Pre-war Bendix Trophy Records

During the 1920s and 1930s airshows and air races became very popular. Not only did these air races create great interest in aviation, but they also provided the incentive for manufacturers to build better and faster aircraft. Air races were the prime sporting event in this country. The races grew to a ten-day event and large crowds of over a million people were common. Today the National Air Races are held annually at Reno, Nevada.

Pre-war Thompson Trophy Records

Pilot	Ship and Motor	Prize Money	Speed mph
1930 Charles W. Holman, 1st James G. Haizlip, 2nd Ben 0. Howard, 3rd Paul T. Adams, 4th Capt. Page Erett Williams Frank Hawks	Laird LC-DW-300 "Solution" - P&W Wasp Jr. Travelair "R" "Mystery" - Wright R-975 Howard DGA-3 "Pete" - Wright Gipsy Travelair Speedwing - Wright Curtiss XF6C-6 - Curtiss D-12 Wedell-Williams "We-Winc"- Wright R-765 Travelair "R" "Mystery" - Wright R-975	$5000.00 3000.00 2000.00 . . . Out Lap 17 Out Lap 8 Out Lap 3	201.91 199.80 162.80 142.64 CRASH
1931 Lowell Bayles, 1st James R. Wedell, 2nd Dale Jackson, 3rd Robert L. Hall, 4th Ira C. Eaker, 5th Ben 0. Howard, 6th William Ong, 7th James H. Doolittle	Gee Bee "Model Z" - P&W Wasp Jr. Wedell-Williams "44" - P&W Wasp Jr. Laird LC-DW-300 "Solution" - Wright R-975 Gee Bee "Model Y" - P&W Wasp C Lockheed - P&W Wasp Howard DGA-3 "Pete" - Wright Gipsy Laird - Wright Whirlwind Laird LC-DG-500 "Super Solution" - P&W Wasp Jr.	$7500.00 4500.00 3000.00 . . . . . . . . . . . . Out lap 7	236.239 227.992 211.183 201.511 192.821 163.513 153.049
1932 James H. Doolittle, 1st James R. Wedell, 2nd Roscoe Turner, 3rd James G. Haizlip, 4th Lee Gehlbach, 5th Robert Hall, 6th William Ong, 7th	Gee Bee "Model R-1" - P&W Wasp Wedell-Williams "44" - P&W Wasp Jr. Wedell-Williams "44" - P&W Wasp Jr. Wedell-Williams "44" - P&W Wasp Jr. Gee Bee "Model R-2" - P&W Wasp Jr. Springfield "Bulldog" - P&W Wasp Howard DGA-5 "Ike" - Menasco Buccaneer	$4500.00 2500.00 1500.00 1000.00 500.00 . . . . . .	252.686 242.496 233.042 231.30 222.09 215.570 191.073
1933 James R. Wedell, 1st Lee Gehlbach, 2nd Roy Minor, 3rd George Hague, 4th Z. D. Granville, 5th Roscoe Turner	Wedell.Williams "44" - P&W Wasp Wedell-Williams "44" - P&W Wasp Jr. Howard DGA-4 "Mike" - Menasco Buccaneer Keith-Rider "R-2" - Menasco Pirate Gee Bee "Model Y" - P&W Wasp C Wedell-Williams "44" - P&W Wasp	$3375.00 1875.00 1125.00 750.00 375.00 disqualified	237.952 224.947 199.870 183.206 173.079
1934 Roscoe Turner, 1st Roy T. Minor, 2nd J. A. Worthen, 3rd Harold Neumann, 4th Roger Don Rae, 5th Art Chester, 6th Doug Davis Lee Miles	Wedell-Williams "44" - P&W Hornet Brown Special - Menasco Wedell-Williams "44" - P&W Wasp Howard DGA-4 "Ike" - Menasco Buccaneer Keith-Rider - Menasco Chester Special - Menasco Wedell-Williams "44" - P&W Wasp Miles & Atwood Special - Menasco	$4500.00 2500.00 1500.00 1000.00 500.00 . . . Out Lap 8 Out Lap 12	248.129 214.929 208.376 207.064 205.358 191.597 CRASH
1935 Harold Neumann, 1st S. J. Wittman, 2nd Roger Don Rae, 3rd Joe Jacobson, 4th Lee Miles, 5th Marion McKeen, 6th Roscoe Turner	Howard DGA-6 "Mr. Mulligan" - P&W Wasp Wittman "Bonzo" - Curtiss D12 Keith-Rider - Menasco Howard DGA-4 "Mike" - Menasco Buccaneer Seversky SEV-3 Amphibian - Wright Cyclone Brown Racer - Menasco Wedell-Williams "44" - P&W Hornet	$6750.00 3750.00 2250.00 1500.00 375.00 375.00 Out 130+ miles	220.194 218.686 213.942 209.103 193.594 188.859
1936 Michel Detroyat, 1st Earl Ortman, 2nd Roger Don Rae, 3rd Harold Neumann, 4th Marion McKeen, 5th Harry Crosby, 6th Leon Atwood	Caudron Special C-460 - Renault Keith-Rider - P&W Wasp Rider Racer - Menasco Folkerts Special - Menasco Brown B2 - Menasco Crosby Special - Menasco GMD R-6H "Q.E.D." - P&W Hornet	$9500.00 4375.00 2450.00 1575.00 1225.00 875.00 Out lap 11	264.261 248.04 236.55 233.07 230.55 226.07
1937 R. A. Kling, 1st Earl Ortman, 2nd Roscoe Turner, 3rd F. Sinclair, 4th S. J. Wittman, 5th Ray Moore, 6th C. H. Gotch, 7th Joe Mackey Marion McKeen	Kling SK-3."Jupiter" - Menasco Marcoux-Bromberg R-3 - P&W Tw. Wasp Jr. Laird-Turner LTR-14 - P&W Tw. Wasp Seversky P-35 - P&W Tw. Wasp Wittman "Bonzo" - Curtiss D12 Seversky P-35 - P&W Tw. Wasp Schoen-Rider - Menasco Wedell-Williams "44" - P&W Hornet "Miss Los Angeles" - Menasco	$9000.00 5000.00 3000.00 2000.00 1000.00 300.00 250.00 out lap 17 out lap 13	256.910 256.858 253.802 252.360 250.108 238.411 217.810
1938 Roscoe Turner, 1st Earl Ortman, 2nd S. J. Wittman, 3rd Leigh Wade, 4th Joe Mackey, 5th Joe Jacobson, 6th Harry Crosby Art Chester	Laird-Turner LTR-14 - P&W Tw. Wasp Marcoux-Bromberg - P&W Tw. Wasp Jr. Wittman "Bonzo" - Curtiss D-12 Military Aircraft HM-1 - P&W Tw. Wasp Wedell-Williams "44" - P&W Hornet Keith-Rider R-6 - Menasco Crosby CR-4 - Menasco "The Goon"- Menasco	$22000.00 9000.00 4500.00 2500.00 1800.00 1400.00 out lap 10 . . .	283.419 269.718 259.187 249.842 249.628 214.570
1939 Roscoe Turner, 1st Tony LeVier, 2nd Earl Ortman, 3rd Harry Crosby, 4th S. J. Wittman, 5th Joe Mackey, 6th Art Chester	Laird-Turner LTR-14 - P&W Tw. Wasp Schoenfeldt "Firecracker" - Menasco Marcoux-Bromberg - P&W Tw. Wasp Crosby CR-4 - Menasco Wittman "Bonzo" - Curtiss D-12 Wedell-Williams "44" - P&W Hornet "The Goon"- Menasco	$16000.00 8000.00 4000.00 2500.00 1500.00 1000.00 out lap 17	282.536 272.538 254.435 244.522 241.361 232.926

Pre-war Bendix Trophy Records

Pilot	Ship and Motor	Prize Money	Aver. Speed mph Time
1931 - Los Angeles to Cleveland J. H. Doolittle, 1st H. S. Johnson, 2nd Beeler Blevins, 3rd Ira C. Eaker, 4th Arthur Goebel, 5th James G. Hall, 6th	Laird "Super Solution" - P&W Wasp Jr. Lockheed - P&W Wasp Lockheed - P&W Wasp Lockheed - P&W Wasp Lockheed - P&W Wasp Lockheed - P&W Wasp	$7500.00* 4500.00 3000.00	233.058 9:10:21 199.816 9;10:14:22 188.992 10:49:33 188.070 10:59:45 171.500 11:55:48 159.187 12:51:16
1931 Burbank to Newark - Doolittle continued on to Newark, NJ to make it in 11:16:10 with three stops which beat Frank Hawks' August 13, 1931 record of 12:24 in his Texaco No.13 Travel Air Model R which in turn beat the Lindbergh's April 21, 1930 record of 14:45 in their Lockheed Sirius
1932 - Burbank to Cleveland James G. Haizlip, 1st James R. Wedell, 2nd Roscoe Turner, 3rd Lee Gehlbach, 4th Claire Vance	Wedell-Williams "44" - P&W Wasp Jr. Wedell-Williams "44" - P&W Wasp Jr. Wedell-Willlams "44" - P&W Wasp Jr. Gee Bee "Model R-2" - P&W Wasp Jr. Viking	$6750.00* 3750.00 2250.00 1500.00 . . .	245. 8:19:45 8:47:31 9:02:25 9:41:39
1932 Burbank to NYC - Haizlip continued on to NYC to make it in 10:19 with two stops as did Roscoe Turner in 10:58 both beating Doolittle's 1931 record of 11:16
1933 - New York to Los Angeles Roscoe Turner, 1st J. R. Wedell, 2nd Lee Gehlbach Amelia Earhart Russell Boardman Russell Thaw	Wedell-Williams "44" - P&W Wasp Wedell-Williams "44" - P&W Wasp Jr. Wedell-Williams "44" - P&W Wasp Jr. Lockheed Vega - Gee Bee "Model R-1" - P&W Hornet Gee Bee "Model R-2" - P&W Wasp	$5050.00* 2250.00 . . . . . . crash withdrew	214.78 11:30:00 209.23 11:58:18
1933 NYC to Burbank - The 1933 Bendix was an east-west transcontinental race Turner set a new record of 11:30 and Wedell at 11:58 also beat Turner's own 1932 record of 12:33 which beat Frank Hawks' 1930 record of 14:50 in his Texaco No.13 Travel Air Model R
1933 -- not in the Bendix, on June 2, 1933, Captain Frank Hawks flying his Northrop Gamma, Texaco No.11 "Sky Chief", flew non-stop from from Los Angeles to Newark in 13:27 averaging 181 mph
1934 - Los Angeles to Cleveland Doug Davis, 1st J. A. Worthen, 2nd Lee Gehlbach, 3rd	Wedell-Williams "44" - P&W Wasp Jr. Wedell-Williams "45" - P&W Wasp GMD "Model R-6H" "Q.E.D." - P&W Hornet	$4500.00 2500.00	216.237 9:26:41 203.213 10:03:00
1935 - Los Angeles to Cleveland Ben O. Howard, 1st Roscoe Turner, 2nd Russell Thaw, 3rd Roy O. Hunt, 4th Amelia Earhart, 5th Earl Ortman Jacckie Cochran Royal Leonard Cecil Allen	Howard DGA-6 "Mr. Mulligan" - P&W Wasp Wedell-Williams "44" - P&W Hornet Northrop Gamma - Wright Cyclone Lockheed Orion - P&W Wasp Lockheed Vega - P&W Wasp Northrop Gamma - P&W Tw. Wasp Jr. Keith Rider R-3 - P&W Wasp GMD "Model R-6H" "Q.E.D." - P&W Hornet Spirit of Right - P&W Hornet	$4500.00 2500.00 1500.00 1000.00 500.00 . . . . . . . . . crash at start	238.704 8:33:16 238.522 8:33:39 201.928 10:06:45 174.766 11:41:03 149.578 13:47:06
1936 -- not in the Bendix, on January 14, 1936, Howard Hughes broke the transcontinental U.S. speed record in Jackie Cochran's Northrop Gamma which he leased, rebuilt and outfitted with an 800 hp Wright G Cyclone. The 2,490-mile flight from Burbank to Newark took him 9:27:10 averaging 259.111 mph
1936 - New York to Los Angeles Louise Thaden, 1st Laura Ingalls, 2nd William Gullck, 3rd Geo. C. Pomeroy, 4th Amelia Earhart, 5th Joseph Jacobson Ben O. Howard Roscoe Turner	Beechcraft - Wright 420 Lockheed - P&W Wasp Vultee - Wright Douglas - Wright Lockheed - P&W Wasp Northrop Gamma - Wright Howard DGA-6 "Mr. Mulligan" - P&W Wasp Wedell-Williams "44" - P&W Hornet	$7000.00 2500.00 1500.00 1000.00 500.00 exploded crash crash before start	166.060 14:55:00 15:39:38 15:45:25 16:16:51 16:34:53
1937 -- not in the Bendix, on January 19, 1937, Howard Hughes broke the transcontinental U.S. speed record in his H-l racer. The 2,490-mile flight from Los Angeles to Newark took him 7:28:25 averaging 332 mph
1937 - Los Angeles to Cleveland Frank Fuller, 1st Earl Ortman, 2nd Jacqueline Cochran, 3rd Frank Sinclair, 4th Milo Burcham, 5th Joe Mackey	Seversky SEV-S2 - P&W Tw. Wasp Keith-Rider R-3 - P&W Tw. Wasp Jr. Beechcraft D-17W - P&W Wasp Seversky SEV-S - P&W Tw. Wasp Lockheed - P&W Wasp Jr. Wedell-Williams "44" - P&W Hornet	$13,000.00* 5,000.00 5,500.00 2,000.00 1,000.00 . . .	258.242 7:54:26 224.833 9:49:21 194.740 10:29:08 184.92 11:02:33 184.52 11:03:58
1937 Los Angeles to Bendix, NJ - Frank Fuller - 9:35 - a new record
1938 - Los Angeles to Cleveland Jacqueline Cochran, 1st Frank Fuller, Jr., 2nd Paul Mantz, 3rd Max Constant, 4th Ross Hadley John Hinchey George Armistead	Seversky SEV-S - P&W Tw. Wasp Seversky SEV-S2 - P&W Tw. Wasp Lockheed Orion - Wright Cyclone Beechcraft D-17S - P&W Wasp Jr. Beechcraft D-17 - P&W Wasp Jr. Spartan Executive - P&W Wasp Jr. GMD "Model R-6H" "Q.E.D." - P&W Hornet	$12,500.00* 5,800.00 3,000.00 2,000.00 . . . . . . . . .	249.744 8:10:31 238.604 8:33:29 206.579 9:36:25 199.330 10:14:39 181.842 11:13:46 177.449 11:30:27
1938 Los Angeles to Bendix, NJ - Jacqueline Cochran - 10:07:01 - a new Women's Record
1939 - Los Angeles to Cleveland Frank Fuller, Jr., 1st Arthur Bussy, 2nd Paul Mantz, 3rd Max Constant, 4th	Seversky SEV-S2 - P&W Tw. Wasp Bellanca 2892 - 1 Ranger-2 Menasco Lockheed Orion - Wright Cyclone Beechcraft D-17W - P&W Wasp Jr.	$15,000.00* 5,800.00 3,000.00 2,700.00	282.098 7:14:19 244.486 8:21:08 234.875 8:41:38 231.366 8:49:33
1939 Los Angeles to Bendix, NJ - Frank Fuller - 8:58:8 - a new record

* includes additional purse for breaking record

Two of the Bendix races were won by women. 1936, Louise Thaden flew a Beechcraft with a 420 hp Wright to win the Bendix, New York to Los Angeles, at an average speed of 166.060 mph. In 1938 Jacqueline Cochran averaged 249.744 mph in a Seversky.

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