At Cleveland

By the time the 14th annual National Air Races were over at Cleveland last week, most observers had decided that U. S. aviation's No. i spectacle was not what it used to be. There were the usual stunts, and a record Labor Day crowd of 55,000. But this year's show, compressed into four days instead of ten, was only a few cuts above the Memorial Day Sweepstakes at Indianapolis. Biggest disappointment was the fourth annual Bendix Trophy Race.

Bendix. Major figure of last year's races was gaudy, swashbuckling Roscoe Turner, who won the Bendix Trophy hands down. Strong favorite to win this year's Bendix, Colonel Turner (California National Guard) was scratched 15 minutes before the start by a leaky fuel tank. Three pilots were left in the race. Flying the famed red-and-black Wedell-Williams "44," a drawling Atlantan named Douglas Davis took off from Burbank before dawn without breakfast. Headwinds, rain and fog cut his speed to 212 m. p. h., brought him to Cleveland an hour behind the course record but in plenty of time to win the $4,500 first prize and receive the Bendix Trophy from Cinemactress Mary Pickford. Said he, grinning: "I guess I'll be able to eat now."

Consolation. Because Winner Davis failed to continue to New York for the extra $2,500, which would have been his had he broken the coast-to-coast record, Manufacturer Vincent Bendix dangled before Col. Turner a $3,500 "consolation prize" if he beat his own record. Last year Col. Turner crossed the U. S. in 10 hr. 4 min. 55 sec. behind a 600-h. p. Wasp Sr. This year in his dull-gold Wedell-Williams racer he had a 1,000-h. p. supercharged Hornet which he hoped would carry him from coast to coast in 9 hours or less.

Like Germany's Hermann Wilhelm Goring, Roscoe Turner is partial to fancy uniforms. Last week he wore a red-and-gold helmet, sky-blue tunic, fawn-colored breeches, Sam Browne belt, riding boots. From Burbank he reached Cleveland in a pouring rain, three minutes behind his 1933 time. The crowd cheered, sirens screamed, Col. Turner cursed. Eight minutes later he headed east again, "poured on the coal," streaked to New York at half the speed of a high-powered rifle bullet, covered the 418 mi. in 1 hr. 24 min., broke his own transcontinental record by 2 min. 4 sec.

That night the National Aeronautical Association held a special meeting, made the new record (10 hr. 2 min. 51 sec.) official by waiving a rule that old records must be exceeded by at least five minutes.

Thompson. There is only one living ex-President, and, up to last week, there was only one man living who had won a Thompson Trophy Race--Jimmy Doolittle who retired from competition after winning the 1932 race at a record speed of 252.686 m. p. h. He sat on the sidelines last week to watch others risk their necks in the No. 1 speed event.

The Thompson Trophy, made of gold and silver, is worth $10,000. This year's cash purse was raised from $5,000 to $10,000 fortnight ago. "Doug" Davis took the lead on the first lap of the 12-lap 100-mi. course, held it for the next seven. On the eighth he cut inside a pylon, pulled up sharply, fell off in a spin, crashed with a thud heard in the stands two miles away. Physicians said they had never seen a body so badly mangled. Winner of the Thompson Trophy was dashing Col. Turner, at an average speed of 248.129 m. p. h., far below the Doolittle record and the expectations of the crowd.

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