Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-07
BAYLES MISSES AIR
MARK -FOUR TIMES
May Attempt Record Tomor-
roW-Does 271 Miles
an Hour.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated 1TeSS
CLEVELAND, September Lowell
Bayles of Springfield. Mass, today
failed in his attempt to set new land
plane speed record at the National Air
Races.
He piloted his Gee Bee low wing
monop ane four times over an official
3 kilometer course attaining as his
fastest speed with the wind 27l.142
miles an hour. His fourth dash was
not timed and his average for the first
two was 257408. approximately 10 miles
an hour slower than the plane attained
last Tuesday on four unofficial dashes
over a mile course.
He indicated III might try again to-
morrow. His motor was about 200
revolutions a minute slower than last
Tuesday, he said.
The crowds want to see what their
hero, Mai. Doolittle. who Friday set a
new transcontinental dash record, will
do with his green and yellow Laird so
luton type" biplane and its 420-horse-
power Wasp motor.
On a mile straightaWay Saturday
Mai. Jimmy shot his plane 272 miles
an hour. His wour-way average was
255 miles an hour.
Since Saturday however, Maj. Doc
little has altered his plane to make 1t
faster.
The world speed record of 27s.S was
set back in 1924 in France. The closest
an American has come to 1t was 266.
Another favorite in the Thompson
competition-the red Wedell Williams
monoplane, piloted by J. r. Wedell OF
Patterson, La.-came up for attention
Gee Bee in the 50mile free-for-all to
place second 1t averaged 221 miles
an hour. His four-Way average was
hour faster than last years Thompson
trophy winner.
A fourth plane among the Thompson
Trophy high steppers was disabled yes
terday. 1t is the larger of the two San
Francisco mystery planes" piloted by
Ray Moore. After finishing the free
for-all the motor stalled while 40 feet
in the air and the plane "pancaked"
to the ground, breaking the retractible
landing gear.
Moore said he would try to repair
the damage, but was uncertain whether
1t could be done in tirl~.
Other Thompson Trophy race en-
trants are Ben o. Howard, Chicago
Howard Special; Louis Reichers, New
York, Lockheed Latair; Ira S. Eaker,
Washington, Lockheed Altar; Harold
S. johnson, Chicago. Lockheed Orion;
Red" Dale, Jackson, st. Louis. Laird
Solution; S. j. Whitman, Oshkosh, Wis,
Whitman Racer: Robert Clampett, San
Francisco, Keith Rider Special, the
smaller Of the two mystery planes.
Jackson, a refueling endurance flyer.
substituted for Leland Schoenhair OF
Cleveland yesterday and will fly the
plane which won last years Thompson
Trophy race.
Miss Maude TAFT of Springfield,
Mass, was the 1881 holder of the Aerol
trophy which was presented to the VIM
ner of 50-mile closed course race for
women yesterday. She averaged 1877
miles an hour.
The women at the air races so far
have failed to fulfill their ambition to
fly as fast as Ruth Nichols did on a
straightaway in Chicago last year
They were aiming at her world-speed
mark of 210 miles an hour.
fourth aviator to join the famous
Caterpillar Club during the races was
Walter Hunter of Sparta, Ill, who
bailed out yesterday at 200 feet when
his plane caught FIRE. He was In hos
pital with secondary burns.