1949 National Air Races

1949 Logo



Official Program Cover The Armed Forces pulled out all the stops this year to show the public where their money went.



Air Force





The Air Force chose Cleveland Municipal Airport as the "target" to demonstrate the split-second

timing necessary to bring 100 aircraft to bear on a given objective. The mighty B-36 bombers

took off from distant air bases even before spectators arrived at the air races. From other fields

closer by, the Republic F-84 Thunder Jets became airborne as did North American F-86 Sabers

and Lockheed F-80 Shooting Star's to a rendezvous near Cleveland Municipal Airport and flew a

"mission" in a 30 minute show of America's Air Might. The Air Force's new jet demonstration team

called the Acrojets thrilled the crowd with precision maneuvers flown at speeds of 600 to 650 mph.







(Air Force Photo) via Kevin Grantham

B-36's from the 7th Bombardment Wing led

by Col. John Roberts, group Commander



C-46's B-29's

(Air Force Photo) via Kevin Grantham

ACROJETS



The four "Acrojets" led by Major Howard "Sweed" Jensen put their

Shooting Star's through Immelman turns, Cuban 8s and other maneuvers







Navy







The US Navy put on an aerial three-ring circus act with a variety of acts running simultaneously at

three different altitudes. Ring No 1-main center of the grandstand was a low altitude demo of

Paisccki troop transport helicopter used by the Marine Corps. Rings 2 and 3 were at higher

altitudes and further out, featuring a variety of acts. The Navy's Blue Angels led by Lt. Comm.

Dusty Rhodes traded their gasoline powered F8-F Bearcat's in for the new F9-F Grumman

Panther Jets.

(Air Force Photo) via Kevin Grantham

Navy Piasecki Helicopters



(Air Force Photo) via Kevin Grantham

New Navy Transport - Lockheed "Constitution"

Some of the other air show acts



Parachute jumping at air races has been a spectator favorite for many years, whether it is mass

jumps, delayed jumps from high altitude, landing in a small circle or specialty jumps like "Batman"

Tommy Boyd. Boyd jumps out of an aircraft at 10,000 feet wearing a set of "wings" attached to

his scarlet jump suit. The bat-like wings allow him to swoop as he descends to earth trailing a

plume of white smoke until he finally opens the chute and glides to earth. The 40-year-old Boyd

decided he was getting too old for parachute jumping and decided to switch to a milder occupation

of stunt flying. The 1949 National Air Races would be the last time Tommy Boyd would don his Bat suit.



Tommy Boyd "Batman" Betty Skelton Feminine AerobaticChampion and her Pitts Special "Little Stinker"

Attendance was great inside and outside the airport

(Robert Smith photo) Bendix Trophy Race Bendix "R" division Only six starters were in a first-ever racehorse start of the Bendix Race at Rosamond Dry Lake, CA.

The largest ship ever entered in this race was a Martin B-26 medium bomber flown solo by United

Airlines Captain Lee Cameron who grew up in the Cleveland suburb of Lakewood OH. Joe DeBona

an ex Air Force pilot flying the Bendix for the third time, flew a P-51B Mustang sponsored by actor

Jimmy Stewart. His P-51C was refinished with no less than 48 coats of primers and gloss cobalt blue

paint. Polished to a high shine, the paint job reportedly added 8 mph to the speed of the aircraft.

A special propeller was installed. It was designed to increase the speed of Air Force Mustangs up to

10 mph but rejected because its service life was too short. Joe's wet wing racerfavored by tailwinds

of 28 to 33 mph and great navigation brought him into the winners circle at Cleveland. Paul Mantz who

elected not to race this year entered two Mustangs, one flown by Stanley Reaver, arrived 11 minutes

after DeBona, followed by Fish Salmon in Mantz's second racer. Don Bussart flying a MK25 Mosquito

lost his oxygen system and one engine near the end of the race. Bussart arrived in Cleveland before the

deadline in fourth place. Lee Cameron's B-26 had mechanical problems and landed at North Platte,

Nebraska with fuel feed system problems. After repairs were made Lee took off attempting to make

Cleveland before the six o'clock deadline, but it was not meant to be. Vincent Perron pulled out of the

race at Grand Junction CO. Place Pilot Race No. Aircraft Speed Time 1 Joe DeBona 90 P-51B 470.136 4:16:17 2 Stanley Reaver 46 P-51C 450.221 4:27:38 3 Herman Salmon 60 P-51C 449.214 4:28:14 4 Don Bussart 81 Mosquito Mk25 343.757 L H Cameron 24 Martin B-26-C * Vincent Perron 61 Republic AT-12 ** * Arrived after deadline

** Landed Grand Junction CO.





Joe DeBona's victory smile

Joe DeBona Stan Reaver

Herman "Fish" Salmon Donald Bussart

L J Cameron Vincent Perron Bendix "J" division

Place Pilot Aircraft Speed Time 1 Maj. Vernon Ford F-84E 529.614 3:45:51 2 Capt. J W Newman F-84E 524.620 347:00 3 Lt. Col. L E Moon F-84E 524.551 348:02 4 Capt. H M Lester F-84E 514.747



Major Vernon Ford, his wife and Mr. Ferguson

of the Bendix Corp.

(Bill Meixner Collection) F-84E New Race Course and race changes The race course laid out for the 1949 races saw a major change that would prove

popular to not only the race pilots but also to the thousands of residents living within

several miles of the Cleveland Municipal Airport. Instead of the 15 mile quadrangular

four pylon layout, the new course had seven pylons with each side about 2 1/7 miles

long. The pilots were pleased that none of the turns was more than 55 degrees

and the new course passed over open territory eliminating a lot of undesirable noise

for local residents. The civil aeronautics inspector said it was the best he had seen.

Spectators in the grandstands liked it because more of each race was visible.

Other changes concerned the Sohio and the Tinnerman races. The top 20 qualifiers

for the Thompson Trophy Race were divided into two groups, qualifying positions

1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17 and 19 would fly in the Sohio race if they elected to do so.

Qualifying positions 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, and 20 would fly the Tinnerman race

if they elected to do so. Sohio Trophy Race













Flying for the first time ever in a closed course race was world famous Bill Odom.

In August 1947 Odom set a new round-the-world solo speed record--19,645 miles

in 73 hours five minutes. In March of 1949 Bill Odom flew a Beech Bonanza solo

non-stop from Honolulu Hawaii to Teterboro New Jersey. Odom was chosen to

pilot the most radical modified P51B recently purchased by aviatrix Jacqueline

Cochran who planned to race the P-51 in next years Bendix cross country race.

Place Pilot Race No Aircraft Speed 1 Wm Odom 7 P-51 388.393 2 Ron Puckett 18 Corsair F2G 384.888 3 Chas. Tucker 30 P-63 381.529 4 Steve Beville 77 P-51D 376.719 5 Ken Cooley 37 P-51D 373.437 6 Frank Singer 53 P-63 359.060 7 M.W. Fairbrother 21 P-51D 349.602 8 A.T. Whiteside 87 P-63 330.359 9 James Harp 95 P-39Q 329.596



Bill Odom and Jackie Cochran with Sohio Trophy

(Bill Meixner collection)

Bill Odom Ron Puckett







Charles Tucker Steve Beville









Ken Cooley Frank Singer













M. W. Fairbrother A .T. Whiteside









James Harp

Tinnerman Trophy Race Another first time pilot to fly in the 1949 National Air Races was another local ex-Navy

pilot, Ben McKillen flying Cook Cleland's third F2G Corsair. Unlike Cleland's other

two F2G's Ben chose to keep it almost stock including retaining the sub-rudder, used

to offset the torque of the powerful P&W R-4360 engine and the operational flaps.

Ben chose a right red color scheme with sunburst stripes on wings and elevators.

Also one propeller blade was painted white to give the effect of a slow turning engine.

The second foreign aircraft and pilot to be entered in the 1949 races was a Supermarine

Spitfire Mark XIV powered by a Rolls Royce Griffin 65 engine. This was the only racer

retaining all it's standard features. Piloted by Canadian J.H.G. McArthur, didn't meet

expectations Place Pilot Race No Aircraft Speed 1 Ben McKillen 57 F2G 386.069 2 Wilson Newhall 65 P-51 379.735 3 J.H.G. McArthur 80 Spitfire Mk X1V 359.565 4 Jack Hardwick 34 P-38 328.470 5 J.P. Hagerstrom 14 P-38 311.598 James Hannon 2 P-51A * H.S. Gidovlenko 25 P-38 ** Anson Johnson 45 P-51D *** Cook Cleland 94 F2G **** * Out 7th Lap

** Out 3rd Lap

*** Did not Start

**** Did not Start

Ben McKillen receiving Tinnerman Trophy

(Bill Meixner Collection)





Ben McKillen Wilson Newhal

J.H.G. McArthur Jack Hardwick

J.P. Hagerstrom James Hannon

(Bob Christensen Collection)

H.S. Gidovlenko Goodyear Trophy Race



The Goodyear race course was modified slightly this year to include two more pylons .

The rectangular course with the 90 degree turns will have a pylon added to each end

to provide a more circular sweep around the course. The 1 3/4 mile course will be

inside the Airport property and the entire course will be visible from the grandstands.

For the first time sabotage darkened the Cleveland Air Races when a disgruntled

pilot ripped a piece of fabric from the wing of Steve Beville's racer "Little Spook".

The intoxicated pilot who was a competitor in last years race mistook Steve Beville's

racer "Little Spook" for "Little Rebel." Both planes are similar in size and in appearance.







Steve examining damage to wing fabric. Place Pilot Race No Aircraft Speed 1 Bill Brennand 20 Buster 177.340 2 Keith Sorensen 39 Deerfly 176.726 3 Steve Wittman 1 Bonzo 176.244 4 Vincent Ast 5 Ballerina 175.974 5 Fish Salmon 4 Minnow 175.728 6 Cliff Mone 34 Estrellita 175.016 7 Bob Downey 16 Shoestring 171.359 8 Luther Johnson 67 Peashooter 167.308 9 James Kistler 31 Kistler Spec. 153.369 * Al Foss 94 Jinny * Out 12th lap

Bill Brennand

Bill Brennand Keith Sorensen







Steve Wittman Vincent Ast









Fish Salmon Cliff Mone











Bob Downey Luther Johnson





Jim Kistler Al Foss Women's Trophy Race



No sponsor could be found for the Women's race. The air race management

provided the purse of $5,500. There were new rules also for the Women's Trophy

Race. The AT-6s and SNJ's had to retain their stock engines. Wings could not

be clipped. The race came close to being cancelled due to lack of entries. Six

aircraft were entered but only four raced. The 1948 winner Grace Harris dueled

with Katherine Landry for first place while having to fight off Betty Skelton's

attempts to pass. While Skelton was in third place on lap three, her oil line ruptured,

splattering oil over the wind screen and causing the loss of visibility. She reduced

power and some of the oil cleared enough for Skelton to see Helen McBride pass

her. Skelton was able to follow McBride around the course and landed in fourth

place. When interviewed by the media Skelton said she wanted to race again next year Place Pilot Race No Aircraft Speed 1 Grace Harris 44 AT-6 216.673 2 Katherine Landry 31 SNJ-3 214.876 3 Helen McBride 91 SNJ-3 210.097 4 Betty Skelton 45 AT-6A 208.594 * Jane Page 28 CW-22B * Did not start



Grace Harris

Grace Harris Katherine Landry

Don Berliner collection) (Don Berliner Collection)

The Thompson Trophy Race

"R" Division





Cook Cleland, who suffered a great disappointment in the 1948 Thompson Trophy Race

when he and Becker were forced out with mechanical problems worked very hard preparing

for this year's classic. Cleland and Becker would be joined by Ben McKillen in Cleland's third

F2G. Becker's # 74 remained pretty much the same. However Cleland clipped another four

feet from each wing of # 94 reducing the span to 33 feet. Wing tip plates were added to

increase roll rate and reduce wing-tip vortices. A hydrogen peroxide injection system was

installed but it was never used. The propeller blades were chrome plated and a large spinner

added. Dick Becker in # 74 was the fastest qualifier at 414.592 mph. Unfortunately at the very

end of the qualifying run gears stripped in the front case and Dick climbed for altitude thinking

he might have to jump. He was able to make a safe dead-stick landing. The rules prevented

a engine change after qualifying so the aircraft was withdrawn. Ron Puckett was back with his

F2G with a new paint job and the sub-rudder removed.



The most radically modified racer was the P-51C entered by Jackie Cochran and piloted by

round-the-world record holder Bill Odom. This P-51C was modified by then owner J.D. Reed

of Houston Texas. Reed was the largest Beechcraft Dealer in the US and close friend of Walter

Beech. Reed very much wanted to win a Thompson Trophy. Beech came up with the idea

to remove the glycol and oil radiators from the belly of the airframe and to install them out on

the wingtips encased in pods to reduce the drag from the large original air scoop.



Anson Johnson, last years winner was back with major modifications to the P-51D Mustang.

Johnson also removed the large air scoop but he took a different approach and placed the

coolers inside the wing where the gun bays had been. Intake scoops were installed in the wing

leading edge and exhaust vents on top of the wing.



Ben McKillen was given the pole position as the ten aircraft lined up for what would be the last

race-horse-start of a major race. McKillen was first off the ground and led the pack for the

first lap. Bill Odom was seventh off the ground. By the end of the first lap he was in third

and closing on McKillen. Early in the second lap Odom and Beville were almost side by side

when they both turned pylon two. Beville leveled out heading for pylon three. when he noticed

that Odom had straightened out as he was headed for pylon four, Beville saw that Odom tried

to recover but the P-51 went inverted and the nose was starting down. Beville realized that with

Odom inverted with the nose starting down at this altitude and speed there was no chance of

recovery. He saw Odom crash into a house. On lap three Cleland and Puckett passed McKillen.



Anson Johnson was unable to retract his gear until the second lap which caused him to fall

behind. By the ninth lap seven of Johnson's exhaust stacks had burned off and the engine

was throwing oil, and he retired. The big engined Corsair's took the top three places followed

by Beville in # 77 P-51D , Tucker in #30 P-63 and Hagerstrom in JD's P-51D # 37, Newhall

in P-51K # 65 and Jim Hannon in P-51A # 2 .



The house Bill Odom crashed into had been recently completed and the Laird family had only

been in the house for only five days. Jeanne, wife and mother was in the bathroom doing some

cleaning and was not interested in watching the air races. Jeanne died instantly From the

explosion. Gregg, the infant was in a playpen outside the garage when the crash occurred

and was severely burned, Gregg died a few hours later in the hospital. Jeanne died instantly

from the explosion. Bradley Laird and their son David were outside playing catch and were not

injured. Many people, if not most, believe that the tragic crash taking three lives was the reason

the races ended in Cleveland. Yes it did have some bearing on future races in that it was

decided to eliminate the Military surplus plane sand try to develop new classes of owner-built

machines. A new course was laid out and the sanctions were approved. The two principal

reasons it ended were; 1. as of June 1950 we were now at war in Korea and the Secretary of

Defense informed race officials that none of our military services would now send any aircraft

or personnel. 2.The large building where the grandstands were located was converted into a

tank plant. The grandstands were removed and donated to a college. With no military presence

and no site, the races could not continue.



Place Pilot Race No Aircraft Speed 1 Cook Cleland 94 F2G Corsair 397.071 2 Ron Puckett 18 F2G Corsair 393.527 3 Ben McKillen 57 F2G Corsair 387.589 4 Steve Beville 77 P-51D 381-214 5 Charles Tucker 30 P-63 378.340 6 James Hagerstrom 37 P-51D 372.719 7 Wilson Newhall 65 P-51K 372.320 8 James Hannon 2 P-51A 300.396 * Anson Johnson 45 P-51D ** Bill Odom 7 P-51C * Out 9th lap gear and exhaust stack problems

** Crashed 2nd lap fatal









Cook Cleland with Roscoe Turner (L) and Fred Crawford (R)









Cook Cleland Ron Puckett

(Robert Smith Photo)



Ben McKillen Steve Beville

(H G Martin Photo) (Bill Meixner Collection)

Charles Tucker James Hagerstrom

(Robert Smith Photo)





Wilson Newhall James Hannon

(John Dienst Collection)



Anson Johnson Bill Odom

(Bill Meixner Collection) (John Dienst Collection)

The Thompson Trophy Race

"J" Division Four Air Force F-86A Sabers were entered in the "J" Division of the Thompson Trophy

Race but one was unable to start due to engine trouble. The three flew the five mile course

at such high speeds that it was estimated that they actually flew 25 miles each lap. During

the second lap Captain Vernon Henderson pulled out of the race after a high "G" turn broke

the bolts holding the seat in place. Captain Vernon was able to control the jet while in a

crouching position to make a safe landing. Captain Johansen also had a problem when a

10 x 16 inch inspection door flew open on the left wing causing considerable drag,

Johansen had just taken the lead when a check of his fuel supply required him to throttle

back thereby losing his lead. When he landed he did not have enough fuel left to taxi to

the hangars. Captain Cunningham was doing well until he made the last high speed turn,

that's when most of his elevator was torn off causing him to consider ejecting the aircraft.

Tail of Capt. Cunningham's F-86A Place Pilot Aircraft Speed 1 Capt. Bruce Cunningham F-86A 586.173 2 Capt. Martin Johansen F-86A 580.152 ** * Capt. Vern Henderson F-86A * Out 2nd lap seat broke

** Capt. Johnson's fastest lap 635.444 mph





Captain Bruce Cunningham







Special Color Photo section



I would like to offer many thanks to Air Race photographer and fellow Society member, Dr. Aaron King of

Atlanta GA who took these great color slides while visiting the Cleveland Air Races.

B-29's in review

(Aaron King photo) SOHIO Trophy Race Charles Tucker #30 P-63 "Easter Egg"

(Aaron King photo)







Jack Hardwick's P-38 Batty Betty No34

(Aaron King photo) A. T. Whiteside's Black & White P-63 No87

(Aaron King photo)







James Harp's Yellow P-39 No95

(Aaron King photo) Tinnerman Trophy Race

Ben McKillen's F2G Corsair No57

(Aaron King photo)

Vincent Newhall's P-51D No65

(Aaron King photo) J.H.G. McArthur's Spitfire Mk. XIV No80

(Aaron King photo) Goodyear Trophy Race Bill Brennand flew "Buster" No20

(Aaron King photo)

Fish Salmon's "Minnow" No4

(Aaron King photo)



Bob Downey's Shoestring No16

(Aaron King photo) James Kistler's "Wingwax" No31

(Aaron King photo)



Cliff Mone's "Estrellita" No34

(Aaron King photo) Keith Sorensen's "Deerfly" No39

(Aaron King photo) Women's Trophy Race



Grace Harris's No44

(Aaron King photo)































Helen McBride's No91

(Aaron King photo)



























Betty Skelton's No45

(Aaron King photo) The Thompson Trophy Race

"R" Division











Cook Cleland's F2G Corsair No94

(Aaron King photo)













Ron Puckett's F2G Corsair No18

(Aaron King photo)

Ben McKillen's F2G No57

(Aaron King photo) Charles Tucker's P-63 No30

(Aaron King photo)

James Hagerstrom P-51D No37

(Aaron King photo)

James Hannon's P-51A No2

(Aaron King photo)



Anson Johnson's P-51D No45

(Aaron King photo) Bill Odom's P-51C "Beguine" No7

(Aaron King photo) The Thompson Trophy Race

"J" Division



One of the F-86's at Cleveland

(Aaron King photo) Home

Photo's are from the Hansen collection unless otherwise noted. Please send comments to Bill Meixner You are the th person to pop in on us since July, 14th 2009. Thank You for landing, please go-around and land again later.