AVIATION RECORD

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22240, 15 October 1935, Page 6

AVIATION RECORD

**"" FILM PRODUCER'S FEAT / FRENCHMAN'S TIME BEATEN Mr. Howard Hughes, the fnotionpicture producer and millionaire, set a ' world speed record for land aeroplanes at Santa Ana, California, on September 14, taking; hia 14-cylinder 1000-horse-power low-winged monoplane six times over a measured course at speeds varying from 252 to 353 miles an hour. Although the timings must be checked, an official declared that undoubtedly Mr. Hughes had bettered* the mark of 314.319 established by Delmotte [(France). • Mr. Hughes was forced to land in a beet field, pldughing up beets for 60 yards, on his final flight, when he ran * out of petrol, the motor failing to take a fresh supply from the auxiliary tank. "My petrol supply in one tank waa exhausted," Mr. Hughes said as he stepped unhurt from his machine, "When I switched on the other tank the motor did not take it. An air lock r—pressure built up from the dry tank —had developed in the line, and the only thing I could do was attempt a forced landing. "The stoppage in gas came so .suddenly," Mr. Hughes said, "that I did not have time to lower the retractable landing gear. It was onlypartially down when the machine hit. The foroe drove it back into the ship and probably aided in preventing additional damage." Mr. Hughes rolled his 120,000 dollar monoplane from the hanger at Union Air Terminal shortly after daylight and awaited word from officials.at tne measured course that all was in readiness. At 6.30, a.m. 'he flashed into the air, and an hour and ten minutes later had made his successful seven flights when halted by the petrol supply stoppage. The airman and his friends said that the next speed record he would attempt to break in his specially-constructed racer would be the flight from Los Angeles to New York. The present time of 10 hours and two minutes is held by Colonel Roscoe Turner, who was a contestant in the London to Melbourne Centenary race.