Page 29 - Volume 10 Number 11

Rawdon was influenced by the equally sleek and fast Italian machines built by Macchi-Castoldi expressly for the Schneider competitions.
It was, however, the use of a V-type powerplant in the British and Italian airplanes that later played a key role in Rawdon’s decision to power his Travel Air racer with an in-line engine. He estimated that an inverted, in-line engine of 250-300 horsepower would be adequate to achieve a maximum speed of at least 165 mph. To attain that speed, however, Rawdon realized that the airplane’s weight would have to be kept to a minimum consistent with requirements for structural integrity, and reducing parasite drag would be of paramount importance. He also knew that if the airplane was to be entered in the 1929 NAR, only 12 months remained to design, develop, build, and test the ship. He needed an able assistant, and he knew fellow engineer Walter Burnham was the right man for the job. Burnham was known around the factory as a quiet man who rarely complained about anything, but his competence with a slide rule and prowess in forming wood and sheet metal was beyond reproach.
The dawn of 1929 found the two men secretly creating dozens of detailed engineering drawings as well as a myriad of other tasks associated with designing a special airplane. At that point in time no one, not even Walter Beech, knew about their work. Herb and Walter began
the ambitious project with the understanding that all of the work would have to be done without pay, at home and on their own time. They were making good progress, but the nagging problem of finding a suitable engine had to be resolved soon or their efforts would grind to a halt.
By the late 1920s, air racing had become popular with many the American public. They often flocked to local, regional and national races to watch daredevil pilots, such as the one flying a Cessna AW, round the pylons in high-G turns, perilously close to the ground.
(EDWARD H. PHILLIPS COLLECTION)
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NOVEMBER 2016 KING AIR MAGAZINE • 27