Italian adventure

Air Classics, Mar 2001 by O'Leary, Michael

USING A UNIQUE BELLANCA,

THIS ITALIAN ATTEMPT AT CROSSING

THE ATLANTIC WAS BRAVE BUT FUTILE

The Raymond Orteig prize for the first flight across the Atlantic inspired a number of attempts - many being unsuccessful but Charles Lindbergh's stunning success in the Spirit of St. Louis seemed to only fan the frenzy of longdistance flights in a variety of modified aircraft. In 1919, French-born New York hotel owner Orteig startled the fledgling aviation world with the establishment of a $25,000 prize for the first person (or persons) completing a successful non-stop transatlantic flight between New York and Paris. However, at the time, technology to accomplish such an ambitious adventure was just not available, but that did not mean a number if enterprising pilots and builders were looking to the future in order to capture the lucrative prize.

The first to try was a crew of four aboard a specially prepared Fokker S 35 powered by three French-built Jupiter radials capable of 425 horsepower each. On 20 September 1926, the plane began a takeoff run at Roosevelt Field, Long Island, but failed to become airborne, hit a gully and exploded. Two died but famed Great War ace Rene Fonck was thrown clear and survived. The plane was so overloaded that it probably would never have become airborne and is an excellent example of the lack of knowledge concerning these aircraft and the hazardous flights they were attempting. It was not until 21 May 1927, that Lindbergh completed a successful crossing.

In the United States, Italian-born Guisseppe Bellanca was busy with numerous aircraft designs for long-distance records flights. His Columbia was flown by Clarence Chamberlin and owner Charles Levine from New York to just 10 miles short of Berlin on 4 June 1927. They had hoped to takeoff before Lindbergh but a lawsuit by would-be navigator Lloyd Bertaud (who had been dropped from the crew) delayed takeoff and Lindbergh won the prize. Bellanca would go on to build numerous clunky-looking but efficient monoplanes that were used on various record flights.

Bellanca, during 1928, created a very interesting long-distance racer. The aircraft was a sesquiplane featuring a very short bottom wing connected to the top wing by huge lifting struts - a Bellanca trademark. Fitted with a Pratt & Whitney Hornet, the plane was specifically built for Ceasare Sabelli, an Italian pilot who had gained financial support from Italian-Americans for a flight from the United States to Rome.

Named Roma, the aircraft, with copilot Roger Williams, was flown to Old Orchard Beach, Maine, and prepared for its record flight. Extremely overloaded with fuel, the aircraft struggled to get airborne but it could not maintain flight and the plane came down safely near the takeoff area. However, apparently spooked by their attempt the pilots abandoned any further thoughts of a transatlantic adventure at the time (both would go on to later attempts in different aircraft) and the long-distance racer as repossessed by Bellanca.