New Britain herald., 1927-04-14
Descend to Ear,h at l2:42P. M. After Bet tering Previous En- durance Record By About Six Hours.
Enormous Crowd Swarms Upon Field to Greet Vic- t0riOus Airmen-Wives of Both Men Overjoyed at Their Success.


 Acosta and Clarence Il. Chamberlin. civilian avlators. landed at 12:42 D. m, after settling a new record for endurance flying by remaining in the air for 51 hours and 12 min- utes.
 Finally Land
 For the half hour before landing the plane hung above the field at an altitud of about 5000 feet, coursing slowly backward and forward. At l2Sa 1t dropped toward the earth and the spectators cheered as they thought a landing was about to be made. The plane banked off. how- ever, and climbed again. repeating this performance second time be- fore the actual landing was made.
 The landing was described by aviators on the field as being an ex- cellent example of good flying. The plane landed without apparent shock on the runway and glided to graceful stop. The time when the plane struck the runway was 12:42.
 Bettcrs World Record
 The record breaking performance eclipsed by six hours the previous worlds record of 45 hours. II nlin- utes and 59 seconds.
 By the time of the landing the crowd had swelled 10 thousands and was held in check by ropes stretched along the runway and by police re- serves called out when the throne became unmanageahle for police first assigned 10 duty there At noon the crowd suddenly fell silent as it was realized that a landing must be made very shortly because Of inc supply of gasoline known to be rum ming low.
 At lo:30 only ten gallons were left in the planes tank and up to that time close to gallons an hour had been used in the flight. The last 10 gallons lasted for two hours and l2 minutes. and observers on the field felt sure that the tiiers had re- mained in the air until the tank was absolutely dry.
 Big Crowd Present
 AS soon as the plane landed the cheering crowd broke through po- lice lines and sWarmed about the record breaking plane and the two aviators who had been in the air for we'll over two days.
 As the excited crowd surged through the ropes and in the path of the plane as it taxied toward q stop, Acosta, who was in the pilots place. was forced to shut off his motor within q few feet of the spot at which be landed
 The plane was immediately sur rounded by the thousand of persons who saw the landing and as Cham berlin and Acosta showed their heads from the cabin, they were seized and drawn out by the crowd and carried about the field on the shoulders of the people close enough to capture them.
 Chamberlain, frail, blonde and ap- parcntly very tired, was drawn out first but was followed q few seconds later by Acosta. also in tho hands of the cheering mob which threw all restraint 10 the wind.
 Both aviators wero smiling han- oily as they faced a greater danger from injury at the hands of their friends than that to which they had been exposed in the air.
 Greeted By Wives.
 Among the first of the crowd to reach the tliers Were the aviators' wives who ran along with the throng as their husbands were carried about on the shoulders Of the eD- husiastic spectators. As soon as the fliers could be eNtrieated iron. their admirers they entered a lmou- sine with their wives and drove away, their tired faces wreathed in smiles as they waved from the windows. The little fliv,er in which Mrs. Chamherlin had driven 70 the field was left behind. When she ar rived she expressed the opinion that after the long trip in the air her husband might not care for the joIting ride home with her in the small car.
 But Few Watchers
 X sleepy group of aviation au- thoritics and nowspa permen. num- bering 100, were the only persons on hand as the powerful Wright Bal lanca monoplane streakod it's way 70 the new record and vanished 'n the gray horizon of carly day. dron- ing off the hours before it:30:4o o'clock this morning. the expiration of the fifty hour period The day was clear and the plane was flying at an altitude or about t5oo feet.
 The flight, In addition to an at. tempt to set a new worlds endur- ance record. was in the nature of q test prior to proposed non stop New York to Paris flight in compe- tition for the Se5. 900 prize offered by Raymond Orteig.
 Announcement of the new world record was made by Carl & Shory. secretary of the National Aeronauti- cal association. who was the official
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