Hi Elroy, "Time Flies" is certainly one of the beauties of Golden Age Air
Racing. The poster you have is of the HM-1 piloted over NYC by Frank
Hawks. Designed by the Granville Bros. former chief designer Howell
Miller, also known as the Miller HM-1, Hawks Miller HM-1, Hawks GeeBee,
and the same airframes final mutation, the Military Aircraft Co. MAC-1
being offered for eval to the Air Corps. Hawks retired the Mystery Ship
and transferred her registration, R1313, to the HM-1.
R1313 "Time Flies"
www.aafo.com/hangartalk/attachment.php? ... entid=1244
Not the beauty she was..MAC-1
www.aerofiles.com/miller-hm1.jpg
A blurb from A/C regarding a similar reader querie.....
NOT A MYSTERY
I enjoyed the comments in the December 2000 "Airlines" regarding the Tavelair Mystery Ship. I am enclosing a photograph of what I think is a Travelair Mystery Ship being flown by Frank Hawks over an unknown city. A friend had given me this photograph years ago and he thought it was a Lockheed Model 8 Sirius.
I thought readers might enjoy this photograph and I wanted to thank Eric Emory for his informative letter.
Douglas Ogilvie
30118 Vanderbilt St.
Hayward, CA
94544
Editor's Note: The photograph sent in by Mr. Ogilvie is very interesting but it is neither a Mystery Ship nor Lockheed Sinus! In actuaL ity, the rare photograph illustrates the Hawks Time Flies racer. The craft was designed by Howell Miller (former Granville chief designer) of the Hawks Aircraft Company and made its first flight during October 1936. Powered by a Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp of 1150-hp, the aircraft had a span of 31 feet and a length of 23 feet six inches. The name came from the fact that the racer was sponsored by Gruen Watch Company. Hawks claimed the craft hada rate of climb of 7000 fpm, a top speed of 375 mph, and ct cruise speed of 340 mph. The racer carried 230 gallons of fuel internally.
An unique feature was that the aircraft's canopy and pilot's seat could be extended above the fuselage line for landing and takeoff, then retracted to give maximum streamlining, An early test flight resulted in a belly landing after a furlined glove jammed the retraction mechanism. After repair, a hard landing resulted in a cracked spar.
Hawks did go on to enjoy a modicum of success with the plane when on 3 April 1937, he flew Time Flies from National Airport, Washington, D.C., to LaGuardia Field, New York, in 48 minutes. On 13` April of the same year, he went a bit further afield and flew from Hartford, Connecticut, to Miami, Florida, and then back to New York in a total of nine hours and 16 minutes. The aircraft was redesigned and fitted with a standard canopy and redesignated HM-1 with the new registration NX2491. In the guise of the Hawks Military Racer, the pilot hoped to attract the attention of the Army Air Corps. It was decided to enter the plane in the 1938 Cleveland Thompson Trophy Race and it was flown, as Race 41, by Leigh Wade who placed fourth at 249.84 mph.
The aircraft did not attract military attention and wellknown race pilot Earl Ortman was giving an acrobatic display in the plane at East Hartford, Connecticut, on 3 October 1938 when a wing separated from the craft. Fortunately, Ortman managed to get out of the cockpit and made a safe descent by parachute. The Hawks Military Racer was not so lucky and became a large smoking hole in the ground.
Copyright Challenge Publications Inc. Apr 2001
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved
Elroy..hope this helps, at least you have about 4 names to search with now!
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