67 hp Pobjoy
This aircraft was in the 1930 Chicago National Air Races as the Flagg Phantom I. Danny Fowlie placed 3rd in the 275 cu. in. class race.
Note on back of photo,
"The Pobjoy Racer was exhibited by the Lewis Holy Name School of Aeronautics of Lockport, Illinois. International Air Show, Chicago, February 6, 1938."
In 1932 Steve Wittman bought and modified this aircraft. Wittman lengthened the fuselage by 21 inches. The Pobjoy P engine was replaced with a Pobjoy R of 75 hp. The cockpit was also enclosed. This is the only racers he flew that was not build by him. A reproduction of this aircraft is in the EAA Museum.
In 1937 the Pobjoy Special is flipped on its back. It was rebuilt sold, and stored until the end of WWII. It was resurrected for the 1947 Goodyear, but was rejected due to too-little wing area and empty weight, and its too-large engine.
In 1948 Johnny Reaver of Panama City FL entered the aircraft as the Reaver Special in the new Goodyear Formula One races. It was them powered by a 85 hp Continental C-85
The following photos were taken at the 1948 National Air Races at Cleveland OH by Emil Strasser.
In the 1948 Goodyear, Johnny Reaver placed 4th in the Consolation at 139 mph.
The address on the side of the aircraft gives the address as "Skyland Airport, Panama City Fla". Where was Skyland Airport? A internet search found this at a Bay County history web page...
In June 1946, John and Opal Reaver opened Skyland Airfield at the northeast corner of 11th Street and Balboa Avenue.
My brother Byron was able to find some old aviation charts on line.
My Father, Ed Shumaker, and Johnny were friends. While my father worked as a maintenance crew chief at Graham Air Base in Marianna, he was converting Piper J-3s into crop dusters as a side job. At that time we had two wrecked Cessna 140s. Johnny had a large stash of J-3 parts, so my dad traded all of his 140 stuff for all of Johnny's J-3 stuff.
After Graham closed, My father and Bill Singleton started S & S Air Service at Marianna FL. Johnny did all the annual inspections on my dad's aircraft. He also did the first three annual inspections on my Mooney Mite, N4142. The last time I saw him was August 1974. At that time he was still flying. He flew up from Panama City to Marianna in a Cessna 140. I forgot to ask if it came from one of Dad's wrecks.
As a memorial to Johnny, the access road to the Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport (ECP) is named "Johnny Reaver Rd". I would suggest they should get rid of this stupid airport name and rename it the Johnny Reaver Airport.
1998 replica at the EAA Museum. Built by Bill Turner of repeat Aviation. N6119G, sn T-9.
