A Vultee V1A single engined plane with lots of modifications was used for the flight. SPECIFICATIONS Vultee V-1A
Span 50 00’
Length 37 00’
Height 10’ 2”
Wing Area 384 sq. ft.
Weight Empty 5 307 lbs
Max. Weight 8 500 lbs
Max Speed 235 mph
Cruising Speed 215 mph
Landing Speed 65 mph
Max. Altitude 20,000 ft
Range 1,000 miles
Was the first version built of this plane. The original design of what was to become the Vultee V-1A fast compact transport aircraft was conceived and developed by the brilliant engineer Gerald
Vultee assisted by Vance Breese, when both were at Lockheed, Detroit, 1931. In
the immediate aftermath of the ‘Depression’ it was extremely difficult
developing such ideas into positive outcomes and much was owed to the assistance and
contacts offered by Cord, the manufacturer and industrialist.
Setting up the Airplane Development Corporation, which carried the aircraft into
practical reality, the prototype, Vultee V-1, X12293, was started in E L Cord’s
hangar with Vultee’s new colleague Palmer. before moving to Glendale.
Successfully flown by Marshall Headle on February 19 1933, the aircraft would be
route tested (American Airways) for 12 months, incorporating changes and
validated as type V-1A.
American Airways had initially shown interest and suggesting modifications with
intent to purchase, a commitment upheld by the succeeding American Airlines
The tentative order had been for 20 V1-s at $35 000 each.
Within that delivery, the best known would be Number 8 production model
NC 13770, which originally had been considered for a New York - London –
Moscow freight service. However, this had not transpired and so became part of
the American Airline’s fleet on the St Louis – Chicago route. Although the
service proved popular, it was not profitable enough to sustain and orders were being
placed for larger twin-engined aircraft such as DC-2s. The issue was settled when
an amendment October 1, 1934, from the Director of Air Commerce made it
difficult to operate scheduled airlines with single engine aircraft, restricted to
daylight hours and over suitable terrain (eg. Non mountainous).
Able to switch to a new fleet of DC-2s, decided to hire or sell the V1-A stock
amongst other options. Some were developed for Executive-type travel, leased, or sold through TWA and NC 13770 nudged nearer the Atlantic.
The plane was used for high speed executive transport by oil companies and broke many speed records over long distances often flown by Doolitle another famous pilot of the time.
At the termination of the lease to Shell the aircraft was put up
for sale by American Airlines, on a TWA lot. By chance the famous entertainer and
amateur pilot, Harry Richman, was seeking such an aircraft. He was responsible
for both the official name of the aircraft, ‘Lady Peace’ and prompting the
whimsical – ‘The Ping Pong Flight’.
The plane originally registered as NC13770 for commercial use was changed to NR13770 for restricted non scheduled private flights,this being the number used during the ping pong flight.
By chance famous and wealthy entertainer Harry Richman had been seeking some
further aviation involvement. He owned a Sikorsky, in which he held an
altitude and closed circuit records. He realised that such an aircraft as the Vultee
V-1A, could widen his scope, in pursuing recognition in aviation. So, he made the
purchase and kept the aircraft at Floyd Bennett Field, New York. Inevitably
there are many varying accounts of what followed, but once Richman and Merrill, one
of the leading commercial pilots had met, there was some inevitability of the
outcome.
Having met at Richman’s club in Miami, Merrill on one his usual Eastern Airlines
run, had called in and the subject of the Atlantic was raised. It was agreed in
principle to try a double crossing - New York, London, and return New York
within the order of 48 hrs. Richman would fund the flight using the Vultee and pay
expenses including Merrill’s salary as first pilot whilst on leave - a total
figure of $360 000 was usually quoted.
The plane was fitted with a much more powerful engine,internal large fuel tanks,a radio direction system and of course the thousands of ping pong balls.
The engine used a newly developed fuel; Octane 100 which greatly enhanced the performance.This higher octane level prevented fuel self ignition in the high compression engine which can cause damage to valves,connecting rods and even melt pistons, this being known as `engine knock`.
Ethanol,Methanol,Iso octanes and a few other chemicals can be used as petrol additives to boost octane ratings especially in modern`avgas`.
A Wright Cyclone radial engine was loaned to them for the flight which produced 1000 H.P. one of the most powerful engines in the world at the time.This American 9 cylinder radial engine developed by Curtiss-Wright from 1925 and entering production in 1931 was later built by Lycoming,Pratt and Whitney and a few other manufacturers for use in many famous aircraft including DC1,2 and 3s ,the B17 Flying Fortress and even in tanks in WW2.A long list of aircraft were powered by variants of this engine.
Was a two bladed variable pitch propeller, state of the art for its time.
This system worked by pointing a directional antenna usually in the form of a loop and linked to a degree indicator at a radio signal.First developed by John Stone in the U.S. in 1902 for marine use by the 1930s the antennas were often enclosed in a teardrop shaped fairing on aircraft like Lady Peace.
The receiver would be tuned to the correct frequency then turned to find the weakest or `null` part of the signal (easier than finding the `peak` ) but this being symmetrical the navigator had to have a compass bearing to be sure he wasn`t heading 180 degrees in the wrong direction.
The track of the flight followed very closely the `Great Circle`route over the Atlantic extensively used by later commercial airliners.
40,000 table tennis balls were placed in empty spaces in the aircraft to act as emergency floatation should the plane have to ditch over the sea,this idea had been tried before by the R.A.F. and was copied by for the record attempt.
The plane was named Lady Peace which was painted on the side next the cockpit to try and promote peace in the years leading up to W.W.2.