Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-03
AIR RACES REVEAL
PLANE SPEEDGA|N
Commercial Machine Makes
History by Defeating
Service Craft.

nv JOSEPH 8. EDGERTON.
.. Aviation Rditer Of The star.

,
nv JOSEPH 9. EDGERTON.
: =. Aviation Editor Of The Star.
CLEVELAND, Ohio. September 81
Although the construction OF planes OF
the racing type for participation In the
National Air Races virtually came to
close when the Pulitzer races, q former
feature of the national meet. were abaI1-
doned several years ago, 1t Is noticeable
that the average speeds Of the various
types Of planes entered have increased
materially since last year.
The Pulitzer events were discontinued
after speeds of better than 20O miles per
hour were realized and it became evil
dent that further increases would neceS-
state landing speeds so great as to In
crease the hazard to planes and pilots
beyond any BENEFITS to be derived.
NeA- Racing Types Compete.
Since the discontinuance OF the Pu-
litaer event. In which. for several years
the Army and Navy were the chief con-
testants, the many races which feature
the annual air classic now in progress
here, have Seen confined to planes Of
the non-racing type.
This year there have been races for
light planes, cabin passenger planes OF
various sizes and the various types OF
military planes assigned here by the
Army, Navy and Marine Corps from the
pursuit up to the bombsrdment clsssifi-
cations.
In practically all Of the races. new
speed records have been established
many Of them representing considerable
increases over those made year ago by
planes of the same types. The steady
trend toward higher speeds which is SO
evident this year is the result Of better
designing and construction and more
powerful and compact engines.
The range OF speeds in the CONNER
cial plane races has been quite large
from slightly less than 100 miles per
hour for the light plane types to better
than $50 miles per hour in the heavy
cabin plane class.
TIVE Mystery" Planes.
There are two mystery" planes or
the nel6 here this week both of them
low.wing monoplanes built by Travelair
which are the only special high-speeo
ships built for the meet. One of them
proved to be q disappointment, ane
little has been seen Of it in action. Thu
other, however, is the fastest plan,
here and is credited with top speed
of between 200 and 225 miles per hour
Over the triangular course it made Sc
miles 1T 194.9 miles per hour in yes.
terday's free-for-an race.
This ship was built primarily fol
nnaneuVeFability and some Of the finesa
acrobatic flying OF the meet has beer
performed in 1t by Freddy Lund anc
Doug Davis Of Atlanta, Ga two OF the
countrys most renowned civilian aero.
battle pilots.
The increased speeds realized In thu
commercial plane races are the result
OF demands OF air transport operators
for planes capable OF maintaining bet
ter schedules over the various air lines
OF the Nation. The passenger plane
which cruises ut less than 100 miles pei
hour already is obsolescent. and the
cruising speeds are climbing with each
new plane series.
TT is obvious that We must have
speed and more speed from our com
nlerciai ships, Lieut.. Eric Nelson mem.
her OF the Army round-the- world figh
and now connected with one Of tn,
countfy.s largest air transport com
panies; told the writer. =
what the Operator Must Sell.
What d II the air transport operates
must sell to the public? Certainly h,
Is not baslng his sales upon the ele.
ment of c0hifo-t.. since in present. ay
practice space In, passenger, Planes, q:
in motor 'buSses must naturally be at 9
premium, and there cannot be the free
dom or passenger movement necessary
for comfort on long trips.
Nor can he sell safety as q primary
consideration, though the factor OF
safety today is higher than ever before
and is increasing, The man who de-
mands safety above everything else in
transportation is not the prospective
passenger we are seeking. ~,
Nor Is it simply transportation we
are selling. The man who Is seeking
merely transportation in which the ele-
n1eYit of time II of relatively secondary
importance does not turn to the afr as
o general rule. - .,...
"Of course, there il an element of
novelty about air transportation which
at present accounts for . portion Of
air travel on all transport lines. That.
however, ia. an element upon which we
cannot build and Is Of transitory im-
portance. -. -.
what IL it, then. that we have to
offer in air transportation that places
us apart from all other forms of trans
portAtion? Speed Is the Inevitable an
swer. 1t is speed we have to sell. It
is speed We must have for successful
sir operation"
Ships Are StSnssf.
Not only have the speeds of the
average commercial plane been in
creased. this show has revealed, but
the ships are much better than their
predecessors. They are more eficient,
structurally stronger and aerodynam-
ically better. They are much fmore
maneuverAble. Some OF the finest aero
hatic flying here. with the exception Of
that by Lieut.. James Doolittle Of the
the Navy, has been done In civilian
ships! j. This stunting has not been con-
fined to special jobs such rs the low
wing TtAvelair, but hes been done most
spectacularIy in stock planes, among
them huge tri-motored Ford all-metal
transport.
The feat Of Doug Davis yesterday aft
ernoon IN winning the free-for-all race
In his commercial low-wing monoplane
new era for commercial aviation in
this country. It is the first time in
history any commercial plane has
beaten Army and Navy entries in any
race F..
Not only did the fleet little red and
black streek win handily, but a second
commercial plane also came In ahead
of the Navy entry, new Prestone-
cooled, Curtiss Hawk Navy lighting
pl1ia naval aircraft factory and flown
here by Lieut.. j. J. Clark Of the Ana.
costa Naval Air station, at Washing
ton. .
Davis won an easy victory. He came
IN by q wide margin. although he un-
Willingly cut one Of the pylons and hac
to 20 back and circle tt again. losing
many precious seconds. Nevertheless
he came in more than half q minut'
ahead or the second plane, an Army
Roeing pursuit plane, equipped with thu
new motor cowling, designed by TIT