Before it was Logan International Airport...

Before it was Logan International Airport...
My grandfather, Charles Francis Hamel, passed away earlier this year at the age of 93. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy after Pearl Harbor and eventually became an officer and a pilot, flying a U.S. Coast Guard PBY Catalina on North Atlantic patrols in 1945. He got his start in aviation, however, as a civilian "Airframe & Engine" mechanic. After high school, he attended New England Aircraft School at East Boston Airport, today better known as Boston Logan International. Here are a few photos from his collection circa 1939-1940. I don't think he's in any of them, he was behind the camera. Enjoy!

Terrific pictures! Thanks for posting them. I'm sure that you're quite proud of him.

David

For bonus points, can anyone identify the planes in the various pics? I am not so good at Golden Age biplanes.

OK, starting at the top, obviously a cabin Waco of some model, could be the same one in the lower photos, a DC-3, an American Eagle on the flat bed with looks like a Cub in the background, another cabin Waco getting some work done on the right, the next one down is hard to tell, it looks like it may have a squared off tail so I'll go with possibly a Stearman or a Pitcairn is my guess, looks like they're peeling some fabric away on the leading edges, the last 2 are probably the same Waco, either a OEC or a EUC and what looks like to me a Fairchild fuselage on the left, the last are guys painting control surfaces.

The Waco in pictures 1,4, and 6 is a 1932 UEC. The fuselage in picture 6 is a Fairchild 24. The biplane in picture 3 that someone did a slight modification to the landing gear is a American Eagle with a 5 cylinder Kinner, which was affectionately nicknamed the "Anteater". The biplane in picture 5 I believe is a Stearman C3B.
Thanks for posting the pictures. Very cool.

Dave

Great pics, I love the fuel truck! Thank you for posting them.