The Buhl-Verville CA-3 Airster (also known as the J4 Airster, after its engine), was a utility aircraft built in the United States in 1926, notable as the first aircraft to receive a type certificate in the United States, (A.T.C. No. 1) issued by the Aeronautics Branch of the United States Department of Commerce on March 29, 1927. It was a conventional single-bay biplane with equal-span unstaggered wings and accommodation for the pilot and passengers in tandem open cockpits. Marketed for a variety of roles including crop-dusting, aerial photography, and freight carriage, only a handful were built, some with water-cooled engines as the CW-3, and others with air-cooled engines as the CA-3.
One CA-3, piloted by Louis Meister, placed second in the 1926 Ford National Reliability Air Tour.Forden, Lesley. The Ford Air Tours: 1925-1931. New Brighton Minnesota: Aviation Foundation of America, 2003, First edition 1972. No ISBN. Another, designated the CA-3A placed third in the 1927 Air Derby, piloted by Nick Mamer.
The United States Army evaluated one CW-3 and one CA-3 as trainers, but purchased neither of them.
Versions
CA CA-3 Airster, a.k.a. J4 Airster or B-V Airster (1926) Wright J-4 (a.k.a. J-4 Whirlwind) folding wings awarded the first ATC ever issued, March 29, 1927 (ATC 1, 2-6) one modified under ATC 2-6 as 2p with Wright J-5 as a trainer for U.S. Army trials CA-3A Airster (1926) Wright J-5 3 built cost: $9,300 CA-3B Airster (1926) one built
CW CW-3 OX5 Airster (1925) Curtiss OX-5 useful load: range: folding wings three built CW-3 Wright Trainer (1926) Wright J-5 useful load: range: one built for unsuccessful U.S. Army trainer trials
Specifications (CA-3A)
See also
References
Citations
Bibliography
http://www.aerofiles.com/_buhl.html Federal Aviation Administration history page