AIR SPEED RECORD

Taranaki Daily News, 17 September 1935, Page 7

AIR SPEED RECORD

BEST TIME FOR LAND AEROPLANE. AMERICAN AVIATOR’S SUCCESS. By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright. i Los Angeles, Sept. 13. Mr. Howard Hughes, a motion picture producer, set a world’s speed record for land aeroplanes to-day, taking a 14cylinder low-winged monoplane six times over a measured course at speeds of 252, 337, 340, 350 and 353 miles per hour. Although the timings must be checked to be declared official, he undoubtedly beat the mark of 314.319 miles an hour established by M. Delmotte, France. Mr. William Enyart, secretary of the contest board of the National Aeronautics Association, later announced that the final calibration of the camera films of the speed trial of Mr. Hughes had prompted the association to ask that Mr. Hughes be officially credited with the new world’s record of 352.46 miles an hour for land aeroplanes. Mr. Enyart said this represented Mr. Hughes’ average speed in the two best north-south trials. Mr. Hughes’ machine is a £24,000 monoplane of 1000 horse-power. Mr. Hughes, who is a millionaire, was forced to land in a beet field, ploughing up beet for 60 yards, on his final flight, when he ran out of gasoline, the motor failing to take a fresh supply from the auxiliary tank.