In the Super Solution, Doolittle had won the 1931 Bendix and gone on to set a transcontinental speed record of 2,882 miles in 11 hours, 16 minutes, and 10 seconds, while averaging 217 mph. But in the seventh lap of the Thompson, the plane’s 525-hp Pratt & Whitney Wasp Junior radial engine blew a piston, forcing Doolittle to drop out.

Less than two weeks remained before Labor Day weekend and the 1932 National Air Races at Cleveland, Ohio. The main events—the Burbank-to-Cleveland Bendix Trophy endurance race and the closed-course, 100-mile Thompson Trophy dash—demanded two very different types of aircraft, but Doolittle believed he had a plane capable of winning both.
The pace of innovation meant that not even the Super Solution could age a year without the threat of obsolescence. Figuring the decreased drag would more than offset the increased weight, Doolittle replaced its fixed, spatted wheels with a retractable landing gear. He was about to regret the decision. As he attempted to winch down the hand-cranked gear, which had functioned according to plan in ground tests, the pressure of the slipstream prevented the wheels from deploying.

“I spent two hours trying to jar the gear loose…nothing worked,” recalled Doolittle. Finally he resigned himself to bellying in the LC-DW-500. He emerged unhurt, but with the plane’s prop blades bent and fuselage crumpled, the Super Solution would never make the Nationals.

1930

Top speed: 130 mph

The Laird Speed Wing was built with a wire-cinched, riveted, steel tube fuselage. Laird offered this aircraft for sale to those who wanted a custom-built airplane.

Engine: Wright, 220 hp.

The Burke Moellendick Laird partnership of Wichita began work, and in April 1920 the first Laird Swal-low rolled out of the hangar. In April 1920, Matty Laird (builder of the Swallow) first tested his three place OX 5 biplane built in a shed in Wichita. The plane earned the nickname “Swallow” from one of the Wichita hotel men who witnessed the flight, commenting, “It flies like a swal¬low:’ The Laird Swallow became the first commercial, not military, plane offered for sale in the United States.
The company that became United Airlines began its early air operations fly¬ing a Laird Swallow.
Production went from two planes a month to four. After 43 Laird Swallows had been sold, Matty Laird quit and went back to Chi¬cago to resume business as the E.M. Laird Airplane Company.
Jake Moellendick re¬named his plant the Swallow Airplane Manufacturing Company.

First product of the Swallow Aircraft Co was Model 1924 Swallow Commercial three seater (a refined Laird Swallow). Type was successful, especially in Middle West, and improved progressively.

On April 6,1926 a Swallow biplane (modified New Swallow type, called Swallow Mail plane) made inaugural flight for Varney Air Lines (later part of United Air Lines) marking significant advance in U.S. air transport.

The 1927 Swallow featured a 90 hp Curtiss OX-5 engine, an adjustable stabiliser, 2.5in trim via a cockpit lever and carried ATC 21.

Swallow Commercial of 1928 offered with various engines; Swallow Special 3-seater had Axelson engine. In 1930s company developed Swallow Coupe light cabin monoplane.

Gallery

Engine: Curtiss OX-5, 90 hp
Prop: Brewster 8 ft 4 in
Wingspan: 32 ft 8 in
Length: 23 ft
Wing chord: 5 ft
Height: 8 ft 4 in
Empty weight: 1469 lb
Useful load: 731 lb
Top speed: 100 mph
Cruise speed: 60 mph
Landing speed: 35 mph
ROC: 600 fpm
Ceiling: 12,000 ft

A 1928 five place cabin biplane. One was built, N6792, c/n C-7.

Engine: Menasco-Salmson
Wingspan: 33’4″
Length: 20’6″