"Laird speedwing" women's polo

The Laird Super Solution was one of the most remarkable American racing aircraft of the Golden Age of Aviation. Designed in 1931 by Matty Laird for the renowned pilot Jimmy Doolittle, it was an advanced development of the Laird Solution, winner of the 1930 Thompson Trophy.

The Super Solution featured an innovative design for its time: a racing biplane powered by a 550-horsepower Pratt & Whitney Wasp radial engine enclosed within a streamlined cowling to reduce aerodynamic drag. Its faired landing gear and sleek lines made it one of the most modern and fastest aircraft of its era.

Built specifically for long-distance competition, the aircraft made history on September 4, 1931, when Jimmy Doolittle won the inaugural Bendix Trophy Race. Covering more than 2,100 miles (3,500 km) from Los Angeles to Cleveland, the race tested not only speed but also endurance, navigation, and reliability.

Flying the Super Solution, Doolittle crossed the United States at a record average speed of approximately 224 mph (360 km/h), achieving a landmark victory that further established his reputation as one of aviation’s greatest pilots. The success of the Super Solution demonstrated the rapid technological advances being made in racing aircraft during the early 1930s.

Today, the Laird Super Solution remains a lasting symbol of the Golden Age of Air Racing, an era when aviation competitions drove innovation and captured the imagination of the public.