Western Air Express   Stearman 4-D    NC774H         (c/n   4011)

                                    

                                        In 1927 the Postmaster General called for bids on CAM-12 from Cheyenne, Wyoming to Pueblo,
                                        Colorado, via Denver.  Western bid on, and was awarded the route.  Needing something more
                                        sturdy for the over Rocky Mountains route the company purchased this Stearman 4-D (later
                                        converted to 4-E).    The somewhat blurry image above came from a "Flight Times", Western's
                                        house journal.    As far as I can ascertain, NC774H was the only example acquired, and the above
                                        photograph is the only one I have ever seen of it.   The image below, courtesy of the Ken Tilley
                                        collection, was taken at Lakelake, Florida in 1992 and shows a replica of the machine above.
                                        FAA records indicate that this machine has a c/n of 4025.  That being the case, its original regis-
                                        tration would have been NC796H which was not a WAE machine.   NC774H was later relegated
                                        to air mail carrying duties between Los Angeles and San Diego.