Research needed - August-September 1936

[Patrick Dickson]

I found this regarding the "mishap" during the Bendix Trophy race;



"Amelia Earhart had flown in many air races prior to the 1936 Bendix. She had only
  recently taken delivery of the new Lockheed Electra 10E from Purdue University as
    her "Flying Laboratory" Her co-pilot for the race was Helen Richey, one of America's
top  women pilots.  Unexpectedly the emergency  cockpit escape hatch blew open
  almost sucking both pilots out,  they were able to secure it with a rag till they landed
    at their Kansas City fuel stop where they  were able to wire it closed. The open hatch
caused  much  lost time. Amelia Earhart was lost on an attempted round- the-world
        flight with  navigator Fred Noonan in the Pacific Ocean near Howland Island in this ship
on July 5th 1937."

[Matt Revington]

Patrick where did you find that, I was looking for more details on that incident. The only info I could find was this clearly garbled version from the LAX book, since Pancho Barnes was not her pilot in 1936 I knew something was not right.


Was the emergency escape hatch the top entry to the cockpit that AE was always using in photos after the extra fuel tanks were installed?

[Bill Mangus]

From Susan Butler's book, page 347:

     "Moments after Amelia and Helen took off (from Floyd Bennett Field), a bolt in the hatch cover over their heads  worked loose, and the big hatch--big enough to provide access--popped open.  Only after the automatic pilot kicked in could Amelia, who was at the controls, help Helen wrestle it closed.  At one point, "the wind almost sucked us right out of the cockpit," according to Amelia.  It took them two hours before they got it securely into place.  When they made their refueling stop in Kanas City precious time was lost while it was wired shut.  Later they had to deal with a cabin door that worked loose--all very time-consuming."

Sounds like an exciting trip!  (Remember the TIGHAR definition of 'adventure?'  Makes me wonder what words AE had for Bo and Lockheed.

[Matt Revington]

Combine the hatch and door incidents with having to stop twice ( Kansas City and Cleveland) on the way to New York for the start of the race for oil leaks and engine problems and it seems the Electra had some real issues when delivered

[Patrick Dickson]

Patrick where did you find that, I was looking for more details on that incident.

http://www.airrace.com/1936NAR.htm

[Jerry Germann]

My local library doesn't have this book; http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4689988-hollywood-pilot   ....does anyone here have access to a copy? There may be some useful information in there.

Also there was a recorded interview with mantz; http://www.worldcat.org/title/interview-with-pilot-paul-mantz-aug-5-1940/oclc/226040055&referer=brief_results ....anyone have ?

[Bill Mangus]

I have "Hollywood Pilot" coming from Amazon.  Should get it today or tomorrow.

[Ric Gillespie]

TIGHAR has Hollywood Pilot. Lots of interesting material related to Mantz relationship with AE including this tidbit the didn't seem significant until now.

"By May 7, 1936, AE's dream ship was ready for the paint shop.  Mantz wrote to GP: 'I would suggest that the rudder, stabilizer, and a border on the top of the wing be painted orange or red, to be seen easier when the sky is overcast.' 
Gippy said no. "She'll want Purdue's colors." (page 96)

[Daniel R. Brown]

The propellors are unpainted in this photo of AE with Purdue president Edward C. Elliott at the Lockheed factory in Burbank 8/20/1936.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Amelia_Earhart_with_the_new_Electra_1936.jpg

Dan Brown, #2408

[Ric Gillespie]

The propellors are unpainted in this photo of AE with Purdue president Edward C. Elliott at the Lockheed factory in Burbank 8/20/1936.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Amelia_Earhart_with_the_new_Electra_1936.jpg

Dan Brown, #2408

Only the back side of the blades get painted.  It's done to reduce glare off the spinning disk of the props.  The pilot can't see the front of the blades.

[Ric Gillespie]

This photo, taken at Purdue on September 20, 1936 shows that the hatch has been changed to open inward.  It seems likely that the switch was made as part of the repairs after the incident during the September 4 Bendix race.

[Andrew M McKenna]

Not sure I understand how you can conclusively say the hatch opens inward from this photo.

Couldn't it open up and be behind the women out of view?

Am I missing something?

amck

[Bruce Thomas]

Not sure I understand how you can conclusively say the hatch opens inward from this photo.

Couldn't it open up and be behind the women out of view?

Am I missing something?

amck

Andrew, I think that's Ric's point. I'm seeing it the same way as I think Ric is expressing it, that the hatch now seems to be hidden behind Amelia with the hinge near the center of the top of the fuselage as we see it in so many later pictures on the World Flight. If it continued to be hinged over the pilot's window (as it was originally delivered in July), and with the hatch obviously being open in this picture, we'd expect to see the hatch in this picture.

[Ric Gillespie]

Not sure I understand how you can conclusively say the hatch opens inward from this photo.

Couldn't it open up and be behind the women out of view?

Am I missing something?

In the photo, you can see through the windshield that the hatch is open.  If the hatch opened outward (as in this photo), as it did originally, the open hatch would be sticking out to the right.  The hatch is not visible so it must be behind the girls and therefore hinged on the inboard side.

[Andrew M McKenna]

OK, I get it now.  Wasn't sure what side it was hinged.

amck