1929 Great Lakes Sport Trainer NC1341 Biplane Photo 8X10 For Sale

1929 Great Lakes Sport Trainer NC1341 Biplane Photo 8X10
Golden Age Aerobatic Biplane: Great Lakes Aircraft Corp, Cleveland OHDESCRIPTIONYou\'re looking at a vintage publicity photograph of a Great Lakes 2T-1 Sport Trainer, registration NC1341, one of the most celebrated little aerobatic biplanes of the Golden Age of flight.The 2T-1 was designed and built by the Great Lakes Aircraft Corporation of Cleveland, Ohio, with the first prototype taking to the air in March 1929.Despite a modest 85 horsepower Cirrus engine, the type quickly earned a reputation as one of the finest aerobatic biplanes ever built in America, and a Great Lakes biplane held the world record for consecutive outside loops in the early 1930s.The type was a strong competitor in the Cleveland National Air Races and the Cirrus Derbys of 1929 and 1930. Only 40 to 50 of this original straight-wing-then-swept-wing 2T-1 production run were built before the Great Depression forced the company to scale back, making surviving period photographs like this one scarce.The design was so well loved that it came back into limited production decades later, first in the 1970s and again by WACO Classic Aircraft in 2011.This print is a period-retouched publicity photograph.The pilot in the front cockpit is genuine and photographic, but the figure visible in the rear cockpit shows the flatter, hand-finished rendering typical of period photo retouching rather than a second photographed occupant. Adding a figure to an empty cockpit, sometimes specifically a female aerobat, was a known practice in factory and dealer publicity photography of this era, and Great Lakes\' own history is closely tied to women aerobatic pilots.The Great Lakes Aircraft Corporation logo and the registration NC1341 are both clearly stamped on the tail. The reverse carries period photo lab handling marks, including a handwritten negative-size notation.We have not been able to confirm a documented individual history for this specific airframe (no FAA record, no period race or ownership record located), so this listing represents the photograph and the type it depicts, not a documented individual aircraft history.A strong addition to a Golden Age aviation archive, a Cleveland aviation history collection, an early American sport aircraft display, or a collection of period aviation advertising/publicity photography specifically.Ships securely in rigid packaging. Message with any questions before purchase.CONDITIONVintage photographic print, sepia-toned with age, showing a Great Lakes 2T-1 Sport Trainer biplane with a period-retouched figure added to the rear cockpit. Measures approximately 8x10 in, slightly under full 8x10 dimensions (please verify exact measurement before finalizing listing).Corner and edge wear consistent with age and archival handling, light overall surface toning. Reverse shows archival tape/mounting residue along the top edge from a prior scrapbook or album placement, along with period pencil and ink handling notations (a negative-size marking and directional arrows). Image remains sharp, well-exposed, and clearly readable, with the aircraft registration legible.No tears through the image area. Sold as-is, please review all photos for full condition before purchase, including the retouched area on the rear cockpit occupant.