I need a photo identified

[Tomac]

Hi all, I am currently going through a batch of photos that I've had for a long time and I'm stumped by one of them, namely the first attachment. The second one is of a Curtiss Oriole (note the name on the tail) and was used by the team of Ronne & Washburn to perform the first aerial photo survey of western New York in the years 1925 through 1927.
The trouble is that the first attachment is listed on the back of the photo as an Oriole as well, but it's obviously a different aircraft. I think that it's possibly a Travel Air, or a Waco, but I can't tie it down to a specific type. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Both photos date from 1926 and were taken at the site of the current Buffalo-Niagara Airport, back then known as Buffalo Airfield. Washburn went on to become the first manager of the Buffalo International Airport in 1927.
Anyway, thanks for any help that you can give me.


Regards,
John Braungart

 

[Stargazer]

First of all, thanks for sharing these beautiful photos.

I'm as perplexed as you are over the first photo, not the least because it's similar in configuration to so many other types of its day yet subtly different from most.

After vainly searching the Pheasant, Lincoln, Swallow, Pitcairn and such, I still can't find a type that has quite the same tail fin tip shape, one set of double wing struts (not N-struts) on each wing, and a Curtiss OX-5 engine (which it obviously is). I'm sure I have seen this type before and will keep on investigating the matter until I can tell for sure.

EDIT: Apparently it IS the "New Swallow" or "OX-5 Swallow" of 1924, a remarkably streamlined bird for its time. Contrary to later marks, this one had just exactly the same features as described and seen in the photo. Reference is Juptner's U.S. Civil Aircraft Vol. 1, pages 66-68 (ATC #21).