Evening star., 1926-05-15
LIEUT.. JETER Wins
CURT|SS AIR RACE
Navy Flyer Makes 1904
Miles an Hour to Set
New Record.

1904 miles per hour. Lieut.. Thomas
p. Jeter OF the Bureau OF Aero
nautics. Navy Department. won the
annual contest for the Curtiss Marine
trophy which was held on the Poto-
mac River yesterday afternoon-the
first competition of it's kind fSr air
craft ever witnessed in the Capital.
His speed established A record for
these races, the previous time being
116 miles per hour.
Thousands of Washingtonians
crowded Hains Point and the Naval
Air Station at Anacostia for the
event. including three cabinet off,
GERS. members of the congressional
military and naval committees and
high ranking officers of the Army
and Navy.
Teemlng With Interest.
The race from start to finish was
crowded with interest. The start
ing order was so arranged that
virtually every minute one of the en-
tries was charging up the river, tip
ping over on the left wing and whip
ping around the home pylon-a tent
line object in the river between the
air station ana tne point.
1t was around this marker that the
skill of the pilots was exhibited and
each of the entrants, whether flying
a big numbering tub or a speedy
Curtiss hawk, went the limit on the
turns which contributes so much to-
ward the final victory.
The race was fraught with spirit
and sharp competition on the part of
the pilots flying slower craft, as four
gold wrist watches were given by The
Star to the winners of the various
groups. Lieut.. Jeter, in addition to
winning the trophy also wins a watch
for being first in the fighting plane
group. He flew a Curtiss Hawk, sin
gle-seater, fitted with a 450horsepower
motor. and his competitor in the same
type ship was Lieut.. James d. Barner
of the Naval Air Station. who aver
aged 1898 miles per hour for the
course.
Other Winners Announced.
The winner Of the F.5.L twin-en-
gined flying boat class was Lieut.. L.
w. Curtain of the Bureau of Aeronau
tics, who piloted the two.starred plane
of Admiral William A. Moffett. chief of
the bureau. Chief Boatswain Walter
c. Fitzpatrick of the Naval Air Sta
boat group, and Lieut.. +. H. Conant Of
the bureau came in first in his classi
fication. These four airmen will re-
ceive the watches at appropriate cere.
monies now being arranged.
There was only one incident to mar
the race. Lieut. F. A. Davis of Hamp-
ton Roads Air Station, who was paired
off with Boatswain Fitzpatrick, was
forced to land in the water between
the point and Alexandria, when one Of
his two motors became disabled. He
was later picked up by a boat from
the air station and towed into the
hangers.
All Planes Cover Course.
Every plane covered the course,
which at the last minute was remeas.
ured and found to total 1871 miles in
stead of 80. with wide open motors
While the speeds recorded were far
from those established by the Army
and Navy's trim little 100000
racers. nevertheless the race demon
strated the maximum speed perform.
ance of the various types of planes
in the naval service today performing
military duty. Each one was grabbed
out of the routine of flying and put
in the race and no special grooming
such as the removal of necessary OBJ
structions or installation Of high speed
Engines, was made.
Prior to the event, the air force
from Brown Field, Quantico. Va, in
cluding six tiny Boeing pursuit planes
with a straight-away speed of $50
miles per hour, gave an exhibition of
it's knowledge of flying. The flights
of the Boeings by far carried away
the honors, as these neat little ships
dived down on Boiling Field from sew.
eral thousand feet with a nerve.
shocking roar emitting from their 450-
horsepower engines. In these dives
the Boeings made at least $50 miles
per hour. The only criticism to be
offered the demonstration was that
the naval authorities confined 1t to
the field, instead of branching it out
over the point for the benefit Of the
spectators.
Lieut.. Simard OF First.
Promptly at 4 o'clock the entrants,
who had been milling around In the
air for positions. lined up for the start.
The first plane to dash over the sta
tion and swing around the home pylon
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