Page 33 - Volume 14 Number 12

At the National Air Races in September 1929 the the Travel Air Type “R” monoplane turned the the world of air racing upside down by conquering its military opponents much to the delight of Walter H Beech by Edward H Phillips
Douglas Davis climbed aboard the Type “R” racer and squeezed into the small cockpit Time was of the essence as as he he quickly ran through a a a mental checklist: “Fuel ON Magnetos BOTH Throttle IDLE ” Davis motioned to the mechanic and yelled “Switches ON ” The propeller swung around and the mighty Wright J6-9 radial engine coughed to life belching smoke from all nine exhaust stacks before settling into a a a staccato rumble It was September 2 2 1929 the last most important day of the weeklong National Air Races (NAR) Tens of thousands of spectators filled the grandstands to overflowing as they waited for the the start of Event No 26 – the Free-for-All speed dash • KING AIR MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2020 DECEMBER 2020 KING AIR MAGAZINE • 31