NR2100 at the start of the Bendix Air Race. Its race ended when it crashed, killing pilot Russell Boardman, at Indianapolis. NR2100 was rebuilt with a longer fuselage and the wings of the R-2 , along with its registration of NR2101. But it soon crashed again. It was rebuilt a second time, still as NR2101 and crashed and burned at the start of the 1935 Bendix race. That was the end of NR2100/2101. Photo by: Rudy Arnold / Smithsonian Institution

It looks rather crude but the Blériot 110, designed by Italian engineer Filippo Zappata, broke several world records including a point-to point distance of 9105 km (5657 miles) flown from New York to Lebanon in August 1933. It had a span of 26.50 m (86 ft 11 in) and could carry 6000 litres of fuel near the centre of gravity forward of the two crew. The sole example was named Joseph Le Brix after the recently deceased long-range aviator in January 1932. Photo by: Rudy Arnold / Smithsonian Institution

The forerunner of all Douglas Commercials. The sole DC-1 on the day of its first flight from Santa Monica - 1 July 1933. Note the initial aerodynamic strut between fuselage and engine cowling - soon deleted. At date of image, the aircraft was owned by Douglas Aircraft. Quickly passed to TWA for airline tests. Photo: Douglas Corporation.