Page 30 - Volume 10 Number 11

During the summer of 1929, Walter Beech ensured that no information was made public during construction of the Type R racers. He ordered that all windows in the experimental shop be frosted, posted a security detail, and refused to divulge even a scrap of information to newspaper reporters who were determined to find out what was happening inside the Travel Air factory. (EDWARD H. PHILLIPS COLLECTION)
In May 1929, Rawdon thought they had a solution. Walter Beech received a visit from a gentleman who claimed to be developing an in-line, 300-horsepower engine and asked if Travel Air would consider building a racer to accommodate his powerplant. Beech, listened intently as he puffed on his pipe. He liked what he heard and his passion for racing was suddenly reignited. Fortunately, he had invited Rawdon to attend the meeting. Walter asked his engineer what he thought about the presentation, and Herb jumped at the opportunity to reveal a set of three- view drawings depicting his racer with an in-line engine. The timing was perfect. Beech immediately grasped the
sleek ships’ potential, and Rawdon recalled that “Beech’s enthusiasm took immediate effect, and he was all-out to build the airplane.”
Unfortunately, a few weeks later it became obvious to Beech that the engine designer had been too optimistic and lacked technical evidence to support his claims. As more of the truth became known, Walter learned that the engine design was in a state of infancy and far from full-scale development. Both the designer and the engine quickly disappeared from the scene. The setback, however, did nothing to dampen Walter’s determination to proceed with building Rawdon’s speedster. The 1929 aerial extravaganza of the NAR was fast approaching, and it was clear to Beech that Herb’s design was exactly what Travel Air needed to recapture its racing heritage. Just the thought of the monoplane taking the checkered flag at the prestigious NAR served to raise Walter’s competitive spirit to a fever pitch. As Rawdon and Burnham’s search
In late August 1929, Herbert Rawdon was caught on film “propping” the 420-horsepower Wright Whirlwind soon after the first Type R was rolled out of the factory. Initial test flights were conducted without the streamlined cowling that was still being fabricated. When installed the cowling increased the racer’s maximum speed to more than 200 mph. (EDWARD H. PHILLIPS COLLECTION)
28 • KING AIR MAGAZINE
NOVEMBER 2016