CORSAIRS
F2G
THE HISTORY OF THE 1949 THOMPSON TROPHY WINNER #94
BuNo 14693 XF2G-1
Cook Cleland was able to enter not one, but three F2Gs in the 1947 Thompson
Trophy Race.
Cleland choose to fly # 74 himself and assigned # 94 to Dick Becker and #84
to Tony Janazzo.
In 1947 the aircraft color was white and insignia red. Dick Becker was the leader for a
number of laps in
the Thompson till Cleland passed him in # 74 and won the race giving the
Cleland team a one-two finish.
Dick
Becker after finishing in second place
in
the 1947 Thompson Trophy Race.
Well into the Thompson Race in 1948, Cleland was flying # 94 when the redesigned intake
cowling
blew apart. As he prepared to land he felt Becker would go on to win, only to find
Becker already
on the ground with the same problem.
(Bill Meixner collection)
Cleland checking the damage
In 1949 Cleland, Becker and McKillen all qualified for the Thompson. Dick Becker
suffered the
misfortune of blowing the propeller gear reduction box just as he completed
the last pass.
He was close enough to the field to enable him to make a successful dead
stick landing.
The engine could not be repaired in time for the Thompson Trophy race. Cook
Cleland won
the Thompson Trophy for the second time, the only person to win more than
once, other than
Roscoe Turner who won three times.
(Bill Meixner collection)
Roscoe Turner presenting the Thompson Trophy to
Cook Cleland with Fred Crawford looking on.
(Burke-Smith Studio)
#94 at the start of the 1949 race.
(Wes Hansen Collection)
#94 on display at downtown Cleveland
(Wes Hansen Collection)
#94 Deteriorating at Cleveland Airport
(Unknown) Courtesy Adam Snelly
A young friend watching #94 having its engine
removed
(Sept. 55)
#94 sat on Cleveland Airport property for a number of years. Airport employees
searched for someone
to take it, but could find no one. The Crawford Museum accepted the
engine and the propeller, the remains
were delivered to the
airport fire department to be
burned for practice. The "bones of #94 are buried at
Cleveland Airport, perhaps, some
day they will be uncovered.
Please send comments to Bill Meixner
You are the th person to pop in on us since May 18th ,2001, Thank You for the touch & go, please take an early flight back....
Site last changed on Monday, February 18, 2013 04:13 PM