and continued flying in the Air Arm In 1945 they were transferred to the first Paraguayan Airline Lineas Aereas de Transporte Nacional LATN and received the civil registrations ZP SEC and ZP SED They were withdrawn from use in 1947 Movie appearance edit A Travel Air 6000 was a star in the Howard Hawks 1939 film Only Angels Have Wings which was a fictional depiction of the early mail service in South America whose early days mirrored the aircraft and issues of US civilian mail service Movie crash is a Hamilton Metal PlaneA Travel Air 6000 also appeared in the 1959 movie Edge of Eternity Registration N377M is still active and it is owned and registered in Mount Pleasant TX A Travel Air 6000 or Curtiss Wright 6 B performed stunts in the 1939 Laurel amp Hardy movie The Flying Deuces Variants editModel 6000 six seat version powered by a 220 hp 164 kW Wright J 5 engine Model 6000A or A 6000 or A 6000 A version powered by 450 hp 336 kW Pratt amp Whitney Wasp engine Model SA 6000A floatplane version of the Model 6000A Model 6000B or B 6000 later 6B version powered by 300 hp 224 kW Wright J 6 9 radial engine Model S 6000 B floatplane version of the Model 6000B Model 6B 1931 and up Curtiss Wright production Four built in Wichita Four Built in San Diego 3 Operators edit nbsp Panama Panama Air Force nbsp Paraguay Paraguayan Air Force LAIN nbsp Peru Peruvian Air Force nbsp United States Delta Air Lines 4 Surviving aircraft edit839 6 B airworthy with Henry M Galpin of Kalispell Montana 5 6 865 S 6000 B airworthy with Pole Pass Airways in Seattle Washington 7 8 9 884 6 B airworthy with Mid American Flight Museum Urbana Ohio 10 967 S 6000 B on static display at the Alaska Aviation Museum in Anchorage Alaska 11 12 986 S 6000 B airworthy with Hellgate Equipment in Drummond Montana 13 1036 S 6000 B registered to Philip L Taylor of Seattle Washington 14 1099 SA 6000 A airworthy with Robert W Everts of Fairbanks Alaska 15 A6A 2003 A 6000 A airworthy with Yellowstone Aviation in Jackson Wyoming 16 17 18 6B 2005 S 6000 B registered to Heritage Aircraft in Portland Oregon 19 6B 2024 S 6000 B registered to Richard Livingston of Hamilton Montana 20 6B 2040 6 B airworthy at the Delta Flight Museum in Atlanta Georgia 21 22 Specifications 6000B editData from Beech Aircraft and their Predecessors 23 General characteristicsCrew 1 Capacity 5 passengers Length 31 ft 2 in 9 50 m Wingspan 48 ft 6 1 2 in 14 80 m Height 9 ft 0 1 2 in 2 76 m Wing area 282 sq ft 26 2 m2 Airfoil Clark Y 15 24 Empty weight 2 700 lb 1 225 kg Gross weight 4 230 lb 1 919 kg Powerplant 1 Wright J 6 9 Whirlwind 9 cylinder air cooled radial piston engine 300 hp 220 kW Performance Maximum speed 130 mph 210 km h 110 kn at sea level Cruise speed 110 mph 180 km h 96 kn Range 550 mi 890 km 480 nmi Service ceiling 16 000 ft 4 900 m Rate of climb 800 ft min 4 1 m s References edit Davies 1998 pp 73 74 Wings Over Kansas The Saga of Smiling Thru Edward Phillips 18 February 2008 1 Skyways January 2001 p 62 Travel Air S 6000 B The Delta Heritage Museum Retrieved December 6 2012 FAA REGISTRY N9038 Federal Aviation Administration U S Department of Transportation Retrieved 5 June 2018 Travel Air NC 9038 1928 4 6 B 6000 National Air Tour Aviation Foundation of America Inc Retrieved 5 June 2018 Kachemak Air Service Travel Air S6000B NC9084 Alaska s Seaplanes Retrieved 5 June 2018 Travel Air 6000B NC9084 Restoration 2002 Alaska s Seaplanes Retrieved 5 June 2018 FAA REGISTRY N9084 Federal Aviation Administration U S Department of Transportation Retrieved 4 June 2018 FAA REGISTRY N8112 Federal Aviation Administration U S Department of Transportation Retrieved 5 June 2018 1929 TRAVEL AIR S6000B Alaska Aviation Museum Alaska Aviation Museum Retrieved 5 June 2018 Flightline Main Hangar Alaska Aviation Museum Archived from the original on 19 August 2013 Retrieved 5 June 2018 FAA REGISTRY N8865 Federal Aviation Administration U S Department of Transportation Retrieved 4 June 2018 FAA REGISTRY N9842 Federal Aviation Administration U S Department of Transportation Retrieved 5 June 2018 FAA REGISTRY N9966 Federal Aviation Administration U S Department of Transportation Retrieved 4 June 2018 Travel Air NC 377M 1929 24 6000 National Air Tour Aviation Foundation of America Inc Retrieved 5 June 2018 1929 Travel Air 6000 A Platinum Fighter Sales Retrieved 5 June 2018 FAA REGISTRY N377M Federal Aviation Administration U S Department of Transportation Retrieved 5 June 2018 FAA REGISTRY N627H Federal Aviation Administration U S Department of Transportation Retrieved 5 June 2018 FAA REGISTRY N411N Federal Aviation Administration U S Department of Transportation Retrieved 4 June 2018 Delta Air Service Travel Air 6B Sedan Delta Flight Museum Retrieved 5 June 2018 FAA REGISTRY N8878 Federal Aviation Administration U S Department of Transportation Retrieved 5 June 2018 Pelettier 1995 pp 41 42 Lednicer David The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage m selig ae illinois edu Retrieved 16 April 2019 Bibliography edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Travel Air 6000 Bibliography editAuliard Gilles Time Machine Air Classics April 2006 Davies R E G Airlines of the United States since 1914 Washington D C Smithsonian Institution Press 1998 ISBN 1 888962 08 9 Hagedorn Dan and Antonio Luis Sapienza Aircraft of the Chaco War 1928 1935 Atglen Pennsylvania Schiffer Publishing Co 1996 Pelletier A J Beech Aircraft and their Predecessors Annapolis Maryland USA Naval Institute Press 1995 ISBN 1 55750 062 2 Sapienza Antonio Luis June 2000 Les premiers avions de transport commercial au Paraguay The First Commercial Transport Aircraft in Paraguay Avions Toute l Aeronautique et son histoire in French 87 45 47 ISSN 1243 8650 Taylor Michael J H Jane s Encyclopedia of Aviation London Studio Editions 1989 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Travel Air 6000 amp oldid 1187283095, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
