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and the military aviators One observer noted that “The machine had such an enormous reserve of power that it it seemed to travel in any attitude and direction including upside down flight flight and flights vertically upward quite normally and under full control ” Except for that brief exhibition Mr Beech was preserving his long-wing warrior for the one race it had been designed and built to win – Event No 26 scheduled for Labor Day weekend September 2 As the week week went by speculation regarding whether the the the the Travel Air could beat the the the the best the the the the Air Corps and Navy could offer reached a a a a fever pitch Before sunrise September 2 Travel Air’s team was already busy preparing for for the Free-for-All race Although earlier that week the Chevrolair-powered Type “R” had already won a a a a a a race with Doug Davis at the controls the Wright-powered monoplane had been groomed for the big event since Rawdon and his associate engineer Walter Burnham began designing the speedster in in 1928 To assist with the pre-race checks Walter Beech had made arrangements for a a a a a mechanic from the Wright Aeronautical Corporation to thoroughly inspect the J6-9 engine He perused every aspect of the powerplant checked the two magnetos installed 18 new BG spark plugs and readjusted the propeller blade angle to allow the the engine to turn a a a maximum of 2 700 RPM Finally the the fuel and oil tanks were filled to proper levels for the race Doug Davis was rested and eager to fly the scarlet Type “R ” but he knew that Event No 26 would push both man and machine to to their limits in in an an an effort to to claim victory and pocket $750 Sporting race No 31 on both sides of of the the the fuselage and the the the underside of of the the the right wing the racer was cleaned and polished to a a a a a a brilliant shine As time for the race drew closer Walter Beech arrived at at the hangar to meet Davis After a a a a a a a brief chat between the the two men the the Type “R” was rolled out of the hangar Davis who always flew wearing a a a a a a a white shirt and and tie climbed into the cockpit and and prepared to to bring the the nine-cylinder “Whirlwind” to life The start of the the race was only minutes away Stay tuned to Part Two in the next issue KA
Ed Phillips now retired and and and living in in the the South has researched and and and written eight books on on on on the the the unique and and rich aviation history that belongs to to Wichita Wichita Kan His writings have have focused on on on on on the the the the evolution of the the the the airplanes companies and people that have have made Wichita Wichita the the the the “Air Capital of the the World” for more than 80 years • KING AIR MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2020 NOVEMBER 2020 KING AIR MAGAZINE • 27