Tommy Smith And The Swedish Connection

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Tommy SmithAnd TheSwedishConnection
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My first experience Of flying was with Tommy
Smith and My Father in this plane Circa 1936
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In 1938 a new Non-Stop Cross Country Record was
set by Johnny Jones in an Aeronca 50c Chief
Equipped with special Long Range fuel tanks
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In early 1939 Aeronca sold the Jones Plane to
Kurt Bjorkvall of Sweden. Bjorkvall bought the
plane for an attempt to cross the Atlantic
Non-Stop to Sweden.
Bjorkvall had attempted to cross the Atlantic
before in a Bellanca CH400 Pacemaker. He went
down when the engine failed, but had filled the
plane With ping pong balls, and it stayed afloat
long enough for a passing ship to pick him up.
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But there was a problem. Aeronca had made a
critical error in the transaction. They sent US
CAA an Affidavit of Transfer of Ownership to
Bjorkvall, and cancelled US Registration NX21300
of the Jones Plane. They also requested a Ferry
Permit for Bjorkvall to fly the plane. US CAA
informed Aeronca since the plane was no longer US
Registration, and Bjorkvall is a Swedish Citizen,
they had no jurisdiction. Bjorkvall would have to
apply for Swedish Registration and Ferry Permit
before anyone could fly the plane. Bjorkvall sent
a telegram to Sweden CAA requesting Registration
and a Ferry Permit to cross the Atlantic. It was
promptly denied. Bjorkvall was trapped in the US
with a plane no one could fly. The only way it
could get to Sweden was by ship. Tommy Smith was
also interested in the Jones Plane and flying the
Atlantic. He was willing to buy the Jones Plane
from Bjorkvall, and also buy Bjorkvall a new
Aeronca fresh off the assembly line to replace
it. But the Jones Plane had neither a US or
Swedish registration, and there was no way to
make Transfer of Ownership. Then Aeronca came up
with a classic Shells and Pea game.
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Watch the Pea closely now...
Jones Plane Re-Registered US CAA as NX22456
Serial Number C-3739 Owner Thomas H Smith
Serial Number Plate C-1558 transferred from Jones
Plane to new Aeronca Chief on assembly line
Note long range fuel tank visible through
windshield
Serial Number Plate C-3739 transferred from new
Chief on assembly line to Jones Plane
New Chief from assembly line, now identified by
Aeronca affidavit as formerly US NX21300 Serial
Number C-1558, crated and shipped to Sweden for
Bjorkvall
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28 May 1939 Tommy Smith took off from Old Orchard
Beach Maine on a Non-Stop flight across the
Atlantic in Aeronca Chief NX22456, now named
Baby Clipper
Baby Clipper never arrived in Europe In the Fall
of 1941 it was discovered by a Canadian Air Force
Observation plane on the Barrens of Newfoundland
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Canadian Air Force notified United States Army
Air Force based at Gander NF USAAF Gander sent a
search team to investigate the crash of the Baby
Clipper This article about the search team
appeared in the Gander Base newspaper late 1941
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The USAAF search team recovered the instrument
panel from the Baby Clipper The panel was
returned to Tommys Father, Harvey Smith Photo
by Phil Mosher
The search team also recovered this note from
Tommy stating he was walking out No trace of
Tommy has ever been found
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Phil Mosher has a web site about Tommy
Smith http//www.geo-met.com/tommysmith/
Phil erected this Marker and Plaque at the Baby
Clipper crash site
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Phil Mosher has made many trips to the Baby
Clipper site. What has not been scavenged over
the years by the local trappers, has slowly
deteriorated into a pile of rusted frame
tubing. There is not much left. However, on a
recent trip Phil found this interesting piece of
wood near where the right wingtip came to rest.
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It is known that the Jones Plane was damaged in
an accident in California when another plane
taxied into the right wing. The outer 5 feet of
the right wing was replaced with a new wingtip,
grafted on by splices to the two main wing
spars. When the wood piece is overlaid on an
AutoCAD drawing of the rear spar splice it seems
to fit exactly, seemingly confirming Baby Clipper
was indeed the Jones Plane.
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Kurt Bjorkvall was a volunteer in the Finnish Air
Force fighting the Winter War of the Russian
invasion. Bjorkvall was killed in an explosion
and hanger fire before his new Aeronca Chief
arrived in Sweden.
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Bjorkvalls new Aeronca Chief was received and
assembled by his partner in a flying service, Ake
Forsmark. It was registered in Sweden as
SE-AHL. On a flight to northern Sweden SE-AHL
experienced engine failure, and crashed in a
small clearing of the dense forest.
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SE-AHL was destroyed in the crash, but the pilot
and passenger were unhurt. The Pilot was Erik
Bratt.
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Erik Bratt became one of the most respected
Aeronautical Engineers in Sweden. He is best
known as the Chief Designer of the SAAB J35
Draken Double Delta Wing Supersonic Fighter.
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Erik Bratt and his Jodel Sportplane SE-XED