TWA Consolidated Fleetster 20-A NC13211
Vintage 1930s Airliner Photo 8x10
One of 7 Built for TWA — 1979 MDC Aitken PrintDESCRIPTIONThis 8x10 black and white photograph shows a Consolidated 20-A Fleetster in Transcontinental and Western Air (TWA) markings, parked on a paved ramp with its propeller spinning.The tail reads NC13211 with the number 53 on the fin, and TWA is lettered large on the fuselage side and again beneath a row of cabin windows. A pilot is visible in the aft cockpit, set behind the passenger cabin under the high wing. It is a full side view of the whole airplane, from the tailwheel to the engine cowling.The Fleetster 20-A was built at TWA's request as a quick-change airplane that could carry passengers or cargo. Seven were built for the airline, and they flew mail and passenger work into the mid 1930s. The layout was unusual for an airliner of the day, with the passengers up front and the pilot in an aft cockpit behind them. The type later served far from TWA's routes, as Consolidated Fleetsters were among the American aircraft obtained by the Spanish Republic during the Spanish Civil War.From the AITKEN COLLECTION. This is a 1979 company print made by McDonnell Douglas Corporation (MDC) at St. Louis, not an original 1930s print, and it is offered and priced as such. The reverse is stamped MDC ST. LOUIS, SEP 19, NEGATIVES NOT FILED, and carries an owner's stamp for Donald and Barbara Aitken of Irvine, California. Scanned at 600dpi.Donald Aitken was a Navy-trained aviator who flew helicopters and then spent his airline career as a United Airlines captain on the 747, 727, 757, 767 and DC-10, retiring in 1996. He grew up watching planes overhead in rural North Dakota and flew radio-controlled airplanes well into his later years.Every effort is made toward fact checking and provenance, including background research through news and historical archives. If any listing is incorrect in any way and you're unsatisfied with the item, please connect with me and I'll make it right. Orders placed before Noon CDT ship same day via Ground Advantage with tracking so you know exactly when it will arrive. Returns accepted on all items exceeding $25 in cost. All shipments receive rigid, professional packaging, sealed and protected in acid free protectors. Shipping is free and already built into the price, so the BIN price is exactly what you pay, no surprise shipping costs at checkout.CONDITIONBlack and white 8x10 print on cream-toned photographic paper, a 1979 MDC St. Louis company print. The image is a full side view with fine grain, and the focus is slightly soft overall, which comes from the original photograph and not from wear. The image does not fill the sheet, and white margins show on all sides, as pictured. A few tiny dust specks show in the scans. No tears, creases or stains are visible on the front, and there is no writing on it. The reverse shows the blue MDC ST. LOUIS stamp, a date stamp reading SEP 19 with the year only partly inked, the NEGATIVES NOT FILED stamp, the typed Aitken owner stamp, faint ghosting of the image showing through the paper and a small tan mark along the right edge, all as pictured. There is no caption card on this print. Please review all photos closely, as they are part of the description.
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