TNCA Series A was a utility biplane made in

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

by Talleres Nacionales de Construcciones Aeronáuticas (TNCA).

Design and development

The first Series A prototype was the result of a Morane-Moisant monoplane being converted to a biplane by engineer Francisco Santarini. This prototype made its first flight on 20 November 1916. The second prototype was similar and had a French

Anzani 6-cylinder Alessandro Anzani developed the first two-row radial from his earlier 3- cylinder Y engine by merging two onto the same crankshaft with a common crankweb. Development By December 1909 Anzani had a 3-cylinder air-cooled true radial engine runn ...

engine. The third prototype was the first aircraft that was fully built in Mexico, powered by a TNCA Aztatl engine driving an Anahuac propeller and first flown on 16 May 1917, marking the start of serial production. Mexican President

Venustiano Carranza José Venustiano Carranza de la Garza (; 29 December 1859 – 21 May 1920) was a Mexican wealthy land owner and politician who was Governor of Coahuila when the constitutionally elected president Francisco I. Madero was overthrown in a Februa ...

presented two examples to El Salvador, one of which was used as a source of spare parts.

Operational history

On 6 July 1917, the first

airmail Airmail (or air mail) is a mail transport service branded and sold on the basis of at least one leg of its journey being by air. Airmail items typically arrive more quickly than surface mail, and usually cost more to send. Airmail may be t ...

flight was inaugurated in Mexico, flown by a TNCA Series A. The aircraft was dispatched two days before by train to the city of Pachuca, where it was loaded with a suitcase containing 534 letters and 67 postcards. The aircraft took off from

Pachuca Pachuca (; ote, Nju̱nthe), formally known as Pachuca de Soto, is the capital and largest city of the Mexican state of Hidalgo. It is located in the south-central part of the state. Pachuca de Soto is also the name of the municipality of whi ...

, piloted by Lieutenant Colonel Horacio Ruiz Gaviño, who flew to

Mexico City Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital city, capital and primate city, largest city of Mexico, and the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North Amer ...

following the railroad tracks, landing at Balbuena Field. The flight was made in 57 minutes. The TNCA Series A was also used for several "firsts"; the first cinematic filming from an aircraft in Mexico, with Gaviño at the controls ; the first aerobatics in Mexico ; the first night flight in Mexico ; first flight of a

seaplane A seaplane is a powered fixed-wing aircraft capable of taking off and landing (alighting) on water.Gunston, "The Cambridge Aerospace Dictionary", 2009. Seaplanes are usually divided into two categories based on their technological characteri ...

at the

port of Veracruz Veracruz (), known officially as Heroica Veracruz, is a major port city and municipal seat for the surrounding municipality of Veracruz on the Gulf of Mexico in the Mexican state of Veracruz. The city is located along the coast in the central par ...

, when floats were fitted to the aircraft. On 3 November 1918, the TNCA Series A with registration ''28-A-43'', piloted by Lieutenant Amado Paniagua crashed on the North Beach of

Veracruz Veracruz (), formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave), is one of the 31 states which, along with Me ...

, while performing an

Immelmann turn The term Immelmann turn, named after German World War I Eindecker fighter ace Lieutnant Max Immelmann, refers to two different aircraft maneuvers. In World War I aerial combat, an Immelmann turn was a maneuver used after an attack on another a ...

during an air show, killing the pilot. He was the first person killed in an aircraft crash in Mexico.

Specifications (TNCA Series A)

References

{{reflist 1910s Mexican military aircraft Single-engined tractor aircraft Aircraft manufactured in Mexico Aircraft first flown in 1917