Page 28 - Volume 10 Number 11

The Racer’s EdgePart Two
The Travel Air Company and its speedy Type “R” monoplane would dominate the 1929 National Air Races and realize Walter H. Beech’s dream of beating the Army and Navy to the checkered flag.
by Edward H. Phillips
Air racing had always been among Walter Beech’s favorite activities. He had flown Laird “Swallow” biplanes to victory in the early phase of his career, and in 1925 had earned a perfect score in the inaugural National Air Tour for the Edsel B. Ford Reliability Trophy. A year later, accompanied by navigator Brice Goldsborough, Walter repeated that feat by winning the second Ford Tour flying a modified Travel Air Model BW equipped with the latest flight and navigation instruments. As a seasoned competitor and a savvy salesman for the Travel Air Manufacturing Company, Beech recognized the value of air racing not only for its publicity value, but for its contribution to advancing airframe and engine technologies.
Although time has obscured the facts, a long-standing story alleges that after the 1928 National Air Races (NAR), Walter became increasingly unhappy that the competition was dominated by the powerful biplanes of the United States Army Air Corps and the United States Navy. Streamlined and powered by either static, air-cooled radial or V-type liquid-cooled engines, the military’s biplanes frequently took the checkered flag. By contrast, during the early- to mid-1920s a majority of commercial-built aircraft were powered by small, low horsepower engines and stood little chance of defeating their government-backed adversaries. Beech reportedly bristled at the thought of civilian pilots being humiliated each year at the races.
As the tale continues, one day late in 1928 Walter shared his views with a few of the company’s engineering staff. He expressed his displeasure that the fastest machine on Travel Air’s flight line was a Type D4000 equipped with special “speed wings” and powered by a 225-horsepower Wright J5 radial engine. The biplane was capable of speeds approaching 150 mph, but remained hopelessly outclassed by the faster, more powerful Army and Navy ships. One of the engineers listening to Beech’s diatribe was Herbert M. Rawdon. He not only agreed with his boss but understood the problem and knew how to solve it. In Rawdon’s opinion, Travel Air needed to initiate a dedicated, well-funded project aimed solely at building an airplane that was specifically designed for the rigors of closed-course air racing.
Decades later before his death in 1975, Rawdon recalled that he completed some rough sketches of an airplane he believed could defeat all comers at the 1929 NAR. It was a low-wing monoplane with a wire- braced wing and fixed landing gear. Inspiration for the design stemmed from Rawdon’s admiration of the sleek, powerful and highly streamlined floatplanes that competed in the Schneider Trophy races during the 1920s. Chief among these were the British Supermarine monoplanes that included the graceful S.5 powered by an 875-horsepower Napier Lion VIIB engine. Created by Reginald J. Mitchell, the S.5 won the 1927 Schneider contest at a speed of more than 280 mph. In addition,
Herbert Rawdon (left) was a talented engineer who proposed that the company build his design for a single-seat monoplane that could beat the best the United States military had to offer. Rawdon eventually tapped fellow engineer Walter Burnham (right) to assist him designing what would become known as the Travel Air Type R monoplane. Both Rawdon and Burnham were early employees of the company and helped develop the Type 5000 and Type 6000 cabin monoplanes in 1926 and 1928, respectively. (EDWARD H. PHILLIPS COLLECTION)
26 • KING AIR MAGAZINE
NOVEMBER 2016