1930 National Air Races and Aeronautical Exposition
By
Bill Meixner
The 1930 National Air Races were moved to Chicago, IL. The
race site was
the Curtiss-Reynolds Airport, race dates
were August 23rd to September 1st.
The first
Thompson Trophy Race would take place in Chicago.
1930 Poster
(Sid Bradd collection)
Aerial view of the Air Race site at Curtiss Field
1930 Logo
Granville Bros. side by-side two seat
biplane on display at the Expo
(Sid Bradd Collection)
1930 Race official describing
the
current event to
the
crowd.
U.S. Marine Corps fighters on display
(Sid Bradd collection)
(Sid Bradd Collection)
Capt. Mc Ready crashed during one of the smaller
cubic inch races. Miraculously, he escaped with only
a broken nose.
The men's non-stop cross country derby ( Los Angeles to Chicago)
attracted no less than four Lockheed Vega's and one air express.
1st place Wiley Post
2nd place Art Goebel
3rd place Lee Schoenair
4th place William Brock
5th place Roscoe Turner (Air Express)
(Hubbell Print)
Wiley Post's Lockheed Vega later became the" Winnie Mae"
The Women's Class A Pacific Derby from Long Beach CA to Chicago IL
1st place Gladys O'Donnell in a Waco
2nd place Mildred Morgan in a Travel Air
3rd place Jean La Rene in a American Eagle
The Women's class B Dixie Race from Washington DC to Chicago IL
1st place Phoebe Omlie in a Monocoupe
2nd place Martie Bowman in a Fleet
3rd place Laura Ingalls in a DH Moth
The Thompson Trophy Race
After the embarrassing defeat of the Nation's finest pursuit ships in
the 1929 races
at Cleveland, the
military was out for revenge. This time the Navy would attempt to put
the civilian
aircraft manufacturers in their place. This year was sure to be different!
The Navy had a plan; take the Curtiss Hawk Seaplane F6C-3 that won the 11th and final
Curtiss Marine Trophy Race at Anacosta Navel Air Station on May 31st. and have Curtiss
modify it to Navy Specifications.
The
lower wing was removed and part of the upper wing was covered
with coolant radiators. Seaplane floats were replaced with a set of streamlined
landing gears with special wheel pants. The stock Curtiss D-12 engine was
replaced with a 700hp supercharged Curtiss Conqueror with a new
cowling.
The modified Hawk had a top speed potential of 250mph at it's
best altitude and a projected average speed of 220mph in the race.
The Travel Air R that won the Thompson Cup was now owned by Curtiss-Wright
and was on tour for the Company. Several more Travel Air R’s were produced; one
was purchased by the Shell Oil Co., the other by Texaco.
Jimmy Haizlip with the Shell Travel
Air entry
Texaco Travel Air flown by Frank Hawks
Benny Howard, a Airline pilot who got his start in
aviation by
flying the Air Mail, designed and built this low powered but
very streamlined little ship to fit the size of his body.
Benny
made a name for himself in the first "Thompson Trophy Race.
Benny and "Pete"
Lee Schoenair, chief pilot of the B.F.
Goodrich Company and
second place winner of the 1929 cross-country race called "Matty" Laird
president of the E. M. Laird Aircraft Company of Chicago and asked him
to build a racer for the 1st Thompson Trophy Race. There was a little over
three weeks time to complete the plane, but Laird agreed it could be done.
"Matty" Laird, "Speed" Holman and Lee Schoenair standing (L-R)
in front of the just completed racer. A last minute decision put "Speed"
Holman in the pilot' seat due to his Laird racing experience.
(Sid Bradd collection)
Starting line-up for the Thompson Trophy Race
With 44 scheduled events, the first Thompson Trophy Race would
be the big attraction
of the meet. As expected the revamped Curtiss Hawk flown
Arthur Page of the United
States Marine Corps. took an early lead
and after several laps, passed or lapped
the entire field. The race now concentrated on second
place with Speed Holman and
Jim Haizlip virtually side by side. As Page approached home
pylon for lap seven, he
suddenly pulled up and out of the race and than slid off on the left wing and
nosed down
and and crashed in sight of the grandstands. Captain Page died of injures
the next day.
"Speed" Holman won by a very narrow margin over Jim
Haizlip. The Laird would be
the only biplane to win the Thompson Trophy Race.
The Thompson Trophy Race entries
| Place | Pilot | Rae No. | License No. | Speed |
| 1 st | Speed Holman | 77 | NR10538 | 201.91 |
| 2nd | Jim Haizlip | 26 | NR482N | 199.8 |
| 3rd | Ben Howard | 37 | NR2Y | 162.8 |
| 4th | Paul Adams | 81 | 449W | 142.64 |
| DNF | Frank Hawks | 13 | NR1313 | Out 3rd lap |
| DNF | Errett Williams | 92 | NR536V | Out 8th lap |
| DNF | Capt. Page | 27 | A-7147 | Crashed |
The Laird "Solution" changed hands a
number of times and was modified to
attain greater speed. It never again became a challenger and was finally acquired
by the New England Air Museum in Windsor Locks (Bradley Field) Connecticut
and was restored to it's original form where It is currently on display.
(Bill Meixner collection)
In 1930 the Cleveland Municipal Airport would be host to the Gordon Bennett
International Balloon Race and Aerial Carnival, August 31st and September 1st.
The Army sent a Pursuit, Bomber and an Observation Squadron. The Navy and
"Jimmie" Doolittle were scheduled to pay a visit.
(Sid Bradd collection)
The City of Cleveland balloon about to be launched
Photos are from the Wes Hansen collection except where noted.
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| Updated Sunday, January 10, 2010 |