When "Jimmy" Doolittle, a stubby, sturdy pilot in a stubby, sturdy ship, tore around the course at the National Air Races in Cleveland last week at 296 m.p.h. he made a new world speed record for landplanes.
His feat threw into relief a curious combination of facts: Nine years ago the Schneider Trophy for seaplanes was won at 177 m.p.h. That year Capt. "Al" Williams flew a landplane 266 m.p.h. and the next year a Frenchman flew one 278 m.p.h. The Frenchman's speed remained the world record...
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