Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-10
Motor Functions Perfectly,
Two Pilots Say, as Endur-
ance Plane Roars Toward
2O0-Hour Mark.
CRAFT TO STAY AL0FT
"UNTIL ENGINE QUITS"
Pair Had Set 400 Hours as Goal at
Start-Both in Good Physical
Condition, Increasing Chances of
Success-0fficials Believe Land.
ing Time Still Is Far Away.
Hy the Associated Press.


CULVER CITY. Calf, July 10.
The ninth day of the record
breaking refueling endurance
flight of the biplane Angelina be-
gan today with the ship passing
its 195th hour in the air at 1929
am, 81 hours more than the old
record of 174 hours 81 seconds.
Shortly after s o'clock a Is
minute contact was made with a
refueling ship and 100 gallons of
gasoline transferred.
The message requesting more
gasoline, was dropped by L. w.
Mendell and r. B. Reinhart
shortly before Z am. today.
The motor was functioning per-
fectly, the message declared.
Ground officials believed that
the landing of the plane still was
many hours away.
They continued circling above
Culver City in the plane, deter
mined to stay aloft until their
motor fails.
Had Hoped to Fly 400 Hours.
When the flyers would come
down remained question. Orig
inally they hoped to remain up
400 hours. Airport officials con-
ceded them a chance of stretch
ing the time to 200 hours or more
when they passed the former
record of 174 hours 50 seconds,
established in Cleveland four
days ago. without showing any
marked signs of physical exhauS-
tion.
Before taking on full nights supply
of fuel last night. the pilots dropped
a note reiterating that they would con-
tinue the record smashing flight until
their engine falls apart. A. E. Nc
Manuss chief backer of the enterprise,
declared then that "a true endurance
test, to determine how long the motor
would rum" was the object of the con-
tinued flight.
Joyous Antics Show Condition.
The Cleveland record, made by Roy
L. Mitchell and Byron K. Newcomb,
was broken by Mendell and Reinhart
at 2:30:29 pm. yesterday. The fine
physical condition of the flyers then was
evidenced by their joyous antics.
Reinhart stood in the rear cockpit
waving jubilantly to the cheering crowd
below. Mendell chief pilot, dipped the
plane low over the field, also raising his
head to display wide grin.
The biplane then was spiraled high
and diVed down, once more to swoop
close above the ground, and of again
to add more hours to the record.
The new holders of the record con-
ceived the idea of attempting to set a
new mark while in Juarez, Mexico,
cafe shortly before James Kelly and r.
L. Robbins, Texas flyers, started on a
flight at Fort Worth that ended in their
establishing a record of 172 hours 80
minutes and l second.
Paul Whittier, one of the hackers of
Mendell and Reinhart In their present
record breaking flight, related that
Mendell suggested it while he, Reinhart
and Whittier were dining in the cafe
with Robbins. Mendell's close friend.
If you can make 1t In that old
crate" Mendell was quoted as remark
ing to Robbins, who was planning the
Fort Worth flight, well 60 out and
break any record you set" The "old
crate" was the rebuilt plane in which,
with a reconditioned single motor,
Robbins and Kelly astounded the avia-
ton world by smashing the tri-motored
Question Marks refueling flight record
of just over, $50 hours at Los Angeles
last January.
Whittier said Mendell, Reinhart and
himself went to Dallas to purchase two
biplanes, which they flew to California
just before the start of the Fort Worth
flight After arriving here. the three
decided that different type of plane
was needed for the attempt.
They purchased the Angeleno. Their
refueling plane, Whittier added, Is one
of the planes purchased In Texas.