In 1923, the race to circle the globe by air was alive and many international teams failed one by one.  The United States Army commissioned Douglas Aircraft to design and build five aircraft for an around the world attempt.  These aircraft were named "The World Cruisers".  Four of the five aircraft departed in April of 1924 westbound from Seattle.  175 grueling days later, two "World Cruisers" proudly touched down on U.S. soil.  This was the first and the last open-cockpit biplane circumnavigation.  The record of 175 days still stands today with the solo record still uncompleted.