DAVID J. GAUTHIER COLLECTION
No. 8081. Bellanca 28-70 Flash (EI-AAZ c/n 902) "The Irish Swoop"
Photographs from O. Phillips via J.A. Morrow

Bellanca 28-70 Flash

08/15/2008. From the Aerofiles: "The Bellanca 28-70 was a long-range racer designed for James Fitzmaurice of Ireland, who christened it Irish Swoop for the 1934 MacRobertson Race from England to Australia. The ship arrived in Great Britain barely in time for the race, but Fitzmaurice withdrew when the rules committee limited his fuel load because of incomplete testing of the new aircraft.

The 28-70 went back to the USA to finish its tests, registered as NR190M, but was badly damaged in a landing accident. In 1936 the aircraft was rebuilt with a 900 hp P&W Twin Wasp and redesignated 28-90. It was also renamed Dorothy and used by James Mollison for a new transatlantic speed record, 13 hr 17 min. In 1937 Mollison flew to Madrid and sold the plane to the Republican government desperate for any modern aircraft to use in their civil war, and was serialed LB-1, its fate is unknown."


Created August 15, 2008