Claire K. Vance founded the Vance Aircraft Corporation to build the "Flying Wing" design.^[3] The aircraft was designed though a series of hand-carved wooden models before drawings were made, with the intention of it being a high speed, high altitude air-freighter with storage in thick wing lockers. Its short air racing history was interrupted by the 1932 death of its designer Claire Vance^[4] who struck a fog-covered mountain at Rocky Ridge.^[5]

The "Flying Wing" was a conventional long-range aircraft for the period with the exception of the two large booms aft of the cockpit supporting the twin tail surfaces and twin rudders, rather than a conventional fuselage. The tandem seat aircraft was converted to a single pilot aircraft that featured a radial engine and conventional landing gear (one tailwheel for each boom). Fourteen fuel tanks totaling 1,200 U.S. gallons (4,500 L; 1,000 imp gal) were interconnected inside the cantilevered mid-wing. The aircraft was of mixed construction, with an aluminum-covered welded steel tube fuselage. The wing used wooden wing spars with plywood covering. A forced air induction system was built into the wing roots with exhausts mounted near the trailing edges.^[6]

In 1932 the Viking dropped out of the Bendix Trophy race following fuel system issues.^[7] In 1933 it was entered, but did not compete in the Bendix Trophy race.^[8]

In 1934 Lt. Murray B. Dilley purchased the aircraft and production rights from Claire Vance's estate for $10,000 with the intention of racing the aircraft in the 1934 England-Australia MacRobertson Air Race.^[9] Dilley only paid $2500 of the amount owed, and abandoned the aircraft in the desert near Palm Springs, California. The Flying Wing was bought at auction in 1936 for $2500 by the Mason Aircraft Corporation. Clyde Pangborn planned on using the aircraft for a Dallas, Texas to Moscow Flight.^[10] Later the aircraft was returned to tandem configuration, a radio compass was installed, it was re-painted red and white and christened "The Texas Sky Ranger". Roland W. Richards sponsored the aircraft as part of a publicity campaign for the Texas Centennial Exposition to fly to New York, Paris, visit London, Amsterdam, Madrid, and Brussels and then return on a non-stop Paris to Dallas flight with Pangborn and Mony Mason as pilots.^[11] Mason backed out by not meeting a commitment, but the flight was planned to continue independently with Pangborn with newspaper sponsorship.^[12]

Data from Flight

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Wingspan: 60 ft (18 m)
• Fuel capacity: 1,200 U.S. gallons (4,500 L; 1,000 imp gal)
• Powerplant: 1 × Pratt & Whitney Wasp Radial, 660 hp (490 kW)
• Propellers: 2-bladed Hamilton Standard

Performance

• Maximum speed: 170 kn (200 mph, 320 km/h)
• Cruise speed: 140 kn (160 mph, 260 km/h)
• Range: 6,500 nmi (7,500 mi, 12,100 km)
• Service ceiling: 35,000 ft (11,000 m)

Avionics

• Automatic Pilot

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

• Emsco B-8 Flying Wing

• Image of the Vance Flying Wing
• Image of the Vance Flying Wing
• Image of the Vance Flying Wing
• Image of the Vance Flying Wing
• Image of the Vance Flying Wing
• Image of the Vance Flying Wing