Vanderbilt Cup Races

-Identify the location of the Mystery Foto and the orientation of the photographer.

The plane is flying due North and the camera is pointing towards the East. Below, the keyhole entrance of the Meadow Brook lodge can be seen at Whaleneck/Merrick and the LIMP

-Relate the Mystery Foto to the Long Island Motor Parkway and the Vanderbilt Cup Races

The the LIMP is seen below and this section was utilized during the 1908-1910 races.

-Identify the airplane and it relationship to Long Island.

Curtiss B-2 Condor introduced in 1929, in service through 1934, of which only 13 were built. Curtiss/Wright had a large presence here on L.I.

-Identify the golf course.

Salisbury Links

-What is the year of the Mystery Foto? Provide a rationale.

1929 when the Curtiss B-2 was introduced

-Kudos question: Identify a special road seen in the Mystery Foto.

The temporary road for the 1908-1910 Cup Races

I had added a photo of the Curtiss Bomber at Michell which may be the same plane, although the resolution on the mystery photo can’t let confirm with the registration number. The give away to the location was the ‘M’ on top of the hangar

East Garden City/Westbury looking east. Motor Pkwy, Merrick Ave bridge, and Meadow Brook lodge at the intersection at top right, the starting point for the 1908 - 10 Vanderbilt Cup Races. Salisbury Links (today’s Eisenhower Park’s Red course at the top left. Year of photo is 1923 - 1936, when concrete posts were first introduced in 1923, and pre construction of Roosevelt Raceway in 1936. Special road is the smooth-curved dirt road linking Motor Parkway to Ellison Av during the 1908 VCR, and linking Old Country Rd during the 1909, 10 VCR. Planes are heading north from Mitchel Field during a fly-by. The gunner at the nose has nerves of steel! Tons of concrete posts everywhere in this fantastic foto.

Looking east from over Roosevelt Field we see the Merrick Ave Bridge, the keyhole entrance and the Salisbury Golf Links on the left. its definitely late teens or 1920s before the Meadowbrook Polo Field or its bridge. Maybe the plane was an airmail or flight instructor plane and the nearby road was the shortcut to the Meadowbrook lodge (now merchant concourse).

correction - i see guns on the plane and we are a block north of the polo fields so ill say its 1918 and i take back the polo field comment

Photographer is looking east over Merrick Avenue (East Meadow/Westbury).
Motor Parkway and VCR course ran through this area crossing Merrick Avenue.  The Meadowbrook Toll Lodge can be seen in the upper right.
One of 12 Curtiss B-2 bombers built on Long Island. The 28-398 which this might be was the first B-2 built and delivered (June 10, 1929).  The second, the 28-399 was delivered August 10, 1929). 
Salisbury Links
1929 - the year the first B-2 was built - the attached photo shows it being transported on June 4 of that year, it was delivered June 10 to March Field in CA.  Is that the Garden City gas tank shown in the photo?
Special road connecting Westbury to the Meadowbrook Lodge used during the 1908 - 1910 Vanderbilt Cup Races.

Well, I instantly thought Barling Bomber but no, it’s a Keystone (prev. Huff-Daland) LB-5A (Liberty engines, twin tail), based out of Mitchel Field.  Twin .303 Lewis guns in scarf mount in nose.  Incidentally, H-D/Keystone’s chief designer was James McDonnell and the firm ended up in Curtiss-Wright and some of the staff quit and became Grumman in Baldwin.  Ca. 1930 (LB-5A service).  Lotsa av. info. but where?  I am SO lost!  Sam, III

We are looking east-south-east above East Garden City / Westbury with the LIMP in the upper right quadrant of the photo along with the Meadowbrook Lodge and the bridge over Merrick Avenue. This section of the LIMP was part of the course for the 1908, 1909 and 1910 V. C. Races. The plane is a Curtiss B-2 “Condor” and the Curtiss Company had a plant just out of view off the lower right of the photo. The golf course is the Old Westbury Club (Intercollegiate Golf Club). Since the “Condor” was operational for the US Army only from 1929-1932, the photo should be from about then. The special road going from lower left and connecting with the LIMP was built as an extension of Ellison Avenue to allow access from Jericho Tpke. for the 1908 race and again in 1909 and 1910 from Old Country Road.

Mystery Foto #42… The plane is a Curtiss B2 Condor. Curtiss Aeroplane Motor Corp. did have a plant in Garden City and a field on Long Island where they were manufacturing JN-4 Trainers, Curtiss Hydroplanes and OX-5 engines. See attached photos of The B-2 Condor, info about the Curtiss plant AND a photo of a Free Flight Scale rubber powered model of the Condor that a friend of mine has built. I too build Free Flight Scale models of planes from all eras of aviation.

Art, Greg,  Regarding your comments on the number of Condor B-2 bombers built. I’m surprised that beyond the testing prototype, that any were built at all. It did have a couple of innovations, it was the first of it’s type in that it was of all metal construction, no wood at all. Secondly, powered by two 600 HP engines, at the time it was the only aircraft of its type that could function at near full capability on just one engine.  But why did the Army Air Force purchase any at all ? They had a range of only 350 miles or so. So who were they suppose to bomb ?  .....Canada ?..... Mexico ?  Thirdly, the plane was equipped with water cooled engines with a water tank over each engine and a third tank centrally located above the two. This tank was a backup which could supply water to either engine in an emergency.  We are talking about a lot of water weight.      At the time other aircraft manufacturers were concentrating on and developing lighter and simpler air cooled engines                                     The B-2 Condor did have another unique feature. Look at the photo of the cockpit area. there are 2 seats….but only one wheel !!!.  The wheel is mounted on a single post between the 2 seats with a mechanism that allows the wheel to pivot in front of either seat. The plane had a crew of five, one pilot, three gunners and a bombardier who was positioned in front and below the pilot. In the event the pilot could not operate the aircraft the bombardier would move into the vacant seat, pivot the wheel in front of him,  and take control of the aircraft. For those who build model planes, every now and then a kit for the B-2 appears on EBAY, I think the manufacturer is a Polish company.

Al, after doing some research for the mystery photo, I did come across a few articles that did state it was obsolete before even put into production, so I’m right there with you in my surprise as well. As far as the range goes, those darn Canadians have always been a threat to our national security with all those moose and beavers they have there, so maybe there was such a plan for a bombing raid in 1929. I’m actually a dual Canadian and American citizen, so I may have to get up to Ottawa to look into this possibility further.

Great photos!  I was a student at Stewart School in the late ‘60s and find it hard to believe that as much time has now passed as once passed between the time the photos of the B-2 were taken and when I went to school nearby!  Time sure does fly (no pun intended).  Please keep up your outstanding efforts to connect the glory years of autos and planes with today.

An Oct., 1908 article from The New-York Tribune mentioning the special road between Westbury and the Meadowbrook Lodge.

Great find Art! Amazing research findings!