New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1927-04-16
FL|ERS PREPARING
FOR Big CONTEST
Numerous AYiatorS Want TO
Try Ocean Jump

New York. April 16 (UP)-E'our
airplanes, and possibly a fifth. will
he ready by May ! 10 attempt the
ono remaining great fea: in trans
: Atlantic aNia,iou--a nonstop New
| York 10 Paris highland il APP
| rcarad likely today that at least two
. Of them might try the feat stimuli
I taneously.
| Such a contest would turn a
/ pioneering feat into one OF the most
/ remarkable sporting events Of all
! time-a $500 mile. two-day race for
Il permanent place on the honor role
i of trail blazers.
| For some of the flyers the lure OF
! the $4,000 Orteig prize and the
trophy offered by the Paris news
paper, lie Matin were added IN
ducements in the flight. Others
Were not eligible for the Ortcig
award
The list or mcu waiting for the
day when their planes will be ready
for The great event reads like a
! N''' . ~ ~ VI dNittlloll-
Commander Richard Byrd and
: Floyd Bennett. L. S. ~, who few
over the north pole in an airpiane
last wear, and Lieutenant George O.
Neville, I. $. y. are backed
by Eodman Wanamaker in a non
! commercial fjSh, to assist the pro
srasS OF aviation" They will use a
,.11l
| plane. Secrecy surrounds their plans
but it is reported they will be ready
| by May |.
Lieut.. Commander Noel Davis, L.
$. n, will have a specially built
Keystone Pathfinder plane with three
Wright Whirlwind motors. fully
! equipped for comfort and conven-
fence. His plane was given its first
test flight last week
Charles A. Lindbersh. St. Louis,
Mo, air mail pilot. will use a
| Ryan monoplane. His preparations
also have been secret but it was be-
| lieNed he vas nearly ready for the
attempt.
In addition. the Sikorslly Manu-
! featuring Corp. is building a now
plano for Capt. Rene Fonck, French
aviator, whose giant plane crashed
and burned on the takcofI of his at
tempted New York Faris flight last
year. 1t was not believed. however,
that tho plane would be completed
before June /.
Davis and Lindbergh alone of the
six contestants are eligible now for
the 5000 offered by Raymond Or
t.ls for the first successful nonstop
New York Paris flight. The rules
provide that entries for the prize
must be filed with the National Aero
nautic association 60 days before the
flight started, and those two are the
only pilots whose so day periods will
expire before May /. Byrd specific
ally announced he would not seek
tho prize because he feared that
would give = commercial aspect to
tho fight.
All the planes except that o; Nun
gesser and Coli plan to fly from
Roosevelt Field, New York, to lie
Hourget Airdrome, Paris, The
Frenchmen will fly in the opposite
direction.
Davis plane has undergone its pre-
liminary tests successfully and il
was believed it could leave on a few
hours notice if any other contest
ant displayed signs OF starting thn
hight. Byrd and his companions
yesterday tested in North river, off
the Battery here, a collapsible rub
Der boat they will take as a safety
measure in case their plane falls
The test was taken as an indication
that they were winding up the last
details Of their preparations.
The Bellanca- Wright plane prob
ably will be In condition by the first
OF next week to race with any or all.
IT. has the advantage over the others
OF having been tested by sustained |
flight longer than the distance from
New York to Paris. .
Nungesser and Coll are. men Of !
iron nerve and great courage, as
their war records show, and it was
believed that If their preliminary |
tests next week were satisfactory, I
they would not hesitate TO start the ,
flight without final tests rather than
risk being beaten by another plane.
Lindbergh remains an unknown
quantity. He has not come to New
York and his plane. as far as Is
known. Is still in the Pacific coast
factory where 1t was built. II would
be possible. however. FOR 1t to be
brought to New York assembled and
tested In time to permit him to get
in the great derby.
Lieut.. Leigh Dade, army around
the world tlier. who was displaced
as pilot In the Bcllanca endurance
light q few days before the takeoff.
also was reported to be planning d
New York-Paris attempt. out 1t was
not believed he would be ready to
start before the middle of May. He
planned to organize a company 10
back him in the flight,