Laird-Turner Meteor LTR-14

Last updated
Meteor LTR-14
Laird Turner Special.jpg
Role Racing aircraft
National origin America
ManufacturerLawrence Brown Aircraft Company
Designer Roscoe Turner, Professor Howard Barlow
Introduction1936
Number built1

The Laird-Turner RT-14 Meteor, also called the Turner TR-14, Ring Free Meteor, PESCO Special, Miss Champion, Turner Special and the Turner Meteor was the winning aircraft of the 1938 and 1939 Thompson Trophy races. [1]

Contents

Design and development

The aircraft was commissioned and designed by Roscoe Turner in 1936. [2] The Meteor would be the last of the Matty Laird race planes as well as the last race plane flown by Roscoe Turner. [3]

The aircraft is a conventional geared mid-wing monoplane with a radial engine built in California. It was modified in 1936 by Mattie Laird at the E. M. Laird Airplane Company in Chicago with three-foot longer wings, wing flaps, a longer fuselage and a 50 U.S. gallons (190  L ; 42  imp gal ) fuel tank. [4] In 1938 wheel pants were added for the Oakland races.

Operational history

On display at the National Air and Space Museum Turner RT-14 Meteor.jpg
On display at the National Air and Space Museum

The aircraft was known by many names. Initially the RT-14 for "Roscoe-Turner 14 cylinder". [5] The air commerce bureau labeled it the Model No. LTR-14, Serial No. 11, Type 1 POLM. [6] The first sponsor was the Ring-Free Oil company, naming the aircraft the Ring-Free Meteor. [7] The 1938 sponsor, Pump Engineering Service Corp renamed the aircraft "The PESCO SPECIAL". In 1939, the Champion Spark Plug Co borrowed the name from its 1931 Pitcairn PCA-2 autogyro, giving the aircraft the name "Miss Champion".

The original aircraft was put into storage at Weir Cook Airport for 29 years until it was restored, then donated to the Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum. [9] In December 1972 the plane along with many of Roscoe Turner's trophies were transferred to the Smithsonian. [10] The aircraft retired with less than 30 hours flying time. [11]

The Cook Islands minted a $2 Coin in 2008 featuring the Laird-Turner Meteor LTR-14 as part of its 1930s Air Racing Collection [12]

Variants

Specifications (Laird-Turner RT-14 Meteor)

Data fromSmithsonian

General characteristics

Performance

See also

Related lists

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Schneider Trophy</span> Annual air racing event for seaplanes (1913–1931)

The Coupe d'Aviation Maritime Jacques Schneider, also known as the Schneider Trophy, Schneider Prize or (incorrectly) the Schneider Cup is a trophy that was awarded annually to the winner of a race for seaplanes and flying boats. The Schneider Trophy is now held at the Science Museum, South Kensington, London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laird Super Solution</span> 1930s airplane

The Laird LC-DW300 and LC-DW500 Super Solution aka "Sky Buzzard" was a racing biplane built in the early 1930s by Matty Laird for the Cleveland Speed Foundation, Laird was already famous in the air racing circuit. It had a large radial engine and an extremely faired windshield. Other than being a biplane, it was similar in appearance to the Gee Bee, a more famous racer from the period. It was an advanced design for the time because of the relatively clean aerodynamic construction and tight engine cowling.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Air Races</span>

The National Air Races are a series of pylon and cross-country races that have taken place in the United States since 1920. The science of aviation, and the speed and reliability of aircraft and engines grew rapidly during this period; the National Air Races were both a proving ground and showcase for this.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wedell-Williams Model 44</span> Type of aircraft

The Wedell-Williams Model 44 is a racing aircraft, four examples of which were built in the United States in the early 1930s by the Wedell-Williams Air Service Corporation. It began as a rebuilding of the partnership's successful We-Will 1929 racer, but soon turned into a completely new racing monoplane aircraft, powered by a large radial engine. Model 44s became the dominant racers of the 1930s, setting innumerable records including setting a new world speed record in 1933.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bendix Trophy</span> American annual transcontinental air race (1931–1962)

The Bendix Trophy is a U.S. aeronautical racing trophy. The transcontinental, point-to-point race, sponsored by industrialist Vincent Bendix founder of Bendix Corporation, began in 1931 as part of the National Air Races. Initial prize money for the winners was $15,000. The last Bendix Trophy Race was flown in 1962.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roscoe Turner</span> 20th-century American aviator

Roscoe Turner was a record-breaking American aviator who was a three-time winner of the Thompson Trophy air race and widely recognized by his flamboyant style and his pet, Gilmore the Lion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Howard DGA-6</span> Type of aircraft

The Howard DGA-6 was a pioneer racing plane, nicknamed "Mister Mulligan". It was the only airplane ever designed for the specific purpose of winning the Bendix Trophy. The plane was designed and developed by Ben Howard and Gordon Israel, who later became an engineer for the Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation. Mister Mulligan was designed to fly the entire length of the race nonstop and at high altitude. Neither had ever been done before. Mister Mulligan won the trophy, and thus changed the way in which long distance airplanes were designed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caudron C.460</span> Type of aircraft

The Caudron C.450 and C.460 were French racing aircraft built to participate in the Coupe Deutsch de la Meurthe race of 1934.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brown B-2 Racer</span> Type of aircraft

The Brown B-2 Racer was an American-built small monoplane racing aircraft built in 1934.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wittman Chief Oshkosh</span> Type of aircraft

Chief Oshkosha.k.a.Buster is a homebuilt racing plane designed to compete in the 1931 American Cirrus Races.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wittman D-12 Bonzo</span> Type of aircraft

The Wittman D-12 "Bonzo" was an air racer designed by Steve Wittman for the Thompson Trophy races. The aircraft's top speed of 325 mph (523 km/h) made it faster than any United States military aircraft of the era.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Folkerts SK-3</span> Type of aircraft

The Folkerts SK-3 a.k.a. "Jupiter, Pride of Lemont" was the third in a series of air racers developed by Clayton Folkerts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Howard DGA-3</span> Type of aircraft

The Howard DGA-3 "Pete", a.k.a. "Damned Good Airplane – 3", "Baker Special", and "Little Audrey" was the third aircraft built by Ben Howard, and the first in a series of racing aircraft. Howard claimed that the aircraft was so fast from his use of "Go Grease".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Howard DGA-4</span> Type of aircraft

The Howard DGA-4 a.k.a. Mike, and DGA-5 a.k.a. Ike and "Miss Chevrolet" was the next in a series of racers from Ben Howard. He built two examples, "Mike" and "Ike", each with a different landing gear design.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wittman DFA</span> Type of aircraft

The Wittman DFA aka Little Bonzo is a homebuilt racing aircraft designed to compete in midget racing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicholas-Beazley Pobjoy Special</span> Type of aircraft

The Nicholas-Beazley Pobjoy Special aka the Nicholas-Beazley Phantom I, aka the Wittman Phantom, aka the Flagg Phantom, aka the Reaver Special was a world record holding air racer of the 1930s

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laird Solution</span> Type of aircraft

The Laird Solution, also called the Laird LC-DW Solution, Laird LC-DW300 Super Solution and Laird LC-DW500 Super Solution, was touted as being the "solution" to the problem of the Travel Air Mystery Ship. The Solution won the 1930 Thompson Trophy race days.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emil Matthew Laird</span> American pioneer aircraft designer, pilot, and businessman (1895-1982)

Emil Matthew Laird was a pioneering American aircraft designer, builder, pilot, and businessman. He put the first commercial aircraft into production at his E. M. Laird Aviation Company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rider R-6</span> Type of aircraft

The Rider R-6 was the last of the Keith Rider designed racing aircraft of the 1930s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Williams W-17 Stinger</span> American homebuilt aircraft

The Williams W-17 Stinger is an American homebuilt racing aircraft that was designed for Formula One Air Racing by Art Williams and produced by his company, Williams Aircraft Design of Northridge, California, introduced in 1971. The aircraft was at one time available in the form of plans for amateur construction, but only one was ever constructed.

References

  1. Carroll V. Glines. Roscoe Turner: aviation's master showman. p. 328.
  2. "Turner RT-14 Meteor" . Retrieved 13 November 2011.
  3. "Good and Spooky Replica LTR-14" . Retrieved 14 November 2011.
  4. Skyways. October 2001.{{cite journal}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  5. Eric F. Long; Mark A. Avino; John Travolta; Dana Bell. In the Cockpit: Inside 50 History-Making Aircraft.
  6. "The Roscoe Turner Museum". Sport Aviation. April 1971.
  7. Skyways. October 2001.{{cite journal}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  8. Skyways: 55. October 2001.{{cite journal}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  9. "The Roscoe Turner Museum". Sport Aviation. April 1971.
  10. "CORINTH INFORMATION DATABASE VERSION 1.3" . Retrieved 14 November 2011.
  11. "Good and Spooky Replica LTR-14" . Retrieved 14 November 2011.
  12. George S. Čuhaj; Thomas Michael. 2012 Standard Catalog of World Coins 2001 to Date.
  13. "Good and Spooky Replica LTR-14" . Retrieved 14 November 2011.