1930s Air Racing question

Andrew,

Other competitors in the 200 cu in class included The Tillbury-Fundy Flash, NR12931 flown by Art Carnahan or Lyman Voelpel; Hansen Baby Bullets #2, NR282W and #3 NR84Y, flown by Art Davis and Walter Bagnick; Hans Rasmussen's Skippy NR13518 flown by Bill Kysor, the Chet Loose Special NR10545 flown by Harold Neumann; and various Church and Heath racers. Note the Loose, Hansens, and Skippy were also eligible for the 115 cu in class and ran in both classes, along with some of the Heaths and Church racers, in fact any racers powered with a Continental A40 could move up a class. The Pobjoy was 173 cu in so the next biggest class was for 200 cu in. I'm certain there were many, many other airplanes and pilots that competed in the 200 cu in class in the local and regional events in which Steve also flew.

All this info can be found in "The Golden Age Of Air Racing vols 1 and 2" by Wes Schmid and Truman Weaver, published by EAA. I recommend getting a copy if you're at all interested in air racing. Much info, pictures and many contemporary race reports.

I'm working on a replica of Perry Hansen's Baby Bullet #2 NR282W. Power will be a Continental A65 in place of the A40 used in the original. When it's done Joe Norris will be among the first to know!

Chris Kinnaman

EAA # 36270

Edgewood NM

Andrew,

There is an excellent article by Jack Cox on the Pobjoy in the November 1998 Sport Aviation which covers a little about that subject... you can access that online at http://www.oshkosh365.org/saarchive/eaa_articles/1998_11_14.pdf. There's also a mention in the book "The Golden Age of Air Racing," page 427... in the chapter on Steve Wittman writen by Aaron King Wittman talks about racing the Pobjoy in New Orleans in 1934 (that's the race in which Steve had his car stolen, according to an article in the Oshkosh Daily Northwestern published at the time).

I'd say that your best bet is to contact the Society of Air Race Historians... see www.airrace.com. Those guys are THE source on this type of stuff!

Jim Cunningham

Thanks guys

That Baby Bullet looks neat-

Hi!  Here's some info on aircraft and pilots flying the same "class" of aircraft as did Steve Wittman and the Pobjoy.  This information was provided by Don Berliner of the Society of Air Racing Historians (www.airrace.com).  Also check out EAA's Golden Age of Air Racing book by Wes Schmidt and Truman Weaver!

Regards,

Tony Ambrose