Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-26
ENDURANCE RECORD.
FALLS TO z TEXANS.
Question Marks Time Beat
en-Pair Set 200 Hours
as Flight Goal.
Continued From First Page.)

that he had already operated it for
500 hours and that it had been used
before he purchased the monoplane
secondhand.
II know everything about the motor
as 1t is" he told representatives of the
manufacturer, and l like it. II it was
rebuilt it might be a better motor, but
wouldn't know how to coax it as we'll
as do. It's been going good and I'm
afraid to take chance by changing
it,"
In the sixteenth refueling operation
ITO gallons of gasoline with food and
oil were transferred. Robbins and
Kelly wore broad grins as they took on
their cargo and indicated in pantomime
that the motor sounded as If 1t would
run forever.
The crowd seemed much interested
in the refueling contact, which was &C
complished above the flying field.
Several worn parts were replaced, but
no attempt was made to rebuild the
motor from the block up
A factor in the smooth performance
in the grueling test Is the provision
made by Robbins and Kelly for greas-
ing the rocker arms. Once a day Kelly
climbs out under the nose of the plane
and from his precarious perch applies
the grease.
RefuelinE Ship Ready for More.
Worn rocker arms caused the failure
OF one Of the three motors OF the Ques-
ton Mark and forced the plane down.
The fifteenth refueling of the Fort
Worth was accomplished this morning
and K. K. Hoffman and H. S. Jones,
who handle the supply plant, made
preparations to continue servicing the
endurance ship for another so hours.
A large crowd gathered at the air
port today to watch the final phase of
the assault Of the record of the CUES
ton Mark, which far surpassed any
other mark for sustained flight. Wives
of both of the pilots we're on hand.
Lady Heath arrived by plane today
and went I'D alongside the Fort Worth
to catch a glimpse of the endurance
flyers.
For establishing new worlds record
Robbins and Kelly each will receive
$500 from the Fort Worth Association
of Commerce. Hoffman and Jones will
receive $4,000 each for their efforts in
operating and refueling the plane.
Morning Refueling Difficult.
This mornings refueling was one of
the most difficult of the flight A low
ceiling and bumpy air forced the pilots
to fly 40 miles to the northwest before
they could make contact and even then
the air was bumpy.
The flyers were increasingly jubilant
as the zero hour for the worlds record
drew near. Back and forth across the
field the plane swooped. The pilot off
duty was standing in the rear cockpit.
dancing. waving at friends and giving
every evidence Of overwhelming happi-
ness
Pilots expressed amaZement at the
fact that Robbins and Kelly. with prob
ably less detailed preparation than any
other big flight has had, were apparently
so far from the end of their rope.
Record Planes Compared.
The Question Mark was thoroughly
tuned, carried q five-man crew so that
there was time for every one to sleep,
had a refueling crew which had prac-
ticed the operation. carefully, and it's
own crew also had practiced refueling.
The Fort Worth, on the other hand,
had only a l5-minutel trial hop the
morning of the take-off and neither
the refueling crew nor the crew of the
Fort Worth ever had refueled the plane
in the air The first actual refueling
occurred almost "a hours after the flight
was under way. The only practice
either crew had was two experiments
in which a hose was lowered from the
refueling plane and caught by the
Fort Worth. No gasoline was lowered
CALIFORNIAN SEEKS RECORD.