Photograph:
Travel Air 4000 NC174V (c/n 1365) at an EAA event at Oshkosh, Wisconsin, USA in 2007 (David C Eyre)
Country of origin:
United States of America
Description:
Three-seat touring biplane
Power Plant:
One 164 kw (220 hp) Wright J-5 Whirlwind nine-cylinder air-cooled radial engine
Specifications:
- Wingspan [upper]: 10.60 m (34 ft 8 in)
- Wingspan [lower]: 8.77 m (28 ft 8 in)
- Length: 7.16 m (23 ft 6 in)
- Height: 2.77 m (9 ft 1 in)
- Wing area: 27.49 m² (296 sq ft)
- Max speed: 209 km/h (130 mph)
- Cruising speed: 177 km/h (110 mph)
- Landing speed: 72 km/h (45 mph)
- Rate of climb: 366 m/min (1,200 ft/min)
- Service ceiling: 6,096 m (20,000 ft)
- Max range: 925 km (575 miles)
- Fuel capacity: 227 litres (50 imp gals)
- Empty weight: 748 kg (1,650 lb)
- Useful load: 346 kg (762 lb)
- Payload: 154 kg (340 lb)
- Loaded weight: 1,094 kg (2,412 lb)
History:
Following the success of the Curtiss OX-5 powered Model 2000, Travel Air moved on to the Model 3000, a three-seat open cockpit variant powered by a 112 kw (150 hp) Hispano-Suiza Model A engine or the high-compression Model E which produced 134 kw (180 hp). Further development lead to the Model 4000 fitted with a Wright Whirlwind engine, which became very popular in the United States. This also was a three-seat open-cockpit biplane that was described as ”thrilling and very responsive performance, a ship just made to order for the true sportsman-pilot.”
A total of 14 examples of the Model 4000 was built in 1927 and a number of modifications were made to it during its production life before the Company moved to the Wright J-6 engine in 1929. A number of other engines were installed in the Model 4000, including the 75 kw (100 hp) Kinner five-cylinder radial and the 224 kw (300 hp) J-6 Whirlwind. Eventually further models appeared, as noted below up to and including the 8000 with a 90 kw (120 hp) Fairchild-Caminez engine; and 9000 with a 93 kw (125 hp) Ryan Siemens engine, a licence-built variant of the nine-cylinder Siemens-Halske radial engine of German origin.
Construction, like earlier models, was a fuselage of chrome steel tubing, shaped with wood fairing strips and fabric covered. The wing panels were built of laminated spruce spars and plywood ribs, the panels then being covered with fabric. The interplane struts were of steel tube and there was interplane bracing with steel wires. The tail was of steel tube construction with fabric covering, the fin was adjustable on the ground, and the horizontal stabilizer was adjustable in flight. An inertia type engine starter, metal in lieu of wooden propeller, and wheel brakes were available as options.
Further variants in the Model 4000 series were the W-4000 which was fitted with an 82 kw (110 hp) Warner Scarab seven-cylinder radial; B-4000 with a nine-cylinder Wright J-5 engine; BM-4000 a variant of the B-4000 operated by Michigan Air Express with a Wright J-5; A-4000 with a seven-cylinder Axelson air-cooled engine; C-4000 with a 127 kw (170 hp) Curtiss Challenger radial engine; E-4000, the most numerous of the models, with a five-cylinder 123 kw (165 hp) Wright J-6 engine; the BC-4000, of which only one was built [C-9821] with a 127 kw (170 hp) Curtiss Challenger engine and which was later fitted with floats; and the K-4000 with a Kinner K5 engine. One was flown by Walter Beech in the 1926 Ford Air Tour and won the event. Most Model 4000s were similar except for the engine installed. Many were used by flying schools to train pilots.
In 1999 a New Zealander, who had been based in the United States for some years returned to New Zealand with his collection of vintage aircraft. Amongst this collection were four Travel Air 4000s, including two airworthy examples (N8134 – c/n 895; and N8192 – c/n 894). The other two (N1592 – c/n 176; and N901 – c/n 181) are expected to be restored in the future at their base at Pokeno. Another Model 4000 N688K (c/n 1323) is awaiting restoration in Christchurch.