LOCKHEED ALTAIR NR15W, "The Crusader"

 

NR15W landed once at Parks Airport, on Friday, July 10, 1931 at 6:15PM. This was the only time we find it logged in any of the Delta Mike Airfield Registers. NR51W was S/N 145, and started out as a Sirius model. Below, courtesy of the San Diego Aerospace Museum Flickr Stream, is an early photograph of NC15W (note NC registration, not NR) before it was converted to an Altair.

Lockheed Sirius NC15W, Date Unknown (Source: SDAM)

It was converted to an Altair as of May 29, 1931 and sold to Hall at the Lockheed factory. It is pictured below, courtesy of Tim Kalina, soon after it was converted. Mr. Kalina says this about his photo, "This is an old news photo and the date on the reverse is 6/2/31. The location of this photo is the old Lockheed plant and the plane appears to be recently converted from it's original Sirius configuration.... That's Goodwin Hall next to the plane."

James Goodwin Hall and Lockheed Altair NR15W, June 2, 1931 (Source: Kalina)

NR15W was a well-known airplane, and, by some, much appreciated (see the reason below). From a Wichita State University (WSU) glass negative, below, a photograph of NR15W on the ground at Wichita, KS the same day it visited St. Louis.

NR15W, Wichita, KS, July 10, 1931 (Source: WSU)

To Parks Airport, NR15W was flown by James Goodwin Hall (1896 - 1952), whose, "... mission was to publicize the work of The Crusaders, a national organization engaged in helping to end the federal prohibition against liquor.

"During the summer of 1931 Jim and his flashy yellow-and-black Lockheed were very much in the public eye, dashing from city to city on record shattering flights. The ship was one of the first Altairs, a low-winged speed package with retractable landing gear. It was named THE CRUSADER and carried the anti-Prohibition group's big shield emblem."

The quote above is from this REFERENCE by Allen, page 102. Further, Allen writes that Hall, "...clipped 46 minutes from Frank Hawks's New York-Havana record, covering the 1,400 miles nonstop in 8 hours and 35 minutes, Hall subsisted on only two oranges. He was handed a Cuban cocktail when he climbed out at Havana. 'This alone was worth the trip,' remarked Jim gratefully. 'How about another?'"

Below, courtesy of Tim Kalina, is a photograph of NR15W from July 10, 1931, as Hall was beginning preparations for his Havana flight. He states about his photograph, "This old news photo gives a date of 7/13/31 and states that the Altair is being prepared for a flight from Montreal to Havana. The location is Roosevelt Field. The man on the right is simply described as Goodwin Hall's mechanic L. W. Paxson." Mr. Paxon wears knickers and knee socks, as was the style of the day.

J.G. Hall (L) and Mechanic L.W. Paxon Standing by Lockheed Altair NR15W, July 10,1931 (Source: Kalina)

Below, courtesy of Mr. Kalina, is a photograph of Hall and his airplane when they reached Havana. The cocktail is clearly visible. Perhaps it is the one memorialized at the link. There is no information written on the back of this photograph, but the approximate date was July 18, 1931.The gentleman standing on the wing sports a crisp, white linen suit, a skimmer hat and spectator shoes, high fashion for the time. Perhaps he is William Pawley, president of Curtiss Aviation Co. of Cuba, as alluded to in the article at the link above.

James Goodwin Hall and NR15W in Havana, Cuba, Ca. July 18, 1931 (Source: Kalina)

Regarding his St. Louis stop, based in New York, Hall remained in St. Louis overnight, departing the next morning at 4:15AM for an unidentified destination. But, from the history books we know what he was doing in St. Louis. He had departed Burbank, CA earlier in the day in pursuit of a transcontinental flight record. He discontinued his effort in Wichita, but continued east arriving at Parks at dinner time. Below is another view of the airplane with an unidentified gentleman standing next to it (mechanic?) The date and location are unknown.

NR15W, Date & Location Unknown (Source: site visitor)

As made clear above, NR15W was named "The Crusader" and used for Hall's anti-Prohibition campaign. Another, closer, photo of the airplane is at Marshall Headle's page. At the link, as well as above, note the logo on the fuselage citing The Crusaders' offices in New York and Los Angeles. You'll note the date of the photo on Headle's page is May 29, 1931, the day the airplane was officially converted.

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THIS PAGE UPLOADED: 06/28/13 REVISED: 07/17/15, 09/23/15