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Aviation History
1924
1924 - 0695.PDF
OCTOBER 30, 1924 be desired—the steep banking in many cases being very thrilling—it was felt by many of those present, who had witnessed the same performance on previous occasions, that this event was becoming decidedly out of date. In this year's race, too, there were not even any new types of machines. However, the race was won by Lieut. D. M. Myers (Aberdeen) on the same 4-wheeled Martin Bomber which won last year's event, the speed on the present occasion being 109-85 m.p.h. Incidentally, it may be of interest to note that this particular machine has more than 350,000 miles to its credit, and is now practically the same as it was six years ago, when it emerged from the Martin factory—a few broken ribs replaced and the resurfacing of the wings, now and again, being about the only reconditioning it has received during that time. All of the other six competitors completed the course, Lieut. C. F. Woolsey being second (107-98 m.p.h.), Lieut. H. McClellan third (104-59 m.p.h.), and Lieut. H. D. Smith fourth (103-25 m.p.h.). After this, some excitement—not to say amusement—was caused by the appearance in the skv of a 1910 type Wright biplane, which, piloted by Lieut. J.'Macready, flew past the grand stand and made its bow to Orville Wright and Miss Katherine Wright. Then the U.S. Army Airship TC5 came along with a Sperry Messenger biplane slung below the cabin, and when at an altitude of about 1,500 ft. the aeroplane was released, and its pilot, Lieut. F. C. Vinter, brought it safely to earth. Lieut. Harold Harris then ascended in the Barling Bomber—which is probably the largest aeroplane in the world—with a useful load of 4,000 kg. to an altitude of 4,000 ft. After this the final event of the day was held, this being the 25-mile light 'plane race for the Dayton Daily News Trophy. J. M. Johnson won this event on a Driggs-jobnson parasol " limousine," fitted with a four-cylindered Henderson motor-cycle engine. He averaged 64 m.p.h. for the race. Second place was obtained by E. Dormoy on a parasol mono plane, of his own design, fitted with a four-cylindered Hender son engine. Dormoy's speed was 54 m.p.h. Other light 'planes in this event were a Mummert low wing monoplane (Harley-Davidson), and a Snyder biplane (Indian), and a Fasig-Turner biplane (Indian Chief). These, however, were put out of the race by engine trouble. On the following day, October 4, the last day of the meeting, a second contest was held for light 'planes. This was a speed and efficiency race for the Dayton Bicycle Club and Engineers' Club Trophies, in which six machines lined up—the Mummert, the Johnson and Dormoy monoplanes, and the Heath and Fasig-Turner biplanes. Johnson made a forced landing on the second lap, and got away again after effecting repairs, but only to make another forced landing immediately after with petrol trouble. This was put right, and he started off again. The Mummert also landed owing to engine trouble, leaving the Dormoy alone in the field—the others having dropped out. Shortly after, however, the Dormoy gave up owing to the bumpy nature of the air. Then the Mummert started off again, and succeeded in completing the course, winning the first prize. Johnson came in a close second, and Dormoy was given the third prize, although he was m HT H E '« Shenandoah " Completes 9,000-mile Tour THE American-built rigid airship " Shenandoah," which left Lakehurst air station on October 7 for an extended tour to the Pacific and back, set out from San Diego—where she arrived on October 10—on the return trip to Lakehurst on October 22. The " Shenandoah " first cruised along the whole length of the Pacific coast and back before she made the trans-continental journey to New Jersey. Lakehurst was safely reached at 4 a.m. on October 25, and the airship has thus completed about 9,000 miles in 18 days, during which she encountered " all sorts " of weather, and made altogether five landings, mooring masts being used on most of these occasions. Three of the masts employed were of entirely new types, and in the opinion of those following this flight the practicability of mooring masts for short stops for refuelling etc., has been conclusively demonstrated by the tests. Altogether, the " Shenandoah's " flight is considered by- airship experts to be an extremely important achievement. A One Thousand Mile Flight in Java A FINE one-day flight was made recently by a Dutch pilot out in Java, Dutch East Indies. Flight-Lieut. Nab, using a D.H.9 fitted with a Siddeley " Puma " engine, started off from the Antjol aerodrome (near Batavia) at 4.50 a.m., while it was still dark, and flew to Soerabaja, a distance of 780 km. (484 miles) in 6 hours, including a stop at Sema- rang, to take in fuel. At noon, he started off again for the prevented from completing the course on account of the Pulitzer race being due to start. Two other important events on this last day were the two big speed races for the Mitchell and Pulitzer Trophies. The former was a contest among pilots of the 1st Persuit Group from Self ridge Field, and was by far the most exciting event of the meeting. In this 11 Curtiss PW8 Persuit biplanes, all evenly matched, flew over four laps of a 50 km. (31 miles) course, a total distance of 200 km. (124 miles). Some fine piloting was witnessed in this race, and unusually good speed was made. Lieut. C. Bettis won this event with an average speed of 175.45 m.p.h., Lieut. D. F. Stace coming in close behind with 173.7 m.p.h., followed almost alongside by Lieut. T. K. Matthews with 173.32 m.p.h. The other big event, the Pulitzer race, was, it must be admitted, a sorry affair, not only on account of its tragic opening, but for the fact that there were only four entries, and three of these were old machines. The four machines consisted of two Curtiss R.6 racers (which finished first and second in the 1922 race) piloted by Capt. Burt E. Skeel and Lieut. W. H. Brookley, a Verville-Sperry cantilever monoplane (520 Curtiss D12A) (last year's) piloted by- Lieut. H. H. Mills, and a new Curtiss PW8A Persuit 'plane (460 Curtiss D12) piloted by Lieut. Rex K. Stoner. The four machines took off in the order given above, and climbing several hundred feet, dived into the course past the starting line in order to gain additional speed. Skeet's machine was just nearing the line, when it was seen suddenly to break up, and plunge into the ground in a vertical nosedive. It happened so quickly that it was impossible to tell exactly what happened. Brookley, who was flying close behind, stated that he saw a flash just before Skeet's machine fell. The latter was found deeply embedded in 10 ft. of soft ground beside a creek, and it was only after several hours' work that Skeet's body, badly mutilated, was recovered. Portions of the wreckage, in cluding a large number of engine parts—cylinders, valve gear, etc.—were found within a radius of 300 ft. from where the machine fell. It is suggested that the propeller broke in the air, thus wrecking the engine (hence the " flash " and breaking away the top plane). This terrible accident, coming as it did at the start of the race, naturally caused some considerable anxiety for the remaining competitors, and there was great relief when the last of the machines landed safely. The first prize and the Pulitzer Trophy were won by Mills on the Verville-Sperry, his average speed being 215.72 m.p.h. (28 m.p.h. slower than last year's winner). Brookley, un- . daunted by the fate of his companion, urged his mount to the utmost, and finished a good second, with 214-75 m.p.h., and before coming down at the end of the race, he executed a number of stunts on the machine. Stoner finished third with an average speed of 167-95 m.p.h. After flights by several types of machines—including the Round the World Douglas Cruisers—past the grand stand, the Dayton International Aviation Meet was brought to a close by the bombing of a model city by a squadron of Martin Bombers. return journey, arriving at Batavia at 4.45 p.m. without landing en route, for fuel. He thus covered 1,560 km. (nearly 1,000 miles) in 10 hrs. 45 mins. This is, we believe, the longest one-day flight made in a tropical country—Pelletier d'Oisy having covered 1,300 km. (806 miles) in one day during his recent Paris-Tokio flight. King of Italy to Review Italian Air Force IT is reported that the King of Italy, accompanied by Signor Mussolini, will review the Italian Air Force at Fran cesco Baracca Aerodrome, Centocelle, on November 4, when it is expected that about 300 machines will take part. Amsterdam-Batavia Flight IT is hoped that the three " Flying Dutchmen," T. van der Hoop, M. H. van Weerden Poelman and M. van den Brocke, who left Amsterdam for Batavia (Dutch East Indies) on August 14 in a Rolls-Royce-Fokker F.7, and who crashed at Philippopolis, will be able very shortly to resume their flight. Thanks to an enthusiastic response to an appeal which was made for further funds, arrangements were made to dispatch immediately to Philippopolis mechanics with a new Rolls-Royce engine and other material. These left Amsterdam on October 21, and after a slight delay on the Serbo-Bulgarian frontier, when they were held up by the Customs authorities, arrived safely, we believe at the end of the week. 695
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