Society of Air Racing Historians

 

 

1947 National Air Races

By Bill Meixner


1947 Logo

The 3-day 1947 National  Air  Race's at Cleveland attracted an unprecedented 104 entries competing  for  a  total  purse of $125,000 
with 16  competitive  events compared  to  last  year's 5. Expanded  grandstands  to hold 100,000 people  with  200,000 estimated to
watch  from  the  countryside. A landscape  garden  facing center front of the grandstand was created in four days containing 1100 sq.
yards of turf, a lily  pool  60' x 200' with 50 gold carp and  a  dozen water lily's.  All the trophy's were displayed in this area for all to see.
The  Navy  was represented  by  no  less than  two Rear Admiral's, one being the youngest flying Admiral. The newly  formed Air Force
was represented by General Carl Spatz. The Aviators  Ball & Dinner Dance at  the Hotel Carter  was attended  by  more than 200 high ranking  officers,  New  this  year was  small  class of racers, sponsored by the Goodyear Tire Co. Designed and built  by  the pilot and
crew flying a 2 mile course, they would be in  view of  the  grandstands for the majority  of  the  race. More  military  jets  would  compete
 this  year, new was  the Allison Race to Indianapolis and back. Fred Crawford, president of the National Air Races said in an interview
"Cleveland will be the most exciting spot on earth this weekend"

 


Official program cover

 

Bendix Trophy Race

 

               An estimated  20 thousand  people  arrived at the  Van Nuys  airport to witness the start of the 1947 Bendix 2048 mile race
               to  Cleveland OH.  Only 13 aircraft  were  entered  this  year. Bill Odom was the only  non-starter.  Bill had fuel cells installed
               in  the  wings  of his  massive  Republic YP-47-M  at  Dallas  Aero  Service  plus  two 300 gal. external fuel tanks. When Bill
               arrived  before  dawn for the  start of  the race he  discovered  a  massive  amount  of  fuel on  the  ground  under  the plane.
               The  fuel cells  had developed  leaks  overnight  and it would  not  be possible  to  make repairs, so Bill withdrew. Jim Ruble
               entered a highly  modified  P-38 with  two tip tanks  and  two  under-wing  fuel  tanks. On take-off  the  starboard  165 gal tip
               tank fell  off rupturing  on contact with the runway into a huge fireball. Jim was able to maintain control and climb to 35,000 ft.
               over Arizona the port turbo-supercharger caught fire and Jim managed to bail out of the burning plane and landed safely on
               an Indian reservation. Paul Mantz with the aid of a tailwind set a new record and won his second consecutive Bendix Trophy.

 

Bendix "R" division 

Place

             Pilot

  Race No.

        Aircraft

      Speed

     Time
1

    Paul Mantz

 46

 P-51-C 460.423 4:42:14
2

   Joe DeBona

 90 P-51-D 458.203 428:15
3

   Ed Lunkin

 33 P-51-D 408.723 5:00:43
4

   Bruce Gimbel

 13 P-51-B 404.080 5:04:10
5   William Eddy 31 P-51-D 376.549 5:26:25
6   Tom Mayson 60 P-51-C 376.084 5:26:49
7   Frank Whitton 99 FG1 320.025 6:24:04
8  William Lear Jr 25 F5G 292.680 6:59:57
9  Jane Page Hlavcek 63 F5G 247.812 8:15:59
   Jim Ruble 88 P-38 - 1
   Dianna Cyrus 91 A-26 - 2
   Joe Kinkella 92 P-63 - 3
   Bill Odom 42 P-47-M   4

                                                1 Bailed out over Arizona
                                                2 Landed in Michigan
                                                3 Landed at Pueblo, Colorado
                                                4 Did not start, fuel leak

 

            
                                         Paul Mantz                                                                                                         Joe DeBona

                                                                                                                                                                           
              
                                           Bruce Gimbel                                                                                                Ed Lunkin



                
                                       William Eddy                                                                                                      Tom Mayson

 

                   
                                         Frank Whitton                                                                                                     Wm Lear Jr.

  

                 
                                      Jane Page Hlavcek                                                                                                 Jim Ruble


              
                                            Dianna Cyrus                                                                                                   Joe Kinkella
 

                                                           
                                                                                                             Bill Odom

 

Bendix "J" division    
 

Place

Pilot

 Aircraft

Speed

Time

 1

   Col. Leon Gray    FP-80-A5       507.255      4:02:18
      2   Maj. Clay Albright      P-80-A       486.280          1
      3   Capt. W.S. Patterson      P-80-A       463.968          2
        1st Lt. E. A. Klapel      P-80-A                3

                                                            1 & 2 Landed in Dayton OH due to weather                                                  
 3 Landed in Kansas, engine problem


 


(Lucabaugh) Kevin Grantham Collection
Col. Leon Gray


                                  

                                                                                                         
                                          SOHIO  (Standard  Oil  of  Ohio)  sponsored  the  $5,500  P-38  race.   Sohio  provided  the  fuel 
                                          for most of the  air racer's, they  also provided the fuel for  the Wright  Brothers first flight in 1903.                              
                                          No time trials,  limited to 12 racers due  to  the  racehorse start. Outcome of the race  depended
                                          largely on flying skill, especially on rounding pylons and the ability to improve the aircraft's speed.  

 

                                         Lockheed test pilot Tony LeVier who helped develop the P-38  "Lightening" that proved itself in air
                                         battles over Germany and in the Pacific theater made the Sohio a one man race. Tony in his bright
                                         red  No 3 took the lead in the first lap and finished the race two miles ahead of the field. J.D. Reed
                                         Of  Houston  Texas  entered two P-38's, Charles Walling flew No 14 "Sky Ranger" to second place
                                         and Ivis Hill flew  No 66  "Green Hornet "  to  third. John Thompson's  No 27  was  forth  and  Sonny
                                         Hlavacek  was a rather  slow fifth flying a tired No 63  that  his wife  flew in the  Bendix "R" Division.                                                                          

 SOHIO Trophy Race

105 miles  7 laps of a 15 mile course
 

Place

Pilot

Race No

 Aircraft

Speed

1

   Tony LeVier

3

      P-38L-5  360.866
       2   Charles Walling 14 P-38  351.785
       3    Ivis Hill  66  P-38L   347.391
       4    John Thomson  27 P-38   328.739
       5    Sonny Hlavacek  63 *F-5G   270.197
          John Saun  64 P-38  1
          William Lear Jr.  25 *F-5   2

                                                           *Photo version of the P-38
                                                            1 Out 1st lap
                                                            2 Disqualified 

 

           
                                         Tony LeVier                                                                                               Charles Walling

 

           
                                        Ivis Hill                                                                                                           John Thompson




             
                                        Sonny Hlovacek                                                                                                     John Saun

  

                                                                
                                                                                                    William Lear Jr.

 

 

Did anyone fly lower than Tony LeVier ?.

 

 

 

                                                                                                                       

Also new this year, The Kendall Oil Co. sponsored $5,500  P-51 Race. Kendall Oil
Company  had  been  a generous  supporter of air racing  for many  pre-war years.
Kendall Oil Co. reportedly offered a 10% bonus to winning flyers using Kendall Oil.


Woody Edmundson was first  off  the field  and  first  to turn the scatter pylon, not far
behind  was Steve Beville flying No 77 that took  forth place in the 1946 Thompson.
On  lap four, Edmundson's  engine began to  fail  allowing  Beville  to take  the lead.
Believing  he had enough  altitude  to  bail  out  Edmundson  removed  his shoulder
straps, but the A-36 was loosing altitude too fast to jump. Sliding across the ground
 the plane hit a tree, the impact caused serious injury, from which he later recovered.
Jack  Hardwick was  out  in lap three and Anson Johnson in lap 5,  both with engine
problems.  Beville went on  to  win  the first  Kendall  race at a record closed course
speed of 384.6 mph.

 


Kendall Trophy Race

105 miles  7 laps of a 15 mile course
 

Place

Pilot

Race No

 Aircraft

Speed

1

    Steve Beville

77

  P-51-D  384.602
       2    Kendall Everson 44 A-36-A  377.926
       3    Woody Edmundson 15  A-36   372.392
       4    MW Fairbrother  21 P51-D   367.035
       5    William Murray  31  P-51-D   357.084
          Jack Hardwick  34 P-51-C  1
          Anson Johnson  45 P-51-D  2

                                                            1 Out 3rd lap
                                                            2 Out 5th lap


        

             
                                       Steve Beville                                                                                                      Kendall Everson



                
                                      Woody Edmondson                                                                                        MW Fairbrother




                 
                                     William Murray                                                                                                      Jack Hardwick




                                                                     
                                                                                                      Anson Johnson


 

 


                        The Tinnerman Company started out as a local west side Cleveland manufacture of hi-end kitchen ranges, when the
                        National Air Races came to Cleveland they were one of many companies eager to add their support. The Tinnerman
                        name  appeared  on  some  Benny Howard’s  racers.  Albert Tinnerman,  son of the founder created  a  spring  steel
                        fastener known as the "SPEED NUT". This  speed  nut  was  used on  all  aircraft manufactured in the USA for WW II.

 

    Air Race Veteran Steve Wittman led the pack for the first four laps but engine trouble caused Steve to reduce power
   on lap four. Ken Knight, 21 year old former Air Force fighter  pilot  moved into first place and  Charlie Tucker moved
   past  Steve into second place on lap six. Unable to bring the power back up, Steve had to settle for third place.  Ken
    developed  a slight leak in the  water-alcohol line  sending  fumes into the cockpit.  He was  lucky to be  able to finish.

  
                                                  

Tinnerman Trophy Race

105 miles  7 laps of a 15 mile course

 

Place

Pilot

Race No

 Aircraft

Speed

1

    Ken Knight

51

  P-63-A  352.168
       2    Chas Tucker 30  P-63-C-5  347.657
       3    S J Wittman 4  P-63-C-5   367.035
       4    A T Whiteside  87 P-63   313.513
       5    William Bour  55 P-63-A 254.913



 

                       
                                         Ken Knight                                                                                                         Charlie Tucker


 

                        
                                      Steve Wittman                                                                                                    A T Whiteside




                                                              
                                                                                                      Wm Bour

 

                                                                                           
 

   Allison Trophy Race

 500  mile Cross  Country dash  from
Cleveland to Indianapolis and return
 

Place

Pilot

Race No

 Aircraft

Speed

1

    Capt. Bernor

8384

  FP-80-A  494.297
       2    Capt. Bishop 8302  P-80-A  480.425
       3    Lt Col. Schilling 5464  P-80-A   478.227
       4    1st Lt. LaRose  8355 P-80 A   471.523
       5    Capt. Wisner  8303 P-80-A 457.588



 

Goodyear Trophy Race
 

The new light plane race sponsored by the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. of Akron Ohio
was an immediate success, most of the 2.2 mile race course was in view of the stands.
The  idea for the midget-plane  was thought  up at the 1939 pre-war Cleveland National
Air Races but did  not go  beyond the idea stage due to the war in Europe. The rules for
 this  race were  written for the "back-yard  mechanic" without a  lot of  money  to  spend.
The design had to be built around  a  stock 190 hp engine,  fixed  pitched  propeller and
a  non-retractable  landing gear. Due to  the large number of entries the race was run in
elimination  heats of 10 laps,  semi-final heats of 15 laps and final race consisted of 25
 laps around the short rectangular course.
 

Final race of the Goodyear Series.
 

Place

Pilot

Race No

 Aircraft

Speed

1

    Bill Brennand

20

  Buster  165.857
       2    Paul Penrose 5  Swee' Pea  165.393
       3    Fish Salmon 4  Cosmic Wind   158.798
       4    Tony LeVier 3 Little Tony   157.851
       5    Warren Siem  44 Loose Siem 151.270
       6    B F Robertson 19 Brown Spec 143.865

 

 

 

                 
                                   Bill Brennand                                                                                                          Paul Penrose

 

               
                                    Fish Salmon                                                                                                            Tony LeVier

 

               
 Warren Siem                                                                                                          BF Robertson

 

 

The  up-scale Halle Department  Store again  promoted  women in aviation  by supplying  prize
 money  and a great  trophy for the women-only  Halle Race.  Limiting  the race to AT-6 and SNJ
aircraft, the ladies had  modified each one. Absent was Marge Hurlbert, winner in '46,  killed   in
 a  air  show  accident in July. Jane  Page who was  a  very close  second  in the 1946  race was
considered  a favorite to win. One new  entry  this year was  Dori Marland, a Hollywood  actress
and former WASP squadron commander in WW II  Marland's AT-6 was modified with a Ranger
 inline  engine and  carried  a very  attractive red,  white  &  blue paint job. Another new entry was
Edna Whyte, a  veteran  of many  air  races. Another new entry was  Ruth Johnson who  took the
lead on take-off followed very close by Dori Marland. The Ranger engine was  not up to the task
 and  Marland was forced to put  the AT-6 down in a field with little damage to the plane, she was
not injured. Ruth Johnson led the five laps of the fifteen mile race course to win the Halle Trophy.

 


 

Halle Trophy Race

75 miles 5 laps of 15 mile course

 

Place

Pilot

Race No

 Aircraft

Speed

1

    Ruth Johnson

75

  AT-6 Spec  223.390
       2    Grace Harris 44  AT-6 Spec  215.090
       3    Edna Whyte 42  SNJ-2 Mod   210.789
       4    Jane Page 83 AT-6 Mod   209.356
       5    Anna Logan  65 AT-6 Mod 186.851
     Dori Marland 49 AT-6 Mod 1

                                                             1 Crashed not injured

 

                   
                                       Ruth Johnson                                                                                                      Grace Harris


                   
                                        Edna Whyte                                                                                                   Jane Page 



              
                                         Anna Logan                                                                                                      Dori Marland

 

 

 

The Thompson Trophy Race

 

To say that the 1947 Thompson Trophy "R" Div. was the wildest on record would be an accurate statement as many reporters
who witnessed it agreed.  Probably the most exciting 30 minute's in their career. As prescribed by  the contest committee the
twelve  fasted qualifiers positioned on  the  starting  line on the East end of the airport.  Also  setting behind  the  starters  was
a one of a kind  Curtis  P-40-Q  piloted by  Jean Zeigler.  One of the starter's,  a  Goodyear F2-G, piloted by  Ron Puckett was
having  trouble starting his engine. When the starters flag  went  down  the pack roared forward, gained air speed and headed
for the scatter  pylon  Puckett's  engine was still not turning.  Ziegler seeing  only eleven aircraft becoming airborne decided on
his own  to enter  the race  even though he was not one of the qualifiers.  The first to become  airborne was the lightest aircraft,
the  P-39-Q,  last years winner  now flown by  Jay  Demming. As the field  turned home  pylon  the  engine in  Jack  Hardwick's
P-51-C exploded. Looking for a clearing to set  the plane down on  he spotted a small field, but the folks on the ground rushed
in the same direction  causing  Jack to divert into some trees.  The impact was  spectacular with pieces flying in all directions.
Fortunately spectators  pulled him  uninjured  from  the wreckage  before  fire  engulfed  the scene. Jay Demming  led  the first
lap in "Cobra II" . As  the pack  cleared  home  pylon for the first lap  Puckett's engine came to life and went thundering into the
air. It  was now Cleland,  Becker  and  Demming  leading  the field. On  lap  two  Chas. Walling  had to retire  due to an engine
problem. Paul Penrose flying J.D. Reed's Bronze No37 was moving up on lap number 6 when his engine quit. Penrose pulled
up to assess his problem  when  the  engine  restarted, thinking it was okay  he rejoined  the race only to have it quit again. He
was able to get back to the field and make a safe landing. On the seventh lap spectators  south of the  airport  noticed  the  big
black  F2-G  piloted by  Tony Janazzo, owned by Cook Cleland, approached the pylon but did not turn, with the engine running
at full speed it flew  into  the ground and  exploded, killing Janazzo  instantly. Next  one  out was  Woody  Edmonson, on  lap 11
when  his A-36 engine  exploded  South of the airfield.  Once again spectators  rushed  to the scene finding Woody injured but
 walking about looking  for  his  wristwatch.  On lap 14 Jean Ziegler's P-40-Q engine quit as he was approaching the airport, he
released the  canopy and  departed the  aircraft  which dove into the  New York Central Railroad  yards  burying itself under the
rails between  several boxcars.  Ziegler suffered a broken leg in the  parachute jump.  Ron Puckett who had entered the race a
lap behind the field moved steadily into the pack. As the big Corsair was moving in on Beville and LeVier it's  Pratt & Whitney
4360 engine exhaust stacks began cracking allowing fumes into the cockpit, so Puckett elected to retire. Seven of the thirteen
starters were now down,  one fatality, one with  serious injury's. The local favorite Cook Cleland came in first, close behind was
his second  F2-G Corsair piloted by  Dick Becker, Demming  third  followed  by  Beville, LeVier and Bour. It was later reported
that Cook Cleland's dream was to win first, second and third place and to fly the three Corsairs in formation  on the  victory lap.
 It was not to be.


 

Thompson "R" division
300 miles 20 laps of a 15 mile course

  Place           Pilot  Race No      Aircraft    Speed
     1     Cook Cleland        74     F2-G   396.131
     2      Dick Becker        94     F2-G   390.133
     3      Jay Demming        11     P-39-Q-10   367.625
     4      Steve Beville        77     P-51-D   360.840
     5      Tony LeVier         3     P-38-L-5   357.488
     6      William Bour        55     P-63-A   357.465
       Ron Puckett        18     F2G-1

       1
       Woody Edmundson        15     P-51-A        2
       Paul Penrose        37     P-51-D        3
       Tony Janazzo        84     F2G_1        4
       Joe Ziegler        82     P-40-Q        5
       Chas Walling        14     P-38-J        6
       Jack Hardwick        34      P- 51-C        7

                                                              1         Out 19th lap
                                                              2        Crashed 11th lap
                                                              3        Out 6th lap
                                                              4        Crashed 7th lap, fatal
                                                              5        Bailed out
                                                              6        Out 2nd lap
                                                              7        Out 1st lap                         

 

              
                                                                 
                                                                    

 

  Cook Cleland acquired four surplus Navy
  Goodyear built F2-G Corsairs, three to be
  flown and one for static display or parts.
  Cook flew # 74 which had a distinctive
  experimental air scoop. The sub-rudder
  was removed and the flaps were secured
  in the up position. Cook was a dive bomber
  pilot in the South Pacific, retired from the
  United States Navy as a Captain.

 

     
 
  

                                                      

 

    

      The second Cleland Corsair No 94 was flown
      by Cook's close friend Dick Becker. Also a
      ex-Navy pilot, Dick learned to fly at Pearl 
      Harbor on week ends and became an enlisted
      pilot. Retired from the Navy as a Lt. Jg.  He 
      spent a thousand plus hours in  flying boats in
      the South Pacific theater. Dick was also a test
      pilot for the Navy.

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                            
 



  
                                             

 


   Last year's winner Alvin "Tex" Johnson, test pilot
   for Bell Aircraft Co. was restricted from flying in
   this years National Air Races by Bell. Another
   Bell test pilot, Jay Demming had to resign his job
   to enter the Thompson Trophy Race. With all the
   modifications Cobra II was a rather un-stable 
   aircraft requiring a pilot with great skill like a test
   pilot to control it.
  


 

 

                                                       (Bill Meixner collection)

 



         Steve Beville, winner of the SOHIO Trophy
         Race managed a very respectable fourth
         place against some pretty great odds as
         his P-51-D was a basically stock aircraft.
         






 




 

                                                                                                  

 

   Tony LeVier's P-38 L-5 was outclass by the
   big-bore Corsairs and the highly-modified
   Bell P-39-Q winner of last years Thompson.
   Tony had to depend on his years of racing
   experience and skill of a test pilot to place
   fifth. He beat Bour's P-63-A by only three
   hundred's of a second.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

           

            Bill Bour also flew his P-63 A No 55 in the
            Tinnerman Trophy Race for P-63's only
            a short time before Thompson Trophy,
            placing fifth in the Tinnerman.

    














  Ron Puckett another ex-Navy pilot was also able to
  acquire a F2-G Corsair. this one had very few   
  modifications, note the sub-rudder still attached.
  Ron retired from the United States Navy as a
  Commander and went to work for the FAA.
 

 

 


                                                                                                   



 

 

 

          Woody Edmundson was back with an A-36
          "City of Lynchburg" placing third in the Kendall
          Trophy Race. On lap No 11 somewhere south
          of the airport the engine exploded, Woody
          release his harness in order to jump free of
          plane but  discovered the plane was too low.
          When the plane hit the ground, without his
          shoulder harness his head struck the instrument
          panel knocking him unconscious for a few   
          moments.         

 

 

 

                                                                                                 

 

 

 Paul Penrose was pilot of J.D. Reed's P-51-D
 painted in a beautiful bronze metallic finish.
 The aircraft's name was chosen by J.D. Reed's
 daughter in honor of her father. A broken oil line
 sprayed oil on the upper part of the fuselage
 including the windscreen, Paul had his head
 partially  out of the cockpit coming over the fence.

 

 




 

 

 

 

  The third Cleland Corsair was flown by Naval Reserve
   pilot Tony Janazzo. No 84 was a stock airplane and
   still had it's sub-rudder. Janazzo crashed South of the
   airport and was killed instantly. Suspected cause of
   the crash was carbon monoxide poisoning as witness's
   reported he flew erratically and than straight into the  
   ground at high speed.
  
  

 

 

 

                                                                                               



 




  Jean "Skip" Zeigler was able to purchase a
  on-of-a-kind Curtis P-40-Q. The P-40 was one
  of the fighters we entered WW II with and
  popularized by the volunteer group The Flying
  Tigers. Spectators had trouble identifying  him
  as he was not listed on the program. 


                                                                                                 



                          








 


 

 

     Chas. Walling, another J.D. Reed pilot flew one of the
     two P-38's entered by Reed. It was a highly modified
     P-38-J with a very attractive paint job. An engine failure
     in the second lap forced him out of the Thompson.
     Walling placed second in the Sohio Race behind
     Tony LeVier.
    

 

 

 



                                                                                                  

 

                                                                                                  

    Jack Hardwick possibly never forgot those first
     four or five minutes of the Thompson when he
     was turning the scatter pylon while trying to avoid
     all the traffic the engine exploded. with very few
     options left, Jack had only seconds to decide how
     to avoid a field of parked cars. Crashing into some
     trees to avoid spectators he was uninjured but
     needed  help freeing himself from the wreckage.
 
    

 

 

 

                                                                                                      Thompson "J" division 
                                                                                        180 miles  8 laps of a 22.5 mile course 

  Place       Pilot      Race No     Aircraft  Av. Speed
      1  Lt. Col. Pedit      PN 388   P-80-A   500.704
      2  Lt. Howard      PN 331   P-80-A   497.943
      3  Lt. Col. Dunham      PN 309   P-80-A   494.656
      4  Capt. Gates      PN 474   P-80-A   484.878
      5  Lt. Col. Preston      PN 342   P-80-A   443.169
      6  Capt. Powers      PN 334   P-80-A   430.234

 

 

The four pylon race course used for the SOHIO, KENDALL, HALLE
TINNERMAN,  and The THOMPSON  'R'  TROPHY in 1946, '47 '48.

 

Photo's are from the Hansen collection unless otherwise noted.

 


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