Page 30 - April 2015 Volume 9, Number 4

Only six months after his record-setting flight, Bill Odom was killed in the crash of a North American P-51C Mustang named “Beguine” that had been custom-built for air racing events. Although a respected and highly competent pilot, Odom had relatively little experience in air racing. On the second lap of the 1949 Thompson Trophy race, he had flown Beguine into third place and was gradually catching up with the second- and first-place airplanes, both Goodyear F2G Corsair IVs. According to an eye-witness observation by none other than famed pilot Bob Hoover, Odom realized that he was about to fly inside the second pylon and rolled the airplane rapidly to the right in an attempt to avoid cutting the marker. The Mustang continued to roll and struck the ground at a 45-degree angle, killing Odom instantly.4
Perhaps the best testimony to William Odom and the Waikiki Beech was spoken by aviation pioneer Glenn L. Martin: “Testifying in the most effective manner possible to the ability of the American aviation industry to produce an aircraft and ideas of dramatic character, I invite your attention to the recent feat of Captain Bill Odom in accomplishing the greatest nonstop flight while using a Beechcraft Bonanza.”
Beech Aircraft Corporation’s final involvement in long-distance flights occurred in 1958 when Pat Boling flew a Beechcraft Model J-35 named the “Philippine Bonanza” nonstop from the Philippine capital of Manila, to Pendleton, Ore., on July 31-August 1. The J-35 was equipped with the wingtip tanks removed from the Waikiki Beech as well as two 31-gallon auxiliary fuel tanks and three additional tanks installed in the fuselage that were interconnected. To accommodate the auxiliary tanks, the wing structure was modified to accept wing sections from a Model 95 Travel Air light twin-engine Beechcraft. Total fuel capacity was 402 gallons. In addition, an auxiliary five-gallon oil tank was installed.
A number of novel devices were included in the J-35’s special equipment list: an autopilot, warning horns that would sound every hour or anytime the airplane deviated from a preset altitude or airspeed; HF radio set, an electric shaver that was powered from the cigarette lighter, a coffee percolator, and a vibrating pillow for the pilot seat. Boling flew the Beechcraft a distance of 7,090 statute miles, and the great circle route was 6,856 miles. Of that distance, 6,555 miles were flown over water compared with only 535 over land. Total flight time was 45.4 hours. Boling landed with only 11 gallons of fuel remaining – the 250-hp Continental IO-470C powerplant burned 391 gallons during the flight at an average rate of 8.55 gallons per hour.
In 1960, an attempt was made to break Boling’s record. Peter Gluckmann, who had significant experience flying an older Model 35 on long-distance
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flights, offered to buy the Philippine Bonanza for his proposed trek across the Pacific. Beech Aircraft officials declined to sponsor Gluckmann but sold him the airplane, including all the fuel and oil tanks but less the IO-470C engine. He installed a 260-hp Continental that was modified to operate at 2,800 rpm and 275 horsepower for takeoff. When fueled and fully prepared for the flight (including Gluckmann’s weight), the airplane tipped the scales at a staggering 6,020 pounds – far above the J-35’s standard maximum takeoff weight of 2,900 pounds. One Beech engineer calculated that the Bonanza’s initial rate of climb (landing gear retracted) would be zero! 5
To give the heavily-laden Beechcraft a boost on takeoff, two Aero-Jet General, Jet-Assisted Take off (JATO) bottles would be used but only one was eventually installed. The J-35 was airborne after rolling 6,000 feet down the 8,350-foot long runway before Gluckmann ignited the JATO bottle. Sixteen hours into flight he was forced to land at Tokyo because of severe weather along the intended route. On April 27, Gluckmann and the Philippine Bonanza departed Tokyo (without JATO) and headed eastward toward Midway Island. The J-35 carried sufficient fuel for about 60 hours of flying. According to Bonanza historian Larry Ball, Gluckmann intended to reach the United States and fly inland as far as possible before landing. About eight hours after departing Tokyo, he made radio contact with a U.S. Coast Guard ship patrolling between Japan and Midway. It was the last report received from the pilot. Peter Gluckmann and his Bonanza never made it to America. What happened remains a mystery, but during the next few days it became clear that both man and machine had disappeared somewhere over the vast Pacific Ocean. 6 KA
NOTES:
1. Ball, Larry; “Those Incomparable Bonanzas;” McCormick-
Armstrong Co., Inc., Wichita, Kansas; 1971. 2. Ibid.
3. McDaniel, William H.; “The History of Beech;” McCormick- Armstrong Co., Inc., Wichita, Kansas, 1971.
4. Tegler, John: “Gentlemen, You have A Race;” Wings Publishing Company, Severna Park, Maryland, 1984. In addition to Odom, a mother in a house and her child playing in the yard were killed when the Mustang crashed on their property.
5. Ball, Larry; “Those Incomparable Bonanzas;” McCormick- Armstrong Co., Inc., Wichita, Kansas, 1971.
6. Ibid
About the Author: Ed Phillips, now retired and living in the South, has researched and written eight books on the unique and rich aviation history that belongs to Wichita, Kan. His writings have focused on the evolution of the airplanes, companies and people that have made Wichita the “Air Capital of the World” for more than 80 years.
APRIL 2015