Charles Russell Scrapbook Images

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Page 93 Image 3

The gas inflated the metal c covering and the ship acted as any other non-rigid type dirigible. This was its maiden voyage and brought with it E.G.Evans, the president of Detroit Aircraft.
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The gas inflated the metal c covering and the ship acted as any other non-rigid type dirigible. This was its maiden voyage and brought with it E.G.Evans, the president of Detroit Aircraft.
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It is always spectacular to see the parachute demonstrated. These aerial life preservers have saved many lives in the air. Today there was a contest between professional jumpers. Planes took the jumpers up to a predetermined level and the men jumped and tried to hit a bull’s eye on the field.
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They become very accurate and can guide their chutes by pulling guide lines on one side or the other to spill air out and let them drop more rapidly or to maneuver to check drift. I hope this guy doesn’t land sitting down as some I have seen. Its hard on the constitution and the trousers.
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During the early part of Race week, an experimental trimotor ship had been up trying to set a non-stop record.
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One night something happened aboard the plane – no one knows what – and in the morning the wreck of this big ship was found a few miles from the airport near a small river.
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It was a total washout. The crew was dead and the plane was demolished beyond repair. There was nothing to do but write “finis” after this attempted record.
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One bright morning we decided to get a view of the Air Race layout from the air. With Labadie, Doc Shannon and Fred Gould aboard we took off from the airport and flew down over the city. On our return I got an excellent view of the grandstands with the contesting planes drawn up in front. The crowd had not yet fully arrived and it was early.
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During the night the giant dirigible Los Angeles had arrived and moored at the field. On alighting from our ship I prevailed upon Doc Shannon to pose with the big airship in the distant background.
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The great dirigible was indeed an inspiring sight in the air. Its long cigar shaped body shone like silver in the sunlight as it moved majestically along to the subdued purr of its motors. This queen of the Navy Air Service was equipped with a bar which would permit planes with hooks on their upper wing to hook on to the dirigible. The pilot could then go aboard. The big ship could therefore carry a small plane for scouting purposes and for protection when attacked which could always return to its base when its mission was completed.
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The great dirigible was indeed an inspiring sight in the air. Its long cigar shaped body shone like silver in the sunlight as it moved majestically along to the subdued purr of its motors. This queen of the Navy Air Service was equipped with a bar which would permit planes with hooks on their upper wing to hook on to the dirigible. The pilot could then go aboard. The big ship could therefore carry a small plane for scouting purposes and for protection when attacked which could always return to its base when its mission was completed.
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This squadron of bombers flew in from Langley Field, Virginia and made a great deal of racket as they swept over the stands. These big ships seem to move more slowly but really they can cover a great deal of territory.
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An unusual ship is the Sikorsky amphibian. This ship has a boat shaped hull with wheels that fold into the wing. The tail is above the hull on an outrigger from the upper wing.
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This big Ford plane has just come down from a real workout. Stunt-small planes is quite easy but the big ships are not usually used in this manner. This big “Tin Goose” has just returned from a frolic which included loops, wing-overs rolls and spins. What do you want from a transport?
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One of the new designs which may well influence future airplane design is the autogyro. This “flying windmill” in an invention of Senor Cierva of Spain. This queer machine with its huge vanes or sweeps gets off the ground in very short run. The blast of the propeller sets the sweeps to revolving and act as lifting surfaces. The machine can descend almost vertically. The engine is throttled and the machine slowly drifts down the sweeps acting almost as a parachute. The wing only serves to support ailerons.
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One of the new designs which may well influence future airplane design is the autogyro. This “flying windmill” in an invention of Senor Cierva of Spain. This queer machine with its huge vanes or sweeps gets off the ground in very short run. The blast of the propeller sets the sweeps to revolving and act as lifting surfaces. The machine can descend almost vertically. The engine is throttled and the machine slowly drifts down the sweeps acting almost as a parachute. The wing only serves to support ailerons.
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Senor Cierva had a serious talk with the German aviatrix who asked many questions about his novel machine. After discussing his invention withihe lady Cierva climbed into his machine and took off for his daily spin.
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Contact. The propeller swings over, the engine chatters and the little windmill moves forward. Faster and faster until at last the wheels spurn the ground and it leaps skyward with sweeps gesticulating grotesquely. It is really something new with a vengeance.
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Higher and higher it climbs in widening circles propeller and sweeps thrashing about with great abandon.
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Slowly across the sky sweeps the majestic bulk of the Los Angeles. Silhouetted against the blue, above the big airship still thrashes the tiny autogyro. Truly this is the age of miracles. Cierva cuts the power and the little plane settles slowly to earth and lands without scarcely any run. Something will come of this Spanish windmill some day.
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The big race of the meet was the Thompson Trophy for speed craft only. Many and varied in design were the planes entered. Powered by the largest engines available, the wings of these little craft were so stubby that it seemed impossible for them to get off the ground. Their landing speed often was in excess of 100 miles per hour – but how they could go in the air.

One pylon marking the course was in front of the grandstand. The little racers would come in low over the edge of the field, almost cutting the grass and go into a vertical bank around the pylon and then thunder away to the next turn. Roscoe Turner is now rounding the pylon and slamming away down the course. Eventually he won the race.
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Even Air Races must come to an end and such was the case at Cleveland. We did however see two ships on the line which were worthy of comment. The first was the ill-fated Alexander Bullet, a Kinner powered low-wing cabin monoplane which ultimately proved itself very unstable and after several people had been killed in them, they were discontinued.
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The other ship was much better and was produced by a fine designer. The Verville Trainer was Continental powered and we bought one for test purposes. Several sales trips were made in it, one being to Kansas City, St.Joseph and return.
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The best account obtained for the sale of aircraft engines was negotiated while I headed the Continental Aircraft Engine Sales. It was with the Waco Aircraft Company of Troy Ohio. For several yearsthey were good customers until they finally changed to Jacobs engine after I had left the Continental organization. The A70 was used in their trainer and the four place cabin design which became very popular.