Col James Fitzmaurice, a colonel in the Irish Air Force entered a Bellanca 28-70 “one off’ named Irish Sweep, in the London Mebourne Centenary Air race in 1934. The aircraft was built to his order and designed by Al Mooney of Mooney aircraft fame, who worked for Guiseppe Bellanca in the Delaware factory at the time. This was M8 in Mooney’s personal model numbering and a P&W Wasp radial of 825 hp was fitted, giving the Bellanca the best power/weight factor of all entries. The com¬mittee refused to allow Col Fitzmaurice to compete with the aircraft’s ‘all-up’ weight of 8,000 lbs.” The full weight had a restricted certificate issued by the US Government which, at the time, did not belong to the ICAN, the interna¬tional controlling body. The Irish entry was withdrawn at the last minute.
Engine: P&W Wasp, 825 hp.
MAUW: 8000 lbs.
All Aero 