Plane w/ Von Hoffmann Aircraft Co., St. Louis, MO c. 1929

airframe

Can anyone help me figure out what plane this is? The airline is Von Hoffmann Aircraft Company which was active c. 1928-1930. If anyone has more info about the plane or the Von Hoffmann Co. Please let me know.

Helicopterfriend

Here's a site with some information ref Von Hoffman Aircraft Co.

http://books.google.com/books?id=vd4DAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA85&lpg=PA85&dq=Von+Hoffmann+Aircraft+Co&source=bl&ots=Cx6kBPK5A2&sig=9VMdnjyvr0iTvxUcwJKd0CYiSkY&hl=en&ei=jp1eToGRG-jKiAL6psSzBQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&sqi=2&ved=0CCwQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=Von%20Hoffmann%20Aircraft%20Co&f=false

http://books.google.com/books?id=S-QDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA66&lpg=PA66&dq=Von+Hoffmann+Aircraft+Co&source=bl&ots=rG4IrcPHa-&sig=tctRhaSusDeLoEYKJjRwRL_I7DI&hl=en&ei=jp1eToGRG-jKiAL6psSzBQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6&sqi=2&ved=0CDIQ6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=Von%20Hoffmann%20Aircraft%20Co&f=false

http://www.goldenyears.ukf.net/reg_N4.htm

NC1334 Alexander Eaglerock Combo-Wing 178 C1334

Von Hoffman Aircraft Co/St.Louis 00.10.27

http://www.stuffinder.com/flyscho.htm

Ztex

At first glance it looked like a Ryan aircaft machine....after a bit of Google work I came up with what may be a partial answer...

It seems that Hoffman was a distributor for Ryan Aircraft.

http://books.google.com/books?id=vd4DAAAAMBAJ&lpg=PA85&ots=Cx6kBPJ9v4&dq=von%20hoffman%20aircraft%20co&pg=PA84#v=onepage&q&f=false

It looks to be a Ryan B-1.

I see they owned a Ryan M1 - NC1779 and NC1787

http://www.goldenyears.ukf.net/reg_N4.htm

And B-1 NX3598 maybe...

http://www.dmairfield.org/airplanes/NX3598/index.htm

Cool photo!

airframe

Thanks both of you for the help. It's a family photo. The woman on the right is a great aunt of mine and the woman on the left is a distant cousin.

airframe

ZTex I think you're right. Here's a clearer photo of the Ryan Brougham B-1

DougRobertson

I suggest the aircraft might be a Monocoach 275. Mono Aircraft of Moline , Illinois produced these starting in September 1929, a few weeks before the stock market crashed. Around 22 were built. Power was a Wright 240 Hp radial engine. The wing struts arrangement to fuselage and to outboard wheel struts as well as the side window patterns and pilot's windscreen pattern all suggest Monocoach 275 rather than a being a Fairchild FC-2 which had different wing strut arrangement. The Ryan B-1 versions had somewhat different wheel struts arrangement, based on what can be seen in the photo. Ditto the Ryan M-2. But, the Ryans did have that machine-tooled metal engine cowl???

airframe

From the photos I am finding online there was a bit of variation in wheels and in how they were suspended from the fuselage on Ryan Brougham B-1. The wheels in the ZTex photo look like the ones in my photo. The fuselage seems consistent, though. But I am no expert. Any and all info and suggestions appreciated.

DougRobertson

I had initially ruled out the Ryan Broughams because all seven model versions from 1927 through 1929 have a "fanlight' pattern forward windscreen windows with a triangular window below the horizontal line on the machine-turned cowl, but your first photo does not show this characteristic lower cowl triangular window which allows the pilot better view of runway/ground on takeoffs and on landings. If a Ryan B series it does not have a standard cowl with lower triangular window. In any event, the other respondents have provided convincing evidence and background also on the operating airline company.