The Cleveland Air Races

Photos and observations from The Reublin Collection

The roar of the engines, the crowds, the giants of aviation all came together each September at the airport at Cleveland, Ohio for the greatest air spectacle in history. For twenty years, the Cleveland Air Races marked the greatest showcase of flight progress, daredevilry and skill that has ever been seen in the history of aviation.
Started in 1929 and running through 1949, the national air races defined aviation and spanned that period known as the golden age of aviation. Fred Crawford, president of the National Air Races called Cleveland "Best location for sensation" and the press called Cleveland "the air laboratory of the world".

The participants in these great races were names that today are the giants of the golden age, Roscoe Turner, pictured here Roscoe Turner, 1932 in a photo taken by Gordon Reublin in 1934, was one of the most colorful and interesting of the legendary pilots to appear. Others such as Lindbergh, Jackie Cochran, Jimmie Doolittle Wylie Post, Doug Davis and many more graced the field in Cleveland to the delight of everyone. Gordon Reublin was there for every show, from the 1929 show to the tragic 1949 show where Thompson Trophy race pilot Bill Odom crashed his P-51 into a nearby home, 1949 Crash Site ending the races at Cleveland and moving them to a "safer" venue, Reno. Between those years, higher, faster and better were the watchwords.

Come now with me as we share some of the amazing scenes from those glory days of aviation as witnessed by my Dad.

The Aircraft of The National Air Races

Speed King 1 The diminuative Speed King 1 in a photo taken in 1930. This airplane was built for the Cirrus derby in 1930 and raced nearly every year till 1937 she did 142 mph in 1930 and by 1935 she had the best speed at the races, making 187.65 mph, flown by Harold Neumann

Roscoe Turner's Weddell Williams racer of 1934 was the most powerful engined racer up to that time. The 1000 hp P&W Hornet engine propelled the racer to a second place in the dashes at 295.47 mph. Turner failed to race in the Bendix due to a fuel leak but did win the Thompson Trophy after race leader Doug Davis crashed his Weddell-Williams No. 44. Davis' crash marked a particularly grisly chapter in the races. Dad remembers the crowd rushing to the crash site and grabbing pieces of the plane as souvenirs, with some people actually soaking up Davis' blood in handkerchiefs as keepsakes. The number 57 was for his sponsor, H. J. Heinz & Co. Turner's Weddel-Williams

Ben Howard's Pete Ben Howard's little "Pete". Howard found a Wright Gypsy engine in storage, talked the owner into loaning it to him and then built this little gem around it. Howard was a pilot for United Airlines and raced as a hobby. This photo is from the 1930 National Air Races.

The famous "Winnie Mae" flown by Wiley Post. Post became famous in 1930 by winning the 1930 Los Angeles - Chicago race. This Lockheed Vega established an around the world flight record of 8 days, 15 hours, 51 miniutes in 1931 with co-pilot Harold Gatty. In 1933 Post set a solo around the world record with Winnie Mae. Lockheed Winnie Mae

Miss Los Angeles Miss Los Angeles, built by Lawrence Brown for the 1934 Nationals. Painted a scarlet red, she sported a 300hp Menasco engine and turned an impressive 243.14 mph in the Shell Speed Dashes that year. Miss L.A. came in second in the '34 Thompson race at 213.25 mph. As with many planes of the era, Miss L.A. was lost in another tragic crash that killed pilot Lee Williams when she stalled at the first pylon in the Greve race of '39.

The famous "Chester Special", built in 1932 and first raced in 1933 at the Los Angeles Nationals. She took one first place and four fourth places and averaged 154.365 in her best race. Her best speed ever was 190.95 in the Chicago races.

The Tilbury Flash The "Tilbury Flash" was a regular at the air race circuit during the 30's. A homely craft flown by Art Carnahan, Flash won the 115 cu. in. engine event at Chicago in 1933. Her tiny 45 hp Church engine pushed her to 114.92 mph.

The Miles Atwood special. This little Menasco engined racer topped out at 189.6 mph and placed sixth piloted by Lee Miles in the 1935 Greve race. She came back to Cleveland in '36 but did not do any better.

P-38 Racer After WWII, the races were dominated by refitted military aircraft and the era of the homebuilt or experimental racer was over. The races became a showcase of military and commercial speed and power with the smaller planes more of a sideshow. This photo is of Tony LeVier's P-38 which won the Thompson in 1946. The Thompson line up that year was, 1st place, a Bell P-39, 2nd place, LaVier'sP-38, 3rd place, a P-51. The golden age of aviation was over.

All Photos copyright Gordon Reublin

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This page updated November 4, 1999.

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	The diminuative Speed King 1 in a photo taken in 1930. This airplane was built for the Cirrus derby in 1930 and raced nearly every year till 1937 she did 142 mph in 1930 and by 1935 she had the best speed at the races, making 187.65 mph, flown by Harold Neumann
Roscoe Turner's Weddell Williams racer of 1934 was the most powerful engined racer up to that time. The 1000 hp P&W Hornet engine propelled the racer to a second place in the dashes at 295.47 mph. Turner failed to race in the Bendix due to a fuel leak but did win the Thompson Trophy after race leader Doug Davis crashed his Weddell-Williams No. 44. Davis' crash marked a particularly grisly chapter in the races. Dad remembers the crowd rushing to the crash site and grabbing pieces of the plane as souvenirs, with some people actually soaking up Davis' blood in handkerchiefs as keepsakes. The number 57 was for his sponsor, H. J. Heinz & Co.
	Ben Howard's little "Pete". Howard found a Wright Gypsy engine in storage, talked the owner into loaning it to him and then built this little gem around it. Howard was a pilot for United Airlines and raced as a hobby. This photo is from the 1930 National Air Races.
The famous "Winnie Mae" flown by Wiley Post. Post became famous in 1930 by winning the 1930 Los Angeles - Chicago race. This Lockheed Vega established an around the world flight record of 8 days, 15 hours, 51 miniutes in 1931 with co-pilot Harold Gatty. In 1933 Post set a solo around the world record with Winnie Mae.
	Miss Los Angeles, built by Lawrence Brown for the 1934 Nationals. Painted a scarlet red, she sported a 300hp Menasco engine and turned an impressive 243.14 mph in the Shell Speed Dashes that year. Miss L.A. came in second in the '34 Thompson race at 213.25 mph. As with many planes of the era, Miss L.A. was lost in another tragic crash that killed pilot Lee Williams when she stalled at the first pylon in the Greve race of '39.
The famous "Chester Special", built in 1932 and first raced in 1933 at the Los Angeles Nationals. She took one first place and four fourth places and averaged 154.365 in her best race. Her best speed ever was 190.95 in the Chicago races.
	The "Tilbury Flash" was a regular at the air race circuit during the 30's. A homely craft flown by Art Carnahan, Flash won the 115 cu. in. engine event at Chicago in 1933. Her tiny 45 hp Church engine pushed her to 114.92 mph.
The Miles Atwood special. This little Menasco engined racer topped out at 189.6 mph and placed sixth piloted by Lee Miles in the 1935 Greve race. She came back to Cleveland in '36 but did not do any better.
	After WWII, the races were dominated by refitted military aircraft and the era of the homebuilt or experimental racer was over. The races became a showcase of military and commercial speed and power with the smaller planes more of a sideshow. This photo is of Tony LeVier's P-38 which won the Thompson in 1946. The Thompson line up that year was, 1st place, a Bell P-39, 2nd place, LaVier'sP-38, 3rd place, a P-51. The golden age of aviation was over.