During the 1970's United Air Lines commissioned noted artist Nixon Galloway to create a series of prints for their "Million Mile" customers. These prints show the types of planes flown by United over the years. This is the complete set of Forty One prints. Click on the image for a full size view of the print.

Stout Metal Airplane Company engineers, probably prompted by "Tony" Fokker's tri-plane success of 1925, redesigned the "Pullman" and added three 200 h.p. Wright "Whirlwinds" in place of the single 400 h.p. Liberty 12. This 3-AT was the first of the many Ford Tri-Motors.

Designed and built by the Aerial Service Corporation of Hammondsport, New York, the Mercury was a 3-place commercial biplane that was available with either a Wright radial or Curtiss liquid-cooled engine.

Among the claims of outstanding performance was the manufacturer's announcement of a unique wheel-ski combination that was "extremely practical." National Air Transport added Mercury number 15 to its inventory in 1926. There is no history of its use or serviceability, but it remained in NAT service for nearly 2 1/2 years.

On April 26, 1926, the first C.A.M.flight took place on a desolate northwest air mail route won by the sole bidder, a California air taxi and flying school operator, Walter T. Varney. From this austere beginning grew the major U.S. airlines of today with the Varney flight, in essence, being the origin of United Airlines.

The "Swallow Mailplane" was the first successful airplane that was a design advancement over the current crop of craft that were all patterned with the look of WW-1 "Jenny" and "Standard."

The DeHavilland DH-4B "Liberty Plane" was the United States air offering to our World War 1 commitment. Built from British palns in three U.S. factories, the U.S. DH-4 did not see Axis territory until Mid-1918
Of the nearly 5,000 DH-4s constructed, only 1,000 or so ever went to war. The Government Air Mail system pressed many DHs into ervice before turning the mail routes over to civilian operators. Many CAM contractors were forced to use the DH-4 for their service until better aircraft became available. Noth National Air Transport and Pacific Air Transport flew mail in the DH-4.

Stearman C-3B

Varney Air Lines was the first and one of the largest users of Lloyd Stearman's excellent line of biplanes. His original design was introduced at Clover Field in Santa Monica, California in 1927. The Varney Air Lines version of the C3B was powered by a 200 h.p., 9 cylinder, Wright J4. Other powerplants included the original 180 h.p. "Hisso," the OX-5, and in 1928, the big "Whirlwind" J5.

Records are scarce as to the number of 4AT's built, but sources show at least one flew with National Air Transport.