A-6969 landed at Tucson once on February 20, 1928 11:45 AM. It was flown on this winter Monday morning by 1st Lt. T.J. Cushman, USMC. He arrived from San Diego, CA. We can picture him warming himself in the hangar; perhaps having a bite to eat. He departed at 1:00 PM eastbound to Quantico, VA.

This airplane is rare among the aircraft signed into the Davis-Monthan Airfield Register, because it still exists. You can see it today on exhibit at the National Museum of Naval Aviation, NAS Pensacola Florida. Follow the link to the website, but don't plan to see an image of our airplane there. It's not posted.

However, I've done better than that. Please follow this link to view a video of this airplane that I took at the Museum on August 12, 2007. The video, and the images I took below, will give you a good idea of what a handsome airplane A-6969 really is.

Here is A-6969 as it sits in the Museum today. Great lines for an airplane built in 1927. Note the radiator below the propeller and the coolant tank below the fuselage. The top of the upper wing is painted yellow, with the standard U.S. roundel.

Curtiss A-6969, Pensacola,FL

Below, a few close-ups of the anatomy of a Golden Age U.S. Marine Corps pursuit airplane.

Curtiss A-6969, Front View

Curtiss A-6969 Wheel

Note the spokes peeking through the holes in the wheel covers. The wheel covers not only protected the spokes, but also added a small amount of streamlining to the airframe.

Curtiss A-6969 Wheel Hub Detail

This view, above, exhibits the radiator very well, and it emphasizes the slimness of the fuselage of this 155 MPH airplane.

Curtiss A-6969 Starter Crank & Oil Filler Cap

Exhaust Pipes from the Curtiss D-12 Engine

The registration number, painted on the vertical stabilizer (that's the strut running diagonally on the right). Note the "pinked" edges of the cotton reinforcement tape that has been applied at areas of high stress.

Curtiss A-6969

Please see the film to help you put all this together.

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UPLOADED: 12/21/07 REVISED: