This 1935 silent 16mm home movie shows views of Chicago including the downtown. At :54, the scene shifts to Chicago Municipal Airport and the American Airlines terminal. At 1:00 a rare Vultee V-1 is seen. The Vultee V-1 was a 1930s American single-engined airliner built by the Airplane Development Corporation, designed by Gerard Vultee and financed by automobile manufacturer Errett Cord. American Airlines bought at least 13 V-1As and the V-1 prototype (after it had been modified for two pilot operation) and they entered service in 1934. On introduction, they were the fastest commercial airliners of their day. They were used on routes from the Great Lakes to Texas. Bowen Airlines of Texas also operated the type. By 1936, they were sold, having been replaced with twin-engined aircraft when the Bureau of Air Commerce severely limited the use of single engine airliners.
At 1:26 what appears to be a Douglas DC-2 is shown, marked "Douglas A-81" on the cockpit at 1:46. The Douglas DC-2 is a 14-seat, twin-engined airliner that was produced by the American company Douglas Aircraft Corporation starting in 1934. It competed with the Boeing 247. In 1935, Douglas produced a larger version called the DC-3, which became one of the most successful aircraft in history.
At 2:23, a Curtiss Condor is shown on the tarmac. The Curtiss T-32 Condor II was a 1930s American biplane airliner and bomber aircraft built by the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company.
Footage at 3:40 was originally in color but has faded to pink.
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