Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-13
CULVER CITY PLANE
ENDS RECORD HOP
AFTER 246 HOURS
Broken StabiIizer Abruptly
Stops Flight on Eleventh
Day of Test.
By tie Associated Press.

6y LGS ASSOCI6JCo EICoS.
CULVER CITY, Calf, July 13.-The
long flight of L. w. Mendell and r.
B. Reinhart came to a sudden end here
yesterday afternoon when the tail group
Of their biplane Angeleno was fouled,
causing tail flutter and forcing them
to land.
The flyers set Q new endurace flying
record Of 246 hours 43 minutes 80 sec
onds, o mark far beyond the 174 hours
50 seconds established by Byron K.
Newcomb and Roy L. Mitchell of Cleve-
land.
An examination of the flyers and
their second hand, 220 horsepower
Wright Whirlwind motor Immediately
after the flights end disclosed that
both men and engine still were in good
condition and might have continued in
definitely had not the tail fiutter de-
veloped.
Praises Engine.
I'VE have to give the engine credit
for everything" said Menden as he
clambered out of the plane. Never
before has an airplane engine done
And so it was with the flyers them
selves. A physician who examined
them indicated that the long grind had
not greatly harmed them. Thus the
flight, which after breaking all exist
ing endurance records turned into a
duel between man and motor, ended in a
draw so far as that angle was concerned
The plane, a secondhand Buhl
Airsedan, touched the landing field at
2:13:02 pm. yesterday. The take-off
was at 7:29:30 am. July 2.
Debris which collected on the
stabilizer of the plane, coupled with
blow from a hatch cover which was
torn of the cabin Of the Angeleno, all
but forced the endurance craft out OF
control and abruptly ended its un-
precedented. flight.
Protested Fate.
AS the flyers climbed stifly out of
their plane, a haggard sort of smile on
their bewhiskered, oil-spattered faces
they praised the motor which would
that had denied them the opportunity
| to test their proWess In fight to the
| finish with the secondhand power unit
The end came shortly after Mendell
and Reinhart had mesSaged requesting
thirty-seventh refueling contact. AS
the auxiliary ship took the air and
gained its position over the endurance
plane, the Angeleno. with tail group
wabbling. badly. slipped away and
sons who were watching the refueling
attempt were aware that the hardy ad-
venturers had come to the end of their
flight.
Mendeu looked hale and hearty, while
Reinhart, bit more pale, stumbled az
| he attempted to walk away from the
plane. Both flyers later said they founc
themselves strangely weak on their feet
Mrs. 1la Reinhart greeted her hus'
band with a vigorous embrace before
the pilots, in the face Of protests, were
whisked away to a hospital for thu
physical examination and a complete
rest. Z,
Physically o. K.
DR.. Frederick Rhodes, who examined
| them, said that their condition wa:
much better than might have been ex'
| pected."
THE temperature, blood pressure anc
1 pulse Of each was about that which 6
! person would show after violent exer.
else under ordinary conditions, with th'
exception that the return to normal wa!
slower.
while they came through fine,
wouldn't want to see anybody else at
tempt it."
Mendell and Reinhart both com
planned Of slight deafness, but this hac
almost cleared away by the time they
were interviewed at their resting plac,
at hotel. There they issued this state
ment:
1--WE are awfully proud of having tn,
honor to hold the endurance record TO
refueling. We wish to take this oppor
tunity to express our thanks and appre
citation for all the help and encourage
ment rendered us during this fight.
I'm setting this record we have pu
1t as high as possible. It was our in.
tention of making it 800 hours, but due
to debris that had collected on the
stabilizer and to the hatch blowing of
and cutting hole in the stabilizer o.
the Buhl, excessive vibration was causec
and we were forced to land So hour:
short of our goal.
| Thanks Friends.
"But we are very happy that we hav,
won all records by over 70 hours. W.
desire at this time to thank the thou
sands of people, all over the Unitet
States who have sent kilograms and let
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