The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-09-06
RACE TO COAST
TRUE TEST OF
PLANES MERIT
Advance Made in Aviation
in Last Year Will Be
Demonstrated.
BIZ Times Special

BIZ Times Special
NEW YORK, Sept. 6.-The entries
for the Transcontinnental Air Races
from New York to Los Angeles, the
second division of which started to-
day, show the progress made in the
United States since the race to
Spokane last fall.
New planes and many new motors
indicate how successful the last
twelve months have been in devel-
opment of machines and power
plants.
When the list of more than sew
enty planes entered in the various
classes this year is examined, it is
found that ther care two outstand-
ing improvements. One is cleaner
design and better construction; the
other, the increasing number Of en-
gines of low and medium horse
power which have been placed on
the market to take the place of the
OK.
Thirteen Types Of Engines
No less than thirteen types Of en-
gines are listed among the power
plants this year, whereas last year
there we're only two in the races,
the OK and the Whirlwind.
Nearly all these motors are air
cooled radialS. Some are of en-
tirely new design, some rebuilt for
eign motors, some of foreign design
which are being built in this coun-
try.
Nearly all yet have to be thor
oughly tested in actual service I'M
der difficult conditions and over a
long period of time, which gives to
these races the aspect of labora-
tory test for airplone motors.
Nothing shows the weakness of an
engine quicker than a long, high
speed flight, and many a plane
which limped into Spokane last fall
proved that parts of even the most
reliable motor in the race needed
strengthening.
Real Test For Planes
These races bear tic same rela-
tionship to the development of the
airplane and the airplane motor as
track races did to the automobile.
1t Is the engine and the plane
that win races in the long run, and
for this reason these Gloss continent
derbies have now much greater
Importance in aviation than had
been anticipated.
Although the nonstop race, which
starts on Sept. IL will be the most
spectacular, the other three classes
probably will mean more to those
interested in the technical side OF
aviation.
There are seven entries in the
nonstop race this year, two Lock-
needs, two Bellancas, a Stinson, a
Cessna and Bull special. -Four of
these planes use Wright Whirlwinds
and the LockheedS will each have a
Pratt & Whitney Hornet, with
which it is hoped they will make
nearly 100 miles an hour.
Mountains May Be Snag
Just what the Lockheeds will do
with their heavy engine and a
heavy load of gas is problenatical.
They will have to take off with more
than Goebel lifted on the West
Coast, but, on the other hand, thev
will not hit the mountains as quickly
as he did, and he had no difficulty
in climbing to 5000 feet in a short
time.
One of these planes will be piloted
by Major William Thaw of Lafay-
cite Escadrille fame.
In the other classes there are at
least twenty-eight types Of planes.
One is a low wing monoplane, the
Mohawk, and one a SeSquiplane.
The monoplane predominates, and
the cabin type of plane is common
even in the smallest class, in which
hardly a cabin plane was entered
last wear,