James I. Pryor II - Akron Aviation

IMAGES
of Aviation

AKRON AVIATION

Perhaps more than any other image, that of a giant zeppelin captures the depth of the imagination and ingenuity that the citizens of Akron, Ohio, displayed in conquering the air. Seen here is the airship USS Macon, resting on its moorings. (Courtesy of Akron Summit County Public Library.)

ON THE COVER: This 1935 photograph shows people touring a DC-2 or DC-3 United Airlines Mainliner. The tour was part of the ceremonies inaugurating flight service at the Akron Municipal Airport. The DC-3 was the first airliner to make a profit by carrying passengers only. It could be fitted as a sleeper for 14 passengers, or as a day plane seating 28. (Courtesy of Akron Summit County Public Library.)

IMAGES
of Aviation

AKRON AVIATION

James I. Pryor II

Copyright 2014 by James I. Pryor II
ISBN 978-1-4671-1132-4
Ebook ISBN 9781439644645

Published by Arcadia Publishing
Charleston, South Carolina

Library of Congress Control Number: 2013943645

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This book is dedicated to Joel, Benjamen, Lukas, and Aiden; may you dream dreams and have the courage and determination to conquer new worlds.

CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The accomplishments of the citizens of Akron in their endeavors to conquer the air are well known, especially in regards to lighter-than-air activities. That is why it is especially gratifying to have worked with Mary Plazo of the Akron-Summit County Library, who provided the vast majority of the images used to tell the story in this book. Unless otherwise noted, all images are from the archives of the Akron-Summit County Public Library. Further acknowledgement goes to my editor at Arcadia Publishing, Mary Margaret Schley, whose guidance and encouragement was of infinite value. A very special thanks must be given to the University of Akrons Archival Services, Frank Arre of the US Naval History and Heritage Command, Alvaro Bellon of the Lighter Than Air Society, and the State of Hawaii Department of Transportation, without whose cooperation this book would not have been possible.

INTRODUCTION

In the autumn of 1875, Akron held two Summit County fairs. Such fairs were the main events for the community every year. In 1875, the festivities were promoted by rival groups, and as a result, Akronites had the thrill of witnessing a balloon ascension that, by all aeronautical logic, should have resulted in death for the daring aeronaut who attempted to pilot the craft.

On September 27, to provide a stellar attraction that would draw crowds, the seeding faction engaged a Professor Wise, intrepid aeronaut of Philadelphia, to come to Akron and make a flight. His balloon arrived on Monday, September 7, but the good professor did not. He wired that he was ill and would be unable to make the flight.

The promoters were quite disturbed at the news of Professor Wises sudden illness. At the last minute, they caught a break in the form of a young farmer from Northhampton Township. Jack C. Johnston volunteered to make the flight, taking the place of the presumably prostrate Professor Wise. So, at exactly 3:22 p.m. on Tuesday, as a great crowd watched in nervous anticipation, Johnston climbed into the basket, the ropes were released, and into the sky and the annals of Akron aviation history he soared. Caught by a north wind, the balloon, named the Summit, drifted southward, at an elevation of approximately 4,000 feet, to Summit Lake. As it passed over the lake, the balloon rose to 6,500 feet, entered a different air current, and started back north.

Over the Little Cuyahoga Valley it serenely drifted, then over North Hill, and over the main Cuyahoga River. Then, just as it approached the village of Cuyahoga Falls, the balloon abruptly exploded. Downward the balloon plunged. People watching below saw Johnston frantically throwing out ballast and pulling ropes. The daring young man fell 4,000 feet. The folks below feared a fatal crash. Then, either a miracle happened, or the varnished cotton held. Part of the balloon blossomed out and formed a parachute! The downward dive was slowed, and Johnston landed in a plowed field, badly scratched and bruised but otherwise uninjured. And so it was that from this event the citizens of Akron had their appetites whetted for conquering the mysteries of the air. Those dreams of conquest would eventually become reality and in much the same manner as Jack Johnstons inaugural flight.

A few decades after Johnstons aerial adventure, the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company began building tires and wheels for aeroplanes, thus marking the birth of the aviation industry in Akron. The Wright brothers were building their airplanes with wooden skids or sled runners for landings. The company responded to the landing-gear problem by introducing a rubber tire that was lightweight, held to the wheel, was puncture-resistant, and was easy to replace if it failed. The result of this design work was the Goodyear Wing Aeroplane Tire. This was the first tire built to specifications for aviation use and was the first complete tire, rim, and wheel assembly in aviation history. This success led to a discovery that influenced early aviation for decades: a wing and fuselage fabric dubbed Stay Tight. This product was a combination of specially woven linen impregnated with a light film of rubber to maintain tightness and rigidity. It was the discovery, and widespread use, of this fabric that took Goodyear, the B.F. Goodrich Company, and other rubber manufacturers into an entirely new direction in aviation.

The aviation accomplishments and innovations by companies and individuals in the Akron area runs parallel to the growth of the United States in the early and mid-20th century. Among the citys aviation triumphs are the following: Akrons first fixed-wing flight (1906), the first complete aircraft tire assembly (1910), the development of rubberized aircraft fabric, the construction of racing balloons for competition, the manufacture of airships and balloons for use in World War I, airships made for the US Navy and the US Army during the depths of the Great Depression, establishment of a municipal airport at a time when Depression-era economic effects were ravaging the city, and the establishment of the Guggenheim Airship Institute.

The years between the world wars are often described by historians as aviations Golden Age. Akron and its citizens had a front-row seat to the periods achievements. In nearly every major aviation development during that time, Akron played a role. The city was visited frequently by such noted aviators as Charles and Anne Morrow Lindbergh, Jimmy Doolittle, Clearance Chamberlin, Douglas Wrong Way Corrigan, and Wiley Post. Akron played host to a wide variety of women aviators, including the following: Helen Ball, a stunt pilot from Pittsburgh; Gretchen Reighard, a champion glider pilot who made parachute jumps to finance her glider flying; Louise Thaden, winner of the 1936 Bendix Trophy; and the mysterious German aviatrix Antonie Strassman, who would later be revealed as a Nazi spy.

Akron continued to look to the skies for growth and opportunity, regardless of the effects of the Great Depression. In 1929, the Goodyear Zeppelin Corporation, a division of the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, was awarded a contract from the US Navy to build two airships for duty with the fleet. The USS