New Britain herald., 1929-05-27
Ent,ur.nce Mark Broken

Fort Worth, Tex, May .7 ~' - : Having added almost full day to :, the worlds endurance flight record, R, L. Robbins and James Kelly eschewed the admiration of the na- ton and slept today while experts made a careful examination or their single motored monoplane Fort Worth, which they brought to earth yesterday after soaring al' most seven and one-half days. The two pilots one an ex-cowboN the other a former railroad me- chanic, added a new line to the ll- lustrious record started by the Wright brothers one minute flight at Kittyhawk, N. C., in 1903, by keeping the Fort Worth aloft in good and bad weather for 172 hours, g minutes and one second. The record beats the mark of 15o hours. % minutes and Is seconds made by the army monoplane Question Mark" by o1 hours, 51 minutes and 59 seconds. The army plane had three motors. crew of -hve men and an expert ground crew. " Robbins has had six years ex- perience as fier, but Kelly came of the range only a year and a half ago and a course in flying : which he took technically ended in April, although his skill gave him . job with the Texas Air Transport corporation long before that time.
 The two fliers divided credit for the success of their flight. Kelly pointed out that Robbins ability to i. get the most out of the motor, with out straining it was largely respon- sible for it's performance. Robbins attributed large share of their suc- cess to tho intrepidity of Kelly who frequently crawled all around the hood of the plane to grease the valve rocker arms.
 l The Question Mark was brought to earth by valve trouble.
 It was on one of these trips to ', grease the valves that Kelly had an accident which eventually forced the plano down.
 ". \ loose buckle on his safety belt nicked both blades of the propeller and during Saturday nights rain . storms moisture penetrated the scar On the blades and caused the pro- peiler to swell and split. ae. Shortly after noon yesterday the pitak dropped . note saying the pro fp4lfer was vibrating badly and that ! 'they would have to. descend soon. They kept the plane in the air. how ever, until . moment after 4:o5 p. hi. They decided that the risk of the propeller flying to pieces and peehaps causing them to crash was too great. Robbins made a perfect landing.
 . The plane scarcely had touched the ground when the enthusiastic crowd sloshing through mud. was ,Upon 1t. A fence. cordon of police and . special guard around the rlane. wilted before the rush. The special guard was crushed back against the fuselage and the commit . aee of 100 which was to greet the hiers had to take its turn with the other spectators. Some semblance of order finally was obtained and Mrs. . Nebbfus and Mrs. Kelly. bride of :. fsw weeks, were carried to the plane over the heads of the crowd. - Police and volunteers fought the crowd back inch by inch as the
 plane was brought up to the line. l. The jam in front of it was so tight that many daintily shod women lost their shoes. and went home with their hose and dresses covered with n mud.
 The hiers had very little 10 say. They were slightly deaf and content
 ed themselves for the most part with
 srinning happily at the news reel cameras and the crowd. , .. Robbins and Kelly planned today ? :o rest and possibly read the many . letters of congratulations they have
 received and also contracts which
 .heater1 and various firms have of
 fered.
 ~ Each of the pilots won total of . s1 100 from several air transport
 companies and a purse of $15,000 is .. being raised for them by the Fort
 Worth Association of Commerce.
 Tomorrow they will attend a ban ~ quet given in their honor by 1000
 local citizens.
 "Miss Ranger still Up
 :, Minneapolis. May 27 P1More .- than 40 hours of continuous flying