Evening star., 1927-09-09
WILLIAMS IS OUT
| OF SCHNEIDER RACE
Officer Unable to Make Tests
in Time for Venice Speed
Record Contest.

Americas s only hope of an entrant
in the Forthcoming Schneider sea-
plane classic of the world at Venice,
Italy-Lieut. Afford J. Williams, jr.,
u. S. N, and his privately-fi
and constructed racing plane-was
blasted today with the announcement
by T. Douglas Robinson, Acting Sec
retary of the Navy that he had been
advised by the racing pilot that lit
will be impractical to complete ade'
quate tests and trials to warrant en-
barking for Venice in sufficient time
to arrive. make final check tests and
qualify"
The announcement came at the
Zero hour" set by the Navy Depart
ment as the very latest time the y. S.
S. Trenton, light cruiser, now at the
Brooklyn Navy Yard, could embark
for Venice with Lieut.. Williams and
his plane aboard in order to arrive
September %, or two days before the
date of the Schneider international
seaplane trophy event. The cruiser
had been promised Lieut.. Williams
and the Navy Department had set
today as the dead line" for its
sailing.
Change to Land Plane.
While the decision to remain on
these shores deprives America of the
chance of obtaining permanent pos
session of the coveted trophy by vile
tory this year, the way was paved i'm.
mediately for regaining the world high
speed honors by substituting wheels
for pontoons on the racer now at Port
Washington, New York, and trans.
ferring the plane to Mitchell Field
Long Island, for a series of tests to
shatter the maximum speed record for
any type of plane now held by France
at 278 miles per hour 1t was under.
stood here that the powerful racer
would be ready to take the air as a
land plane the early part of next
week. .
Mr.. Robinson's statement, announc.
ing the cancellation of Lieut.. Will
liam's plans to compete for the trophy
follows:
II am advised by Lieut.. Williams
that it, will be impractical to complete
adequate tests and trials to warrant
embarking for Venice ia sufficient
time to arrive, make final check tests
and qualify as a representative of the
race.
Privately Backed Project.
when an extension of time for the
race was requested for Lieut.. vii
liams by the National Aeronautic AS
sociat.on of the United States, the
difficulties OF transforming land
plane racer to meet the requirements
of a Schneider Cup race, which is a
seaplane event, were fully realized
This request for postponement was
filed on receipt in this country of the
first official announcement of the race
date, July 20, 1927.
when the Navy Department def
nitely announced that it would not
participate in the Schneider Cup race
Lieut.. Williams. who was then en-
gagged in a privat tely backed project ia
regain for the United States the world
speed record for a land plane, deter
mined to divert his proposition TEN
porarily. He did this in order that
the United States would not be with
out representation in this important
aeronautical event.
Time Held Inadequate.
Favorable progress was made, al
though it became still more apparent
that the time available was inadequate
There might still have been q
possibility for Lieut.. Williams to carry
out his ambitious program in time ha(
weather conditions not proved impos
sible for many of the remaining days
AS it was. due to his keen anxiety
to have the United States represented
in the Schneider race, Lieut.. Williams
more than once took big hazards with
the weather and rough water to make
vitally necessary test fights. On
many days he was only deferred b,
prevailing haZy conditions which
made any kind of flying absolutely
out of the question. Add to these
conditions the necessity for adjust
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