Touring Japan in the 1920s

TGR Staff

Albert Menasco was known for his innovative airplane engine designs, he dropped out of high school in Los Angeles to become a wing-walking stunt man and later attempted to join the Army to serve in World War I, only to be rejected because of his hearing impairment. He still served as a civilian instructor for aircraft engineering for the Signal Corps.

After the war, he founded Menasco Motors and developed the inverted, in-line, air-cooled engine. This design would go on to win major air races and Albert would tour the world with a traveling air show. In the 1920s, his travels took him to Japan where he not only showcased his planes, but also toured Japanese automotive, motorcycles, and aircraft manufacturers. His company Menasco Motors would go on long after he retired eventually it would be the company NASA turned to develop and build the landing gear for the Space Shuttle.

He was a very interesting man, inventor, car dealer, best man at Clark Gable’s wedding to Kay Spreckles, vintner, and a true adventurer. He also famously race his own midget cars which can be seen in some of these photos. While most of his photos focused on the air races and aircraft Albert had an obvious passion for cars and motorcycles and these images are an amazing window into the world of early motorsports in Japan.