Mike Kusenda's Hall Bulldog Talk at SARH

Mike Kusenda, a prominent Hall Bulldog researcher, gave a talk to the Society of Air Racing Historians sharing his findings about the aircraft’s design, construction, and racing career. This presentation provides valuable insights into the Hall Bulldog story that aren’t found in other sources.

Key Points from the Presentation

Springfield Aircraft Company Origins

The Springfield Aircraft Company was established around Thanksgiving Day 1931, shortly after Bob Hall left the Granville Brothers. When Hall departed, he brought the engineering staff with him, expecting this would cripple the Granville operation since they would have no engineers left. He set up the new company across the Connecticut River in Agawam, Massachusetts.

Pratt & Whitney decided to support both ventures, building two special Wasp T3D1 engines producing 730 horsepower at 2,300 RPM—one for the Hall Bulldog and one for the Gee Bee R-1.

Design Influences

During the 1931 National Air Races, Hall observed the Polish PZL P.6 fighter aircraft and was impressed by its flight characteristics. He decided to incorporate similar design elements into his own racing plane, including the distinctive exhaust system arrangement.

Russell Thaw and Frank Lynch

Russell Thaw, just 20 years old at the time, approached Hall at the 1931 races asking about the cost of building a competitive racing aircraft. Hall estimated approximately $15,000 to develop a first-rate racer.

Frank Lynch, a World War I aviator who had made his fortune inventing a machine for manufacturing toothpaste tubes, provided financial backing. After selling his company and retiring, Lynch wanted to return to aviation and became involved with the Hall Bulldog project.

Flight Testing Problems

The first test flight on August 15, 1932 revealed a serious problem: when Hall moved the control stick to the left, the aircraft rolled the opposite direction. Initially suspecting the ailerons had been installed backwards, they discovered the ailerons were actually twisting the wing under load. The solution was to eliminate most of the upward aileron deflection, using primarily downward motion to reduce wing twisting.

The aircraft also exhibited directional stability issues that required modifications. The final rudder was a rush job—likely larger than necessary, but they needed to get Thaw to accept the airplane before they could collect payment.

Despite these problems, Hall found the Bulldog easier to fly than the Gee Bee Z after the first test flight.

Carburetor and Propeller Issues

Eric Hoffman from Pratt & Whitney visited Springfield Aircraft Company during development. Hall couldn’t find room for the full-size pre-heater needed to handle carburetor icing during the Bendix Trophy race, so he installed a smaller unit. Hoffman warned this would restrict airflow to the carburetor, but Hall was pressed for time and hoped the exhaust system might compensate.

The Hamilton Standard two-position propeller was set for maximum horsepower at 2,300 RPM. However, because the engine never reached full power due to the restricted carburetor, the propeller remained stuck in low pitch. Hall could only achieve 2,000 RPM—significantly less than the Gee Bee R-1’s 2,300 RPM with its controllable-pitch propeller.

Thaw’s Rejection

Around the third test flight, the Bulldog performed a violent half roll to the left. Hall recovered and landed safely, but the incident—combined with a blown tire during taxi—shook Thaw’s confidence.

Thaw asked Leroy Collins to evaluate the aircraft. Collins flew for about 20 minutes and told reporters it flew nicely, but privately warned Thaw the plane was “squirrely” and he should be careful.

On August 26, the Bulldog was flown to Roosevelt Field for instrument calibration and loaded with 215 gallons of fuel. When Thaw attempted takeoff, he couldn’t get the tail up. As he ran out of runway, he chopped the throttle, aborted, jumped out, and told reporters “this wasn’t his idea of a racing plane.”

The Thompson Trophy and Aftermath

Hall drained the side fuel tanks, flew the Bulldog back to Agawam, and collected donations to try purchasing the aircraft from Thaw’s aunt, Mrs. Guggenheim. She refused. Some accounts suggest Hall didn’t have permission to fly the aircraft to Cleveland for the Thompson Trophy Race.

After the race, the Guggenheim’s attorneys demanded the aircraft be destroyed to avoid liability if anyone was killed flying it. Mrs. Guggenheim had purchased a used Lockheed Vega and needed an engine, so the Wasp was shipped to Pratt & Whitney to be derated for the new aircraft. The two-position propeller was leased to the Granville Brothers for use in the Gee Bee R-2 during the Bendix.

The Hall Bulldog was chopped up immediately after the Cleveland races. According to Kusenda’s research, Hall never received payment for the airplane.

The Sweepback Question

Kusenda addressed the ongoing debate about whether the Hall Bulldog’s wings had sweepback. Dave Bradford, the chief draftsman at Springfield Aircraft Company, created drawings dated August 20—after the airplane had already flown—that show sweepback. Kusenda interpreted these as depicting modifications they hoped to make rather than the as-built configuration.

The aircraft exhibited a tail-heavy tendency from the start, making it difficult to raise the tail during takeoff (Hall typically took off in a three-point attitude). Kusenda theorized that if sweepback was incorporated, it may have been an attempt to address this tail-heaviness.

For more on this topic, see the article on The Hall Bulldog Sweepback Controversy.