chapter v 1929 - the biggest year yet

Everything in the aviation world of 1929,whatever it was, was bigger and better than anythingever before.

Charles Lindbergh married Ann Morrow, whileDick Byrd explored the Antarctic. Two airplanes,one French, one American, crossed the Atlanticfrom Maine to Spain. Air mail was delivered inManhattan just eleven days after posting in BuenosAires and transatlantic ship mail was speeded up inseaplanes carried piggyback aboard ocean liners andcatapulted to hurry on ahead as the ship neared port.A scale model of a “seadrome” landing field wastested in Chesapeake Bay, preparatory to buildingand mooring a full size, thousand-foot-long modelin mid-Atlantic for a gas stop for New York to Parispassenger planes.

The German Dornier DOX twelve-engine flyingboat carried 169 people aloft at one time, and theGerman dirigible Graf Zeppelin carried 17passengers and 42 crewmen around the world. TheBritish built two similar airships, while theAmerican Los Angeles made a flight with anairplane shuttling to and from a hook on her belly.

The TAT airline began its 48-hour New York toLos Angeles plane-train service, Boeing AirTransport promised a 20-hour schedule Chicago toSan Francisco, and at Fredonia, Arizona a ScenicAirways Ford Tri-motor took off with eight deeraboard, carried them 95 miles across the GrandCanyon to Red Butte, to join the deer colony on theSouth Rim.

Most significant, the German scientist Fritz vonOpel kept a rocket propelled airplane aloft for overten minutes, while America’s Jimmy Doolittle madea successful instrument flight; takeoff, out the radiorange and back, and landing, all “blind” under the hood.

There were all kinds of endurance records; theArmy Fokker Question Mark stayed aloft overBurbank for 150 hours; Jackson and O’Brine keptthe St. Louis Robin circling St. Louis for two and ahalf weeks; Mamer and Walker flew the BuhlSpokane Sun God from Spokane to San Francisco to

New York and back to Spokane without landing.Another planned endurance flight, promptly vetoedby poor sports in the Commerce Department, calledfor two teams to change off in one airplane. Therested crew would come on duty via rope ladderfrom the refueling ship; the retiring crew would gooff duty via parachute.

Parachute jumps provided the grand finale for amarriage ceremony performed in a Sikorskycruising over Long Island. Following the nuptialrites, bride and groom marched down the aisle intraditional fashion and then right on out the door, nodoubt shouting “Geronimo!” as they hit the silk.

A parachute was devised to lower an entireairplane to the ground and the Switlik companyannounced a chute for the passenger seats of anairliner. At the first sign of trouble the passengerbuckled the straps, then the pilot pressed a buttonand passenger and seat dropped out through thefloor. The chute would open automatically and thewhole thing is over with, the press agent said,“before anyone had time to become panic stricken.”

This was the year for optimism and easy money;for record highs in the stock market; record sales ofautomobiles and iceboxes, vacuum cleaners andgolf clubs. And home radio sets: Majesties,Spartons, Fadas, and Atwater Kents.

Over a hundred new model airplanes weredisplayed at the Detroit Aircraft Show in April;hundreds more flew into Cleveland for the racesover Labor Day weekend; and a record thirty-fivecontestants signed up for the Fifth National Air Tourin October.

Twenty-nine ships actually started, most of them“the very latest thing out.” The only old-lookingplane was an accompanying Army Observationship, powered bya water-cooled Liberty motor. Andthe Liberty of course, provided a favoriteconversation topic for the old timers….

They recalled how the motor was designed backin ’17 by engineers working round the clock in theGreat Crusade To Make The World Safe For

Chapter V1929 - The Biggest Year Yet

87Copies of this book may be ordered at www.NationalAirTour.org or by calling 800-225-5575

© 1972, Lesley Forden; 2003 Edition © 2002 Aviation Foundation of America

Democracy. Everything then was called “Liberty”something; Liberty Bonds and Liberty Loan Drives,and even Liberty Steak, to replace the hated Germanword, hamburger.

The veterans talked of Liberty motors in the oldwartime de Havillands, called “Flaming Coffins”,and of the improved Air Mail DH — which still letyou down once in awhile. Mail pilots told of forcedlandings out in the weeds somewhere, and in thosedays “By Gollies Mister, you fixed the motoryourself!” Then you coached two or three huskybystanders to pull the prop through to get startedagain. Or picked a savvy looking fellow to mind thethrottle while you personally led the self-starting crew.

Mail pilots might carry a cash fund to settle witha farmer on the spot, when you’d landed and gonetail-skidding through his freshly planted field. Butsometimes the farmer thought you were a hero andthe people he’d get sore at were neighbors andpassers-by who came trampling all over his place tosee “his” airplane.

Winter landings with the Liberty were somethingelse. You drained 16 gallons of water, and maybe 4gallons of oil, the minute you set her down, and thenhoped you could heat it up again to get started.There were oil stove rigs and canvas tent enclosuresto fit around the nose of the ship and one groundcrew had their own set-up — a couple of old oildrums in which they boiled water over a raging firemade with discarded auto tire casings. Pipes andhoses led to the DH radiator, and if the damnedmotor didn’t start then, why the mail just didn’t gothrough that day.

The story tellers talked of other big engines; of aLiberty “sawed in two” to make a six-cylinder; andof two V-12s “stuck together” for a 24-cylinder X-type. Someone would revive the Wright versus Prattand Whitney story: the myth that P&W got startedonly because “the Wright engineers had this 400

horsepower design, see? And Wright wouldn’t buildit, being so stuck on the old Whirlwind. And so theengineers just plain walked out and took the printsover to Pratt and Whitney. You mean to set rightthere and tell me you didn’t know that?”

The 1929 tour planes, Liberty motor and all, wereoff on schedule despite torrential rains and late arrivals caused by a storm that swept theAtlantic coast.

Fourth in the final score was the Curtiss Condor,a giant, twin-motored biplane patterned after anArmy bomber. Spectators marveled at itstremendous ninety foot wings and huge 600horsepower motors; everyone wanted to ride in theluxurious 18 passenger cabin and tell their friendshow quiet it was and how they had read magazines,played cards, strolled up and down the aisle to therest room aft and the big pilot station forward.

And perhaps, had a passenger kept notes, the tourstory would have gone something like this….

“Saturday. We’re here at last, Ford Airport. Tookus five long days, count ’em, five days, trying to getacross Pennsylvania mountains from New York inthe big storm. Flew high, flew low, tried end runaround south through Maryland. No soap. Sat downin Washington, all dressed up and no place to go.Nothing to do but wait, cuss the rain, cuss thegovernment, trade Stock Market Tips, argue newChevy Six versus Model A Ford, Dempsey versusTunney, Talkies versus Silents.

“But now, today, Zero Hour, Over the Top,Toronto or Bust, Contact! Bands playing, motorsroaring, spectators milling, kids sailing modelairplanes, photographers shoving to get one moreshot of the girl flyers — ‘sweet lady bird pilots,’someone calls ’em. Judges scrambling to weigh inbaggage and ballast, pilots hollering at mechanics,mechanics hollering at pilots, things like ‘Try ’er on



The Condor and Red Jacker’s Thrush, left, at Cedar Rapids. (Charles Scheetz)

the left mag again, and back off the goddamnthrottle.’

“Passengers crowd into wrong ship, ask dumbbellquestions, holler last minute nifties ‘See you in thefunny papers, Krazy Kat.’ Starter waves flag,Condor rolls, one wing tip promptly knocks oversome bonehead newsreel man, big sap crankingaway right in the middle of the apron. Nobody hurt,we lurch around and start over, we’re on our way.Quick stop in Windsor then on to Toronto. Condorpurrs along like Twentieth Century Limited.

“Long day Sunday so it’s up with the chickens.Someone says only two kinds of people ever see thesunrise; farmers up early, lovers up late.

“Big crowds hopeless traffic Montreal. Took usfour hours to drive from airport to downtown, maindrag. Thought we’d never put on the feedbag. Justthank the good Lord you can buy a real drink ofnonpoisonous whiskey in Canada.”

“Blue Monday, all hands hung over from nightbefore. A real lulu is what I mean. Late start, thenCondor zooms up and over White Mountains andMaine woods like homesick angel. Trees all deckedout for fall; deep yellow, burnt orange, light red,dark red, bright gold. Gorgeous, unbelievable, boywe sure got a kick out of that. But then damp what Imean all wet at Portland. Rain, fog, customsrevenuers shaking down planes, pilots, passengersfor Canadian booze. And more rain at SpringfieldMass. But swell evening at Kimball Hotel, orchestrachorus doing ‘Lilac Time,’ ‘Button Up YourOvercoat,’ ‘Singin’ In the Rain.’

“Big race on to New York. Pilots all dive on finishline at Roosevelt Field, timers and judges run backand forth, wave flags, wave papers, holler namesand numbers. Planes zoom on around field, rocking

wings, doing vertical banks, one even does a loop.“Wednesday, scrapple breakfast at Philly, fried

oysters at Baltimore, ham dinner at Richmond. Nextday, Winston Salem, Condor’s left motor goeshaywire. Mechs doubtful on quick fix so wepassengers take motorbus, plan to get on to nextstop and hitch a ride in one of the Fords. So lateafternoon we bounce off into the sticks and thenmiddle of the night way out in the weeds some widespot in the road called Wintersham, the bus breaksan axle. Driver finds telephone, tries call for help,can’t get Central. We stand around, shiver, cussCentral, cuss bus, and cuss flying machines. Thensure enough comes a big roar overhead andsomeone asks ‘Hoo dat?’ and someone else chirps‘You’d be surprised!’ Somebody else says it’s theCondor; right on course for Greenville and anotherwag asks ‘Why bring that up?’

“We’re caught up, back in the Condor again forthe rain and wind on south to Jacksonville. They’vehad awful floods; rivers all over banks, dirty meanbrown water for miles and miles far as you can see.People stranded, perched with chickens, hogs, andcattle, on top roofs, on logs, on little islands. We flylow under soup, no place to go if motors conk out.But better up here than down there.

“Heading north again Saturday, big mess atAtlanta. Advance plane broke down, did not getthrough from Macon, nobody telephoned, wholedam’ fleet forty airplanes swooping down on airportan hour before local people looking for them.Confusion reigns downtown too, hotels all jammedand running over with football fans here for Georgia- Yale game today, at Athens. Score is Georgiafifteen, Yale zero, and wouldn’t that slay you.People all lurching, whooping, laughing, crying,



Eastern Air Transport Condor, NC185H, over Atlanta. (NASM)



THE

FIFT

H T

OU

R19

29

drowning sorrows. And how.“We sat down at new airport for Nashville, with

swimming pool, golf links, Spanish club housecrawling with gorgeous Southern belles gathered forlunch with us. Long wait for lunch, long wait forgasoline, then trucks fill wrong planes first,backward from takeoff schedule, pilots all rant andrave, threaten lynch referee. Then long three hoursbucking headwind to Cincinnati. Caught fortywinks, read Literary Digest, went up front andwatched pilots. Saw highway billboard go by below,pilot says new kind built on slant for people to readfrom airplanes. Keen idea. Like big signs you seenow painted on roofs of movie houses, ‘TalkingPictures Quiet Please.’

“Better weather further west through Kansas. Thetwo Waco guys, Livingston and Davis, still wayahead in points. Real hard-work early-to-bed go-getters. Never see ’em making whoopee at theparties. But we’ve lost four other ships, two out withmotor trouble, one where the Fairchild guy got toolow and creamed his on a hillside, and poor FranHarrell, out of gas and curdled her little chariot rightat Lunken Airport.

“Another big Saturday night in Milwaukee,another big air show at the new Glenview field atChicago. Seven chute jumpers bailed out of oneFord Tri-Motor, all at once shooting out the cabindoor like Men from Mars.

“Home stretch, Waco wins again, same as lastyear. Big banquet back in Dearborn and big doingsat Ford Museum too; fifty-year anniversary ofelectric light. Thomas Edison there, Henry Ford,even President Hoover.

“Morning after, still raining cats and dogs andhammer handles. Everybody standing aroundwaiting for soup to lift, saying ‘somebody sure put afreeze on this weather, and ain’t it a pain in the neckI’ll tell the world, and when are we gonna maketracks and shake a leg and make our getaway. Anddid you hear it snowed once already back in littleold New York?

“And don’t forget to drop a line, and give me abell if you’re in town and it’s just been a real screamnow hasn’t it, and I’m telling you it sure has, and seeyou next year. And ta-ta and toodle-oo and that’sthirty for tonight, folks.”



ITINERARY1929

Date City and Airport Name Miles

Saturday, Dearborn, FordOctober 5 Windsor, Walkerville Air Harbour 15

Toronto, Leaside 207

October 6 Ottawa; Flying Club, Bowersville Road 228Montreal, St. Huberts 112

October 7 Portland, Municipal 206Springfield, Dunn 152

October 8 New York City, Roosevelt 112Philadelphia; Central, Camden, N.J. 96

October 9 Baltimore, Logan 90Richmond, Byrd 128

October-10 Winston-Salem, Municipal 183Greenville, City 152

October-11 Augusta, Daniel 100Jacksonville, Municipal 210

October-12 Macon, Miller 200Atlanta, Candler 72

October-14 Nashville; Sky Harbor, Murfreesboro 191Cincinnati, Lunken 246

October-15 Louisville, Bowman 87St. Louis, Lambert 261

October-16 Springfield, Municipal 183Wichita, Municipal 215

October-17 St. Joseph, Rosecrans 192Des Moines, Municipal Aviation Park 145

October-18 Cedar Rapids, Municipal 99St. Paul, Holman 219

October-19 Wausau, Alexander 171Milwaukee, County 160

October-20 Moline, Campbell 174Chicago; Curtiss, Glenview 149

Monday, Kalamazoo, Municipal 142October-21 Dearborn, Ford 120

Total 5,017

Souvenir….1929 road map carried in the Condor. (R. E. Johnson)

The 1929 tour flyers enjoyed this Florida scenery. (The Piper Cubseaplane came later.) (NASM)

Central Airport at Camden. New Jersey, just across the Delaware from Philadelphia, was newly completed in time for the 1929 tour. (J. Victor Dallin)



George Chapline running up the Wright Aero Ford, at Cedar Rapids. Note long exhaust pipes; big landing lights on belly. Billboard in backgroundadvertises “Russell’s Ice Cream.” (Charles Scheetz)

Ford NC8485, carrying #16 in tour. The extra “4” on rudder may have been for a Michigan state tour, or other similar event. (Ford/Hudek)

Ford #17, flown by Byron Warner. (S. J. Hudek)



Four entrants which wereannounced, but did notcompete….

Proposed contestants, No-Shows at post time, included The Alexander Bullet.

(Alexander Film Company)

Pitcairn Autogiro, X760W, over Manhattan. (NASM) The Corman Tri-Motor, named for E. L. Cord and L. B. Manning, andforerunner of the Stinson Tri-Motor.

(S. J. Hudek)

The Consolidated Fleetster. NC731 N, is seen at Oakland, California Airport in the late thirties.(Mrs. Carl Bigelow)



Pratt and Whitney’s tour ship was civilian model of standard militaryCorsair. This handsome Hornet powered civilian V-50 came later.

(United Aircraft Corporation) Early British de Havilland Gipsy Moth, forerunner of American modelbuilt under license in Lowell, Massachusetts factory.

(Flight International)

Gipsy Moth NC298M was like those flown in tour. Picture shows center-section fuel tank, wooden interplane struts, long exhaust pipe and typical DH rudder.

(Earl F. Nelson)

The Columbia Triad with its integral center float. Wingtip floats may have been added later. (NASM)





Pop Cleveland’s Travel Air, carrying placard, “1930 National Air Races, Chicago, Official Plane.” (NASM)

The Wallace Touroplane. Pilot seated inside may be Don Mathors. (S. J. Hudek)

Mary Haizlip over Kansas City inAmerican Eagle. This longnosedship was familiarly known as the“Anteater” model, or, “AnteaterEagle.”

(S. J. Hudek)

Newman Wadlow’s Travel Air B6000 (Truman Wadlow)

This handsome Great Lakes was like those flown in 1929 tour. (NASM)



Bob Johnson, left, and Carl Schory (L. S. Smalley)

John A. Macready, left, and Wendell Brookley, at McCook Field.(Mrs. James C. Liston)

Red Jackson, left, and George Chapline (Russell Thaw)

Forest O’Brine (University of California)

William N. Lancaster (Flight International)

This typical Challenger Robin, NC998K, publicized Hotel New Yorker with picture on side and slogan, “New York’s Largest and Tallest Hotel.” (S. J. Huciek)



From left, Curtiss Condor mechanic Frank Lakowitz, C. O. Bedford,pilots Karl Voelter and Bill Crosswell.

(Karl E. Voelter)

Another Challenger Robin, X6831, operated by the Curtiss FlyingService.

(NASM)

Russell A. Young and Ryan B-5. Proper name for this model was “Detroit Ryan,” The Detroit Aircraft Corporation having bought the company from theSt. Louis group which had bought it from Ben Mahoney — who had bought it from the founder, T. Claude Ryan.

(United Press International)



Letter from Ray Collins to Newman Wadlow. Note unusual salutation, “Dear Wadlow,” and also three names onTour Committee: Graham, Metzger and Packard, designated simply as “Capitalist.”

(Newman Wadlow)

Fokker Super Universal, NC-341-N at Alameda, California, was similar toGoodyear ship which accompanied tour; has big doughnut tires soldand publicized by Goodyear as “Airwheels.” (Mrs. Carl Bigelow)

The Firestone Ford (Firestone Tire & Rubber Company)



The Wadlow Twins

(Truman Wadlow)

Curtiss Thrush 9787, probably the ship flown by Leroy McGrady in the tour, possibly McGrady seated at controls. (NASM)

Thrush 7568, #23 in tour, used later as CBS Radio mobile broadcastingstation and in various endurance records by Louise Thaden, HelenRichey and Frances Harrell Marsalis. The small fins seen at inboardend of ailerons were probably added as guards against refuelinglines fouling ailerons.

(S. J. Hudek)

Frances Harrell (later Frances Marsalis) left, and Louise Thaden. (S. J. Hudek)





Fairchild NC9708 was similar to Dick Pears’ tour ship. (Fairchild Aviation Corporation)

Jessie Miller, with Carl Reed, (left) and Sherman Fairchild.(Fairchild Hiller Corporation/Theron K. Rinehart)

Immediate predecessor of the Fairchild 71 was the model FC-2W2. This one is NC7034, owned by Vico Oil Company of Salt Lake City. Pilot RalphSharpneck is running up, blowing dust clear across the Spokane Airport.

(A. W. Walker)

Fairchild called these three 1929 tour planes their “White Fleet.” From left, Robert C. Reakirt, Jessie Keith Miller, D. Morgan Hackman. (Fairchild Republic Division)



Another FC-2W2 of Bell Telephone Laboratories, over Roosevelt Field. (Fairchild Aviation Corporation)

Curtiss Condor cockpit featured simple instrument layout and bigwindows.

(NASM)

Condor bombers from Rockwell Field, San Diego, roar throughYosemite Valley, Yosemite Park, California, 1932.

(NASM)



Bill Welborn’s FAI License. (J. W. Welborn) Souvenir….Bill Welborn’s Pilot Log, autographed by fellow tour pilots. (J. W. Welborn)

Typical Spartan C-3, NC7O4N, in factory showroom at Tulsa. Welborn’s tour ship, C572M, had special paint job, with maroon fuselage and orange wings. (NASM)



Stanley T. Stanton and Cessna DC6-B (Cessna Aircraft Company)

Earl Rowland in Cessna C7107. (Cessna Aircraft Company)

Cessna DC6B similar to those flown in tour by Stanton and Lacey. (Cessna Aircraft Company)



Al Krapish and fellow workers at Sikorsky pose with the S-29, in 1924. From left, Michael E. Gluhareff, Krapish, Igor I. Sikorsky, Dmitry D. Viner, Serge E.Gluhareff, Nicholas Solovioff. The dog is a Fox Terrier, name unknown.

(Igor I. Sikorsky)

Rube Wagner and Boeing 95 similar to his tour ship. Factory pilot Erik Nelson in cockpit. (R. L. Wagner)



Byron S. Warner (L. Stephan)

Roger Q. Williams, left, andLewis A. Vancey

(The National Archives)

Joe Meehan (UPI Photo)

Steve Lacey (Cessna Aircraft Company)

John H. Livingston (J. H. Livingston)

Arthur J. Davis, with his son (Arthur J. Davis)

Bellanca freighter NC257M, flown in 1929 and 1930 tours. (S. J. Hudek)



Wiley Post and the Winnie Mae. (S. J. Hudek)

Ray Collins wishes Frank Hawks a good trip, in 1929 Pathfinder Lockheed. At least nine Fords can be seen in background. (S. J. Hudek)

Lee Schoenhair and Lockheed Miss Silvertown (S. J. Hudek)



Bob Nagle(University of California)

Bernard L. Whelan(United Aircraft Corporation)

Gentry Shelton inscribed hispicture to George Herwig, nightwatchman at Lambert Field.

(H. M. Lohrman)

Mary (May) Haizlip(NASM)

J. Carroll Cone and Command-Aire at the factory in Little Rock. (S. J. Hudek)



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pre

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AN

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choe

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ega

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Was

pO

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lane

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lane

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da

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ont

NC

9676

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T-B

(3)

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asp

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cial

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ther

pla

ne a

nd (

RC

A)

Rad

io C

omm

unic

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ns,

S

tand

ard

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Co

of In

dian

a.Ja

mes

Phe

lps,

Mor

ris M

arke

y, (

crew

). C

.G. A

ndru

s,

D

.B.P

eyto

n, R

.F. M

cCon

nell,

Rob

ert M

offe

tt.

Lest

er W

. Bry

ant

NC

9614

For

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ri-M

otor

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T-E

(3)

Wr.

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Tire

& R

ubbe

r C

o. s

ervi

ce p

lane

.W

m. M

. McC

onne

ll, T

ony

Wal

lach

, E.J

. Qui

gley

, (cr

ew).

Fra

nk B

yerly

NC

32M

Lock

heed

Veg

a 5

Spe

cial

P&

W W

asp

Det

roit

New

s C

o.Ja

mes

V. P

iers

ol

Rog

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. Will

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sX

307E

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Col

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o.T

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, I. F

riend

How

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ru

Wac

o

(u

)W

aco

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vice

shi

p.

R.F

. Nic

hols

onN

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s R

obin

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tiss

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lleng

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m O

il C

o.H

.W. L

uke,

C.W

. Sno

w

uN

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alP

&W

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spG

oody

ear

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ber

Co.

ser

vice

pla

ne.

Ral

ph T

. Wic

kfor

dN

C78

65F

ord

Tri-

Mot

or 4

-AT

-B(3

) W

r. J

-5A

ccom

pany

ing,

Spr

ingf

ield

- N

ew Y

ork

Cur

tiss

Fly

ing

Ser

vice

Ray

Gilb

ert,

Geo

rge

F. B

arry

, (cr

ew).

C

lara

Tre

nkm

an, C

harle

s S

. Jon

es

Geo

rge

Wile

sN

C64

33S

tear

man

C3B

Wr.

J5

Acc

ompa

nyin

g, S

prin

gfie

ld -

New

Yor

k

P

ione

er In

stru

men

t Co.

Jam

es P

eace

Leig

h W

ade

uC

onso

lidat

ed F

leet

ster

17

P&

W H

orne

tA

ccom

pany

ing,

Spr

ingf

ield

- N

ew Y

ork

Con

solid

ated

Airc

raft

Cor

pora

tion.

OTH

ER A

CC

OM

PAN

YIN

G A

IRPL

AC

ES (

Co

nt.)

Pass

eng

ers

, va

rious

airp

lane

s: L

oui

s Fi

rsch

t, Fr

ank

McK

ay,

Stu

art

F. A

uer,

Ca

rl F.

Sch

ory

and

Mrs

. Sch

ory

, Will

iam

R. E

nya

rt, H

owa

rd W

ehr

le, H

arr

y H

. Kne

pp

er,

Raffe

Em

ers

on,

Cha

rles

Red

en,

Ha

rry

Sla

ter,

Jam

es

Ho

ulih

ouf

f, Po

rte

r Ad

am

s, L

ee

Wa

rrend

er a

nd M

rs.

Wa

rrend

er,

Jack

Eis

em

an.

New

spa

pe

r pe

op

le in

clud

ed

: Do

nald

Gla

sco

ff, H

.H. M

etz

, M.E

. Wis

hart

, C. M

cLe

an,

W.S

. Wils

on,

Jo

hn T

. Nev

ill, R

ob

ert

Ro

ss, E

.A. M

cDo

nald

, Ra

lph

W. C

ram

, L.K

. Lym

an,

Le

o K

iern

an,

She

rma

B. A

ltick

, To

dd

Wrig

ht, C

.B. A

llen,

Fra

nk W

alto

n.

chapter v 1929 - the biggest year yet

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