1939 Bendix Trophy Race Program, 12x9", Burbank CA, Frank Fuller Win, WWII For Sale

1939 Bendix Trophy Race Program, 12x9"
Burbank CA, Frank Fuller Win, WWII18th Official Program, Flown as Hitler Invaded PolandDESCRIPTIONThis is the 18th Official Program for the Bendix Trophy Race, a large 12 x 9 inch souvenir booklet printed for the running of the race on September 2, 1939 out of the Union Air Terminal in Burbank, California.The cover art reproduces the actual bronze Vincent Bendix Trophy, sculpted by artist Walter A. Sinz, a piece that resides today in the collection of the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum.This particular race carries a weight beyond the runway: the pilots gathered at Union Air Terminal just as Nazi Germany's invasion of Poland the day before had plunged Europe into World War II, with Britain and France set to declare war on Germany the very next day.The race went off as scheduled, and Frank W. Fuller Jr., flying his Seversky SEV-2S, won his second consecutive Bendix Trophy at an average speed of 282.10 mph in 7 hours, 14 minutes, and 19 seconds, a new transcontinental record.It would be the last Bendix Trophy Race held before the event was suspended for the duration of the war, not returning until 1946.Inside, the program lays out the full $27,500 purse structure, introduces the officials and starters who ran the event, and gives half-page biographies of the pilots and their aircraft. Several of those biographies connect directly to some of the biggest names in aviation history: Max Constant flew the same Beechcraft that Jacqueline Cochran had piloted to third place in the 1937 Bendix; Paul Mantz, Amelia Earhart's technical advisor who accompanied her on her 1935 Honolulu flight and co-piloted with her in the 1936 Bendix, is profiled here with his Lockheed Orion; Bob Perlick entered the very Lockheed Vega that had carried Earhart on that same Honolulu flight; and Arthur Bussy, flying an unusual three-engine Bellanca of his own design, is noted for his recent rescue of famed aviatrix Beryl Markham in Sydney, Australia.The program also includes a feature on the Sky Room restaurant at Union Air Terminal and a piece titled "Dining at 180 M.P.H." on the in-flight catering served to airline passengers of the era.The back cover carries a period Kendall Oil advertisement honoring Jacqueline Cochran's 1938 Bendix win, with her photograph, alongside an eleven-year table of National Air Races statistics from 1928 through 1938.The Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum holds official Bendix race-day programs from this same series in its permanent Bendix Air Races Collection, including the 1938 edition of this exact "Official Program" title. The full booklet has been scanned at 600dpi for the archive. Every effort is made toward fact checking and provenance, including background research through news and historical archives.If any listing is incorrect in any way and you're unsatisfied with the item, please connect with me and I'll make it right. Orders placed before Noon CDT ship same day via Ground Advantage with tracking, so you know exactly when it will arrive.Returns accepted on all items exceeding $25 in cost. All shipments receive rigid, professional packaging, sealed and protected in acid free sleeves. Shipping is free and already built into the price, so the Buy It Now price is exactly what you pay, no surprise shipping costs at checkout.CONDITIONThis 87-year-old, 12 x 9 inch program is in excellent condition overall. The front and back covers have separated from the text block, but the original staple binding remains fully intact and is holding the interior pages together firmly. There is no writing, stamps, or markings anywhere in the booklet, and the pages show strong, clean printing throughout with only light, expected wear consistent with age and handling. Please review all photos closely, as they are the best representation of true condition.