CLARON GOVE COLLECTION
No. 1771. Travel Air 4000 (N241 c/n 1)
Photographed at Ayers' airstrip, Junction City, Oregon, USA, 1960, source unknown

Travel Air 4000

09/06/2002. Remarks by Claron Gove (The Old Pilot, Roseburg, Oregon): "Shirley Wardle was the owner of N241. At that time he was the operator of the West 11th Airpark in Eugene, Oregon. Shirley and another pilot flying a Waco UPF-7 flew into the Ayers' airstrip for a cup of coffee and gave us a little air show. They were not the Blue Angels but they put on a good show. The photos shows right Palmer Ayers and left Claron Gove. N214 was used in movies and is now in the EAA museum."

09/06/2002. Remarks by Joe Norris, EAA Aviation Information Services: "N241 was originally a Travel Air 2000, built prior to Curtiss-Wright's acquisition of the company. The '2000' model designation indicates that the aircraft was originally powered by a Curtiss OX-5. The aircraft is now powered by a Continental W-670 radial. The Travel Air 4000 was powered by a Wright J-5 radial engine, (Travel Air never built an aircraft powered by the Continental W-670, nor did Curtiss-Wright Travel Air).

However, there have been several restorations that have incorporated the Continental in place of the Wright and the Curtiss engines, due to the better parts availability of the Continental. These aircraft are typically licensed as Travel Air 4000s in order to indicate the radial engine power plant rather than the V-8 OX-5. Thus, the airplanes are changed from model 2000 to model 4000.

Many Travel Air aircraft have been resurrected from wrecked and derelict aircraft, and have been issued new FAA paperwork in the field after restoration. These aircraft have been issued paperwork in accordance to the most recent Type Certificate information, which lists the manufacturer as Curtiss-Wright.

Thus, many aircraft that were originally manufactured by Travel Air Aircraft Company are now licensed and registered as Curtiss-Wright Travel Air."


Created September 6, 2002