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Aviation History
1956
1956 - 0980.PDF
126 FLIGHT AIR RACING IN THE U.S.A. . . . International Air Races. The St. Louis Aeronautical Corporationwas formed to build the airport, the finance being found by issuing 20,000 shares at $10. Bad weather made it necessary to postponethe meeting for three days, by which time the water-logged field was just serviceable. The "On to St. Louis" race started onSeptember 20 to allow the twenty-seven contestants to reach their destination before the main events. The best speed wasput up by "Casey" Jones, the president of Curtiss Flying Services, who chose to fly the 900 miles from Garden City in anOX-5-powered Oriole. This same combination was to become familiar as a consistent race winner in future years. Civilianparticipation in the races was encouraged by making non-Service entry possible in five out of the eight events.Fifteen airmail D.H.4s were entered under new rules to fly for the Detroit News Trophy. The donors wished civilians alsoto take part in the contest, but the regular Service pilots refused to fly against them. A number of civilians were, however, includedin the field for the Liberty Engine Builders' Trophy; but the Army won, its Fokker CO-4 averaging 139.03 m.p.h. over sixlaps of 50 km. The winner of the trophy presented by the Merchants' Exchange of St. Louis was a Martin Bomber which,before its conversion from a transport, had flown 120,000 miles on the mail routes since 1919. A civilian, Jack Atkinson, flewhis Bellanca C. F. Sedan to carry off the Detroit Aviation Country Club handicap award, and the MB-3s of the 1st Pursuit Groupcircled the course in the John L. Mitchell contest. The fourth race for the now well-established Pulitzer Trophywas run under modified rules to take into account the higher speeds, which were beginning to affect pilots in high-g turns.It was now the Navy's turn to win; Ensign Alford J. Williams, later tn achieve fame as an exhibition pilot and representative ofthe Gulf Refining Company, recorded a considerable increase over the previous year's speed in his Curtiss R2C-1 at 243.67 m.p.h.for four laps. All the Navy's entries—two Curtiss and two Wright Racers—were new, but the Army used the two R-6s flown inthe previous year by Maugham and Maitland. The organizers were not without thought for the youngerenthusiasts, and a model flying event was included in which they could show their skill.Wilbur Wright Field, at Dayton, Ohio, was chosen as the venue for the 1924 National Air Races from October 2 to 4, withthe "On to Dayton" event to take place between September 29 and October 1. "Casey" Jones in his Oriole again carried away Reading down, the aircraft on the left are the Wright F-2W, a 1923 entry in the Pulitzer Race; the Gee-Bee R-l, winner of the 1932 Thompson event (pilot, Jimmy Doolittle); and the Wed el I Williams, which was victorious in the 1934 Thompson Race. this prize this time from the fifty-one other entries. Eleven eventswere on the programme; of these, seven were open to civilians— two more than in 1923. The reliable Curtiss OX-5 gave its 90 h.p.to most of the private-owner types until a wider selection of powerplants became available. This year the light-aircraft enthusiasts were able to competefor a trophy given by the Dayton Daily News (it was won by the Driggs-Johnson Jimmie) and another by the Boston Bicycle Cluband Engineers, this going to H. C. Mummert's Sport. The light aircraft used converted motor cycle engines, which could not becalled very reliable; but some good airframe designs were seen. Lt. H. H. Mills came first in the Pulitzer in the Verville-Sperryentered by the Army. His speed of 215.72 m.p.h. was considerably lower than that of the Navy the year before. A fatal accidentoccurred when Capt. Burt E. Skeel, the winner of the 1923 Mitchell, crashed at the start. The 1924 i«litchell participants all flew D-12-powered CurtissPW-8 Pursuits, and Lt. Cyrus K. Bettis came first at 175.45 m.pJi. Regular Air Mail Service pilots again flew in the Detroit Newsevent and the Liberty Engine award was there for the observation crews and also for civilians. Other prizes for 1924 were donatedby the National Cash Register Company, Dayton's Central Labour Union and the Dayton Chamber of Commerce, the last-namedfor Service aircraft carrying a 2,000 lb payload over 150 miles. The following year, 1925, was one of great importance in thehistory of the Nationals. The N.A.A. was by now a body of significance in the scheme of American aviation, and the 1925competitions were the last to be staged on a military airfield under Service supervision. The year was also of note as thatin which the last race for this trophy was run, and the spectators at Mitchell Field from October 8 to 12 seeing a final victory forthe Army by the winner of the 1924 Mitchell, Lt. C. K. Bettis, in a Curtiss R3C-1 at 241.695 m.pJi. after four laps of an excitingcontest with Al Williams. The Pulitzer was abandoned by the Army and the Navy becauseit was found impossible to allocate sufficient money for the special aircraft needed. The races had, however, served admirably indeveloping advanced "pursuit ships" and the experience gained was built into the new fighters being designed for the Servicesin the mid-1920s. New rules were announced for the air-mail event, in whichthe prize was to be known as the Detroit News Air Transport Trophy. As private companies were now accepted as mail carriers,they also were eligible to enter. Another annual prize had its title changed, this time to the unwieldy name "Aviation Townand Country Club of Detroit Trophy." "Casey" Jones and his Oriole won it, as well as the prize presented by the Merchants'Association of New York for carrying 340 lb payload for 100 miles. The year was notable also for its first foreign entries. Althoughinternational participation had been invited in the past, no such entries were received until 1925, when two French Army Breguet19s presented themselves for the Liberty Engine Builders' race (military aircraft only). One of them, flown by Capt. HenriLemaitre, beat the native opposition and succeeded in winning the trophy for France. Events previously open to both Service and civilian flyerswere now separated, so that each had their own contests. The year's Mitchell race went to Lt. T. K. Matthews in aPW-8. The "on to" event was included again in the programme. Ken W. Montee in his Montee Special biplane was the winner,flying from Santa Monica to New York, his reward being the New York Chapter of the N.A.A. Trophy. The 1925 programmeshowed many innovations, especially in spectator appeal; there was refuelling in the air, balloon-bursting, sky-writing, parachuting,a battle between National Guard aircraft and Army tanks, and other various supporting features.From a small series of Service races with civilians playing a minor but slowly growing part, the Nationals had changed theircharacter completely. They were now organized by a civil group for the entertainment of the public. High speed and dash,however, were still provided by some all-Service events, five out of the nineteen competitions being set aside for them in 1926,with one of the five for the National Guard. The Nationals were staged at Philadelphia from September 4 to 11, concurrently withthe Sesqui-Centennial Exposition celebrating the 150th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Commercial firms were quickto see the future business to be gained by presenting trophies and awards to swell the prize list, making it larger than ever. The Kansas City Rotary Club Trophy was donated, in placeof the Pulitzer, to promote high-speed rivalry between the Army, Navy and Marines. Bad weather prevailed, but Lt. C. D. Cuddihymanaged 180.495 m.p.h. to win. The "On to the Sesqui" race brought the Aero Club of Pennsylvania Trophy to Fred D. Hoytfor covering 2,558 miles from Eureka, Cal., in 31 hours with his
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