The Powell PH Racer was a 1920s

air racer Air racing is a type of motorsport that involves airplanes or other types of aircraft that compete over a fixed course, with the winner either returning the shortest time, the one to complete it with the most points, or to come closest to a prev ...

which held the distinction of having won all the races it entered.

Design and development

The aircraft was designed by Professor C.H. Powell, teacher at the Aeronautics Department of the

University of Detroit The University of Detroit Mercy is a private Roman Catholic university in Detroit, Michigan. It is sponsored by both the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) and the Sisters of Mercy. The university was founded in 1877 and is the largest Catholic universi ...

. The

biplane A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two main wings stacked one above the other. The first powered, controlled aeroplane to fly, the Wright Flyer, used a biplane wing arrangement, as did many aircraft in the early years of aviation. While ...

racer used an all-wood

fuselage The fuselage (; from the French ''fuselé'' "spindle-shaped") is an aircraft's main body section. It holds crew, passengers, or cargo. In single-engine aircraft, it will usually contain an engine as well, although in some amphibious aircraft t ...

with

birch A birch is a thin-leaved deciduous hardwood tree of the genus ''Betula'' (), in the family Betulaceae, which also includes alders, hazels, and hornbeams. It is closely related to the beech-oak family Fagaceae. The genus ''Betula'' contains 30 ...

paneling. The wing

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s were also wood with fabric covering. Uniquely, the

aileron An aileron (French for "little wing" or "fin") is a hinged flight control surface usually forming part of the trailing edge of each wing of a fixed-wing aircraft. Ailerons are used in pairs to control the aircraft in roll (or movement around ...

hinges were made of

leather Leather is a strong, flexible and durable material obtained from the tanning, or chemical treatment, of animal skins and hides to prevent decay. The most common leathers come from cattle, sheep, goats, equine animals, buffalo, pigs and hogs, ...

Operational history

;Race Winnings *1925

National Air Races The National Air Races (also known as Pulitzer Trophy 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 ...

piloted by Jerry V. Dack of

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*Aero Digest Trophy (Dack) *The Dayton Daily News Trophy *The Scientific American Trophy The Powell Racer was returned to the University of Detroit where it was destroyed in static load tests.

Variants

Shirlen Big Cootie The Shirlen Big Cootie is an American homebuilt biplane that was designed by Roy Shirlen. Design and development The Big Cootie is a modernized version of the Powell PH Racer biplane for homebuilt construction. The aircraft is a single seat bip ...

A set of plans were drawn up for the Powell PH Racer, using steel tubing for the fuselage.

Specifications (Powell Racer)

Powell_PH_3-view_Les_Ailes_January_7,_1926

References

{{reflist Racing aircraft Homebuilt aircraft