The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-09-05
DOOLITTLE IS
OUT TO CRACK
SPRINT MARKS
Flies Back to Cleveland,
Seeking New American
Land Records.
III HOURS ACROSS U. S
Wins Bendix Trophy and
Goes on to Shatter
Other Figures.
BY JOHN OWEN
United Press staff Correspondent

United Press staff Correspondent
CLEVELAND, Sept. Major
James H. Doolittle, scientist, me-
chanic and ace f1ier was on his way
here today to supervise preparation
Of his ans-continental record
smashing Laird biplane for the
Thompson trophy race, speed classic
of the national air races.
Doolittle left Lambert-St. Louis
field, st. Louis, at 8:11 a. m. for
this city.
Doolittle flew to st. Louis from
here Friday night after spanning
the continent in II hours and IS
minutes, during which he won the
Bendix trophy race to Cleveland.
Planning an assault on the Amer
lean land plane speed record, Doc
little was to replace the Wasp Jr.
motor, which carried him across the
nation, with a supercharged engine
Of the same design.
Predicts New Speed Mark
He predicted he would add the
Thompson trophy and a new speed
mark to the three records shattered
in his coast-to-coast dash.
Although his trim little "skyways
buzzard" hurtled across the con-
tinent and back to Cleveland in less
than thirteen hours, the former
army test pilot plans to increase
its speed by forty miles an hour be-
fore the Thompson race, scheduled
for Monday.
After winning the Bendix derby,
the former army ace continued on
to New York Friday to break Capt.
Frank M. Hawks trancontinental
record.
The modest little st. Louis f1ier.
who is 35, was inclined to make
light of his cross country dash. He
attributed the new record to his
plane.
Best Ship in Career
II have never flown a better
Ship" said Doolittle, winner of the
1925 Schneider cup. ct was hard
to handle, but I was able to main
tain a speed of over 220 miles an
hour for the 2,400 miles.
There were few spots along the
route where I could have set the
plane down, if necessary. It has a
landing speed of 80 miles an hour.
We bucked headwind part of the
way, but later 10-mile tail wind
caught me and was big help"
Doolittle won $500 for first place
In the Bendix derby when he land
ed here 9 hours and 10 minutes
after taking off from Los Angeles.
He added $4,000 when he landed at
Newark for the new record l hour
and 81 minutes after leaving Cleve-
land. Harold S. johnson, Chicago.
won $4,000 for second place in the
derby, and Beeler Blevins, Atlanta.
Ga, who finished third, won $4,000.
While Doolittle'S phenomenal
flight captured the imagination of
the nation, two other pilots worked
over their planes, tuning them I'D
to challenge the Bendix winner for
the Thompson honors.
Two Are ChalIengers
The pilots are Lee Schoenhair
and Lowell Bayles, Springfield.
Mass. Schoenhair was to fv his
Laird biplane, sister ship to the
one pilote dby Doolitte, from ST.
Louis today.
BayleS was scheduled to f1y over
the three-kilometer course TODAY in
an official attempt to establish a.
new land plane record.
Flying Gee-Bee special. the
Springfield pilot unof1cially broke
the mark of 266 miles an hour. now
held by Lieutenant Alfred Williams
last Tuesday. The Thompson classic
is expected to a three cornered race
among Doolittle, Schoenhair and
BayleS.
Goodyear balloons fIoated over the
airport today to celebrate Akron
DAY at the air show. among the
Akron visitors was Judge Walter B.
Wannamaker, American war pilot
Inc Jurist was to meet Captain
Ernst Udet, the German wasp"
who shot him down during the war.
Captain Udet is here as a member
OF the international military stunt
flying team.
Wiley Post and Harold Gattv.
flying their round-the-world speed
ster, the Winnie Mae, were to arrive
here this afternoon for participation
in the race show. The globe fIers
will make brief addresses to the
spectators. Neither will compete in
race events.