EVENT NO. 6
By Jay Smith, Executive Editor | jays@modelaircraft.org
“EVENT NO. 6, Mulvihill Trophy Duration Race for Model Airplanes”, was the official name given to the event that was part of the 1923 National Air Races held in St. Louis. The Mulvihill Trophy was named after Bernard Mulvihill, then vice president of the NAA, who helped with prize money and the trophy that bears his name.
E.J. Lange won the first contest with a time of 4 minutes, 22.6 seconds. Since then, 95 additional names have been added to the trophy, including this year’s winner, Hope Finn. The Nats were not held during World War II, so it will be 2026 before the 100th name is added.
The trophy is on display at the National Model Aviation Museum, and I admit to staring at it on a few occasions, thinking about a century of competition and the ways that the hobby has changed throughout that time.
