Society of Air Racing Historians

A Concise History of Air Racing

                                                          By Don Berliner

Introduction 

            Air racing has been part of the scene almost as long as airplanes have been flying.  It has survived despite frequent and serious shortcomings and limitations because of its simple, obvious appeal.  It is the simplest form of aerial competition (the pilot of the airplane in front is winning!), and is the fastest form of motor racing, in which the best racers whip around at double the speed of the fastest race cars. 

            The following concise history is aimed primarily at those who are visiting the Society’s website for the first time, and who have little or no prior knowledge of the sport.  For those who wish more detailed information we suggest joining our Society, reading our newsletter, attending our International and/or European Symposiums, and making use of our Internet billboard. 

            Regardless, you are most welcome to visit at any time for your enjoyment and your education.

 Chapter I – The Early Days

 Part 1 -- 1909

 The First Air Race at Reims

              Just as auto racing was born just a few years after the invention of the automobile, so air racing followed quickly on the achievement of heavier-than-air flight.  It is apparently in man’s nature to use any type of locomotion to go as fast as possible for sport as well as practicality.

             The invention of air racing came in August, 1909, at Reims. France, just a few tens of miles to the northeast of Paris.  It was the Great Week of the Champagne, where vineyards for that classic beverage stretch to the horizons.  Until then, few people had seen an airplane on the ground, let alone in the air, and so hundreds of thousands descended on what had been a large vacant field for as long as anyone could remember.

             The schedule called for contests to challenge pilots, mechanics and builders in all aspects of flight: distance, duration, altitude, and of course SPEED.  Most of Europe’s top aeronauts were there, but only Glenn Curtiss traveled from America.  The Wright Brothers were focussed on the business of building airplanes, while others may not have realized the significance of this first public gathering of the men who had conquered gravity.

             Once the rain had eased and the area surrounding the ornate grandstands had dried out, airplanes were rolled out of their hangars and their pilots and crews prepared to better their rivals and the existing records.  Large cash prizes, trophies and the adulation of the huge crowds combined to motivate the most experienced, along with some true rookies, to take to the sky and show the world what they could do.

             There were six major events, along with numerous lesser ones.  Of the major competitions, one was for duration, one was for altitude and the other four were for speed around the six-mile, four-pylon course.  It is clear what excited the organizers, the competitors and thus the crowd.  The battle for speed was mainly between Frenchman Louis Bleriot, who had recently conquered the English Channel, and Glenn Curtiss, who had designed and built not only his airplane but its engine.  

                                                
                                                 Glenn Curtiss, the first winner          

         The event that survived for years was the James Gordon-Bennett Race, for two laps around the course, and open to solo attempts on just one day, unlike most of the others which could be flown any day and any number of times.  Bleriot’s best was 15:56.2, but was bettered by Curtiss with 15:50.6 for an average of 47.07 mph.  To the sole American competitor went what would become the first classic air racing trophy and first prize of 25,000 francs.

             When the full week of aerial competition ended, hundreds of thousands of people had seen air racing, and many times that many had read about it in their newspapers.   The sport was suddenly alive and thriving.

                                                                  
                                                        Gordon Bennett Trophy

Part 2 – 1910

 The First American Air Race

             The next year saw air racing come to the USA for 10 days—January 10 to 20, at Dominguez Field, outside Los Angeles.   Despite efforts by the Wright Brothers to interfere via legal actions claiming patent infringements, the event went off well, attracting hundreds of thousands to the first public airplane flights west of the Rocky Mountains.  Pre-race ads trumpeted a total purse of $80,000.

             The entry list for speed and distance events included 10 pilots, flying 11 airplanes.   The best known were Louis Paulhan, who arrived from France with a Farman biplane and a Bleriot monoplane, and Glenn Curtiss in a new Curtiss biplane.

             The long-term impact of the meet was not its racing action, nor its many failed attempts to break records.  It was in the introduction of aviation to a completely new audience, and the resultant, sudden expansion of airplane building, pilot training and general enthusiasm for everything related to this new form of transportation.            

The London-to-Manchester Race

                      The first true cross-country race was over the 185 miles from London to Manchester, England, for a prize of £10,000 (then equal to $50,000) offered by the Daily Mail newspaper.  After abortive starts, it got underway at 5:40 p.m. on April 27, when Louis Paulhan took off in a Farman biplane.  Just over an hour later, Claude Grahame-White left in his earlier model Farman.

             Two hours later, Paulhan landed after flying 57 miles farther.  But Grahame-White took off again at 2:30 the next morning, more concerned with wining than with the obvious dangers of night-time flying over unlit countryside.  He was forced down by high winds after less than two hours of the most difficult flying.  Paulhan, who had taken off at 4 a.m., managed to continue on to the finish.  His time was 4 hours, 12 minutes for an average speed of 44 mph.

             The race was really the first public demonstration of cross-country flying, and showed that it could be conducted under pressure and despite high winds and without even the crudest forms of navigational equipment.

  The Second Gordon Bennett Race

             When Glenn Curtiss won the first Gordon Bennett Race, it became the duty of the USA to stage the second, which was soon scheduled as the feature of the first major air race in America, October 22-30 at Belmont Park, Long Island, New York.  By scheduling the meet so late in the year and on an island jutting into the Atlantic, cold and windy conditions were guaranteed.

             The Gordon Bennett Race was for 20 laps around the 5-km./3.1-mi., pylon-marked course.  Claude Grahame-White, of England, set the pace in his new, modified  French 100 hp Bleriot XIbis monoplane, with a total time of 1:10:04.74 and a speed of   61.0 mph, which was a new world record for the distance.  Next to fly was Alfred LeBlanc, of France, in a stock Bleriot XI.  Each of his lap times was faster than Grahame-White’s, and all were much more consistent.  By the end of Lap 19, LeBlanc was leading by more than five minutes

             Then, racing luck intervened when LeBlanc ran out of gas on the last lap.  While making a dead-stick landing, he smashed into a telegraph pole, demolishing his airplane, but escaping with minor injuries.  Almost an hour back in second place was American John Moissant, whose Bleriot XI averaged 33.7 mph.

             The meet ended on a sour note as the rules for the race to the Statue of Liberty and back became embroiled in a dispute, and many of the pilots boycotted the awards banquet.  But it had demonstrated the rapid advances in airplane performance to the world.     

Part 3 – 1911

 Circuit of Europe Race 

            There was no lack of imagination in air racing’s early years.  The Circuit of Europe Race, scheduled for June 18 to July 7, would start in France, go to Belgium, then to the Netherlands, back to Belgium and France, across the England and finally back to France, for a total of almost 1,000 miles.  A purse of more than $90,000 attracted scores of pilots, few of whom had done much cross-country flying, and none under pressure.  Most of their airplanes lacked the durability for such a long grind, while navigation aids were still in the future.  But it was a time in which courage seemed to matter more than skill and experience. 

               Of the 42 who started, fewer than half made it to the end of first leg.  One observer and one competitor crashed fatally at the start, though there were no more fatalities.  As the others chugged along, engines quit at the most awkward moments, airframes broke on hard landings, and pilots got lost and sometimes landed in the wrong country. 

            Eight pilots made it all the way back to Paris, though only one was flying an airplane that hadn’t been completely rebuilt or even replaced.  The winner, Jean Conneau, flew a Bleriot, completing the distance in 58 ½ hours for a speed of 17 mph and winning by more than three hours.  He and all the other starters learned valuable lessons about the need for pre-race preparation, practice, and a qualified ground crew.  

The Third Gordon Bennett Race

             The race was held July at Eastchurch, England, and provided the closest finish in any race to date, along with the first race-modified airplane seen.  Gustave Hamel’s Bleriot had its wings severely clipped, with the major result being to reduce the effectiveness of his wing-warping roll control.  He failed to complete his first pylon turn, slamming into the ground and demolishing his airplane, while escaping with no serious injuries. 

            The surprise winner was Charles Weymann, an American born in Haiti, whose clean 100 hp Nieuport completed the 25 laps of the 6-km./3.7-mi. course in 1:11:36.2 for an average of 78.11 mph.  Close behind was last year’s hard-luck pilot, Alfred LeBlanc, in a Bleriot, who was clocked in 1:13:40.2 for 75.91 mph.  Third was Edward Nieuport in one of his own airplanes in 1:14:37.2 and 74.98 mph.  

             The formula for long-term success in air racing was taking shape: more horsepower and less aerodynamic drag.

 The Circuit of Britain Race

             The third major race of the year was a 1,010-mile cross-country event having 11 compulsory stops, which started and finished at Brooklands, site of the world’s first paved auto race track.  Twenty-one airplanes started, thanks in no small part to the $50,000 first prize offered by the Daily Mail newspaper.  Half of them were British aeroplanes, flown by British pilots.           

Only one Britisher finished, with the winner being Lt. Conneau in a Bleriot, who completed the course in 22 hours, 28 minutes to average 45 mph.  Emile Vedrines was second in a new type, the Deperdussin monoplane, as was third-placer James Valentine.  The top British finisher was Samuel Cody in one of his own biplanes.  

With this, the superiority of the monoplane was well on the way to becoming established.   The winners of all three 1911 races flew them, as did two of the runners-up. 

 Part 4 – 1912  

The First Handicap Air Race

             Hendon Aerodrome, now the site of the RAF Museum, north of London, was the scene on April 14th of the first organized (rather than impromptu) handicap race.  Many hundreds of such races have been held in England right up to the present, in which the greatly varying speeds of the airplanes are balanced out by handicapped starting times.  This permits a wide variety of airplanes to be raced. 

            The hitoric air race was the Cross-Country Handicap for the Grahame-White Cup #3 and a purse of 20 gold sovereigns ($100).  Extending for two laps of the course (to Harrow Church and back), it was won by Bentfield Hucks in a 50 hp Bleriot, followed by Jimmy Valentine in a Bristol Prier P.1, and Gustave Hamel in a Bleriot.  This kind of racing stresses piloting skill, and traditionally produces very close finishes.      

Coupe Deutsch de la Muerthe Race

             The first of three separate series of races sponsored by Henri Deutsch de la Muerthe, a French newspaper tycoon, was for a single 124-mile (200-km.) lap around Paris on May 1.   The winner was Emmanuel Helen, in a 70 hp Nieuport, who covered the course in 1 hour, 36 minutes, averaging 77.85 mph.   

The Aerial Derby

             The first in another series of major races was run on June 8 at Hendon Aerodrome.  It consisted of a single lap of 81 miles.  The winner, in a field of six monoplanes and one biplane, was T.O.M. Sopwith in a two-seat Bleriot in 1:23:08 for a speed of 58.46 mph.  Second was Gustave Hamel in an identical airplane, and third was W.B. Rhodes-Morehouse in Radley-Morehouse, which resembled a Bleriot, but had a fully enclosed fuselage. Sopwith, later famous for his biplane scouts and pursuits, received the Daily Mail Gold Cup and $1,250.  

The Fourth Gordon Bennett Race

             The second Gordon Bennett Race to be held in America was on September 9 at Clearing, near what is now Chicago’s Midway Airport.  The race was for 30 laps of the 4.14-mile course.  A small crowd was on hand, due in part to the poor location, and to advance publicity which predicted a runaway win by the French. 

            The great hope of the American Team was the “Defender”, which looked like an improved Bleriot.  When it wasn’t ready in time, only Paul Peck and his Columbia biplane remained, and they were stuck at the starting line with a flat tire.

            The French completed the expected clean sweep.  First was Jules Vedrines, in a slick Deperdussin monoplane, in 1:01:51 for a record speed of 105.5 mph.  Maurice Prevost was second in an identical airplane, in 1:15:25 for 103.8 mph.  Andre Frey, flying a Hanriot monoplane, dropped out late in the race while averaging 94 mph.

             Speed flying was fast becoming the preserve of the French, who held most of the important world records and trophies. 

Part 5 – 1913  

The First Schneider Cup Race

            Jacques Schneider was a great supporter of water-borne aircraft, even though the first seaplane had flown barely two years before.  His new Schneider Cup Race series was aimed at stimulating technical progress in seaplanes by offering cash prizes and a trophy which would soon achieve great stature in aviation. 

            The first race was held over the Mediterranean Sea, just offshore at Monaco, on April 14-16.  Of six seaplanes at the site, four were ready to start the 28-lap race around a 20-km. (12 ½-mi.) closed course.  One, Roland Garros in a Morane-Saulnier, was delayed in starting.  Of the remaining three, the winner was Maurice Prevost in a Deperdussin Monoplane, which was much larger than the company’s landplane racers.  Prevost was timed at 2:50:47 for 45.7 mph.  He originally finished while on the water, then had to take off again and complete a flying finish. 

Neither of the other two starters finished, as both Charles Weymann  and Gabriel Espanet experienced oil leaks in their Nieuports and dropped out.  Garros eventually finished but was not timed.  Competitively, it was not much of a race, but it lit a fire which soon blazed throughout aviation. 

The Aerial Derby  

            At Hendon Aerodrome on September 20, the Aerial Derby was run over one lap of a 94.5-mile course which had five turning points.  Eleven of the original 15 entries started the race, with the winner being Gustave Hamel in another severely clipped-wing Morane-Saulnier.  He completed the course in 1:15:49 for a speed of 76 mph, good for the Gold Cup and $1,000.  In second was R.H. Barnwell, flying a Martin-Handasyde at 72.5 mph, while in third was Frederick Raynham, flying the prototype of the Avro 504 at 66.5 mph. 

The Gordon Bennett Race` 

            The race was held on September 29 at Reims, site of the historic first race in 1909.  Eight of the nine entries flew monoplanes, and only Henri Crombez, a Belgian, interrupted what would have been an all-French field after Great Britain, Germany and the USA had withdrawn. The race consisted of 20 laps of the 10-km./6.21-mi.) course for a total of 124 ¼ miles. 

            The 14-cylinder, 160 hp Gnome-powered Deperdussins dominated a very close race, with Maurice Prevost winning at a record 124.78 mph to become the first to fly 200 km. in less than one hour.  Barely a minute behind him at the finish was Emile Vedrines, the brother of Jules, in a Ponnier at 122.53 mph.   Just as close behind him was Eugene Gilbert in a second Deperdussin at 118.51 mph.  Bringing up the rear was Crombez in a third Deperdussin, at 106.73 mph.  The superiority of this type of wonderfully streamlined monoplane was proven beyond question.               

The Coupe Deutsch de la Muerthe Race

             The final race in the first series of Coupe Deutsch Races was held October 27 on a course around Paris.  The winner was Eugene Gilbert in a Deperdussin Monocoque at an average speed of 101.944 mph.  This was the last gasp for the highly successful make of racers, as manufacturer Armand Deperdussin was imprisoned for having established his company with embezzled money.  His company then became part of S.P.A.D.  

Part 6 – 1914  

The Second Schneider Cup Race

             The second race in this series was held April 20 at the same place as the first, and conducted over the same course and for the same number of laps.  At least 11 seaplanes were entered, while five started and just two finished.  All the entries were standard types, many of them landplanes with pontoons added. 

            It was an easy win for Englishman Howard Pixton in the float-equipped Sopwith Baby, called the Sopwith Schneider. His speed of almost 87 mph was almost double the race record, and could not be approached by any known seaplane.  The only other finisher was Ernest Burri, of Switzerland, in an F.B.A.  He finished more than an hour later, due in part to the need to land and re-fuel.  All the other entries either failed to start the race, or dropped out.

  The Circut of Britain

            This race suffered from the traditionally poor English weather, being postponed from May 23 to June 6, and then run in thick mist on a 94.5-mile course around the city of London. 

            The winner was American William Brock, flying an 80 hp Morane Saulnier at 71.9 mph to win the Daily Mail and Shell Trophies, along with 300 gold sovereigns ($1,500).  Following him were R. H. Carr and Pierre Verrier in Henry Farman biplanes. 

The London-Paris-London Race 

            Longer cross-country races were growing in popularity, one of the most interesting in this era being a 500-mile run on July 11 between the two European capitals in a hint of future busy airline routes.  Seven pilots started from Hendon Aerodrome, with six being French, and five flying monoplanes. 

            The winner was again American William Brock in his Morane with a speed of 71.5 mph and time of 7:03:06.  The other favorite, Lord Carberry in a Bristol Scout, was doing well until his engine quit on the return flight and he landed safely in the English Channel. 

The Aerial Derby 

            This was to have been the last major race of the year and was scheduled for August 10.  Unfortunately, the First World War was declared on July 28, putting an end to all civilian flying for the duration. 

            Up to this point, air racing was a pretty simple sport, with no classes anywhere but the Schneider which was limited to seaplanes.  Otherwise, a pilot could enter an airplane of any shape, size and power.   With rare exceptions, all the airplanes raced in the first few years of the sport had open cockpits, fixed landing gears, fabric covering and lots of struts and wires.  Bigger engines were finding their way into otherwise stock airplanes, and the beginnings of streamlining could be seen.  

Chapter II – The Post-World War One Era            

Part 1-1919

            The “War to End All Wars” was over.  Thousands of pilots and airplanes flooded the very limited market.   One use for them was in airplane racing, which played a major role in making people air-minded.  

  The Fourth Aerial Derby

             The first major air race after the war was the British Aerial Derby, run on June 21 from Hendon, for two laps of the 94 ½-mile pre-war course around London.  Thirteen of the 16 original entries started and nine finished.   The winner was Capt. Gerald Gathergood in a converted deH.4 bomber whose lower wing had been clipped so much it became a sesquiplane. He won $2,500 and the Gold trophy.  In second was Lt. Robert Nisbet, in a little Martinsyde Buzzard, at 124.61 mph.

The Third Schneider Cup Race 

            Fog was the winner of this race, which was started at Bournemouth, England, on September 10th Of four seaplanes that took off, only one completed the 10-lap, 222-mile course—Guido Janello in a Savoia S.13bis—but he missed a pylon on each lap.  The race was declared “no contest”, but the Italians were allowed to organize the next one.   

The Coupe Deutsch de la Muerthe “Air Race Around Paris” 

            The second race by this name was for a single 118-mile lap around Paris, and could be attempted any time during the year starting October 13, 1919.  A pilot could make as many attempts as desired.  

            Fourteen attempts were made by just four pilots, all of them French.   The highest speed was166.919 mph by Bernard de Romanet in a SPAD S.20bis, followed by Sadi Lecointe’s 165.480 mph in a Nieuport 29V. 

Part 2 – 1920  

The Fifth Aerial Derby 

                This year the race was for two laps of the 100-mile course, and was a combination scratch (all-out speed) and handicap event, starting and finishing at Hendon on Sept. 20-22.  Fourteen pilots entered and nine finished.  Winner of the scratch race was test pilot Frank Courtney at 153.45 mph in the little Martinsyde “Semiquaver”, well ahead of Harry Hawker in the Sopwith “Rainbow”, who was disqualified for failing to cross the finish line properly.  In the handicap race, first place went to H.A. Hammersley in an Avro 543 Baby.          

The Fourth Schneider Cup Race 

            The race was held September 20-22 at Venice, Italy, for 10 laps of a 23.3-mile triangular course.  When entries from Great Britain, Switzerland and France failed to arrive, the Italians launched a single seaplane—Luigi Balogna’s Savoia S.12bis—as a formality.  He completed the course in 2:10:35 for an average speed of 107.1 mph, which was a Schneider Race record. 

The Sixth James Gordon Bennett Race 

            It was held September 28, for three round trips of a 62-mile straight course between Etampes and Gidy, France.  There were starters from the USA, Great Britain and France.  Most interesting was the Dayton-Wright RB-1, a private, custom-built American racer featuring a flush canopy, fully retractable landing gear and a wing with both leading-edge and trailing-edge flaps. 

            Four of the six pilots dropped out with mechanical trouble, though George Kirsch had a first lap at 178 mph.  The winner, at an average of 168.732 mph, was Sadi Lecointe, in a Nieuport 29V.  In second was Bernard de Romanet in a SPAD S.20bis; his average speed of 112.851 mph would have been much higher if not for a stop.  Howard Reinhart’s race in the RB-1 ended on lap 1 when his rudder cable broke. 

            When the French won the trophy for the third time in a row, they retired it and the Gordon Bennett Race series ended. 

The First Pulitzer Trophy Race 

            Two months later, the first purely American series of pylon races began, sponsored by the Pulitzer brothers, owners of major newspapers.  The first race was held at Mitchell Field, Garden City, Long Island, New York, for four laps of a 29-mile course.  Thirty-eight pilots entered and took off individually, 

            Most pilots flew American-built Army deH.4 World War I single-engined bombers, along with Navy Vought VE-7’s and SE5A’s.  Only a few pilots were civilians. 

            The winner was Capt. Corliss Moseley, flying a Verville-Packard VCP-R racer, a cleaned-up version of the Army’s VCP-1 pursuit, at 156.54 mph.   In second was Harold Hartney in a standard Thomas-Morse MB-3 pursuit at 148.19 mph.  Over half the 24 finishers flew deH.4’s. 

Part 3 – 1921 

 The Sixth Aerial Derby

            It was run July 16, again out of Hendon for two laps of the 100-mile course.  Half the dozen entries failed to finish.  Winner of both the Speed and Handicap competitions was Jimmy James, flying the prototype Gloster Mars I, powered by a 450 hp Napier Lion II engine.  He averaged 163.34 mph, well ahead of Cyril Uwins, in the Bristol Type 32 Bullet, with its 400 hp Bristol Jupiter I engine, at 141.38 mph. 

The Fifth Schneider Cup Race 

            The race was conducted August 6-7 at Venice, Italy, on a 13.3-mile course which would have to be flown for 16 laps.  Almost all the entries were flying boats, though some had been well streamlined.  The sole French entry—Sadi Lecointe’s Nieuport-Delage 29—was damaged during pre-race trials and withdrawn.  This left only Italy in the race. 

            Two Macchi M.7’s (de Briganti and Corgnolino) and one M.19 (Arturo Zanetti) started.  Zanetti dropped out on lap 12 with a broken crankshaft.  Corgnolino ran out of fuel on the last lap, while leading.  This left only Giovanni de Briganti, in the M.7bis, who finished at a record 117.8 mph.   With this, there had been three consecutive unsatisfying and non-competitive Schneider Races.  There would be a lot of pressure on the organizers of the next race. 

The Coupe Deutsch de la Muerthe Race    

            On October 1, the next Coupe Deutsche Race was run on the Etampes-la Marmogne course for three laps and a total of 186 miles.  The starters included one British, one Italian and three French pilots.  Only two of the Frenchmen finished, with first place taken by Georges Kirsch in a Nieuport-Delage Sesquiplane at 172.994 mph.  In secnd was Fernand Lasne in a Nieuport-Delage 29V biplane at 159.880 mph.  The others were out by lap two.   

The Second Pulitzer Trophy Race 

            Omaha, Nebraska, was the site for this unusually late November 3-5 race, with a much smaller field that lacked the stock deHavilland deH.4s and other standard military types.   The race would be for 5 laps of the 30.7-mile course 

                                        
                                                                          Curtiss CR-1

            The winner, by almost two minutes, was Bert Acosta, flying the first of wha would become an historic line of Curtiss military racers, the CR-1.  He averaged 176.75 mph.  Clarence Coombs was second at 170.34 mph in the private Cox Cactus Kitten.   In third was Army Capt. John Macready at 160.72 mph in a Thomas Morse MB-6. 

Part 3 – 1922  

 The Seventh Aerial Derby

            This year, it was held on August 10-12 over a new course: two laps of a 100-mile loop around London, starting at Waddon Aerodrome, Croydon, south of the city.  The winner of the Speed Division, in poor weather, was Jimmy James in the Gloster Mars 1 at 177.85 mph. Second was Flt. Lt. De Haga Haig in the Bristol Bullet at 144.97 mph.  The winner of the Handicap Division was Larry Carter in a Bristol M.1D.  

  The Sixth Schneider Cup Race

            The site was Naples, Italy, and the course 13 laps, each of 17.7 miles; it was held on August 10-12.  Only the British entry was to challenge the Italians, as an Italian railroad strike delayed the French entries until it was too late. 

            The winner was Henry Biard, flying the newly-built Supermarine Sea Lion II, in which he completed the course in 1:34:51.6 (145.721 mph), barely a minute ahead of Allesandro Passaleva, in a Savoia S.51 at 142.949 mph, finishing with a split propeller.  

The First King’s Cup Race   

            The start of what would become the world’s longest-running major air race series was on September 8 from Croydon Aerodrome, south of London. It was run on a purely handicapped basis. The 810-mile race included an overnight stop in Glasgow, Scotland, and a return the next day.   The winner, in 6:32:50, was Frank Barnard, chief pilot of the pioneering Instone Air Line, in one of the line’s passenger-carrying deH.4’s.  In second was Frederick Raynham, in a little Martinsyde F.6.  While the 21 competitors were working their way north and then back, an impromptu handicap race was held at Croydon “to pass the time”.  

The Coupe Deutsch Race

             It was held September 30 at Etampes, France, for three laps around the 100-km. course.  Entries included World War I ace Charles Nungesser, who withdrew.  Four pilots started, but only one finished: Fernand Lasne, in a Nieuport-Delage 29V, who completed the course in 1:02:11.8 for a speed of 179.83 mph, a record for the event.  The only foreign pilot to start was Jimmy James, who could not complete his first lap because his maps blew out of the cockpit.  

The Curtiss Marine Trophy Race

             This event was limited to U.S. Navy pilots flying seaplanes, and was held October 8, on the Detroit (Michigan) River, for 8 laps of a 20-mile course.  Eight started, but only two finished.  First was Lt. A.W. Gorton in a Naval Aircraft Factory TR-1, at 112.65 mph.  Second was Lt. H.A. Elliott in a Vought VE-7H at 108.71 mph.  1^st Lt Sandy Snderson might have won in his Curtiss 18-T-1, but ran out of fuel just short of the finish line.  

  The Third Pulitzer Trophy Race

             The most impressive line-up in the history of American military air racing greeted the crowd at Selfridge Field, Mt. Clemens, Michigan, on October 14.   Among the 15 starters were a dozen military racers: one Verville R-1, three Verville-Sperry R-3’s, two Loening R-4’s, two Thomas-Morse R-5’s, two Curtiss R-6’s and two Curtiss CR-2’s. 

            The race, for five laps of a 50-km./31-mile course, was won by 1^st Lt. Russell Maughan, in an R-6, who averaged 205.856 mph and broke every closed-course record up to 200 km.  In second was 1^st Lt. Lester Maitland, in an identical airplane, at 198.850 mph, while in third was Lt. Harold Brow in a CR-2 at 193.695 mph, and in fourth was Lt. Jg Al Williams, in a CR-2 at 187.996 mph.  This race established Curtiss’ reputation as a designer/builder of advanced airplanes. 

 Part 4 – 1923  

The Second King’s Cup Race 

            The start of the July 14 handicap race was shifted to Hendon Aerodrome, north of London, which cut the distance to 794 miles over the same course as 1922.   Seventeen pilots, all flying biplanes, started.  The winner was Frank Courtney, a highly successful free-lance test pilot, who averaged 149 mph for 5:25:27 in an Armstrong Whitworth Siskin II pursuit.  In second was A.J. Cobham in World War I deHavilland deH.9, followed by future Schneider Race pilot Hubert Broad in a similar airplane.            

The Eighth Aerial Derby

              The final Derby was held August 6 at Croydon, site of London’s first commercial airport, and was for 2 laps of a 100-mile course.  Nine of the 12 starters finished, with the winner being Larry Carter in the Gloster I, which had been the Mars I; his speed was 192.359 mph.  In second was Walter H. Longton in the Sopwith Rainbow which had wheels instead of the floats it had carried in the 1919 Schneider Race.  They were the only two pilots to fly civilian airplanes.

           The Royal Aero Club ended the series due to a lack of prize money and new, competitive airplanes. 

The Sixth Schneider Cup Race

            Flown out of Cowes, on the Isle of Wight, on September 27-28, it was for 5 laps of the 43-mile course.   For the first time, a team was fully backed by a national government: the two Curtiss CR-3’s comprised the U.S. Navy entry.  A very successful effort, for they placed 1^st (David Rittenhouse, at a race record 177.279 mph) and 2^nd  (Rutledge Irvine, 173.347 mph).  The only pilot among the other four starters who finished was Henry Biard, in the Supermarine Sea Lion III, who averaged 157.065 mph. 

The Fourth Pulitzer Trophy Race

             This one was run out of Lambert Field, St. Louis, Missouri, on October 6.  It was for 4 laps of a 50-km./31.1-mile course.  All seven starting pilots flew military racers, and all six who finished broke the old Pulitzer Race record.  The winner was Al Williams, at 243.673 mph in a Curtiss R2C-1, followed by Harold Brow in another R2C-2 at 241.779 mph.  The race for third place was the most exciting, Sandy Sanderson edging Steven Calloway—both in Wright F2W-1’s—by ½ second: 230.067 mph to 230.002 mph. 

Part 5 – 1924 

  Curtiss Marine Trophy Race

            It was held March 8 at Miami, Florida, for 124 miles.  The winner was Lt. V.F. Grant in a Vought VE-7H at 116.17 mph.  

Coupe Beaumont

                 An “Unlimited” race on June 23 for 6 laps of a 50 km./31-mile course, starting at Istres, France.  Of three pilots prepared to start, only two flew and one finished.  The winner, at 193.40 mph, was Sadi Lecointe in a Nieuport-Delage 42.   

  The Third King's Cup Race

            This race on August 12 offered two ways to start: from Martlesham Heath for landplanes, and from Felixstowe for seaplanes.  The 950 miles was flown on one day, with everyone finishing at Lee-on-Solent.  Among the 10 starters were the winners of the first two races.  This time, 1^st place was won by Alan Cobham in his deHavilland deH.50 in 8:57:12.  Second was Capt. Macmillan in a Fairey IIID seaplane, and third was Alan Butler in a deH.37.  

The National Air Races

              There is considerable difference of opinion about the beginnings of the American National Air Races, with some insisting the 1924 races at Dayton were the first, while others saying the true beginning was the 1929 races at Cleveland, where civilians first played a major role.   The reader should make up his or her own mind.      

   The Fifth Pulitzer Trophy Race

            The air races at Wilbur Wright Field, outside Dayton, Ohio, were highlighted by the Pulitzer.   Run for 4 laps of a 50-km./31-mile course on October 4, it drew a much reduced field from the previous year.  Three of the four starters flew military racers: two Curtiss R-6/s and one Verville-Sperry R-3, along with an Army Curtiss PW-8A.  The winner, in the R-3, was Harry Mills, covering the course in 34:25.93 to average 216.55 mph.  Wendell Brookley was second in an R-6, at 214.41 mph, only 21 seconds behind. 

            Sportsmanship prevailed, as the Schneider Cup Race, scheduled for October 27 at Bay Shore Park, Baltimore, Maryland, was postponed a year because all but the American entries were wrecked or withdrawn.  Had it been held, the USA would have easily won its third straight race, and retired the trophy. 

Part 7 – 1925  

  The Fourth King's Cup Race

            This was the longest race yet, 1,608 miles in two 804-mile heats to be run on consecutive days—July 2 and 3—from Croydon Aerodrome.  Only three of the 15 entrants finished the second day’s leg due to wide-spread fog.  First in the handicap event was 1922 winner Frank Barnard, flying an Armstrong Whitworth Siskin V at 141.7 mph.  In second was H.W.G. Jones in a Siskin VI at  142 mph, and third was H. Hemming in a deHavilland deH.37 at 120 mph.   

The Sixth Pulitzer Trophy Race

            As part of what later became known as the National Air Races (October 8-13 at Mitchell Field, Long Island, New York), the sixth and last Pulitzer Race was conducted on October 12.  It was flown for 4 laps of a 50-km./31-mile course.  The winner, at a Pulitzer record 248.975 mph, was Cyrus Bettis in a Curtiss R3C-1.  Not far behind him was Al Williams, in an identical racer, at 241.695 mph.  

The Coupe Beaumont Race 

            Only two pilots entered this race, which was run October 18 at Istres, France, for 6 laps of a 50-km./31-mile course.  The winner and only finisher was Sadi Lecointe in a Nieuport-Delage 42, at 194.156 mph.  The only other starter was G. Ferigoule in a Salmson-Bechereau monoplane, who experienced radiator problems. Due to the poor turn-out, the series was ended. 

 The Eighth Schneider Cup Race 

            This race was held October 26 at Bay Shore Park, Baltimore, Maryland, and originally attracted four entries from the USA, four from Great Britain, four from Italy and one (a Curtiss D-12-powered Dornier) from Germany.  It was for 7 laps around the 5-km./31-mile course. 

                                                 
                                                            Jimmy Doolittle and the R3C-2

            Out of just five starters, three finished, with the winner being Jimmy Doolittle in the Curtiss R3C-2, in which he averaged a race record 232.573 mph, thanks to the most advanced streamlining yet seen.  Hubert Broad was second in a Gloster III-A at 199.170 mph.  Third was Giovanni de Briganti in a Macchi M.33 at 168.444 mph.   It was the last time the Schneider was contested by seaplanes from as many as three countries.   

Part 8 – 1926 

    The Curtiss Marine Trophy Race

            On May 14, the final race in this series was run on the Potomac River at Haines Point, Washington, DC.  It was for 73 ½ miles.  Of nine entries, the winner was Thomas P. Jeter in a Curtiss F6C-3, at 130.94 mph. 

The Fifth King’s Cup Race 

            The race consisted of four different laps, all starting and finishing at Hendon, flown on two successive days, for a total distance of 1,464 miles.  On the first day, 14 started, seven finished and started the second day, and five completed the race.  The winner of the handicap event was Hubert Broad in his deHavilland 60 Gypsy Moth at 90.4 mph, second was E.R.C. Scholefield in a Vickers Vixen II at 142 mph, and third was H.W.G. Jones in a Martinsyde A.D.C. 1 at 152 mph.  

The National Air Races 

            There was no headline event for this year’s event, held September 4-13 at Model Farms Field, outside Phildelphia, Pennsylvania.  The military again dominated, and this time the races would be restricted to standard production types.  The Mitchell Trophy Race was for Curtiss P-1 Hawk pursuits, and was won by Lt. L.G. Eliot at 160 mph.  The Kansas City Rotary Club Trophy Race was won by Navy Lt. George Cuddihy in a new Boeing FB-3 pursuit at 181 mph.  

The Ninth Schneider Cup Race 

            The race was held November 12-13 at Hampton Roads, Virginia, for 7 laps of a 50-km./31-mile course.  Italy and the USA had three-man teams equipped with, respectively, Macchi and Cutiss floatplanes.  The easy winner was Mario de Bernardi in a new Macchi M.39 powered by a 700 hp Fiat V-12, who averaged a race record 246.496 mph.  In second was Christian Schilt in a Custiss R3C-2 with a 500 hp Curtiss V-12, who averaged 231.364 mph.  In third was Adriano Bacula in an M.39, at 218.006 mph.  The Italians were inspired by American streamlining, and had a lot more horsepower.  

Part 9 – 1927  

    The Sixth King's Cup Race

            The race was first planned for Bournemouth, then shifted to Nottingham because of local resistance.  One-third of the entries pulled out in protest to a new handicapping system.  The final group flew three separate courses, for a total of 540 miles on July 30. 

It was the first King’s Cup Race in which women were entered. The winner was W.L. Hope in a deH. Gypsy Moth at 92.8 mph, second was W.J. McDonough in a Westland Widgeon III at 102.8 mph, and third was E.R.C. Scholefield in a Vickers Vixen III at 141.6 mph.               

  The Dole Race 

                On August 16, a cross-country race was held between Oakland, California, and Honolulu, Hawaii, approximately 2,400 miles.  It was one of the most poorly thought out schemes in air racing history.  Several airplanes crashed during tests or on their way to Oakland.  Three others were lost at sea during the race.  Only two made it to the finish line. Eight pilots, crew members and passengers were lost.  

            The winner was Art Goebel in the Travelair 5000 “Woolaroc”, completing the trip in 26:19:33.  In second was Martin Jensen in the Breese monoplane “Aloha”, in 28:16.   

The National Air Races 

            Air racing was held in Spokane, Washington, from September 19 to 25, with most events being for military pilots and airplanes.  In the Spokane Spokesman-Review Trophy Race—10 laps around a 12-mile course—E.C. Batten in a Curtiss XP-6A Hawk beat A.J. Lion in an XP-6 by 201.239 mph to 189.608 mph.   The “pre-Bendix” New York-to-Spokane Air Derby was won in a Laird Commercial by future-great Charles “Speed” Holman.   

The 10^th Schneider Cup Race 

            The Schneider was run off the Lido Beach, Venice, Italy, on September 26, following a rain delay.  The course was 7 laps, each of 50 km./31 mi.  The sole American entry—Al Williams, in his Packard-powered Kirkham-Williams—was cancelled due to insufficient testing.  The first of the sleek Supermarines, designed by future Spitfire designer Reginald Mitchell, were in the spot light. 

            And in the winner’s circle, as Sidney Webster won at a record 281.656 mph, with Oswald Worsley second at 272.91 mph.  The three Macchi M.52’s dropped out with fuel or engine problems, while the Gloster IVB, flown by S.M. Kinkead, got as far as lap 6 before spinner unbalance forced it out. 

            Officials then decided that future races would be held every two years, due to the increasing technical and financial demands being placed on sponsors.  

Part 10 – 1928  

  The Seventh King's Cup Race

            The race began at Hendon on July 21, with the first day’s flying ending at Glasgow, Scotland; on the second day, the pilots flew back south to Brooklands, for a total of 1,097 miles.  Of 36 starters, 23 completed the race, with the winner being W.L. Hope in a Gypsy Moth for the second straight year.  Second went to Cyril Uwins in a Bristol 101, and third to Miss Winifred Spooner in another Gypsy Moth.  

The National Air Races

            Mines Field (later Los Angeles International Airport), September 8-16, was the scene of the major American meet of the year.  The future shape of the National Air Races was beginning to appear.   

Another step in the direction of the Bendix Transcontinental Derby was the Non-Stop New York to Los Angeles Derby.  While none of the 11 starters finished, Dole Race winner Art Goebel got as far as Prescott, Arizona, in his Lockheed Vega.  The Transcontinental Race was divided into classes, and stops were permitted.  A total of 40 pilots competed, with the top prize of $7,000 going to John Livingston, another future star.   

In the “pre-Thompson Trophy Race” Civilian Unlimited Free-for-All, Robert Cantwell won in a Vega, finishing barely five seconds ahead of Art Goebel.  Roscoe Turner placed 8^th and last.  

The popular success of the National Air Races had been established.  What was needed was a permanent home, where it could grow and develop.        

Concise History of Air Racing,

Chapter 3  

  Part One-1929

  The Golden Age of Air Racing Begins

            As the USA was pummeled by the Great Depression, leaving thousands of businesses wrecked and millions out of work, air racing paradoxically entered its most glorious and glamorous era.   Hundreds of thousands filled airport grandstands, seeking momentary relief from their increasingly drab lives.  Air racers responded with a flood of  highly individual, custom-built airplanes   

The All-American Air Races 

            The beginning of this long series of multi-class air meets was in Miami, Florida, over the weekend of January 7-8.  Information is hard to find, and so will be added as it becomes available.  

The Ninth King’s Cup Race           

            Th July 5-6 race started at Heston and extended for 590 miles north to Blackpool.  Forty one pilots started.  On the second day, the 26 remaining in the race continued north into Scotland and returned south to Heston, for 580 miles.  The winner was Richard Atcherley in a Gloster Grebe Mk.II at 150 mph.  Second was L. G. Richardson in a deH.60 Gypsy Moth at 100.2 mph, while in third was two-time winner W.L. Hope in another Gypsy Moth.  

The Cleveland National Air Races 

            Under the direction of brothers Cliff and Phil Henderson, America’s National Air Races found a home at Cleveland Municipal Airport.  With strong backing from many elements of the community, including major manufacturers, stability was created and led to steady growth in the popularity and significance of what quickly became one of America’s leading spectator events. 

            The 1929 races, held from August 24 through September 2, were crowded with cross-country races, pylon races, novelty races, aerobatic acts, military demonstrations, band concerts and fireworks displays.  In a few days, naïve spectators became authorities on the sport of airplane racing. 

            The most heavily publicized event was the Women’s Transcontinental Race from Los Angeles, unfortunately plagued by controversy, starting with the threat of a boycott by some of the nation’s leading female pilots.  The two divisions of the long, multi-stop grind were won by Louise Thaden in a TravelAir in 20:02:02, and Phoebe Omlie in a Monocoupe in 25:10:36.5. 

            Another step en route to the classic Bendix Trophy Race was taken with the 2,042-mile Non-Stop Los Angeles to Cleveland Derby.  The winner, in 13:15:07 and 154.09 mph, was Henry Brown in a Lockheed Air Express.   Not far behind was Lee Schoenhair in a Lockheed Vega in 13:51:10 for 147.407 mph.  Roscoe Turner arrived third in a Vega, but after the deadline for arrivals.   

            What turned out to be the most important race on the schedule was listed as merely “Event #26 – Unlimited Free-for-All”.  It was open to both military and civilian airplanes of any design or power.  Leading all the way (5 laps of the 10-mile course) at 194.90 mph was young Doug Davis, in a custom-built racer, the TravelAir “Mystery”, which out-ran the best the Army and Navy could field, to win $750 and the Thompson Cup.  This would soon be replaced by the Thompson Trophy, one of aviation’s classic awards. 

            Hundreds of thousands packed the stands, while much of the country became aware of the excitement on Cleveland’s west side, thanks to the skills and imagination of the Hendersons.  For the next 20 years, Cleveland would be the center of air racing.  

  The 11th Schneider Cup Race

            The race was scheduled for Calshot, Isle of Wight, off the south coast of England, for September 6-7.  Fourteen entries included one from the USA, one from Germany, and two from France, all of which were withdrawn, leaving a starting line-up of three British Supermarines and three Italian Macchis.   The up-dated Supermarine S.6 had a 1,900 hp Rolls Royce “R” engine, while the Macchi M.67 had a 1,400 hp Isotta-Fraschini. 

            Henry Waghorn, in one of the S.6’s, blasted seven times around the 50-km./31-mi. course in 39:42.8 for a closed-course record of 328.63 mph.  Tomaso dal Molin, in the 900 hp Macchi M.52R, was second at 284.11 mph, while both M.67’s went out with mechanical troubles.  This was the second straight solid win for the British.  

Part 2 – 1930  

  The Second All-American Air Races

            While the military predominated in demonstrations during the January 13-15 meet at Miami, the racing was mainly for civilian pilots in civilian airplanes.   Pylon events were limited by piston displacement, with almost all entrants flying commercially built machines.  The highest winning speeds in any of the 15-mile races were Dale Jackson’s 150.5 mph and 146.3 mph in the 800 cu. in. events, both in a 300 hp Cessna 300SP.   

  The Ninth King's Cup Race

            This long handicap race was for 753 miles, starting and finishing at Hanworth on July 5.   A record 88 pilots started and 61 finished, with the winner being Miss Winifred Brown, flying an Avro Avian III at 102.75 mph.   Next came Alan Butler in a cleaned-up Gypsy Moth at 130 mph, while in third was Henry Waghorn in a Blackburn Bluebird IV at 100 mph.  

The Chicago National Air Races 

            The August 24-September 1 event was moved to Chicago’s Curtiss-Reynolds Airport because of construction work at Cleveland.   Most of the races were for classes of airplanes limited by their engine displacement: 110 cu. in., 275 cu. in., 350 cu. in., 450 cu. in., 650 cu. in., 800 cu. in., 1,000 cu. in. 

            The main events included the no-holds-barred Non-Stop Los Angeles to Chicago Derby, the 1,760-mile immediate forerunner of the Bendix Trophy Race.  It was won by Wiley Post, in a Lockheed Vega, at 192.326 mph.   Second was Art Goebel in a Vega at 182.315 mph, and in third was Lee Shoenhair in yet another Vega, at 177.793 mph. 

            The other feature was the first Thompson Trophy Race, for any kind of airplane with any size engine, for 20 laps of a 5-mile course.  The winner was Charles “Speed” Holman in a pure racer, the Laird “Solution”, at 201.91 mph.  Less than 20 seconds behind him was Jimmy Haizlip in a new TravelAir Mystery at 199.80 mph, followed by Benny Howard in his little “Pete” at 162.80 mph.  Among the non-finishers was Errett Williams in the first of the Wedell Williams Racers.  One pilot died: Navy Capt. Arthur Page, in the Curtiss XF6C-6, a sleek parasol monoplane built from the F6C-3; probably from inhaling carbon monoxide.  

Part 3 – 1931

 The All-American Air Races 

            On January 8-10, a major meet was held at Miami Municipal Airport, near what became the Opa-Locka Naval Air Station. It was promoted as an excuse for pilots living well to the north to have a vacation in the Florida sun.  

The only race with no displacement limit was the Cincinnati Trophy Race, won by Art Davis in a Waco Taperwing at 149.37 mph.  Close behind, in second, was Johnny Livingston at 147.906 mph.  At the other end of the scale, three Goodyear blimps had a race in which first place went to the slowest!  In a novelty race for amphibians, each pilot had to land in Biscayne Bay and catch a fish before crossing the finish line. 

 The 10^th King’s Cup Race 

            New rules were in place for this race, held July 25 at Heston, England.  It was open to amateur pilots (and effectively to civil airplanes), and their airplanes had to be capable of at least 100 mph.  The 983-mile cross-country handicap saw 40 starters and 21 finishers.   The winner was E.C.T. Edwards in a Bluebird IV at 117.8 mph, second was F.G. Gibbons in a Simmonds Spartan at 109.1 mph, and third was Geoffrey Rodd in a deHavilland Puss Moth at 127.5 mph.  

The National Air Races 

            They were back in Cleveland, August 30-September 7, with a more permanent facility on a part of the airport now occupied by NASA.  A half mile of grandstands seated 50,000, and there was now a race administration building.  The future of air racing looked bright. 

            After years of development, it was time to run the first Bendix Transcontinental Derby from Los Angeles.  Of eight pilots entered, six flew various Lockheed monoplanes, one flew the TravelAir Mystery in which Doug Davis won the 1929 Thompson Cup.  And 1925 Schneider Cup winner Jimmy Doolittle flew the hot little Laird “Super Solution” biplane, winning by more than an hour, and averaging 223.04 mph, to just 199.82 mph by Harold Johnson in a Lockheed Orion. 

            In the Thompson Trophy Race, a pair of GeeBees were in the spotlight. The Granville Brothers (hence GB) ran a small shop and saw racing as a way to become better known.  In their stubby, single-seat Model Z was Lowell Bayles, who won the 10-lap, 100-mile race by almost a minute, averaging a record 236.24 mph, to 227.99 mph for Jimmy Wedell in a new Wedell Williams Racer. 

            The distinctive shape and yellow-and-black color scheme of the “Z” captured the imaginations of millions, and lifted air racing to the next rung of popularity.  

  The 12th Schneider Cup Race

            The long run of the Schneider ended at Lee-on-Solent, in southern England, on September 13.   The record dash by John Boothman in the new Supermarine S.6b with its 2,300 hp Rolls Royce “R”, predecessor of the later Griffon, was an anti-climax.  No other entries appeared to challenge the British, and they took possession of the Cup with a third straight win.  Boothman’s 340.08 mph for 7 laps and 218 miles was a world mark for closed courses.  Three weeks later, G. H. Stainforth became the first human to exceed 400 mph, when he flew an S.6b over a 3-km. course at 406.99 mph, an Absolute World Record. 

            When the Schneider ended, there were a lot of highly impressive racing seaplanes being developed with great power and advanced streamlining.  In France, there were the Nieuport-Delage 450, the Dewoitine D.412 and the Bernard HV-220.  In Italy, Mario Castoldi had designed the MC.72 with a pair of Fiat V-12 engine in tandem.  Five were built by Macchi, at least two of which were lost in fatal crashes before the final Schneider Race.  Eventually, one of them would set the 3-km. record for piston-engined seaplanes at 440.681 mph, which still stands. 

 Part 4 – 1932 

    The All-American Air Races

            No information yet available on the Miami races of January 7-9.  

  The 11th King's Cup Races

            The race was on two days for a total of 1,223 miles, with the start and finish at Brooklands, on the south-west side of London.  The first three-time winner was W.L. Hope in a Fox moth at 124.25 mph.  Second place went to E.H. Fielden in a racey little Comper Swift at 156 mph, and in third, W.L. Runciman in a Puss Moth at 130 mph.  Harry Brown turned in the fastest time—176 mph—in an Avro Mailplane.  

The International Aviation Meeting 

            On July 23-26, near Zurich, Switzerland, an air meet was conducted, consisting of races for a variety of civilian, military and commercial aircraft, along with an aerobatics competition.  The fastest of the races appears to have been the International Speed Contest, won at 213 mph by Cassinelli, of Italy, in a Fiat CR.30.  His teammate Pietro Scapinelli, was second in a CR.30 at 209 mph, and Nyffenegger, of Switzerland was third in a Lockheed Orion, at 205 mph.  

The National Air Races 

            The unquestioned star of Cleveland’s August 27-September 5 meet was the barrel-shaped Gee R-1, with its brilliant red-and-white paint job, even though Wedell Williams Race