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BENDIX TROPHY RACE
Transcontinental Speed Dash
For U. S. Service Jets
Sponsored by Bendix Aviation Corporation 

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Malcom P. Ferguson, president of Bendix Aviation Corporation, with Major Vernon, A. Ford, U. S. A. F., winner of the Jet Division, 1949 Bendix Trophy Race, Mrs. Ford and William A. Mara of Bendix Aviation Corporation.

The Bendix Aviation Corporation, under the leadership of Malcom P. Ferguson, its president, is sponsoring the Bendix Trophy Race, transcontinental speed dash, starting from California and finishing at Detroit-Wayne Major Airport and will award the Bendix Trophy to the winner.

The Bendix Aviation Corporation has sponsored this event since 1931. Sponsorship has been predicated on encouraging experimental work toward the development of higher cross country speed and new transcontinental speed records.

Originally the Bendix Transcontinental Speed Dash was a free-for-all types of airplanes. It now offers competition for U. S. Service Jet Airplanes.

This year's contest will be flown non-stop by USAF North American B-45 Twin Jets and Republic F-84's. The shortest elapsed time from the starting point at California to the finishing point at Detroit will be the method of declaring the winner. An airplane must arrive at Detroit between 12:00 noon and 6:00 P. M. on Saturday, August 18th  to be eligible.

The "J" Division of the Bendix Transcontinental Trophy Race had its inception in 1946 when a group of U. S. Air Force pilots flying P-80 Shooting Stars streaked across the country from Van Nuys, California to Cleveland in record time including a stop for refueling. The event was won by Col. Leon Gray at an average speed of 494.77 mph. Second place was won by Major Ruddell at an average speed of 474.83 mph.

Again in 1947 Col. Leon Gray flying a P-80 jet flashed across the country to become a two-time "J" Division winner in the Bendix. He flew from Van Nuys to Cleveland at an average speed of 507.25 mph to eclipse his records of the previous year by 13.48 minutes. His elapsed time was 4 hours, 2 minutes and 18 seconds.

In 1948 the Bendix Race started from Long Beach, California and the "J" Division was flown for the first time by pilots of the Navy. In North American FJ-1 Jets, Ens. F. E. Brown flew the race to Cleveland at an average speed of 489.52 mph to place first, while close on his tail to place second was Cmdr. Evan P. Aurand whose average speed was 484.67. Ens. Brown's elapsed time was 4 hours, 10 minutes, 34 seconds.

For the first time in the 18-year history of the transcontinental Bendix Race, all entries in the 1949 event took off simultaneously in a race horse start. Rosamond Dry Lake, California was the take-off point. Flying Republic F-84's will Allison J-35 jet engines Major Vernon A. Ford placed first at an average speed of 529.61 mph and holds the present Bendix record. His elapsed time to Cleveland was 3 hours, 45 minutes, 51 seconds. Second place was won by Capt. J. E. Newman whose average speed was 524.62 mph.


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1951 NATIONAL AIR RACES             25