1939 National Air Races

1939 National Air Races title screen.

Documentary (1939)

Starring:
pilots and mechanics (Themselves)

Silent film about the last pre-War edition of one of the most famous series of pylon and cross-country races that have taken place in Cleveland, Ohio, between 2–5 September 1939. Screenshot from different sources but common to the three movies found on open source.

Rider R-4

Reg. NX261Y Keith Rider R-4 wearing race number 70. Pilot : Tony LE VIER.

Chester Jeep (Chester Special #1)

Designed in 1932. First race in 1933. Sold in 1938 to Tom Stauch but he did not file correct paperwork to fly at Cleveland in 1939. So not seen in the air (race number 3 and reg. NR12930).

With the Rider R-4 in the background.

Rider R-6

Reg. NX96Y Rider R-6 with race number 18.

Crosby CR-4

Reg. NX92Y #52 Crosby CR-4

Chester Special #2

Reg. NX93Y, race number 5, Chester Special The Goon ended at first place at 263.39 mph (424 km/h) for the Greve Trophy. Sold to Bill Falck in 1947 and finally purchased by the Crawford Collection in 1991 and returned to Cleveland.

Brown B-2

Reg. NX255Y Brown B-2 running with #33.

Aeronca KC Scout

Wittman D-12 Bonzo

Takeoff of the Wittman D-12 Bonzo.

Reg. NX13688 white 4, an astonishing aircraft, given the limited resources of its designer and the results obtained.

Unidentified Aircraft

An intriguing Black 4 as this race number is the Wittman. Few (close or distant) shots. Perhaps the arrival of the Marcoux-Bromberg R-3 before recieving its definitive Black 2 ?

Douglas DC-2 & Unidentified Aircraft

The right Unidentified Aircraft could be a Fairchild 24.

Lockheed Model 12 Electra Junior

Grumman F3F

Curtiss P-36C Hawk

Curtiss P-36C Hawk of the 27th Pursuit Squadron.

Douglas B-18 Bolo

A Douglas B-18 Bolo surrounded by the Curtiss P-36 Hawk with the Navy's Grumman F3F taxiing in the background.

Seversky S-2

Reg. NX70Y and race number 77 for this Seversky S-2 (Seversky P-35 DS -Doolittle Special-) piloted by the winner of the Bendix Transcontinental race (Los Angeles, CAL. - Cleveland, Ohio) Frank W. Fuller Jr.

Unidentified Aircraft

Taking off in the background of two Grumman F3Fs taxiing.

Grumman F3F

Unidentified Aircraft

Curtiss P-6 Hawk

Reg. NX9110 Curtiss P-6 Hawk with Jesse Quinn Bristow at the controls.
Modified in 1939 for aerobatic. Registration canceled on 9 January 1940.
SOHIO was the Standard Oil Company (Ohio), an American petroleum company that existed from 1870 to 1987.

Ford Trimotor

Later seen dropping paras leading the Stinson.

Stinson Model A & Stinson Model U

Reg. NC12136 yellow and black Stinson U in front of a Stinson Model A (of [Pennsylvania] Central Airlines?).

Note the distinctive shape of the Stinson Model A wing.

Piper J-3P-50 Cub

Reg. NC24666 Piper J-3P-50 Cub c/n 3337 own by Peter Mark (1939). Canceled on 14 September 1970.

Piper J-3L

Reg. NC23118 Piper J-3L c/n 2909 of Jim Roberts Flying School (Florida, USA). Built in 1939. Expired on 16August 2011.

Boeing XB-15

BB89 Boeing XB-15. Single prototype built in 1937 and pressed into cargo service in 1943 as Grandpappy (and so subject of 'He' by his crew -usually, pilots loving their plane spoke of her as 'She'-). Left on the Diablo dump, a swampy landfill southwest of the runway of Albrook Field in Panama (June 1945). He slowly sank from sight. Now it's an industrial area.

Beechcraft Model 17 Staggerwing

Reg. NX18562 Beechcraft Model 17W c/n 164 of Jacqueline Cochran-Odlum. Later downgraded to D17R then commandeered under s/n 42-107277 and eventually return to the civil life as NC50958.

Taylor E-2 Cub (Special)

Reg. NX15354 (1935) ... Maybe an Inverted Taylor Cub but so far of the original frame !

Taylorcraft B

Marcoux-Bromberg R-3

Reg. NX14215 Marcoux-Bromberg R-3 (built as Rider R-3)

Earl Ortman.

Turner Laird Special / Laird-Tuner RT-14

Reg. NX263Y Laird-Tuner RT-14. Winner aircraft piloted by Roscoe Turner at 282,5 mph.

It was the third time Roscoe won the Thompson Trophy after his victories in 1934 and 1938.

Wedell-Williams Model 44

Reg. NR61Y Ring Free Comet the Wedell-Williams Model 44 (race number 25) of Joe Mackey ended at the 6th and last place (Art Chester and The Goon were out at lap 17).

Unidentified Antique

Waco ATO & Piper J-3 Cub

Reg. NC608N Waco ATO (later modified as BSO) and Piper ???469.

Unidentified Antique

Unidentified Biplane

NX1???

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See also

• 18 minutes color movie then ten minutes of black and white news
• a longer copy of the film with some specific action
• National Air Races at Wikipedia