''Dallas Spirit'', (aka Swallow Monoplane or Swallow Dole Racer), was a custom-built aircraft designed to compete in the ill-fated Dole Air Derby between California and Hawaii.

Development

''Dallas Spirit'' was built to attempt to win back to back two aviation prizes offered at the peak of record-setting aviation accomplishments in 1927. The first was to win the $25,000 Dole Air Derby between

Oakland, California Oakland is a city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It is the county seat and most populous city in Alameda County, California, Alameda County, with a population of 440,646 in 2020. A major We ...

and

Honolulu, Hawaii Honolulu ( ; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, located in the Pacific Ocean. It is the county seat of the Consolidated city-county, consolidated City and County of Honol ...

. The second was to win the $25,000 prize for a flight between Dallas and Hong Kong sponsored by William E. Easterwood. ''Dallas Spirit'' was built at the Swallow factory at 2401 North Hillside, in

Wichita, Kansas Wichita ( ) is the List of cities in Kansas, most populous city in the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Sedgwick County, Kansas, Sedgwick County. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population of the city was 397, ...

Design

''Dallas Spirit'' was a high-wing monoplane with conventional landing gear. The dual wingstruts featured large airfoil shaped fairings. It was painted green and silver.

Operational history

''Dallas Spirit'' was unveiled at Love Field in

Dallas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

on 6 August 1927. It was intended to bring as much publicity to the city as the ''

Spirit of St. Louis The ''Spirit of St. Louis'' (formally the Ryan NYP, registration: N-X-211) is the custom-built, single-engine, single-seat, high-wing monoplane that Charles Lindbergh flew on May 20–21, 1927, on the Charles Lindbergh#New York–Paris flight ...

'' did earlier in the year with

Charles Lindbergh Charles Augustus Lindbergh (February 4, 1902 – August 26, 1974) was an American aviator, military officer, and author. On May 20–21, 1927, he made the first nonstop flight from New York (state), New York to Paris, a distance of . His aircra ...

's solo transatlantic crossing.

The Dole Air Race

The scheduled departure date was 16 August 1927. ''Dallas Spirit'' was flown by 31-year-old

William Portwood Erwin Lieutenant William Portwood Erwin (18 October 1895 – 19 August 1927) was an American World War I flying ace credited with eight aerial victories. On 19 August 1927, he disappeared during the Dole Air Race from Oakland, California to Hawaii. Ear ...

and navigated by 27-year-old Alvin Eichwaldt. Before the race started, two planes had already crashed, killing all their occupants. Most competitors barely could take off, and had mishaps, or turned back just after departure. ''Dallas Spirit'' was one of these unlucky entrants, returning shortly after the first attempt with six feet of fabric torn from the side, blamed on a misaligned access panel under the navigator. Of the four aircraft that continued, two aircraft reported landings in Hawaii, and two disappeared: ''Miss Doran'' and ''Golden Eagle''. Dole and William F. Mallosa, who had backed ''Miss Doran'', put a combined $50,000 in rewards together to find the missing pilots. Repairs to the tail section of the ''Dallas Spirit'' tail section took two days. On 18 August, Erwin decided to attempt the California to Hawaii trip without the prize, searching for the missing aircraft ''Miss Doran'' and ''Golden Eagle'', then continuing on to Manila and Hong Kong. A 55-watt short wave radio was removed from another contestant, the ''Pabco Flyer'' and installed in the ''Dallas Spirit''.

Amateur radio Amateur radio, also known as ham radio, is the use of the radio frequency radio spectrum, spectrum for purposes of non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, private recreation, radiosport, contesting, and emer ...

operators across the country monitored the transmissions on the 33.1-meter wavelength. At 9 pm, Eichwald sent a message that the aircraft went into a spin and recovered, followed by a second S.O.S. that the plane had gone into a spin. The abrupt signal loss in the middle of the call occurred as the plane crashed into the ocean about 650 miles west of Oakland. On 27 October 1927, a silver piece of aileron was found washed ashore at

Redondo Beach Redondo Beach (Spanish for ) is a coastal city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, located in the South Bay region of the Greater Los Angeles area. It is one of three adjacent beach cities along the southern portion of Santa Mo ...

, California, which was thought to have come from the lost ship. "Discovery of a number, 43449-10, stamped in indelible ink upon two wooden inner ribs, upon the wing, lent hope that it might be possible to trace it to its origin. The fragment was taken to the biology laboratory at the

University of Southern California The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in ...

, to determine how long it was in the water." A check of records indicated that the missing aircraft had silver elevators while the rest of the ship was green. ''Dallas Spirit'' was built on credit with the promise of the

Swallow Airplane Company The Swallow Airplane Company was an early manufacturer of airplanes. History In January 1920, the E.M. Laird Aviation Company Ltd. was started with the purchase of the six-month-old Wichita Aircraft Company, its aircraft and the factory of the Wa ...

receiving some of the prize money. The disappearance of the plane was enough to send the company into receivership. Owner Mollendick sold off his interests to aviation investor

Victor Roos Victor H. Roos (April 26, 1888 – October 6, 1964) was an American entrepreneur and the founder or co-founder of several early aircraft companies. Biography The only Bellanca CF built, at the National Air and Space Museum An American Eaglet ...

Specifications (''Dallas Spirit'')

References