Directed by Emerson Yorke, this rare industrial film by the United States Rubber Company shows the 1946 National Air Races in Cleveland, Ohio. These races represented the restart of the NAR after they were curtailed by World War II. Present at these races were early jet aircraft and many of aviation’s great personalities including Roscoe Turner, Tooey Spaatz, Tony Levier, Paul Mantz and other military leaders including Admiral Bull Halsey. Covergirl Corkey Kelly is also shown at 2:45, and at 2:54 Fred G. Crawford the President of the Air Races is seen, winner of the Thompson Trophy.
The film begins with a Douglas Skymaster flying into Cleveland, with close shots of the aircraft’s rubber tires made by U.S. Royal Tire Co., part of the U.S. Rubber Company.
At 3:38, Reginald Denny’s famed target drone the Radioplane OQ-2, is shown being put through its paces. At 5:30, the Bendix Trophy flight is seen from Van Nuys to Cleveland. Paul Mantz is seen landing his P-51 Mustang at 6:00, winning the Thompson Trophy. Second place goes to Jacqueline Cochrane, the wartime head of the WASPs. At 6:30 a C-74 Globemaster lands. At 7:46, a WACO glider lands on the field. At 8:00, an $8K the Sohio Trophy race takes place in the skies above Cleveland between a P-51, P-38, a P-63 and other aircraft. Dale Fulton won with a speed over 352 mph. Roscoe Turner congratulates Fulton on the winner’s dais. At 12:20, P-80 jets are seen flying over Cleveland. Lt. William J. Rielly is seen at 13:00. At 13:30, Tony Levier is seen stunt flying a P-38 Lightning. Levier is seen on the ground shortly thereafter.
At 15:00, the Thompson Jet Race — first ever in history — takes place. Maj. Gus Lundquist wins the competition. At 19:00, the Thompson speed classic takes place, won by Alvin “Tex” Johnson.
The film features Edward Swanee Taylor as narrator. During World War I, Swanee Taylor and brother, Sloane Taylor, were balloonists with the Army. Swanee was noted for his post-war exploits as a “wing-walker” and pilot with the Gates Flying Circus during the Twenties. He originated and ran the first “Powder Puff Air Derby” for women pilots. He devoted much of his life to promoting safe flying and produced many scripts for motion pictures and radio programs on that subject and served with the Civil Aviation Administration in the preparation of training films for new fliers. He also directed movies for the Princeton Film Center.
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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com
