The Nicholas-Beazley Pobjoy Special aka the Nicholas-Beazley Phantom I, aka the Wittman Phantom, aka the Flagg Phantom,[1] aka the Reaver Special was a world record holding air racer of the 1930s.
The Nicholas-Beazley Airplane Company had imported a Pobjoy Airmotors engine with a gear reduction unit for use in its new design the Nicholas-Beazley NB-3. Designer Robert T. Jones computed the weight and balance for the setup and proposed a new design as an air-racer. Claude Flagg and H. F. Landis built the aircraft in their spare time and patented the wing design.[2]
The fuselage is welded steel with fabric covering. The wings used an early application of lightweight aluminum construction with U-shaped cantilever spars with wire bracing and fabric covering. The aircraft used wheels with small tires and without brakes. The cockpit was open and the engine was fully cowled.
In 1932 the Pobjoy P engine was replaced with a Pobjoy R of 75 hp. The cockpit was also enclosed. In 1933 Wittman lengthened the fuselage by 21 inches, removed the engine cowling and modified the rudder. In 1946 The engine was replaced with a Continental C-85.
In 1932 Ownership passed to Air Racer Steve Wittman. An Air Commerce inspector fronted the money, and had Wittman race the aircraft to avoid a conflict of interest. The Pobjoy Special is the only racer Wittman raced that he did not build or design himself. In 1937 the Pobjoy Special is flipped on its back. It was rebuilt sold, and stored until the end of World War II.[2] John Reaver entered the aircraft as the Reaver Special in the new Goodyear Formula One races.
In 1936 the 200ci class is eliminated, making the Pobjoy Special obsolete for racing.