de Havilland DH-4 N3528
Part of the Mantz collection, this deHavilland DH-4 was used for the filming of The Court Martial of Billy Mitchell in 1955. As per the IMDB, some of the filming was done at the Rosemead Airport in El Monte, California. This DH-4 was one of the fifty rebuilt for the U.S. Army in 1923 to become DH-4M-1s. The primary modification was the incorporation of a steel tube fuselage in place of the original structure. The original Army serial of this airframe has not yet been determined. The FAA is carrying the serial of ET-4 on this aircraft, which is neither the original msn nor the Boeing msn. The earlier civil history of the DH-4 is still obscure, though it most likely obtained its civil registration, N3258, in the 1920s. (Jack Canary via San Diego Air and Space Museum)
de Havilland DH-4 N3528
A slightly later view of the Mantz DH-4 as it was finished and marked for the 1956 filming of The Spirit of St. Louis. It appeared in the early sequences showing Lindbergh as an air mail pilot. The scheme scene here was that as worn in the film. This photo probably dates to 1957 or 1958 and was taken at the Mantz base at Orange County. This airplane moved on to Tallmantz Aviation in 1961 and remained with the company until is was sold, as part of the collection, to the Rosen-Novak company in 1966. It remained on display at the Movieland of the Air Museum until it was sold at the May 1968 auction for $15,000. It is currently registered, still as N3258, to Tiger Flyers at Stow, Massachusetts. According to the available information, Tiger Flyers obtained the airframe in 2017. Tiger Flyers is associated with the Collings Foundation so it is presumed to be part of that growing collection, though the Collings website does not list the aircraft as part of its collection. (Jack Canary via San Diego Air and Space Museum)
Fokker D.VII N4729V
This Fokker D.VII is an original airframe believed to have been built in 1918. Some sources show its original German serial number was 2528/18. It came to the U.S. along with 141 other Fokker D.VIIs after World War I. It was sold surplus, probably in 1921, and came on the U.S. register, such as it was, in 1927 as “3764.” It was reportedly used by Howard Hughes in Hell’s Angels as a camera plane (it had been modified with two seats). Paul Mantz found it in 1938 and it was used in Men With Wings that year. Mantz officially purchased it in 1941 but it was basically stored until 1954 when it was rebuilt and re-registered as N4729V. It made several subsequent appearances in film and TV work, and went to Tallmantz in 1961. Date of this photo is unknown but probably circa 1959 or so. (Jack Canary via San Diego Air and Space Museum)
Paul Mantz Air Services
The exterior of the Paul Mantz Air Services entrance at the Lockheed Air Terminal (now Burbank Airport) in this undated photo. Mantz’s main operation was at the Lockheed Air Terminal through the 1930s and 1940s, but gradually moved his main base to the small and sleepy Orange County Airport in the 1950s. (Photo via Valley Times Collection: https://tessa.lapl.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/photos/id/45570/rec/1
Replica Spirit of St. Louis (N7212?)
Three replica Spirits were built for the 1957 film The Spirit of St. Louis, two by Paul Mantz Air Services and one sponsored by a partnership that included actor Jimmy Stewart. This view shows one of the two Mantz replicas, actually modified Ryan B-1s, at Orange County Airport in August 1957. The two PMAS “Spirits” carried the civil registrations of N7206 and N7212; circumstantial evidence would suggest this is N7212, the primary airplane used for the filming completed between August 1955 and March 1956. This photo was taken at Orange County in August 1957. (JD Davis photo)
Replica Spirit of St. Louis (N7212?)
Another view of the Spirit replica at the Ontario airport on June 30, 1957. Mantz owned both aircraft and they were leased for the film work. Both stayed with Mantz after the filming and were transferred to Tallmantz Aviation with the establishment of the the new company. N7206 was sold on October 22, 1962, to the Missouri Historical Society. It was flown several times, including for the 40th anniversary commemoration of the original May 1927 flight. It was then put on display at the airport terminal at Lambert Field in St. Louis. Its current status is unknown (to me, anyways). The airplane shown, however, is probably the other replica, N7212. (JD Davis photo, Gary Fisk information)
Replica Spirit of St. Louis (N7212?)
Nice detail view of the markings carried on the tail of this PMAS replica, probably N7212. As can be seen, there is no evidence of the real tail number on the airplane, so identification is impossible. It is known, however, that N7212 remained in the Tallmantz collection until the sale of much of the collection to the Rosen-Novak investment group in February 1966. It remained displayed at the Movieland of the Air Museum until May 1968 when it was sold as part of the famous auction, with the new owner being David Jameson. Jameson had the replica displayed with the EAA collection at Oshkosh, Wisconsin, for many years. It eventually was sold to Friends of Nassau County Museum and is on display at the Cradle of Aviation Museum in Garden City, New York. It remains on the FAA registry. (JD Davis photo, Gary Fisk information)
Replica Spirit of St. Louis (N7212?)
Close-up view of the accurate nose markings of the replica. The film The Spirit of St. Louis was released on April 20, 1957, so the Ontario event was probably a promotional effort in support of the film. ((JD Davis photo, Gary Fisk information)
Paul Mantz Storage: Eberhardt SE.5E
This appears to be an Eberhardt SE.5E in outdoor storage south of the Paul Mantz hangar at Orange County Airport in the mid-to-late 1950s. We are in the process of doing some specific research on this aircraft and suspect it may be NC4488, an SE.5E Mantz obtained in the 1930s. Aviation film historian Bruce Orriss suggests that this aircraft is in a scheme worn for the 1936 filming of Suzy for MGM. Beyond that, nothing is known of this this aircraft. A few years later, N4488 was on display at the Movieland of the Air Museum fully assembled and marked as Army Air Service 22-296. The two other aircraft in the background are also of interest, but no information has surfaced. What is surprising is that if, indeed, this is a Mantz storage area, that the aircraft have been allowed to deteriorate to this condition. (photo via Ron Cole)
Paul Mantz Storage: Curtiss JN-4s
Another photo from the Mantz storage area in the mid-to-late 1950s are these three Curtiss JN-4 fuselages. The markings suggest these three aircraft were used for background set dressing for the 1957 film Wings of Eagles, also for MGM. However, there are some marking inconsistencies with the modified J-1 Standard on floats (to resemble a Burgess N-9 trainer) so this is not definitive. No identification or other information is yet available for these three. The long hangar in the background matches late 1950s views of the southeaster corner of Orange County Airport. (photo via Ron Cole)
Paul Mantz Storage: Engines
A pile of engines in storage with Paul Mantz Air Services in the mid-to-late 1950s. More than that I have not been able to determine. Any information would be welcome. (photo via Ron Cole)
Paul Mantz Storage: Liberty Engine (?)
I confess I am not knowledgeable about early aircraft engines but this appears to be a Liberty engine in storage with Paul Mantz in the mid-to-late 1950s at his facility at Orange County Airport. The tail of Stinson L-1 N63230 in the background is a well-known Mantz camera ship with photos featured elsewhere in the Paul Mantz photo galleries. No other information is available. (photo via Ron Cole)
