Evening star., 1930-05-24
NAVY CRAFT READY
|. FOR CURT|SS RACE
Marine Trophy Race Today
to Be Staged Despite
Weather Threat.

both planes ana phoCS.
In the diving attack the entire squad
ron comes straight down on the target
from an altitude of thousands of feet,
motors wide open, the planes attaining
speeds in excess of $50 mile per hour.
Just above the target the squadron
pulls out of the dive and in actual war
fare bombs are released at this point OF
the maneuver. The effectiveness OF
this form of attack depends upon its
unexpectedness, the planes coming
down from out of sight behind clouds
the naked eye SO fast that guns cannot
follow them.
The three-way attack Is designed to
bewilder anti-ailcraft gun crews aboard
the ship attacked. Dividing into three
parts, the planes of the squadron dive
upon the target from three points of
the compass in rapid succession.
Insignia Is Boar's Head.
The insignia of the Red Rippers is a
red boar's head, tusks barred, above
shield across which flashes a crimson
streak OF lightning. The squadron dis.
tinctive color is blue, used on the tail
assembly. The plane of Comdr. Camp
man may be distinguished by crimson
band around the fuselage just behind
the wings. The plane Of the leader OF
ed by a black band in the same place
and the planes of the section leaders by
bands of white, blue, green and yellow.
These markings are standard in all
squadrons.
The Red Rippers were followed into
the air by O crack Marine Corps aero
batic section Of three planes sent here
East Coast Expeditionary Force. The
section Is led by Lieut.. Christian
F. shit, hero of the Nicaraguan cam
paign, who received the Distinguished
Flying Cross for gallantry In rescuing
wounded Marines by airplane under hos
tile machine-gun and rifle fire. He
landed repeatedly in a narrow village
street swept by enemy fire to pick up
wounded men, his plane being struck
many times and one of his passengers
receiving a bullet through the heel.
Lieut.. Shifts section Is composed OF
single -seater fighters, the other two
planes being piloted by Lieuts. G. D.
Chappell and w. p. Young.
The afternoons exhibition will be
brought to a close by q demonstration
of individual acrobatics by Lieut.. Mat
tias B. Gardner, operations ofdcer at
/ the Anacostia Naval Air Station, who
Is rated as one of the best Navy aero
batic pilots. Lieut.. Gardner will ny
the Navy fighter developed by Lieut..
Afford J. williams. jr.. for inverted n.y.
ing and is to demonstrate the most
recent principles of upside-down flying.
The Curtiss Marine Trophy races,
held annually since 1915 except for
three years during the World War
period, have attained recognition as the
foremost seaplane classic Of the year in
America and one Of the worlds leading
seaplane events.
The Curtiss Trophy was donated In
1911 by Glenn Hammond CurtiSS, p1o-
neer in the development of the sea-
plane, and first was competed for in
1915. The contest for the trophy is
flown each year under rules and regu-
lations promulgated by the contest COM
mittee of the National Aeronautic AS
sociation.
Limited to Naval Craft.
Today's race Is limited to seaplanes
and flying boats Of United States Navy
service types and the distance Is 100
miles, or five laps Of q 20-mile course.
The starting and finishing line Is In
front of the Anacostia Naval Air Sta
ton, the turning pylons being between
Hains Point and the War College, In
the middle of the Potomac 10 miles
downstream, on the Alexandria water
front, and on the Maryland waterfront
opposite Alexandria.
There are to be five types OF Navy
service planes entered, but all will be
in the air at one time. They are to
cross the starting line for flying start,
minutes being allowed for all planes
of each type to start, or 10 minutes
for all planes of all Ave types to cross
the. starting line. Finish time will be
taken when each plane crosses the line
after completing five laps.
The Curtiss Trophy goes to the pilot
of the plane completing five laps Of
the course In the shortest elapsed time,
which makes it almost certain that
one of the Navy fighters will be the
winner. There will be II other prizes,
however, including prizes for winners
in each type of lane.
Pilots Skill to Decide Winner.
The race this year is to be decided
largely by skill displayed by the COM
peting pilots. as all special equipment
has been ruled out and all planes will
have an equal chance in their own
classes. The planes all must be equipped
to receive seaplane floats without
alterations. No ventura cowling will be
| allowed on the engines. The planes
will be stripped Of ordnance equipment,
| radio night flying equipment and will
carry only sufficient fuel and oil to
complete the race. The planes. how
ever, may be specially streamlined, pro-
viding no permanent change is made
| in the structure. Standard engines are
to be used, as for normal operating
conditions. .. ...s,.. -..
Because of the ruling out of special
| equipment, the race is expected to be
the most closely contested in recent
years. Regardless of types, all planes
entered win have equal opportunities
| to compete for the second most i'm
portant Of the trophies offered for the
! day, the ingalls, Trophy. donated by
David S.. ingalls,, Assistant Secretary
of the Navy for Aeronautics. The
Ingalls, Trophy is awarded to the plane
making the best speed in comparison
with the speed rating accorded its type
by the Navy Bureau Of Aeronautics.
The Pittsburgh Screw & Bolt Cor
poration will present a cup to the win
ner in the training plane class. Other
awards will be for first, second and
third places in each of the type classes
| and will consist of q wrist watch for
| first place, a cigarette case for second
and a cigarette box for third. The
prizes will be offered by the following
aeronautical companies: For the fighter
class, the Curtiss Airplane 81 Motor Co.;
for the torpedo and bombardment class,
| the Glenn L. Martin Co.; for the OBJ
| servation plane class, the Chance
Vought Corporation; for the amphibian
class, by the keystone Aircraft Cor
poration, and for the training plane
class, by the Wright Aeronautical