Mr. Wilkinson,
The article reads:
Al Williams' Plane Burns in Crash Landing Gear Jams; Press writer Unhurt Maj. Al Williams' new Grumman "Gulfhawk", rated by it's makers as the fastest propeller-driven plane in teh world, was destroyed by fire after a crash landing last night in New Bern, N. C. Maj. Williams, aviation writer for The Press and other Scripps-Howard newspapers, escaped "without a scratch". "I ran into bad flying weather on my way from Miami to Roosevelt Field, N. Y.". Maj. Williams related last night by phone. "After a tussle with it, I decided to play it safe and land at the first chance." Sparks Ignite Fuel "As I let down at New Bern, the landing gear apparently jammed." "The belly of the ship scraped the runway, setting off sparks. But I managed to get out without a scratch as they ignited the fuel tank." Maj. Williams left Florida yesterday, after several days of exhibition flying in Palm Beach and Miami, when he learned of the death of a brother, Joseph. He had ignored warnings of bad weather. The flight meant an end for his beloved F8F (article showed it as F-8-F) plane which was completed in October. Maj, Williams' son, Jack, said the new "Gulfhawk", which replaced his famous 12-year-old bi-plane of the same name, had been specially built. It was a first-line Navy fighter plane, stripped down 1200 pounds under standard weight. It was capable of 450 miles an hour at sea level and was 25 miles an hour faster than it's Navy counterpart. Jack attributed last night's crash, to an exterior fuel tank used for long flights. Last Crash 25 Years Ago The last crash landing for Maj. Williams was 25 years ago. While barnstorming in North Carolina, he came in for a landing, only to find spectators swarming over the field. He managed to squeeze his plane between tow rows of parked autos. He was unhurt. In World War I Maj. Williams became a flier after only three hours' instruction. Later he became a test pilot and shattered many U. S. speed records. Maj. Williams has been manager of Gulf Oil Corp. aviation department here since 1933. He lives at the Royal York Apartments.
I hope that helps.
_________________ Chris Grogg
"What kind of plane is it?"
"Oh, it's a big pretty white plane with red stripes, curtains in the windows and wheels and it looks like a big Tylenol."
My Avatar: CDR William Harold Cole, Naval Aviator 14774, Naval Helicopter Pilot 1869 VC-6, VBF-152, VR-23 (Korea), DFC, Air Medal
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