The Life and Times of N14139, Ser# 4219

Roger James’ Waco YKC

The original bill of sale is from Waco Aircraft Company to H.C. Lippiatt of Los Angeles, CA, and is dated October 1, 1934.  Mr. Lippiatt was a successful salesman for Waco for many years as his name appears time and again in the records.  Mr. Lippiatt sold #4219 to Lawrence D. Gardner of Santa Paula, CA, on May 5, 1936.  Two years later, on May 10, 1938, #4219 was sold to B.L. Hopkins, also of Santa Paula.  Mr. Hopkins, in turn, sold the airplane to R.N. Usher, First National Bank of Grand Junction, CO.  The bank then sold #4219 to Arthur Linquist of Rapid City, SD.  This sale was recorded on November 5, 1944.  Linquist used the airplane for forestry service.  On July 9, 1947, Bernard Sandwich, also from Rapid City, acquired the airplane and held on to it until December 1, 1949, when it was sold to Rushmore Flying Service, Rapid City, SD.
Things get a bit sketchy and strange here on out.  In 1951 a Captain L.W. Shedron, USAF, attempted to have #4219 given an annual inspection.  The aircraft was rejected for the following reasons:

1.      Cabin door hinge broken loose approximately 2/3 of area.

2.      All control hinges loose

3.      Elevator and rudder hinges excessively worn

4.      Both lower wing panels and upper right wing, fuselage, and tail surfaces badly checked and cracked

5.      Several cracked ribs in upper right wing

6.      Several cracked ribs in both lower wings, trailing edges warped and curled up

7.      No evidence of proper registration

8.      No evidence of current airworthiness registration

9.      Aircraft uncertificated according to records presented

     Captain Shedron then attempted to sell #4219 to enlisted men Don R. Hall and Richard L. Phillips on June 8, 1952.  The registration was rejected because Captain Shedron could not provide a power of attorney from Rushmore Flying Service.  As far as we know, #4219 was abandoned at Kessler AFB in Biloxi, MS, at that time.
    The airplane was salvaged by a Mr. Robert Lee of De Land, FL.  He then sold #4219 to Paul E. Hofacker on February 27, 1969.  Mr. Waldon D. Spillars purchased the airplane from Mr. Hofacker  on September 28, 1994.  It then was again sold, on March 1, 2005, to Roger L. James.
    The airplane has had a rough life to say the least.  One of the hardest things to do was getting the registration in my name.  After many years of Bills of Sale, without registration and some unexplainable transactions in 1952, the airplane was abandoned.  But after all of that, there is nothing that a lawyer and a few thousand dollars couldn’t fix! 

    Along the way, there were pleasant things that happened, too.    

    On a recent business trip to Pebble Beach, CA (for a car show) with one of my clients, we were traveling by Learjet and my client wanted to stop at the salt flats in Utah to see a friend attempt to make a speed run.  We did that, but it had rained and the cars could not run.  My client said we’d stop and see him in Santa Barbara after our visit to Pebble Beach, which we did.  We went out to dinner that evening and afterwards, about midnight, my client still wanted to see his friend’s race car.  So off we go to the big warehouse to see the car.
    I walked into Mr. Seth Hammond’s office and saw an airplane suspended from the ceiling and propellers on the wall.  Aviation memorabilia covered the other walls.  It seems that Seth’s father was an aero engineer and had worked for all of the aviation companies up and down the west coast including Ryan.  I saw pictures of him sitting at his drawing table taken at Ryan, postcards from Charles Lindbergh with one stating, “George, see you soon, getting cold here!”  There was a picture of a Beechcraft Staggerwing on the wall, a 1936 B17R, and a 1934 Waco cabin.  I told Seth that when I got home I would research these two airplanes and let him know what had happened to them.  The Staggerwing was destroyed by the U.S. Army in Alaska.  The airplane had been taken by the military service and was supposed to be returned to him after the war.  I also own a 1936 B17R Beechcraft Staggerwing, serial #70, NC15815.
    As for the Waco, George Fisk Hammond, father of Seth, was the first owner of MY AIRPLANE, serial #4219, NC14139.  You have to scratch your head and wonder.  I could have searched the world over looking for the original owner and never found him.  I should have played the lottery that day!
    Concerning the current status of #4219, I have just completed all the woodwork on the fuselage and safety wired all of the controls.  I installed and wired an internal antenna.  I have also installed a new headliner and new stainless firewall.  All of the forward sheet metal, new bump cowl, and new aluminum wheel pants have been completed.  I also installed a new steerable tail wheel and  I am currently rebuilding the landing gear.  The two upper wings are finished and the control surfaces are all ready for cover.  The two lower wing panels need to be assembled (all parts are made).  A new oil tank, two new gas tanks and a newly overhauled B-2 Jacobs engine are ready to be installed along with a Curtiss Reed propeller.
    Our goal is to recreate a 1934 Waco Cabin as close to 1934 as possible.  The instrument panel and window trim will be wood grained as original.  Original seatbelts have been duplicated.  The interior will be copied from Dave Allen’s Waco Cabin, which has an all original interior.

Paul's and Roger's Wacos side by side.