British Racing and Record Breaking Aircraft

BRITISH RACING AND

RECORD-BREAKING AIRCRAFT PETER ,-LEWIS

PUTNAM Sheila Scott with the Britannia Trophy awarded to her for 1967, in recognition of her ,-ecord flights of 1966 and 1967 and her promotion oflighl aircraft Aying. (Peter ull'is.)

9 BOW STREET

LONDON WC2

B)' the same author THE BRITISH BOMBER SINCE

1914

THE BRITISH f'IGHTER SINCE

1912

BRITISH AIRCRAFT

1809-1914 SQUADRON HISTORIES RFC, RNAS

&

RAF

since 1912

To SHEILA SCOTT,o.B.E. in Ji'iendship and in appreciation of achievements which have imbued British sporting flying with renewed spirit

©

1970 Peter Lewis

ISBN 0 370 00067 6 Printed and bound in Great Britain for

Putnam and Company Ltd 9 Bow Slreet, London \\"C2 by Richard Clay (The Chaucer Press), Ltd Bungay, Suffolk

First published 1971

Contents

T\ventieth-Century Spectacle

9 11

Foundation for Adventure

91

Preface

Expansion Unlimited

149

Across Continent and Ocean

217 283 321 357

End of an Epoch Racing Renascence 1\n Exercise in Design

Over 1,000 mph

390 408

Familiar Faces Return to Record Breaking 'Technical Data

Air Race Results

42Q 466

Record Flights

474 483

lndex

487

7

Preface Notes Figures quoted for time and distance in both record attempts an? race results are derived from official records and press releases. OWJI1g to numerous factors-among them total elapsed time, total flying time, different routes followed between record attempt points, use of both Great Circle Tracks and Rhumb Line Tracks, True Airspeed, Indicated Airspeed and Ground Speed-involved in the calculation of final results, these are not reconcilable in various cases. Where Mark numbers are quoted in both Roman and Arabic form for a particular type.ofaircraft,.they are ~s in u~c at .that particular peri~d. Similarly, an aIrcraft beanng a .spec~fic re~lstratlo~ ma~ be show." wl~h progressive Mark numbers applied followmg modificatIOns durmg Its career.

Personal prowess-exemplified by mental and physical attainment-has been evident to a high degree in flying from its inception, and flying itself, by its rapid expansion into so many forms, has since provided great opportunity for initiative, skill and courage. The first air races were held with balloons but, over the last 60 years, a number of British aircraft have been evolved specifically for competitive flying and for the setting of records; however, these specialized types are relatively few compared with those commercial models adapted and flown for the same purposes in British markings. Each gained its prominence through its association with personalities and events, and, in compiling British Racing and Record-Breaking Aircraft, it has given me the greatest pleasure to be able to record the hopes and achievements of so many admirable men and women. In the early days, in particular, often they were setting out to fly into unexpected danger on the way to their destinations. Some returned in triumph to the acclaim of enthusiastic crowds and to international fame; others accomplished their feats unnoticed by the public-and there were those who died, alone and beyond reach on land or at sea. }~rom primitive beginnings, subsequent activity in air racing and record setting has created a vast subject, its evolution conditioned by scientific advancement and by personal impulse and ambition. This stimulating progression was accompanied by constantly changing circumstances, which meant that continual attention had to be given while writing the book to achieving adequate balance of content and fair recognition to all involved over such a long and active era. The opportunity has been taken, therefore, to record as many as possible of the eligible significant flights accomplished during the entire period, in the hope that the result will be of value as a source of reference and of interest to the greatest possible number of people. In addition to describing the aircraft involved, the book has been designed to constitute also a survey of sporting flying in the United Kingdom. A singular-and relatively unexpected-factor which emerged during the research, as the result of noting the weather conditions affecting Dying activities since 1906, was that the elements appear to have been just as capricious and unseasonable over the entire first half of the twentieth century as in recent years. In gathering material, I have made many calls upon the valuable time of numerous people-from old friends to those in many parts of the world whom I have not met-whose resourcefulness and enthusiasm have eased my task immeasurably and contributed to the content of the book. My ,\"armcst thanks and appreciation for their kindness and assistance are e~tended to G. Anderson;]. Baird; Mrs Peggy Bell; Hilda, Lady Brabazon ot Tara; Capt H. S. Broad; H. Buckingham; R. H. Butcher; Miss Gillian

9

Cazalet; Sir Francis Chichester; F. A. Clarke; P. S. Clifford; B. F. Collins; Ivliss Eve Cottam; R. Cousens; H. F. Cowley; A. L. Dawe; Fig Off H. Dennis; Capt A. VV. Farrell; Miss Janet L. Ferguson; S. J. Gilbertson; Miss Hazel Goddard;J. R. Gray; Sir Giles Guthrie; D. C. Guy; Maj L. G. Halls; D. M. Bartas; Mrs Rika Harwood; A. Henshaw; Mrs FloraJames; Mrs]. A. Keech; G. A. Kissack; Mrs]. Loader; Miss Gillian H. Mackay; Capt G..F. lo.1eager; A. C. :rvlorris; C. C. !vlorris; G. 'I'. Norris; Mrs Elizabeth Overbury; IVIiss M. A. Packer; Capt A. E. H. Pal~ons; H. J. Penrose; Col. R. L. Preston; F. H. Repke; the late :rvfaj T. Rose; J. Rylands; L. Sansom; IVIiss Sheila Scott; H. E. Scrope; T. L. Shapcott; S. Sharp; R. C. Shelley; R. N. Sheppard; Miss Angela Smith; Miss Gwen A. Smith; R. Snoxcll;]. N. Somers; Capt A. G. Store; T. M. Storey; 1. G. Stott; 0.]. Tapper; T. Tarr; Mrs]ulia M. P. Turner; Miss Sheila van Damn; Lord Ventry; J. Welch; J. Wells; Mrs Nicky Wilcox; Mrs Wendy Wilson; G. H. Wiltsher; Alvis Ltd; Boulton Paul Ltd; Bristol Siddeley Engines Ltd, Filton; Preston and Weybridge Divisions of British Aircraft Corporation (Operating) Ltd; Castrol Ltd; Champion Sparking Plug Co Ltd; de Havilland Aircraft of Canada Ltd; Flight Refuelling Ltd; Goodyear Tyre and Rubber Co Ltd; Handley Page Ltd; Brough, Hatfield, Kingston and Manchester Divisions of Hawker Siddeley Aviation Ltd; Hodgkinson Partners Ltd; Kenwood Ltd; Lec Refrigeration Ltd; Lockheed Aircraft Corporation; Mobil Oil Co Ltd; Public Relations (Industrial) Ltd; Rolls-Royce Ltd; W. S. Shackleton Ltd; Short Brothers and Harland Ltd; Vickers Ltd; Westland Helicopters Ltd; A. & A. E. E. Boscombe Down; Department of Air Canberra ACT; Department of Civi.l Aviation Commonwealth of Australia; British Gliding Association; British Women Pilots Association; High Commissioner for Canada j Canadian Museum of Science and Technology; Essex County Library; Isle of Man International Air Rally/Race Committee; National Physical Laboratory; High Commissioner for New Zealand; Department of Civil Aviation New Zealand; British Section of The Ninety-Nines Inc; Casa de Portugal; Qantas Airways Ltd; Royal Aero Club; South African Embassy; Aero Club of South Africa; British European Airways; British Overseas Airways Corporation; Cambrian Airways Ltd; and El Al Israel Airlines Ltd. Of great value also were the facilities accorded by D. Dorrell, editor of Air Pictorial; D. R. Hooper) assistant editor of Shell Aviation ~News; J. M. Ramsden, editor of Flight Intemational; H. Scanlan, edit('lt" of Shell Aviation .News; F. G. Swanborough, editor of Flying Review Inlernational; and E. A. Wren, editor of Essa Air World, together with the ready and always capable help from Miss Ann C. 'T'ilbury, photographic librarian of Flight Illternational. My gratitude must be expressed particularly to J. H. Blake of the Royal Aero Club for his help in so many instances. In conclusion, my thanks go to my wife for her aid in many ways throughout the entire preparation of the book. P. 1. H. L. Benj/eet, Essex. July, 1970.

10

An evocative scene from the past as the competing balloons at Ranelagh on 7 July, 1906, provide shade before the stal"t of the event. On the left is Enchantress of 50,000 ell ft, with A. L., E. and L. C. Bueknall as crew. (Ftight Infemational.)

Twentieth-Century Spectacle To be alone-or perhaps with a companion or two-in a cold" and draughty, plaited osier basket suspended by cords beneath a fabric envelope holding a considerable volume of highly inflammable gas, drifting in daylight or in darkness at the will of the wind to an obscure landing place, and faced with the virtual certainty of a severe shaking at the end of the trip without doubt must be far removed Ii'om the imagination ofmost as a pleasurable experience. )Jevertheless, such was ballooning) and the fact that a small group of ardent devotees possessed the courage and the enthusiasm to pursue its thrills and diversions, in spite of the piquancy provided by the dangers accompanying ascending far above the earth in a frail and precarious vchicle, was responsible some 65 years ago for the initial means of enjoying competition in the air. The balloon had been accepted by the public \~'ho-glancing up-had gradually become conditioned to the occasional ~Ight of these rotund-yet, in their own fashion, graceful-creations driftI1~g languidly across a sky which, until then, had remained the domain of b~rds and insects. From its inception the free balloon's lack of positive dlr~ctional control had been an insoluble obstacle to its development as a serIOUS means of transport, and had limited its use to being the instrument of ~ fe\\' scientists or, in a broader and popular field, for some considerable pcnod part of the showman's equipment. . In the second half of the nineteenth century the Army's casual but lI1creasing awareness of the balloon's potentialities, stimulated by the Ii

enthusiasm of a handful of officers who were amateur aeronauts, introduced in 1880 instruction in ballooning which took its place alongside other less inviting military training activities. As Queen Victoria's sober, stolid reign drew to a close, the numerous factors unremittingly at work in social and economic spheres exerted a subtle but positive infiuence on the art of ballooning. For what was, in fact, a fairly long time-a hundred years or so-the balloon had served as a means of entertainment and had been exploited to the full as a source of 'p!'ofit by the showmen \\1ho abounded in fairgrounds throughout the Bnllsh Isles. Inevitably, as with so many of the novelties which had W'cceded it, public interest in balloon ascents eventually waned and the fortunes of the aeronaut engaged as a showman took a turn for the worse. Th~ !ong-established pleasure gardens, where the balloonist so often exhibited his skill and daring, were also vietims of the change in public taste as a new and dramatic form of indoor entertainment-the cinemaattracted audiences to sample its rapidly expanding offerings. J?nd yet, just as its need was greatest, the balloon gained the support which was to take it to its zenith as specialized personal entertainment when, as the new century succeeded the old, it was-in its own way-to p~ovide the freedom and adventure already being enjoyed by well-to-do Circles in the new era of the motor-car. Indulged in as a pastime without financial reward, ballooning was a relatively expensive affair, mainly because of the quantity of expendable gas to be bought before each Right and l~l1merous attendant expenses. In a period of prosperity, power and secunty such disadvantages were relatively easily disregarded by those determined to enjoy such a novel and exhilarating form of pleasure, and the few makers of these sought-after vehicles quickly seized upon this unexpected source of salvation. Apart from supplying the balloons to the new generation of private owners, there was additional revenue in instructing them in their handling. Before 1902-when the great upsurge of private interest in ballooning b~gan-for the previous 12 years the amateur balloonist was obliged to hIre a balloon from one of the firms making them, such as C. G. Spencer and Sons of Highbury, and be piloted by a professional aeronaut. Until the awakening of interest a decade or so later, Griffith Brewer remained the sale amateur balloon pilot in Great Britain, having made his first ascent on 9 May, 1891, with one of the Spencers from the aval Exhibition .held at Chelsea. During the 1890s the three Spencer brothersPercival, Stanley and Arthur-were responsible for the majority of the pa'isenger-carrying balloons produced in Britain, but pre-eminence in the art passed eventually to Eustace and Oswald Short at Battersea Park, following their acquisition of a secondhand Spencer balloon in 1897which they subsequently repaired and flew-and the construction of their own original 33,000 eu ft balloon during 1902. I nto this atmosphere of mildly expanding interest there was suddenly an~ unexpectedly to be injected a stimulant of the greatest importance. ThIS was an event, the significance and far-reaching consequences of which could never for one instant have been foreseen by the small group of people responsible for its inception. On 24 September, 1901, the pron:inent wine-merchant Frank Hedges Butler, who was also an enthusiastic pIOneer motorist, was Slaying with his daughter Vera at Shere in Surrey

preparing for a tour of Scotland by road in Vera Butler's car. The car's unserviceability, because of an accident following a petrol leak, forced them to abandon the excursion but, to make up for the disappointment, Vera Butler suggested that she and her father should experience the novelty of a trip in a balloon. Neither had made an ascent before, and the Hon Charles Stewart Rolls, youngest son of Lord Llangauock, accepted an invitatio~ to accompany them. The party went to the Crystal Palace at Sydcnham, III south-east London, and booked their trip for the same day with Stanley Spencer as aeronaut in his 42,000 ell ft City of York. The balloon rose almost vertically from the Crystal Palace grounds that morning and, after a two-hour flight over London in very calm air at about 5,000 ft, lal~ded at Sidc~p Park in Kent. The weather had been perfect, the three pIOneer motOrists had found the sensation delightful, and con\'crsation had turned to the active encouragement of flying by the AeroClub de France, founded three years before in 1898. Realization that Br.itain lacke~ a similar body to promote and facilitate the enjoyment of thiS newly-discovered pleasure brought the suggestion from Hedges Bu~le.r. that such an organization should be created immediately, its actiVities to embrace the operation of balloons, airships and aeroplanes. ~nthusiastic endorsement of the idea came from the others and the logical tl,!le of Aero Club was selected for registration without delay so that, on 23 September, 1901, Hedges Butler discussed with Claude G. Johnson, the Secretary of the Automobile Club, the formation of the proposed Aero Club as part of the parent organization. Just under a month later, on 21 ~ctober, at a meeting orthe Standing Committee ofthe Automobile Club, It \~as agr~ed tha~ the new Aero Club of the United Kingdom should be registered Immediately to forestall the use of the title by other interested persons. Registration was duly effected at Somerset House on 29 October, 190.1, only a few ~ou.rs before an attempt was made by a rival group to register the name In Its own interests. Hedges Butler's energy and initiative soon made their influence felt in the new organization as, two weeks later on 15 November, the inaugural Aero Club balloon ascent took place from Stamford Bridge, Chelsea, when Hedges Butler and Vera Butler made their second ascent on going aloft with Stanley Spencer in clear but very cold weather to land at 'Vateringbury Park) Kent. At the last moment the third founding member ?fthe Aero Club, Rolls, had to vacate the Gig €if York's basket as there was lllsu.ffi,cient lift ~ecause of the heavy grade of coal gas supplied. Trailing a ~6 It long white pennant emblazoned with the title Aero Club in prom1l1ent blue capital letters-which was unfurled by Vera Butler-the passengers demonstrated before the Automobile Club audience that the new organization was well under way. From that moment it was indeed t'stablished-albeit by motorists-and, despite the inevitable setbacks to be encountered i~l ~ts future passage, was to grow and to be sustained by the numerous brIlliant and courageous men and women destined LO become associated with it. And so, from such simple and fortuitous origins, there sprang the respected organization which was soon to be entrusted with control in t~e United Kingdom of competitive flying in its various forms. 'l'he Aero ~.lub was fortunate to have been founded at the beginning of the EdwardIan epoch, a decade during which peace and prosperity appeared to be

12

13

reasonably assured, thus creating an atmosphere ofcalm and contentment, ideal conditions for nurturing this latest outlet for the latent spirit of adventure. \ Vith the Aero Club established, the next logical step was to provide the members with the means of obtaining some return for their subscriptions, and equipment was first on the list. In November 1901,12 of the Club's members contributed £10 each towards the cost of purehasing their first balloon and, this accomplished, a suitable ground for ascents was required. \ Vith this end in view, early in 1902 Hedges Butlera member of the Ranelagh Club-met Dr George Hastings, the Ranelagh Club's Vice-President, and was fortunate in securing permission to use the Ranelagh grounds at Barn Elms on the south side of the Thames, west of Hurlingham and ncar Barnes Common and Putney, for ascents by the Aero Club's members. This would not, however, be Ranclagh's first acquaintance with balloons [or, as long before as 28 June, 1802, Andre Jacques Garnerin had risen from the grounds in company "vith Capt R. C. Snowden to make a flight to Colchester. On 31 May, 1902, the Aero Club's members were able to enjoy for the first time the full benefits of Hedges Butler's inspiration when three balloons rose from Ranelagh and left the gathering ever farther b.:neath them as they cleared the surrounding trees and passed out of sight. Interest and enthusiasm burgeoned with the successful administration of the Aero Club and the establishment of Ranelagh as the centre of British amateur balloon activities. The combination of dual interests of many members in motoring and ballooning led to the running of car versus balloon events, the first of which was held on 15 November, 1902, when) ascending at I p.m., F. H. Butler, Vera Butler and C. S. Rolls in the

45,000 cu ft Graphic took part in a chase from the Crystal Palace to Herriard, Hants, 14 cars racing in pursuit but without catching the Graphic. Another race between cars and balloons took place on 19 December, 1902, the 50,000 eu ft Vivienne II carrying Hedges Butler, A. L. BueknalJ, Auguste E. Gaudron and C. S. Rolls from Reading to Pcwsey, \i\Tilts; Col and Mrs Mark Mayhew were the first to touch Vivienne ll's basket. Another race involving cars and balloons took place on 24 September, 1904, at the Midland Automobile Club Meet held at Sir John Holder's estate at Pitmaston, Birmingham) when 15 cars chased two balloons, one of which was carrying Frank Hedges Butler, C. S. Rolls and Percival Spencer, and the other Professor A. K. Huntington and C. F. Pollock. Interest in ballooning increased apace so that, by 1906, it was included in the calendar of recognized social events. The 1906 season started on 7 April, with a private handicap race organized between F. H. Butler, G. foster Pedley, C. F. Pollock and Miss Bennett occupying the basket of the 45,000 eu ft Aero Club III-formerly Vivienne III-taking off from the Crystal Palace, and C. S. Rolls in his new balloon just supplied by A. E. Gaudron, which left from \'Vandsworth 40 minutes later. The Aero Club III was short of ballast and landed at vVimbledon Park Golf Club near the Guards' Polo Grounds, while Rolls drifted on at a steady 500 ft for two hours before landing at Bulstrodc Park, Beaconsfield. The increasing number of balloons and the steady improvement in the skill of their crews made it possible to hold the most important event of the Aero Club's 1906 programme on 7 July, when, at 4 p.m. from Ranclagh the first of seven balloons-the greatest number so far to ascend in the British Isles from one place-rose in ideal weather from the starting mat in the first official balloon race over British soil. The rules stipulated that a balloon's capacity should not exceed 60,000 cu ft, that those over 4D,000 cu ft must carry at least two passengers in addition to the pilot, and that those under 40,000 cu ft should carry at least one passenger as well as the pilot. No professional aeronaut was allowed to compete and the race was a point-to-point, or perimeter, affair, the destination-disclosed just before the start-to be Ingatestone near Chelmsford. Hedges Butler's large 77,000 cu ft Spencer-built Ci(y of London, which made its first flight on 9 June, 1906, from "Vandsworth Gasworks with nine passengers, transported the judges and observers following the competitors. C. F. Pollock) Princess di Teano and Viscount Royston were first off with a graceful, curving ascent in the 50,000 ell ft Aero Club Ill, followed in turn by F. H. Rutler, Col]. E. Capper and IvIrs Capper with a vertical take-off in the 45,000 cu ftDolceFar Nienle, Professor A. K. Huntington) Martin Dale and H. E. Perrin in the 42,000 cu ft Zephyr, Griffith Brewer and Walter Stewart in the 35,000 eu ft Carnation, .J. T. C. Moore-Brabazon J his sister Iviiss Kathleen Moore-Brabazon and \tVarwick 'tVright in the Short-built ["enus of 42,000 cu ft, C. S. Rolls in his Midget of 17,500 cu ft-also constructed by Short Brothers, the basket of which was so small that Rolls carried ballast in place of a passenger-and Enchantress of 50)000 eu ft with A. Leslie Bucknall, Ernest Bucknall and Leslie C. Bucknall together in its basket. As the balloons rose two were so close to each other that they bumped together, the silk envelopes creating an odd sound as they clashed: as Enchantress left the mat a man and a woman quickly fell flat a", it swept over them while they were engrmsed in watching Rolls's J

The start of the first official balloon race in Great Britain on 7 July, 1906, from RaneJagh as-reading downwards-Venus and Ze/}~yr rise from the mal. (Flight International.)

14

J5

Midget. Nlaking his 69th ascent, Hedges Butler won the first prize-the 50 guinea Evening .News Cup presented by the Associated News and Daily lv/ail and Evening J\rews-by landing in a field at Ongar, 9} miles from I ngatestonc, Pollock came second to receive the Ranelagh Club's Prize, Huntington, Brevver, Moore-Brabazon and Rolls all came down at Stanford-Ie-Hope and the Bucknalls Janded at Grays. Further excitement was added to the event by prizes being offered by the Ranelagh Club and the Ladies' Auto Club to the first of the pursuing motorists capturing a balloon. The Aero Club's first race had attracted a large and fashionable audience to Ranelagh and was a resounding success. On 10July, 1906, two oflhe Aero Club members indulged in a d'Jferent type of contest, a race at night between F. I-I. Butler in charge of Dolce Far .Nienie, with Princess di Teano, the Hon IvIrs Assheton Harbord and Viscount Royston as company, and Leslie Bucknall handling Enchantress -also with some passengers-to see who could accomplish the greatest distance in 7} hI' between 12.30 a.m. and 8 a.m. after ascending from Wandsworth Gasworks. The result was very close indeed, both landing in Sussex at 8 a.m. with Hedges Butler reaching Steyning, to beat Bucknall who landed at Partridge Green. The balloons rising majestically from Ranelagh's tree-shaded lawns had become an irresistible attraction to the ladies and Miss Hilda Mary Krabbe of Buenos Aires, shortly to marry J. T. C. Moore-BrabazoTI, offered the silver Krabbe Cup to the winner of a Hare and Hounds race to start, weather permitting, at 12.30 p.m. on 28July, 1906, from Reading Gasworks. When the day arrived bad weather forced postponement, and the elegant Krabbe Cup-borne above its circular base on three slim curved supports-became the first prize in a revised contest for the longest single aerial journey during August, September or October, 1906, to within five miles of the British coast, by a woman member of the Aero Club in any size of balloon and unaccompanied by a professional aeronaut. The contest was won by Mrs Assheton Harbord, one of the most enthusiastic and accomplished of \vomen balloonists" who took oIT fi'om Battcrsea Gasworks at 8.10 p.m. on 1 September in Hedges Butler's Dolce Far Niente, accompanied by Hedges Butler and Griffith Brewer, and landed at 7.50 a.m. on 2 September at Skerne, near Drillield, having covered 195·5 miles. Fine weather blessed the first international balloon race, which started from the Tuileries in Paris on the afternoon of 30 September, 1906, the prize being the Gordon Dennett Trophy designed in the form of an airship by Andre Aucoc. Sixteen balloons were entered from seven countries, the three British representatives being C. S. Rolls ad Col]. E. Capper in Rolls's Short·built 78)500 cu ft Britannia, F. Hedges Butler-accompanied by Griffith Bre\\'er-in his City of London and Professor A. K. Huntington and C. F. Pollock in Zepll)/r. The race was won by Lieut F. P. Lahm, an American, flying the Short-constructed 78,500 cu ft United States 402 miles to Whitby, Yorks, third place going [0 Rolls for his fine flight of 287 miles to Sandringham. The Ciry if London flew 120 miles to descend half a mile from the sea at Blonville-sur-Mer at Calvados, Normandy, while Zeplryr crossed the Channel to Sittingbourne. Rising from Wandsworth during the afternoon of 27 November, 1906, the 50,000 cu ft Vivienne IV-carrying A. Leslie Bucknall and Percival 16

Spencer-made a record flight of 402·46 miles in 16 hours to Vevey, Switzerland, coming to earth at dawn on 28 November. The significant expansion of interest in ballooning by those able to afford its pleasures was matched by a simultaneous awareness that encouragement of the aeroplane by financial stimulus might well produce worthwhile results and, at intervals during 1905 and 1906, announcements came of various inducements. First in 1905 was Sir David Salomons, offering to the Aero Club a 100 guinea cup and a money prize for the first British aeroplane to fly a specified distance and to return successfully to its point of departure. On 17 November, 1906, the influential Daily Mail stepped in with its offer of £10,000 for the fil~t aeroplane flight by a member of an established aero club from a given point within five miles of the newspaper's London office to within five miles of the Daily j\1ail's 'Nlanchester Office or in the opposite direction, the distance of 160 miles to be covered within 24 hI' and refuelling to be allowed ell route at a maximum of two stops. On 1 December, 1906, several other inducements were added to promote the same contest when the Adams :-'1anufacturing Company put up £2,000 until the spring of 1909 for the winner of the Daily lvlail prize, stipulating that the aeroplane must be made entirely within the British Empire; £500 was offered by The Autocar to the maker of the petrol engine powering the winner of the Daily l\1ail prize providing that the engine \vere of British manufacture; Lord Nlontagu of Beaulieu, editor of The Car, put up a total of £1,525 consisting of the £525 Car International Trophy for the longest nonstop aeroplane Hight in the United Kingdom in any calendar year, beginning with 1907the Trophy to be held by the winner for the ensuing year, and £1,000 at the rate of £5 per mile for the longest single flight over 25 miles and up to 200 miles; Lord Montagu also offered a suitable plot ofland on his estate at Beaulieu in Hampshire for the erection of a construction shed by a British aeroplane firm for a period of two years from I January, 1907; announced, too, was the John Norton Griffiths Challenge Cup to be heJd for the ensuing year by the winner of the London-to-Manchester race; the Brazilian pioneer Alberto Santos Dumont offered a £40 medal to the London-to-Manchester winner. The £ 1,000 from Lord Montagu and the awards by Santos Dumont and Norton Griffiths were on offer to be "'on by 1909. Also on I December, 1906, the Graphic and Daily Graphic offered £ I,000 for the first aeroplane carrying one or more passengers between two set points not less than one mile apart over Brooklands race track by 31 July, 1908, but this was to lapse unwon. That same December brought another inducement when Ruinart Pere et Fils, the firm of champagne producers, offered £500 to the first pilot to cross the English Channel in an aeroplane before I January, 1909. The beginning orMay 1907 brought the announcement of another trophy on offer, the Lord Liangattock Plate, to be awarded to the first member of a certified aero club to take-off from London in a balloon, airship or aeroplane and to land within 20 miles of Lord Llangattock's home, The Hendre, MonInouthshire, between 10 May, 1907, and I May, 1908. Also in May 1907 C. S. Rolls followed his father by offering the Rolls Trophy to the Aero Club member making the longest balloon Right within Great Britain to five miles from the coast. The Aero Club's second balloon race, a point-to-point competition 17

held on 25 May, 1907, for a new cup presented by Mrs Assheton Harbord, brought II entrics, tcn of which started from the Barn Elms polo turf of the Ranelagh Club at Barnes. The destination was the railway station at Goring in Berkshire, 45 miles away, and the balloons rose in fine 'weather at intervals of three minutes before a:-t audience of between two and three thousand. Competing were: Balloon

Vivienne IV Aero Club IV

Capacity Aeronaut(s) Retnarks eu it 50,000 A. L. Bucknall vVithdrew, lack of gas C. F. Pollock/ V. Ker· Took ofr 2 hr late Seymer/Martin Dale/ C. C. Phillips 45,000 C. S. Rolls/Mrs Assheton Shan-built Harbord 50,000 Professor A. K. Huntington/ A. Cory-Wright/Miss Kathleen Moore~ Brabazon 40,000 Maj B. F. S. BadenPowell/Capt Corbet/J. D. Dunville 75,250 Griffith Brewer/C. G. Santos Dumont's Le.r Deux Brewer/W. Kingsland Ameriques for 1906 Gordon Bennett, rebuilt by Short Brothers. 35,000 T. O. M. Sopwith/C. So named as owned jointly Robinson/Capt the Hon by Sopwith and Phil Claud Brabazon/]. Wells Paddon, bought later by Griffith Brewer and renamed Lotus I 45,000 F. Hedges Butler/Capt '''-T. A. de C. King/Lieut A. C. Wright 45,000 Col]. E. Capper/ Mrs Capper/Col Buston 50,000 Ernest Buclmall/ Miss Muriel Bucknall/H. E. Perrin/W. Stewart 42,000 J. T. C. Moore-Brabazon/ "Warwick Wright/A. B. Randolph

•

Nebula Diamond

Zenith Lotus 11

Padsop III

Dolce Far Niente Pegasus Enchantress

a Trophy consisting of the upper hemisphere ofa balloon thrusting through a layer of cloud, the balloon surmounted by a winged statuette of Father Time complete with scythe, sickle and hourglass, holding out in his hands a horizontal plaque of three panels inscribed with the Eiffel Tower, Santos Dumont's airship No.6 and his aeroplane 14bis and three balloons, including a Montgolfiere. Additional prizes presented by the Ranelagh Club included a 20 guinea cup to the winner and a 10 guinea cup for second place. There was also the possibility of winning the new Northcliffe Cup awarded by Lord Northcliffe for the longest nonstop flight by a balloon or aeroplane in the United Kingdom each year commencing with 1907. The start, [or which ten balloons were inflated, was scheduled for 4 p.m. but a violent thunderstorm and heavy rain which arrived ten minutes before the hour forced postponement of departure of the first balloon-the Aero Club IV-until 4.20 p.m., when it rose quickly and headed northwa(ds. Competitors were: Balloon

Aero Club IV Dolce Far Nienle Enchantress Diamond Pegasus Salel/ite remlS

Britannia .Yebula

Capacity Aeronaut(s) en it Maj B. F. S. Baden-Powell/ Vere Ker-Seymer F. Hedges Butler/Capt W. 45,000 A. de C. King Ernest Bueknall/Martin 50,000 Dale Professor A. K. Huntington 50,000 Col J. E. Capper/ Maj 45,000 Crookshank Viscount Royston/Allan 45,000 I-lawley J. T. C. Moore-Brabazon/ 42,000 Miss Kathleen MooreBrabazon C. S. Rolls 78,500 Mrs Assheton Harbord 45,000

Remarks First to take-off at 4.20 p.m,

Rose swiftly into storm

The brilliant weather was followed shortly by a furious storm ,",\'hich forced some of the balloons to descend to lower levels to escape the light~ ning. A landing 100 yards from Goring Station won the cup for Hedges Butler, Col Capper gaining second place and Rolls third. The next prominent member of the Aero Club to donate a prize for competition was Frank Hedges Butler, an inveterate traveller, who offered the Hedges Butler Challenge Cup for an annual long-distance contest. The first, held at the third Aero Club meeting on 29 June, 1907, at Ranelagh, was open to Aero Club members flying balloons, airships or aeroplanes, but only balloons entered. If won three times in succession the prize was to become the winner's absolute property. The start each year was to be from London on a specified day, the winner was to cover the greatest distance in a straight line without crossing the sea, and intermediate stops of up to eight hours were allowed. Although the base of the award was inscribed The Hedges Butler Challenge Cup, in fact it was

fi1aking a slow take-off in Britallnia, C. S. Rolls's basket brushed against iVIrs Assheton Harbord's Nebula-in which she was to have flown with C. F. Pollock-ripping the net and envelope. Griffith Brewer was in Lotus] and undecided whether or not to start in such dangerous conditions, when :NIl'S Assheton Harbord asked him--if he were not going up-to lend her Lotus] as she could not use ~Nebula. Brewer had by then decided not to compete and, feeling that he could not let Mrs Assheton Harbord take so great a risk, pulled Lotus's ripcord, thereby deflating the balloon. The thunderstorm was so intense that all balloons in the air were beaten down and descended '''lithin three miles, with the exception of Pegasus which had risen jnto clear air to land eventually at Bramber in Sussex, winning the event. On 15 September, 1907, 22 balloons competed in a long-distance race from Brussels, third place being taken by Professor A. K. Huntington, Maj Crookshank and H. E. Perrin with a flight of 556 miles in Zephyr, and fourth place by Hedges Butler, Capt A. H. W. Grubb and C. S. Rolls in Britannia with a flight of 25 hl' to Sanguinet, near Arcachon, a distance of 537 miles. Towards the end of 1907 the Daily Graphic sponsored the construction of

18

19

Venus

Last-minute good wishes from the Royal Engin~el"S and other helpers as Frank Hedges Butler waves on take-off from the mat at Hul'1ing-ham in the International Balloon Race on 30 May, .1908. Accompanying him in the 50,000 cu ft Icarus wel'e Capt Vv. A. de C. Kmg, Capt A. D. Carden and Lieut C. wI. vVaterlow.

an unusually large balloon, the 107,963 eu ft lvlammoth of 59 ft diameter and with a lifting Ji)Qw~r of two tons, to make an attempt on the distance record of 1,193 mlles In 35 hI' 45 min fi'om Vincennes to Korosticheff Kiev, il: Russia, set up in 1900 by Comte Castillon de Saint-Victor de l~ VauIx In the 59,000 eu ft Centauri. The Mammoth was built by A. E. Ga~dl'On, a French aeronaut who had married a sister of the Spencer family a.nd was don:icilcd in England. The balloon rose from the Crystal Palace In the cvenmg of 12 October, 1907, carrying Gaudron, C. C. Turner and J. ~. Tan~ar on its attempt on the record. Fog caused the crew to lose their beanngs, and after 19 hI' 5 min the lvlammoth came to earth on the s~ore of I.:ake Vanern near .Brackan in Sweden, having travelled 703 miles, the fourth longest balloon voyage to that date but far short of the Centauri's mark. The American win of the 1906 Gordon Bennett balloon race meant that the 1907 contest would be held in the USA. 'T'he second contest started fro.m .St Louis, MisSOUl"i, nine balloons leaving on 21 October, with Great Bntalll represented by Griffith Brewer and Claud Brabazon in Lotus II. After travelling 384 milcs in 24 hI' 40 min Lotus 11 touched down at Sabina 20 miles from Dayton, Ohio, to come ni:1th in the competition which wa~ won by Herr Erbsloh of Germany in Pommem with a night of 850 miles.

20

To complement the awards of 1906 which were waiting to be won, in 1907 some new prizes included £2,500 from the Brooklands Automobile Racing Club for the first aeroplane to cover one lap of three miles of the car racing track in 18 minutes or at 10 mph at an altitude of from 30 to 50 ft, but this was to lapse unwon. The Daily Nlail implemented its policy of practical encouragement with £ I,000 for the first all-British aeroplane and pilot to achieve a flight of one mile in a straight line by 6 April, 1910. Also announced was the Norton Griffiths International Trophy, from John 1\orton Griffiths, for thc airman flying the longest distance in any one year. Until the end of 1907, it was inevitable that only balloons could compete for aviation prizes but by cady 1908 development of the aeroplane made it possible for the Daily i\!Iail £100 half-mile prize for a flight of a quartermile out and a quarter-mile back to be won by Henry Farman, an Englishman domiciled in France, when he covered the 4,921 ft during the first circular flight in Europe at Issy-les-wloulineaux in his 50 hp Antoinette modified Voisin-Farman I on 13 January, 1908. The Aero Club had enjoyed the faeiliLies afforded by the Ranelagh Club for over five years but, on 14 January, 1908, arrangements were concluded with the Hurlingham Club to hold future balloon competitions Ii'om that club's spacious grounds by the north bank of the Thames at Fulham. To fill the balloons a special 12-inch main, capable of delivering 100,000 eu ft of gas per hour, was installed and use of the g,"ounds was obtained between the hours of6 a.m. and 6 p.m. for each day of the week. J list over four months later the first international balloon race to be Hown in Great Britain \Va.;; held at Burlingham on 30 May, 1908, starting at 3 p.m. The contest was for The Car Cup as first prize in a point-to-point race to Burchett's Green J nn, three miles west of Maidenhead, the second prize was the Sir Thomas]. Lipton Trophy consisting ofa finely-wrought balloon supported in flight on a hemisphere base by four vertical wings, and the third prize was the Sir Thomas Dewar Cup. The competition attracted a large entry of 31 balloons, all but one of which started at intervals of three minutes. They were: Balloon

Le Fa/me !Jonn !':den

/,llciole QiLO Vadis /cams '" /JUII

Quichottc

/":llchallrress Saleltire J't1/1lS Si/flOllfl Lt Rojt~/d.

l1prtehmll& i.e LudiM Tschl/lii

Remarks

Aeronaut(s) Ernest Zens

France Gcnnany }irancc France }o'rance A. Schelcher }i. Hedges Buller/Capt W. A. ue Greal .Britaill, buill specially for the race C. King/Capt A. D. Carden/ Licut C. 1\'1. Waterlow France El'Ilesl BarboHc Great Britain Ernest C. Bucknall Greal Britain Viscount Royston ]. T. C. Moorc-Brabazon/~Irs Great Britain r>.loorc-BrabazonJ Marquis 1fouzilly de St ~'I'Iars Comte H. d'Ouhremcnt France Professor fvlilarch E. Boulenger Payret Dortail

G. Geerts Capt the Hon Claud Brabazon

Paul Tissandier Herr Sticker

Belgium Great Britain France Germany

• Icarus had 50,000 eu ft capacity, Le HoUde( 8,800 co ft.

21

Balloon

.Nebula Cognac· Va/k)'rie Abercroll RoUa VI L'Escapade LotllS I

Kokoro La N[ascotle

L'Abeille Aero Club IV L'A/batros Corona

Pegasus N,phtys

u

Emu/ation du Nord

Aeronaut(s) Capt A. H. W. Grubb Victor de Beauclair C. F. Pollock/i'vliss Kathleen 1'Ioore-Brabazon/D. Bingham/ R. A. Colville Capt von Abercron Etienne Giraud Comte H. de la Vaulx Griflilh Brewer/Sir Claude Champion de Crespigny/A. C. Hamerton

Professor A. K. Huntington D. Dum'ille Albert Orner Decugis H. Dernoor A. Leblanc C. S. Rolls

J.

Col]. E. Cappe, Comte Castillon de Saint4Victor de la Vaulx Albert Crombez

Refnarks Creal Britain Switzerland Great Britain

Germany France France Creat Britain, fitled au.-ciliary balloon allached as Lotus I well below upper capacity limit Great Britain Great Britain France Belgium France Great Britain Great Britain }~rance

Belgium

• Cognac 77,000 cu ft capacity.

An accident to the ripping valve while on the starting mat forced the 77,000 cu ft Cognac to retire but the rest-an impressive sight on the lawns -made safe ascents. As soon as the destination was disclosed, Miss Dorothy Levitt, well-known as a competition motorist, drove away in her fast Napier car 30 miles to Burchelt's Green to position the finishing mark, a white cross made of cloth. Taking off at 3.59 p.m., Griffith Brewer) accompanied by Sir Claude Champion de Crespigny and A. C. Hamerton as aides, landed Lotus I at 6.56 p.m. at Hurley) 1,966 yd short of the mark, to win the contest. Valkyrie) with Pollock, Kathleen MooreBrabazon, D. Bingham and R. A. Colville, came second) Le Roitelet was third, and Great Britain gained four out of the first five places. The next important contest at Burlingham was on 24 June, 1908) for the Hare and Hounds Trophy presented by C. S. Rolls. The awa,d consisted of a solid silver balloon and basket of fine detail moun ted on a base. Rolls himself played the part of the Hare in his new single-seat miniature 1m!) of 11,000 cu ft, made by Short Brothers and first flown on 14 March, 1908; he \vas released ,",vith 15 min start on the 11 Hounds, who were: Balloon La Mascofle Pegasus Lotus I

Va/fryrie Kokoro Nebula

Enchontress Corona Comet Icarus

Venus

The second Hedges Butler Challenge Cup racc) scheduled to start rrom Hurlingham at 2.30 p.m. on II July, 1908, was postponed because of bad \\'ealher, and eventually did not take place during the year. Out of ~3 balloons entered, ten were inflated but three were soon deflated to aVOld damage in the high wind. The seven remaining balloons waited for a drop in the wind after the conlest was declared off, and finally were ma~e ready for pleasure flights. Subsequently) F. loS rvlcClean aba,~doned hIS take-off in Cornna, but Griffith Brewer left sWIflly at 40 mph In Lotus 1/) ~Iaj Sir Alexander Bannerman rose .in JVeblll~) C. S. Rolls took off ~n Britannia) NIl'S Assheton Harbord left In Valkyne) Ernest Bucknall flew In Enchantress and Professor A. K. Huntington ascended in Kokoro) the strong wind taking some of the balloons to a speed of 55 mph. A similar fate awaited the second point-to-point race for the Assheton Harbord Cup planned for 18 July, 1908, ftOm Hurlingham, bad weather again being rcsponsib1e for its postponement. Encouragement to fly the English Channel in a heavier-than-air machine came on 5 October, 1908, with the Daily iV/ail's offer of £500 for the first aeroplane to cross in either direction by the end of the year, without touching the sea, between sunrise and sunset. The award lapsed unwon on 31 December) 1908. Because of the German win of the previous year, thc third Gordon Bennett balloon race was held in Berlin) on 11 October) 1908) three British crews taking off from Schmargendorf among the 23 st.arlers. Griffith Brewer was assisted by Frank McClean in Lotus II) John Dunville

Aeronaut(s)

J. D. Dunville

Col J. E. Capper Griffith Brewer Mrs Asshelon Harbord Professor A. K. Huntington V. Ker·Seymer Ernest Bucknall Viscount Royslon Claud Brabazon F. Hedges Butler Capt A. H. W. Grubb

Rolls landed his Imp at Ambedey, Sussex, and Dunville brought La Mascotte to earth at Pulborough-two miles away-to win the trophy.

Valkyrie, which gained second place in the first Inlernalional Balloon Race, leaves Hurlingham on 30 May) 1908, piloted by C. F. Pollock. (Flight I1lternalio1lal.)

22

23

had C. F. Pollock as his aide in Banshee and Professor A. K Huntington \vas accompanied by Claud Brabazon as his aide in Zephyr. Col Schaeck of the Swiss Aero Club came first in Helvetia, having landed in the North Sea off Kristiansund in Norway, after covering 745 miles in 72 hr. Dunville was second, landing in Denmark 265 miles away, Lotus II travelled only a short distance before landing at 8.46 p.m. the same day near Bremen, and Zephyr, having left Berlin at 4.20 p.m. on the day of the start, came down 95 miles away at Zielitz, near Magdeburg, at noon on 12 October. On 16 October, 1908, Laffan's Plain near Farnborough was the scene of a significant event in British aviation history when S. F. Cody succeeded in making what was to become the first recognized powered flight,ln Britain, using his British Army Aeroplane No.1 to cover 1,390 ft in 27 sec at an altitude of 30 1t and at a speed of 25-30 mph. 't\Thile Cody-still an American citizen-had attempted to fly his British aeroplane in England, the Englishman Farman made steady progress with his French machine-the Voisin-Farman I-bis-in France, achieving on 30 October, 1908, the first cross-country flight of 16.7 miles from Bouy to Rheims in 20 min. On 18 November, 1908,just over two years after the Mammoth had made its attempt on the long-distance balloon record, it ascended again hom the Crystal Palace carrying A. E. Gaudron, C. C. Turner and Lieut-Col E. M. Maitland, intent once more on capturing the record for Britain. On this occasion they landed at Mateki Derevni, Novo Alexandrovsk, in Russia, having covered 1,117 miles in 36 hI' 30 min, but still failed by 76 miles to better the Comte de la Vaulx's 1,193 miles. The Michelin Cup, on offer during 1908, drew entries from Henry Farman and J. T. C. Moore-Brabazon. Late in 1908, Moore-Brabazon was learning to manipulate his 50 hp Antoinette Voisin-inscribed J. T. C. Moore-Brabazon No.3-but his Michelin aspirations came to an abrupt halt \vhen his mechanic was injured by the explosion of the petrol tank, whereupon Moore-Brabazon gave up and took himself from Issyles-Moulineaux to the family home at Tara Hall, County Meath, in Ireland for a week's rest at the end of 1908. The award of the £100 Northcliffe Cup toJohn Dunville on I January, 1908, for the Aero Club member making the longest flight by balloon, airship or aeroplane during the preceding 12 months was repeated on 1 January, 1909, when he was again the winner for his trip of 485 miles in Banshee with C. F. Pollock and Philip Gardner which had started at 9.17 p.m. on II December, 1908, from Chelsea Gasworks and ended five miles east of Crailsheim, Stuttgart, 13 hI' later. Dunvillc's two consecutive victories brought him the cup for retention and in February 1909 he presented the Aero Club Challenge Cup to be awarded to the member making during the previous year the longest nonstop flight of over 150 miles in a balloon, airship or aeroplane. In April 1909, the announcement came of John Norton Griffiths's offer of the Norton Griffiths Aeroplane Challenge Trophy in perpetuity for the longest distance flown each year by an aeroplane. The prize \vas an impressive work in solid silver, being an allegorical representation of an ancient galley, winged and with an owl mounted on its prow and on its stern a globe surmounted by Mercury. 1909 brought spasmodically-but increasingly-the noisy clatter and

24

thc [urnes of the internal combustion aero engine as pione~r airmen !n vadous parts of Britain coaxed their capricious creations I~to the .a.n·. By the early summer of 1909, Cody-flying his greatly moddied BnJ,lSh I\rmy Aeroplane No.l~was able, on 14 M.ay, to es~abhsh th~ 1.rst. British records for duration and distan~e by flyIng one mIle at a heIght of 30 ft from Laffan's Plain to Danger HIlL . The International Balloon Race held at Burlmgham on 22 ~ay, 19?9, attracted four foreign entries out of a total of 15 fOl~ a pomt.-to-pomt event with the landing spot on Tye Common ncar BI1lencay 111 Essex. Competing werc: Balloon Thistledown Corona Valkyrie * Vivienne * Alercury * Banshee

Kismet Enchantress La Mascotte * Venus Satellite

Ziegler J\10eTIUS

Tillie Aero Club 1V

* ValkYrie

Acronaut(s) C. 1\. MOl'eing F. K. McClean C. F. Pollock Griffith Brewer C. S. Rolls ]. D. Dunville Philip Gardner E. C. Bucknall Vcre Ker-Seymel' Capt A. H. W. Grubb Maj Sir Alexander Bannerman C apt Cfh cwaId Dr Hiitz · k·tOI'.N eumann D Ire H. Demoor

Remarks Withdrew Short-built Short-built Short-built

Short-built Germany Germany Germany B I . c glUm

had 60,000 cu ft capacity, VivienllC 75,000 eu ft, lvlercury 45,000 eu ft and

La Mascotte 50,000 eu ft.

The fine weather brought a large crowd to see the. balloons drawn ?ne by one to the starting mat. John Dunville, accompamed ?y Mrs Dunv11~, Professor A. K. Huntington, E. de C. Oakeley ~nd D. Bmgham, broug t Banshee down at Ray Farm, Ingatestone, to wm the event, second was Satellite and third Mercury. . H r Unpropitious weather was responsibl~ [or the. cancellatIOn at ur mgham on 12 June, 1909, of the third pomt-to-pomt race for the Assheton Harbord Cup. . . dd··· J I, 1909 The list of monetary prizes ava1lable receIved a~ a ItIOn In U) , when F. "V. Austin, of Orpington, an~ounc~~ h1S offer. of £250 for. the first aeroplane to make a night of 15 mIles mImmum radIUS from Orpmg-

tOI~en entries were received [or the third Hedges Butler Challenge Cl;lP Race scheduled to start from Hurlingham on 10 July, 1909, the hst consisting of: Balloon Banshee

Enchantress Hannover II Thistledown Comet

Pegasus Lotus II

Valkyrie Satellite Aero Club IV

Aeronaut(s)

]. D. Dunville E. C. Bueknall C. S. Rolls Maj B. F. S. Baden-Powell Lieut B. H. Barrington-Kennett Col]. E. Capper G. H. Brewcr C. F. Pollock A. Mortimer Singer Maj Sir Alexander Bannerman

25

Adverse weather conditions compelled abandonment of the Contest. On 17 July, 1909, the Hare and Hounds Raee for the Rolls Trophy too~ place at Hurhngham. Rolls acted as Hare in his Imp; the Hounds in theIr balloons were: Balloon

Capacity Aeronaut(s) cu it

La lHascolte

Comel Enchantress Valkyrie L' Espira/lce Satellite Aero Clllb IV

50,000 25,000 50,000 60,000 50,000 45,000

Remarks

.J.

D. Dum'ille Lieut B. H. Barrington-Kennett E. C. Bucknall C. F. Pollock Griffith Brewer A. M. Singer/A. ll. Burnand JVlaj Sir Alexander Bannerman

Shon-built Raced hors

COI/COllrS

Rolls came dmvn at Carpenter's Arms in Essex and the event was won by Satellite which Singer and his passenger A. B. B~rnand landed within 12 yards of Imp. On 1 January, 1909, the Daily NIail, still encouraging the conquest of the Enghsh Channel by aeroplane, doubled its offer of 1908 to £1,000 for th,e first across by 31 December, 1909, and the £500 offered by Ruinart Perc e~ FIls for a cross-Channel aeroplane flight was extended by one year to expIre on I January, 1910. attempts to be made on the second and four~h Saturdays o~ Sundays in each month. lhom early in January the entnes camc and Included Capt \V. G. \IVindham, J. T. C. MooreBrab~zon, Mons Lejuene, Prince Serge de Bolotoff, Koechlin Pischoff Gabnel an? Charles Voisin, the Antoinette firm, Edgar \'Vilson, Runde; Walker, Leon. Delagrange, C. S. Rolls and H. J. Harding. Harding's J. A. P.-Hardmg Monoplane was made ready but, a few days before his attempt was scheduled, ~he machine's shed collapsed and the propeller "\:as broken~ Before repairs could be effected, Louis Bleriot had made his fhgh~ on 2::l JulJ:' 1909, taking 46 minutes to cross from Les Baraques, CalaIs, to Northfall Mcadow, by Dover Caslle. . August 1909 brought an offer of 1,000 guineas by Folkestone CorporatIOn. for the first flIght by aeroplane lrom Boulogne to Folkestonc and back dunng September 1909, only, but one month was allowed in which to ~...,omplete the, return .trip. After two years, in September 1911, the I olkestonc offer was withdrawn and £564 was returned to the subscribers. On 21 August, 1909, John Norton Griffiths made the announcement that he had p,'escnted a trophy to the Aero Club for flying machines and that the rules were being formulated. In the Rhci~s. Aviation Meeting from 22 August unlil 29 August, 1909, Gre~t Bntam was represented officially, but unsuccessfully, by the Aero Club s entry, a ~O hp Gnome I:'arman III biplane in which George B. Cockburn entered In the InternatIOnal Speed Race over 12·4 miles for the Gordo~l Bennett Aviation Cup on 28 August. Only about one-th.ird of the 38 aI~craft ~ntrants flew, but Henry Farman-flying wjth a scalded f~ce aft~r h.ls _radiator had burst near. his left cheek during [he previous '''eek-m hJ~ ;)0 hp Gnome Farman biplane, won 63,000 francs and set a world duratIon record of 3 hI' 4 min 56·4 sec and a closed-circuit distance record of 112·5 miles. Ballooning prizes on offer during 1909 received an addition in the form of the :t\10rtimer Singer Plate, presented by 1\. :t\10rtimer Singer for a

26

nonstop flight over the greatest distance within the confines of Great Britain during July, August and September, 1909, the prize being won h lvII'S Assheton Harbord on II September, 1909, with a flight of 78 1l1iles. The Daily Record and NIail of Glasgow joined other newspapers in offering prizes for feats of Hying when, in September 1909, it announced the award of £1,000 for the first flight from Edinburgh to Glasgow by a Scotsman on a Scottish-built aeroplane, and £500 for an aeroplane flight across the Firth of Forth near the Forth Bridge, but the prizes were withdrawn when no entries were received. The fourth Gordon Bennett balloon race brought 17 entrants to the Zurich starting point on 3 October, 1909, the United Kingdom being represcntcd by A. Mortimer Singer with his Short-built 80,000 Cll ft PLanet in which he was accompanied by F. K. :NlcClean. Planet landed at Kolpino, near Rcichnau in Bohemia, but failed to gain onc of the first three places. In the autumn of 1909, the Daily Mail London-to-Manchester £10,000 award was still a\vaiting a claimant, and on 16 October S. F. Cody made four attempts between 7 a.m. and II a.m. on thc course with his British Army Aeroplane No.1 but was forced eventually to give up as the E.K.V. engine's crankcase was full of oil. Cody's longest flight was about onc milc, and he then abandoned the attempt, until after the meeting at Doncaster. This event, staged from 15 until 23 October, 1909, was the first important British aviation meeting and attracted nine aircraft comprising five Bleriot XI monoplanes, Cody's British Army Aeroplane :'Jo.l, Capt \,V. G. 'Vindham's tractor monoplane, one Farman biplanc and one Voisin biplane. The French pilots won all of the events and the prizes, which included the lvIaJlchester Guardian Cup and £100, the Nicholson Cup, the Doncaster Cup, the Doncaster Tradesmen's Cup, the Chairman's Cup and the ''\lhitworth Cup. During the meeting, Cody bccame a British subject and entered at once for the Daily j\lIail £1,000 prize for the first one-mile circular flight by an all-British aeroplane, but damage to his machine when taxi-ing into a patch ofsand on the Doncaster course caused him to abandon his attcmpt. Three days after the start at Doncaster, Britain's second aviation meeting began at Blackpool. It fasted from 18 until 23 October. The event was backed by the Aero Club and the municipal authorities and attracted 12 aeroplanes, out of which five flew. Assembled were three Voisin biplanes, two Bleriot XI monoplanes, one Antoinette, the Avro Bullseye triplane, the Saunderson Monoplane, the Creese and Dcderich rvlonoplane, the Neale 6 Monoplane, the biplane of Senor Fernandez and Hem-y Farman's Farman biplane. }"'arman subsequently won most of the prizes, taking away a total of £2,400, his best flight being accomplished early in thc week when he flew for 47 miles 1,544 yd in I hI' 32 min 16·8 sec at an average speed of 31 mph. The gradual progress being made by British pilots was exemplified on 30 October, 1909, when J. T. C. Moore-Bl'abazon won the Daily Mail £ 1,000 prize for the first circular flight of one mile, which he achieved at Shellbeach, Isle of Shcppey, in 2 min 36 sec in the Short No.2 biplane powered by the 60 hp Green and beat the other contenders]. V. Neale, G. A. Barnes, R. Macfic, E. M. Ling, F. K. McClean, J. Humphreys,

27

The Short No.2, 0lted with, a Green engine, with whichJ. T. C. .Moorc.Brabazon won the £ 1,000 DatLy lvIail prize [or a circular flight of one mile. Howard T. Wright, A. V. Roe, J. A. D. McCurdy, F. W. Baldwin and Grose and Feary. During 1909, the Aero Club announced a new list of awards for competition at the Club's flying gro~nd at Shellbeach, consisting offour prizes of £25 each for the first four flIghts of 250 yards and three prizes of £50 each for the first three flIghts of one mIle over a closed circuit. On 1 Novembe 7, 190~, C. S, Rolls won the first ,£25 flying 1·5 miles, receiving also the SIr DaV:1d Salomons C~p-a .beautlful reproduction of an original by Paul Lamen~-and £1.05 for a flight of a quarter mile out to a mark and a q~art~r r~lIle b~ck wIthout. landing. A few days later, on 4 November, agall1 pIlotIng his Sh?rt-vVnght B~plane No.1, Rolls gained the first of the Aero Club £50 prIzes by coverIng one mile in a closed circuit at 60 ft altitude. Meanwhile,. at, Chalons, H~nry Farman was going from strength to st~cngth on hIS l
28

On 30 April, 1909, the first competition for the British Empire Michelin Cup and £500-presented by Mons 1vlichelin of the well-known Michelin Tvre Company-had opened, the closing date being 31 l\1arch, 1910. The aV'lard, destined to become one of the most important of the formative days of British aviation, was a closed-circuit distance contest open only to British pilots flying all-British aircraft. The £500 cash prize was to be presented annually fol' five years, accompanied by a replica of the £500 Cup. J. T. C. Moore-Brabazon was the first recipient, his qualifying flight of 19 miles in 31 minutes taking place on 1 March, 1910, at Eastchurch on the Short Biplane No.2 with 50-60 hp Green engine, Serious competition for the Daily Alail's £10,000 London-to-Manchester award really started in the spring of 1910 and excitement reached fever pitch as the two main contestants-the Englishman Claude Grahame\,Vhite and the Frenchman Louis Paul han-strove against each other for several days. First off was Grahame-"Vhite, relatively little known as a pilot until publicity connected v,"ith the flight made him a national hero. In his Henry Farman biplane he took-off from Park Royal at 5.17 a.m. on 23 April, reached Rugby where he stopped for 65 minutes, then left again heading for Crewe but was forced down with engine trouble near Lichfield, the machine being slightly damaged on landing, Serious damage occurred later when the strong wind blew the Farman over, compelling Grahame-''\lhite to abandon the attempt. Repairs were effected at "Vormwood Scrubs from which Grahame-'Vhite took-off on his second attempt at 6.32 p.m. on 27 April, 71 minutes after Paulhan, who had departed from Hendon in his Farman biplane-a later model with minor modifications. A neck-and-neck race over the ensuing two hours found Paulhan near Lichfield and his rival at Roade, some 57 miles behind.

Claude Grahame-White taking-off from Rugby on 23 April, 1910, in his Farman biplane on his first attempt to win the Daily }vfail £10,000 for the flight from London to }.;[anchester. (Cuur!e~y BOAC,) 29

... In a valiant attempt to beat Paulhan, Grahame-\IVhite took-off in the dark at 2.30 a.m. on 28 April, but Paulhan left Lichfield at 4.9 a.m. Strong winds brought Grahame-vVhite down again at 4.13 a.m. at Poles'w orth, but Paulhan forced his wayan to land at Didsbury, the winner by covering the 185 miles at an average speed of 44 mph in 4 hr 12 min. The great race was over but, apart from the thrilling spectacle which it had provided, it had demonstrated plainly that cross-country flying was now feasil]lc and ,vas on the way to becoming an everyday fact. \lVith the London-ta-Manchester contest decided at last, interest shifted to the south of France at the end of April and to the fortunes of the two British contestants-C. S. Rolls with a Short-\Vright biplane and A. Rawlinson with a Henry Farman~at the Nice Flying Meeting at which Rolls secured fourth place, but Rawlinson suffered the misfortune of being forced down into the sea by the slipstream from the Russian Effimoff's Farman. Another British airman, Capt Bertram Dickson, was active in France a few days after the Nice meeting, having entered his Henry Farman at the Tours Meeting at the beginning or May 1910. Against strong opposition by foreign pilots, Dickson made a creditable showing in winning first prize by covering 166 miles during the week. Following Blcriot's triumphant cross-Channel Right, the Daily Mail of:' fered further encouragement by putting up a £100 cup for the second successful flight across the English Channel. Once again the honour fell to a Bleriot XI monoplane but this time it was Comte Jacques de Lesseps who was the pilot when, on 21 May, 1910, LaScarabie flew from Les Bar~ aques to the South Foreland lighthouse. Prior to his own flight, Bleriot had omitted to submit a formal entry for the Ruinart £500 cross-Channel prize but de Lesseps was not so remiss and gained this award also. On the day following de Lesseps's success, the Daily Mail took yet another step in promoting aviation in the most practical way by putting up on 22 May, 1910, the magnificent prize of £10,000 for a 1,010 mile Circuit o[ Britain, the distance to be covered in one day with II compulsory stops at fixed control points. As ,",vith other Daily Mail prizes, some time \vas to elapse~in fact, just over 14 months~before the aeroplane was sufficiently advanced to undergo so strenuous a test. The ballooning enthusiasts wcre all set to experience the thrills of the Hare and Hounds Race for the C. S. Rolls Trophy from Hurlingham on 28 May, 1910, but were disappointed by bad weather which forced the abandonment of the event. Late in May 1910, C. S. Rolls was at Dover with his French-built \Vright biplane awaiting suitablc weather to enable him to make the first cross-Channel flight from England to France and with the intention also of being the first to complete a double trip without landing on the Continent. On 2 June, 1910, the \Vright sped along its starting rail at Broadlees at half-a-minute past 6.30 p.m., crossing the water without incident to arrive over Sangatte. Having dropped a letter addressed to the Aero-Club de France, Rolls turned and flew back to Broadlees to land at 8.06 p.m., the flight earning him the cup presented by Ruinart Pere et Fils. A British success at the four-day Anjou Flying Meeting was gained by Bertram Dickson on 6 June, 191 0, when~flying his Henry Farman~he

30

j The ground at Hurlingham is left behind on 22 June, 1910, as-piloted by Lieut H. H. Barrington-Kennett-Comet competes in the race for the Hedges Butler Challenge Cup. (FLight International.)

set up a world duration record of exactly 2 h1', covering 67 miles in the process. He then \vent on to the flying meeting at Rouen, winning the prize [or the longest single flight with a time of2 hI' 27 min over a distance of 87 miles, the longest distance flown at the event. A fortnight later, two new British altitude records were established within a few hours of each other. At Beaulieu, I-Iants, on 19 June, 1910, J. Armstrong Drexel climbed his Bleriot XI to 1,070 ft but this height was exceeded on 20 June by Cecil S. Grace who reached 1,180 ft in his Short S.27 biplane. The fourth annual contest for the Hedges Butler Challenge Cup was held from Hurlingham on 22 June, 1910, with only four balloons starting. Entered v.,rcre: Balloon

TVitch 0' the Air * JVirvana Uranus St Louis

Comet

Acronaut(s) Capt E. M. Maitland Mrs Assheton Harbord/C. F. Pollock/ Claud Brabazon/D. Bingham Maj Sir Alexander Bannerman J. D. Dunville Lieut B. H. Barrington-Kennett

* vVithdrew with

rent envelope.

The winner was JVirvana with a flight of] 05 miles to Beccles in Suffolk. Dunstall Park Racecourse at \Volverhampton was the site for the Midland Aero Club's meeting from 27 June until 2 July, 1910, the main 31

awards being won by Claude Grahame-"Vhite for the best duration, 1 hI' 15 min in his 50 hp Gnome Henry Farman, and second place in both the lap speed contest and shortest take-off event; C. S. Rolls for flying his French-constructed "'right biplane into first place in the lap speed competition; Cecil Grace for first place in the altitude contest with 600 ft in his Short S.27; and G. B. Cockburn for taking-off with 100ft run in his Henry Farman. If A new award, the ~10rtimer Singer Cup, was available in 1910 for a point-to-point balloon race which took place from Hurlingham on 2 July. The winner was Nlrs John Dunville in St Louis whieh landed at Cold Norton Station, five milcs from Langford, in Essex, second place was taken by Mrs Assheton Harbord, and Maj B. F. S. Baden-Powell came third. A great British aviation event of 1910 was the staging of the meeting at Bournemouth from II July until 16 July but on thc second day C. S. Rolls crashed to his death while flying his French-built Wright biplane during one of the competitions. Concurrently with aeroplane activities at the newly established aerodromes, Hurlingham continued to be the haven of the balloon, retaining most of its establishcd devotees. On II July, 1910, the Harbord Cup, presented by l\iII~ Assheton Harbord for the longest flight by a balloon in competition, was won by Philip Gardner for his trip from Hurlingham to Minehead, Somerset, the award being made to him during the following month. Hurlingham was again the site, on 23 July, 1910, for the point-topoint-or perimeter-race for the Griffith Brewer Cup, with entries from: Balloon

Uranus Slumis Erin Will o· Jile Wisp Cornel Aero Club IV

Aeronaut(s) Maj Sir Alexander Bannerman Mrs John Dunville John D. Dunville Capt E. M. Maitland Lieut B. H. Barrington-Kennett Capt V. C. de Crespigny

All, howcvcr, were disappointed as a high wind brought the abandonment of the even t. Bad weather persisted throughout the long second B1ackpool International Meeting which was staged from 28 July until 17 August, 1910, and was not notable for the establishment of any British records. The shorter meeting held on the racecourse at Lanark from 6 August until 13 August, 1910, was a far more successful affair, resulting in a world's altitude record of 6,621 ft on II August by J. Armstrong Drexel in his 50 hp Gnome Blerjot and in James Radley setting up the first world's records over a one-mile and one-kilometre straight course. Timed by A. V. Ebblewhite, Radley's Bleriot XI achicved 77·67 mph ovcr I km, 75·95 mph for the flying mile and 58·32 mph average over five laps of a 1·75 mile course. For a year Claude Grahamc-"Vhite and Louis Paulhan had been accumulating aerial mileagc in their individual efforts to elaim the Daily Mail £1,000 prize for the aviator with the highest aggregate of all crosscountry nights between a.m. on 15 August, 1909, and p.m. on 14 August, 1910. Once again the honour went to France-Paulhan amassing 802 miles against Grahame-"Vhite's 703·25 miles. 32

Another of the Daily AI/ail prizes, this time a £50 silver cup, was won by the American pilot J. B. J\1oisant who flew from Issy-Ies-Moulineaux to Calais on 16 August, 1910, and took-off the following day at 10.45 a.m., landing after 40 minutes at Tilmanstone, ncar "'almer in Kent. The trip was made in a two-seat Bleriot XI with a mechanic named FilieLLx as passenger, who was awarded a smallel- cup by the Daily iv/ail. High winds prevailed at the meeting in Ireland held on 29-30 August, 1910, at the Leopardstown Racecourse, Dublin, but the three flyers appearing-C. S. Grace and Capt B. Dickson on Henry Farmans and J. A. Drexel with a Bleriot XI-managed good exhibition flights despite the impossibility of racing or record attempts. The meeting originally arranged to take place from 17 until 24 July, 1910, at Doncaster was eventually held on Town Moor from 19 to 24 September, 1910; all competitors were French and poor weather prevented any spectacular performances. During early September 1910, Claude Grahame-White was able to some extent to make up for his previous losses of prize money to Paul han when, in the USA at the Harvard University Flying Club's meeting at Boston, he won a total of £6,420 in the course of the week, including £2,000 from the Bostoll Globe for a cross-country flight of 33 miles in 40 min 1·6 sec with his Henry Farman and four first and three second prizes. By mid-191O four aeroplane pilots had successfully flown the English Channel, but the Irish Sea remained unconquered until Robert Loraine, the actor-pilot, took-off from Holyhead in his 50 hp Gnome Henry Farman on 11 September, 1910, to make a perilous crossing during which the wires snapped one by one on his incorrectly rigged aircraft and the Gnome engine stopped six limes. A descent into the water near the Baily Lighthouse on the north side of Dublin Bay at Howth Head as the Gnome finally failed brought the relieved Loraine's dangerous adventure to a close and he was forced to swim the last seventy feet to land. Just as Burlingham, Ranelagh, the Crystal Palace and various strategically sited gasworks had served the interests of ballooning, so the need for adequate flying fields led eventually to the establishmcnt of suitable acrodromes. The Sbellbcach, Islc of Sheppcy, ground had proved itself for the past rev\' years and Brooklands had attracted a group of pioneer pilots and constructors. Hendon was next to be selected to accommodate the growing number of potential flyers, its proximity to London and relatively easy access ensuring its acceptance both by the aviators and by the public shorlly to be drawn there in their thousands following the official opening on I October, 1910. Further successes in America came Grahame-"'hite's way on 29 October, 1910, when he won the Gordon Bennett Aviation Cup at i ew York's Belmont Park Racecourse using a new 100 hp Gnome clipped-wing Bleriot monoplane racer to complete the required 20 laps of as km circuit at 61·5 mph average in I hr 1 min 4· 74 sec. Alec Ogilvie, flying a Wright biplane racer, took third place for the nited Kingdom with 2 hI' 6 min 36 sec. On 30 October, Grahame-"Vhite in his racing Bleriot successfully covered the course of 33 miles in 35 min 21·3 sec to fly from Belmont Park around the Statue of Liberty and return to win the £2,000 offered for the feat by Thomas F. Ryan. Late in 1910, James Radley-another member of the British Gordon n

33

~ Capt E. M. :Maitland's Howard Wright biplane at Brooklands, flown by Lieut H. E. ''''atkins in the 1910 contest for the £4,000 Baron de Forest prize. (Courtesy Mobil.)

Bennett Cup team-had continued touring and giving exhibitions at various flying meetings, and at Los Angeles he was particularly successful with his Bleriot in winning the speed prize for each day of the show. Just over one year after the first award \vas made to Rolls, J. T. C. Moore-Brabazon won, on 7 November, 1910, one of the original Aero Club £25 prizes with a flight from Shellbeach to Eastchurch. As 1910 drev·! to its close, flying activity increased sharply as feverish last-minute attempts were made by the entrants to win the remaining awards on offer until the end of the year. One was the £4,000 Baron de Forest prize for the British pilot to fly the farthest straight line distance nonstop into Europe from the United Kingdom. The prominent pilots competing included: Pilot

Aircraft Bristol Boxkite Farman biplane Bristol Boxkite Howard Wright biplane Short S.28 Howard Wright biplane

Claude Grahame-White C. H. Creswell R. Loraine Lieut H. E. \,\'atkins

F. K. McClean T. O. M. Sopwith

de )icting Pegasus with a ride~' mou.nting and with, around the base, th~ legend 'The Man, by the Al~ of hIS Aeroplane, overcom.es the Attrac. of the Earth'. The competItors left theIr attempts untIL the last few '1 111 . 2 h l' 24 mm, . 30 se~ on h'IS lIon of the year, Cody ach~evm~ . . 94·5 illl.es weeks 60 hp E.N.V. 'F' Cody Mlchelm Cup bIplane at Laffan s Plam on 4 Kovember to set new British records for d~ratlOn and dlstance; SOpWlt?:th under 10 hr solo flying time-used hIS 60 hp KN.V. Howard Wnght ~; Brooklands on 26 November to cover 107·75 miles in 3 h~ 12 min 50 sec to establish new British records in eac~ class; Cody.then cIrcled !--affan's Plain on 22 December to cover 114 mIles 1,232 yd ll1 2 hI' 50 mm; Alec Ogilvie managed 142 miles 42 yd in 3 hr 55 rr:in at Camber ~ands, Ry~, on 28 December in his 40 hp N.E.C. Short-\IVnght; and ?opwlth used .h15 Howard Wright at Brooklands on 31 December for a flIght of 150 mIles 246 vd in 4 hr 7 min 17 sec, being beaten finally by Cody at Laffan's PlaiI;'later on 31 December with new British records of 185 miles 787 yd in 4 hI' 47 min, the awards ultimately going to Cody. Prowess in piloting the still rudimentary aircraft had progressed sufficiently for the m<:~agements of bot~ .Hend?n and .Brooklands aerodromes to consider orgal1lzmg some competltlve flymg durmg 1911, so, to popularize their new ventures the two managements put up a total of £50, con~ sisting of £30 first pri~e and £20 second prize for the pilots flying from Hendon to Brooklands and back or vice versa. The out and back flights had to be made in the shortest time in the same aeroplane and on the same day between 2 p.m. and 5.30 p.m. on four Saturdays in 1911~25 February and 4, II and 18 March. The initial contest~the first of the numerous events to be staged at Hendon in the succeedmg years-took place on It March. C. H. Greswell took-off fran: Hendon in a BIeriot XI, lost his way and landed at Ashford; Maurl.ce Ducrocq left fro~ Brooklands but had to turn back after encountenng fog; ]. V. Martm was more fortunate, managing to fly the Grahame-,",Vhite B,:by prototype from Hendon to Brooklands in 3l min 31 sec, but lost hImself on the return trip and landed at St Albans before flying back to Hendon, taking I hr 18 min 57 sec for the complete journey out and back. The £30

T. O. M. Sopwith won the £4,000 on 18 December with a flight of 169 miles from Eastchurch to Thirimont in Belgium in 3·5 hours. On 18 December, 19lO, a balloon flight which started from Battersea Gasworks at 2.10 p.m. ended at 8.40 a.m. the next day at La Chartre in France; the crew consisted of Mrs Assheton Harbord, C. :1". Pollock and Capt E. F. F. Sartorious, whose flight of 351 miles won the Royal Aero Club's Challenge Cup for the longest contest flight of f910 by balloon, airship or aeroplane. Competitive activities for 1910 concluded with the final flights for the £500 British Empire Michelin Cup No.1 and £500 in cash for the longest closed-circuit distance completed by a British pilot and aircraft between 1 April, 1910, and 31 December, 1910. Although known as a cup, the Michelin No. I was in reality a trophy designed by P. Moreau-Vauthier

The Howard ''''right biplane with which T. O. M. Sopwith won the [4,000 Baron de Foresl prize on 18 December, 1910. (Hawker.)

34

35

winner was Gustav Hamel on his Bleriot XI, who Aew each \vay in lhe fog and recorded 58 min 38 sec for the double journey. IvIartin was the recipient of the £20 award. At Brooklands, Easter Monday lO April, 19 11, brought the aggregate duration prize of £30 into the hands of a promising pilot, C. Howard Pix ton, for his total of 1 hI' 30 min Aying in the 35 hp Green-engined Avro D biplane, a tractor design with which A. V. Roc was having increasing success and which was to form the basis for the subsJquent development of Avro biplanes.

J. V. Tviartin standing in the Grahame-'''Thite Baby at Brooklands on 11 rVlarch, 1911 before flying back to Hendon during the return race staged between the , two aerodromes. (Flight InternationaL.)

on 24 June, 1 hr 16 min on 15July and 2 hI' 9 m~n on ~ O~tober, making a total of 5 hI' 16 min flying at Brooklands. HIS mam nval was Cody, with his 60 hp Green-cngined Circuit of Britain biplane, whose total was 3 hI' 16 min-so that the :r.,/Ianville Prize \'vas Pixton's by 2 hI' cxactly. On 29 April, 1911, two monoplane exponents had an improJ?ptu race at Hendon when Pierre Prier and Clement Greswell took-off In Gnome BIe:riots and flew around the aerodrome wingtip to wingtip, Prier winning by two lengths. The point-to-point long-distance balloon contest for the Royal Aero Club Challenge Cup for 1911 was held at HurJingham during May and was won by Mrs Assheton Harbord in her JVorth Star. ~1. Sopwith sealed in the 60 hp Howard Wright biplane \vhich was just beaten by the Cody biplane in the 1910 .l\1ichelin Cup No.1 event. (Hawker.)

T. O.

The monoplane was a strong challenger of Lhe biplane for popularity and the Bleriot was employed by thc Bleriot school at Hendon of which Pierre Pricr was Chicf Flying Instructor. The prospect of achieving the first nonstop flight from London to Paris tempted Prier and at 1.37 p.m. on 12 April, 1911, he flew his 50 hp Gnome Bleriot from Hendon to land at Issy-lcs-Moulineaux 3 hI' 56 min latcr after flying 230 miles at an average speed of 59 mph at an altitude of between 2,000 and 3,000 ft. Besides being the first nonstop flight between the two capitals, iL was also a new world distance record in a straight line. The award list for 1911 increased by £500 with thc addition of thc Edward Manville Prize to the British pilot accumulating the greatest aggregate flying time in minimum 15 minute flights with a passenger on an all-British aircraft between 10 a.m. and 5.30 p.m. on 17 April, 6 and 20 May, 5, 17 and 24 June, 15 July, 7 August and 4 October, 1911. One of the two principal protagonists was C. Howard Pixton who used the 35 hp Green-engined Avro D to record 31 min on 6 May and 49 min on 20 May, and a 60 hp E.N.V.-powered Bristol Boxkite to record 31 min

S. F. Cody piloting his biplane with which he won the Michelin Cup No.1 on 31 December, 1910.

36

37

of Bristol Boxkites piloted respectively by O. C. Morison and D. G. Gilmour, the finish being seven miles eastwards along the coast at Black Rock. ~iforison won by 10 sec and both Boxkites landed in the grounds of Roedean Ladies' College. A race of a very different style took place at the Brooklands track during the third week of May 1911, when Hubert Latham pitted his Antoinette in a speed test against Gordon 'Vatney driving a 60 hp )lercedes car.

The Bristol Grandscigne racing biplane which was wrecked on its first flight at Larkhill in April 1911. (Bristol.)

For 6 May, 1911, a race was organized from Brooklands to Brighton, £80 being the prize. Four entries wcre received: Aircraft

BIeriot XI Bristol Boxkite Henry Farman Avro D

Pilot Gustav Hamel D. G. Gilmour Lieut R. T. Snowden-Smith C. H. Pixton

Re:rnarks 50 hp Gnome

Hewlett and B1ondcau-built

The course lay southwards and down the Adur valley, then eastwards along the coast to the Palace Pier finishing line, the landing finally being made at Shoreham where all arrived safely. Hamel was first, Gilmour second and Pixton third, but Snovvden-Smith was disqualified. On 13 May, Shoreham was the starting point ofa race between a pair

D. Graham Gilmour taking-off at Brooklands in the Bristol Boxkitc TO. 31 on ~1ay, 1911, in the race to Brighton in which he came second. (Flight Inter-

6

national.)

A second ballooning success came Mrs Assheton Harbord's way in one month when, on 27 tvIay, 1911, she won the point-to-point event from Burlingham for the Lord Llangattock Cup. The destination was Challow Station and .North Star came to earth at Upton, ncar Andover. Compet~ ing in the race were: Balloon

Capacity cu ft

Aeronaut(s)

North Star

30,000

l\1ercury Banshee Jl Uranus Pompadour

45,000 80,000

Mrs Asshcton Harbord/C.P. Pollock; E. Brabazon/L. M. McKinnon Claud Brabazon J. D. Dunville A. PrestOIl Hohler Capt E. ],,1. Maitland Consul Gustav P. Stollwerck Capt E. }~. F. Sartorious ~Iaj Sir Alexander Bannerman

Hanrwl:tr

50,000 50,000

CoronD. Dunlop I

50,000

Extensions to the upper wings were fitted to the Bristol BoxkilC No. 16, flown by C. H. Pix ton in conjunction with an Avro D to win the 1911 lVl.anville Prize. (Bristol.)

.\5 the months passed competitive events became more ambitious and the summer of 1911 brought the Circuit of Europe, scheduled to last for 12 days from its commencement at 6 a.m. on 18 June, for prize money totalling £18:300. There were 43 starters on a course plotted to take them thl:o.ugh four countries-France, Belgium, Holland and England. Two Brttlsh aircraft-both 70 hp Gnome-cngined Bristol Boxkites-wcre flown by. French pilots, Maurice Tabuteau and }\i[aurice Tetard. Tetard retlr~d early in the race; Tabuteau completed the course but did not (!llallfy for a prize. The British pilot James Valentine Hew a 50 hp

3B

39

:\0. 4 with a special twin-row lOa hp Gnome-engined racing Bleriot, the \\'ings of which had been reduced to 17 ft span under Louis Bleriot's supervision. The mainplanes were of narrow, parallel chord with squarecut tips and the fuselage was fully covered. During practice on 1 July before the race, Hamel flew the Bleriot around a 6 km closed-circuit in 2 min 45·6 sec at 81·04 mph to set up a new world speed record. In the contesL Hamel crashed the tricky monoplane at the first turn just after take-off. The remaining British enu'y, Alec Ogilvie on his 50 hp N.E.C. Baby \ "right Model R, finished fourth at 51·31 mph in an event which was \\'on for the USA by C. T. \Veymann, flying a 100 hp Gnome Nieuport monoplane for 25 laps over a total of 94 miles in I hI' II min 36·2 sec at 78 mph, . ~. 0.45, flown by I\lIaurice Tabuteau in the 1911 Circuit The Bnstol Type I f Europe, being prepared at Hendon. a

. monoplane but was obliged to drop out; he decided Gnome. DeperdusSHJ,lurs but gave up at Brooklands. The event was won to continue hors cone de Vaisseau Conneau flying as 'Beaumont' on a on 8 July by Lieu l Blel'io~. . . t . of Europe was in progress, Hurlingham was the \'VhIle the CIrcuJor the perimeter race for the Mortimer Singer Cup. venue, on 24 J une, ~ntered: Four balloons were J loon BaJ ollis

Sl J jhee 11

Btl/I/It SLar JVOI ,lIOUeT

Aeronaut(s)

Mrs John Dunvillc John D. Dunville Mrs Asshcton Harbord Consul Gustav P, Stollwerck

f-Jfl"

..vas finally abandoned owing to bad weather. The 1911 contest r the Gordon Bennett Aviation Cup was held at The 1911 race ji~ before a crowd of 10,000, Gustav Hamel entered as Eastchurch, on 1 J uJ

The modified second Avro D prepared for R. C. Kemp to pilot in the 1911 Circuit of Britain.

On 5 July) 1911) Claude Grahamc-Vvhite arranged a novel race between his Henry Farman and the steamship Ben-lllJ~Chree around the hie of Man but, after circling the ship at the start, he gave up the idea. For the fifth Hedges Butler Challenge Cup race from Hurlingham on l5July) 1911, there were entered:

" Ogilvie flew the Baby \\'right i\ fodd R at Eastchurch at On 1 July, 1911,. Alc(,rth place in the competition [or the Gordon Bennett Cup. 1 51·31 mph to gam [0 (Flight International.)

4U

Balloon

Aeronaut(s)

Zeta· Banshu 11 North SLar Pompadour Dunlop! Alpha· Pland· Ilannol",r

Claud Brabazon Mrs John Dunville ,Mrs Assheton Harbord Capt E. M. Maitland A. Preston Hohler Gilbert Dennison A. Mortimer Singer Gustav P. Stollwerck

•
The event was abandoned owing to the high wind. 41

Over a year had passed since the Daily Mail had offered on 22 May, 1910, £10,000 to the winner of the 1,010-mile Circuit of Britain, to be flown in five days with thirteen compulsory control stops. On 22 July, 1911, 21 out of the 30 aircraft entered were ready for the start at Brooklands. The British machines included:

Preparing to take-off in the Universal Aviation Company Birdling, H. J. D. Astley's aircraft on 22 July, 1911, in the Daily Mail Circuit of Britain. (Flight International. )

Pilot Aircraft Conway Jenkins Blackburn lVIercury B. C. Hucks Blackburn Mercury H. J. D. Astley Universal Aviation Company Birdli..ng Bristol Boxkite J mproved E. C. Gordon England TypeT Bristol Boxkite Improved C. P. Pizey TypeT Bristol Boxkitc Improved C. H. Pixton TypeT Cody Circuit of Britain S. F. Cody biplane Lieut H. R. P. Reynolds Howard Wright biplane C. Compton Paterson Grahame-\Vhite Baby R. C. Fenwick Handley Page H.P ,4 D Bristol Prier P.I Bristol Prier P.I :Ylaclle Circuit biplane

Pierre Prier O. C. Morison R, F. Macfie

Remarks

Enclosed nacelle ·Withdrcw, crashed by Fenwick at Faidop before race vVithdrcw, crashed before race Wilhdrew Retired, damaged undercarriage

The contest aroused a great deal of public interest, but the British entrants were whittled down by retirements or crashes, leaving the Cody biplane, which came fourth, as the only British aircraft to finish the course. 'Beaumont'-otherwise Lieut de Vaisseau Conneau-vvas the winner in his Bleriot taking 22 hr 28 min at an average speed 0[45 mph; E. Vedrines

C. P. Pizcy at Hendon vacating the cockpit of the Bristol Improved Typc T No. 52, which he flew in the 1911 Daily Mail Circuit of Britain. (Bristol.)

;s\:~;~:i1.'

The winner of the 1911 Circuit of Britain-Licut Jean Conncau of the French Navy, racing as 'Beaurnont'-lands at Harrogate with his Bleriot XI.

S, F. Cody with his biplane at Harrogate on 24 July, 1911.

42

43

Two Ivlichelin awards wnc available during 191 I-the British Empire :Y.lichclin Cup No. I and £500 from I January until 31 October, for competition over a seven-mile closed-circuit with a minimum distance OO\\'n of 250 miles, and the British Empire Michelin Cup No.2 and £400 from I January until 19 October for the fastest time nonstop around a crosscountry circuit of 125 miles. The Cup No.2 was to be open to competition for three years, concurrently with Cup No, I, total prize money being £ I,800 made up o[£400 [or the first year, £600 [or 1912 and £800 [or 1913. The required distance was to be increased each successive year, and the later competitions were to end each year on 15 Octobcr instead of 31 December to ensure reasonable flying weather. British pilots and allBritish aircraft were stipulated, the 1911 entry list attracting:

Cody's biplane and Hamel's Bleriot monoplane at Harrogate on 24 July, 1911, during the Circuit of Britain.

Aircraft Cody Circuit of Britain biplane Avro D Flanders F.3 .P:umber monoplane Universal Aviation Company Birdling Bristol Prier P.l Bristol Boxkite Howard Wright biplane

Pilot S. F. Cody F. P. Raynham R. C. Kemp C. L. Pashley H. J. D. Astley D. G. Gilmour C. H. Pixton J. L. Longstaffe

came second in a Dcperdussin; and James Valentine also in a Deperdussin gained third place. During August 1911 a proposal was put forward for a race of 80 miles from Shoreham to Dicppe and back to Shoreham, but opposition to the danger of flying over so much water forced the eventual abandonment of the idea. Frank McClean's 70 hp Gnome-powe"ed Short S.34 was used by Licut E. L. Gerrard, RMLI, and Lieut G. V. vVildman-Lushington, RMA, on 17 August, 1911, to set up a world duration record when they took-off at 3.30 p.m. to fly a total of 129 miles on a 10-mile course between Lcysdown Coastguard Station and I-IMS Actaeon lying off Sheerness. They remained in the air [or 4 hr 13 min, until compelled to land by [ailing daylight. On 19 August, Lieut C. R. Samson, RN, took-off at Eastehurch at 6.07 a.m. in a Short S.38 and landed 4 hr 58 min 30 sec later, having established a new British solo duration record. Samson sLiIl had adequate fuel left upon alighting but had to come down as the air was extremely bumpy. On 17 August, 1911, T. O. M. Sopwith at the Chicago Meeting, to which he had taken his Howard "Yright biplane and a Bleriot monoplane, won the race of 14 miles across Lake Michigan with the Bleriot, finishing at Chicago. Using the same machine, he won second prize in the speed races at the same meeting. Grahame- \"'hite was also in the USA attending the Boston Meeting and, on the first day, 25 August, won the speed and altitude prizes flying a 100 hp Gnome Nieuport monoplane. Both British pilots then went on to compete at the New York Meeting, staged at Nassau Boulevard. On 23 September, 1911, Grahamc- \'Vhite won the crosscountTy race in his Nieuport in 17 min 39 sec and Sopwith came second with a time of 18 min 48 sec. The course W3..'\ from Nassau Boulevard to Belmont Park and Nlineola, back to Belmont and return to Nassau. For the 10 mile relay race on 24 September, Grahame-\Yhitc and Sopwith teamed up to win the event.

The list was the same for both events, except that Astley did not competc for Cup No. I. Despite his relatively empirical methods of design and construction and lack of thoroughly scientific approach, Cody was

H

45

D. Graham Gilmour, hatless,-among the best-known pilots of his day-with the BrisLOI Improved Type T No. 52 flown in the 1911 Circuit ofBl'itain in the background.

,. outstandingly successful, winning both events. After a false start: on 27 OctobCl 111 the Cup No 1, he took-off again on 29 October and circled Laffan's Plain for 5 hI' 15 min covering 261 miles 810 yeI to set also a new British duration record. In the Cup No.2, Cody was the only pilot to complete the course, again over his home ground at Laffan's Plain, whenon 11 September-he averaged 40 mph over the 125 miles. The altitude record constantly tempted pilots to set a new figure and Henri Salmct was successful in establishing a new British height record at Hendon on 28 November, 1911, when he climbed his 50 hp Gnome BU~riot monoplane to reach 8,070 ft, The end of 1911 brought the presentation of two of A. lvlortimcr Singer's awards to the ballooning fraternity, both o[ which were announced during August of that year. The Mortimer Singer Cup for the greatest number of ascents by a civilian member of the Royal Aero Club between 1 September and 31 December, 1911, was awarded to Gustav P. Stollwerck, who accomplished 14 balloon flights during the [our months. Mrs Assheton Harbord added yet another award to her extensive collection by winning the Mortimer Singer Cup for the longest distance travelled in a balloon race competed for between 1 September and 31 December, 1911, with her flight on 25 November of 120 miles from Battersea Park to Burnham in Somerset. On 29 December, 1911, Mrs Assheton Harbord made another balloon flight-this time of 240 miles from Pembroke Dock to \Vitham to win the Royal Aero Club Challenge Cup presented by John D. Dunville, and, as this ,vas her third successive win, the Cup became her permanent property. vVinter did not deter S. F. Cody. On his five-seat Circuit of Britain biplane, on a very windy day at Farnborough on 30 January, 1912, he took part in a race over a 1·5 mile course against Geoffrey de Havilland flying the Army Aircraft Factory's 60 hp \IVolseley-engined B.E.l biplane. The contest started with the fall of a flag and, after nearly being capsized while in the B.E.l 's slipstream, Cody forged ahead in his lumbering machine to win by 200 yards. Although by 1912 the powered aeroplane had captured public attention the balloon was still able to retain many of its staunch adherents o[ the last decade, to such an extent that early 1912 brought several new awards for competition. To replace the cup won permanently by Mrs Assheton Harbord, John Dunville presented a new Royal Aero Club Challenge Cup worth £100 [or the longest voyage by balloon, airship or aeroplane during 1912. In February 1912, Mrs Assheton Harbord offered the Royal Aero Club Cup to the first balloon to descend in Scotland during 1912, the start to be within 10 miles of London. Another award came from A. Mortimer Singer in the form of a cup for a 10ngdistance balloon race; in the event it was not won during the year and, subsequently, was renewed for competition during ]913. Also unclaimed in 1912 was the cup offered during February by Mortimer Singer for the first balloon to land in Ireland in 19]2, after starting from within 10 miles of London. This, too, was renewed for 1913. Mortimer Singer's interest in powered flight became apparent in 1911 with his offer of two separate prizes of £500 each to the Army and to the Navy for the pilot of each Service flying the greatest distance nonstop

with a passenger before 31 March, ]912. j\S with many of the larger awards serious attempts \vere not made on the Mortimer Singer until the end of the stipulated period approached. The Army £500 was won on 14 February at Salisbury Plain for a flight of 249·5 miles in a 50 hp Gnome Nieuport monoplane piloted by Lieut B. H. Barrington-Kennett accompanied by Cpl F. Ridd. The average speed was 55 mph, duration was 4 hI' 32 min and the attempt set up a new world closed-circuit distance record with passenger and a new British duration record. One of the original quartet of naval pilots-Licut A. M. Longmore---gained the £500 Navy prize with E, R. A. O'Connor as passenger on II March at Eastchurch using the 70 hp Gnome Short S.36 tractor biplane, the distance of 172 miles being covered in 4 11.1' at an average speed of 43 mph.

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Fourth in the 1911 Circuit of Britain and winner of the :Michelin Cups No.1 and 2, Cody's biplane at Brooklands.

Henri Salmet, Chief Flying Instructor at the Hendon Bleriot school, left Hendon at 7.41 a.m. on 7 March, 1912, heading for his native France, and landed at Issy-les-Moulineaux, Paris, 3 hI' 16 min latcr having covered the 230 miles in record time. The flight was intended to be made nonstop, but Salmet was obliged to land his 50.hp Gnome Bleriot--:-th~ fuselage of which was fabric-covered to enable It to float for a v"hIle If necessary-at Saumont la Patterie to verify his direction. The Easter Meeting at the London Aerodrome at Hendon on 5-8 April, 1912, had very windy weather on all four days, resulting in the postponement until a latcr meeting of the various speed contests-fast, slow, figure-of-eight, monoplane handicap, biplane handicap, the crosscountry handicap from Hendon to St Albans and return and the relay race. The passenger-carrying altitude contest was the only one held, and in this Gustav Hamel reached 6,000 ft in Sopwith's 70 hp Gnome two-scat BIeriot XI, during a flight in which he stayed aloft for 26 minutes and the machine v·,ras blown backwards. This brought Hamel the Grahamc-White Cup No.1. The Easter Monday Meeting at Brooklands on 8 April also suffered from a 60 mph wind, forcing cancellation of the first Brooklands Acroplane Handicap Race out-and-home on a cross-country course to Chobham, for \\'hich I] leading pilots had entered.

During the afternoon of Saturday, 13 April, fine weather encouraged several of the Brooklands pilots to organize an unofficial impromptu race to Chertsey Bridge and back, a total distance of six miles. Handicapping by G. H. Handasyde brought C. P. Pizey on a 50 hp Gnome Bristol Boxkite home first, 34 yards ahead of T. O. M. Sopwith flying a 70 hp Gnome two-scat BU~riot; third was E. V. B. Fisher on the 60 hp Flanders F.3; fourth was F. P. Raynham on the 50 hp Gnome Sopwith-"Vright biplane; and fifth was H. Spencer with the :Nlacfie Empress biplane which he had rebuilt recently, The first four machines were home within five seconds of each other and the race was thought such a success that it was decided to try to make it a regular weekend event. During the afternoon of 14 April, the weather was equally fine for the race for the cup presented by :NIrs Raikes. The course of nine miles was to Chertsey Bridge and back, around the hangars and thence to the cornmiIl a mile or so distant. Sopwith won in his Bleriot, Fisher came second in the Flanders, Pizey was third on the Boxkite, the remaining competitors being Raynham Oying the Sopwith-"Vright and Lieut VV. Lawrence with a Boxkite. The week~ end's races at Brook]ands were the first of many and from that date were to go steadily from strength to strength and to playa significant part in establishing both Brooklands and Hendon aerodromes as popular flying centres until the start of the 1914-18 vVaI'. The following Saturday, 20 April, 1912, was Hendon's first great day, when 15,000 spectators paid for admission, on which all of the First Spring :tvIeeting races were held. By this time ten sheds had been erected for housing the aeroplanes using the field, together with three enclosures of iron railings for the paying public who were charged 6d, ]s and 2s 6d, the most expensive enclosure being at the front. From this area's railings a gate gave access to the white starting and finishing line, which was marked on the grass out to No. 1 pylon some distance out on the field; five other pylons were set up around the aerodrome. These were used to establish the course for the exciting speed contest for 25 sovereigns pre~ sentcd by P. Teofani. The contest attracted three monoplanes, Bentfield C. Hucks won on a BU:riot, Hamel came second on another Bleriot, but Valentine-who finished first on a Bristol Prier P.l-was disqualified for overtaking Hucks on the inside. The Grahame-"Vhite Cup No.3 and 20 sovereigns formed the first prize for two laps in the Cross-country Handicap to Harrow Church and back. Hucks was the winner on his 50 hp Gnome Bleriot, beating Valentine's P. 1 and Hamel's Bleriot. Lewis 'IV. F. Turner flying his Henry Farman and ''''. H. Ewen on a Caudron did not finish. Hamel and his Bleriot were the winners in II min 12·6 sec of the Figure-of-Eight Contest for the Grahame-White Cup No.2 and 10 sovereigns and the same combination won the Altitude Contest for the St Ivel Challenge Trophy and 10 sovereigns. Hamel's barograph stopped at 3,960 ft but the Bleriot was believed to have reached 5)500 ft. During the pylon race Valentine demonstrated an amazing quick take-off technique in which he thrust the P. I 's joystick forward, thereby raising the tail so that the front skids braked the machine by resting on the ground, the,"eby dispensing with mechanics, and when the starting signal was given he lowered the tail and took-off ahead of the others. On the same Saturday, some 20 miles to the southwest, a Cross-country Handicap Race to Chertsey and back was run from Brooklands with

three starters-Raynham, Pizey and Sopwith-of whom Pizey won on a Boxkite. 27 April, 1912, brought the Second Hendon Spring Meeting with a Cross-country Handicap Race in very windy conditions, owing to which only one lap of the 10-mile course to Elstree vVaterworks \vas flown. Of three starters, Hamel came first in his Blcriot in 11 min 39 sec to win the Arthur Roberts Award, Valentine was second for the Herbert Sleath Prize and Hucks's Bleriot finished third. At Brooklands the Brooklands Aero Club had just been formed and on 27 April, 1912, a Quick Take-off Handicap Race was run with 10 starters among whom H. Fleming came first on a 50 hp Gnome Bristol Boxkite. The next Cross-country Handicap at Brooklands was scheduled for 41vlay, 1912, over a course to five miles west of the aerodrome and drew entries from IS prominent pilots but a high wind and drizzle forced postponement of the event. On the following day, Sunday 5 May, the weather was better, enabling the Cross-country Race to Chertsey and return to be run for the cup presented by Mrs l\IIalcolm. This was won by Sopwith in his 70 hp Gnome two-seat Bleriot XI by one length from Pizey onaP.1. \\'indy weather greeted the Second May :Lvleeting at Hendon on II fay but three pilots auempted the Cross·country Handicap to Elstree. Lewis Turner was blown into some trees after taking-off in a Howard \\'right biplane, 'V. H. Ewen withdrew his Caudron biplane, but Hucks 100k·off and completed the course in his BU:riot XI in ] 3 min 44·4 sec. After several crashes the Speed Handicap was abandoned. On the same day the Brooklands Aero Club held its Relay Race in similar blustery conditions. The winning pair-out of three teams-were T, O. M. Sopwith on his Blcriot and Lieut ''''iIE'ed Parke flying an Avro 500, beating Pizey's Boxkite paired with Raynham's Sopwith-"Vright and R. C. Kemp's Flanders F.3 teamed with H. Spencer's IVIacfie Empress. The strong wind eventually made it impossible to run the planned Cross-country Race to Chertsey.

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Claude Grahame-\Vhite at the controls of his Grahame-\"'hite Baby at Hendon.

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Better weather blessed the Hendon ~ummcr Meeting on 1B tvfay when the Cross-country Handicap of 20 miles for the Seymour Hicks Prize was flown over two laps of the course to Eistree and back. L. "'. F. Turner ",.on the event i~ 33 ~in 44·6 sec Aying a 50 hp Gnome Howard \ Vright biplane competIng With Ewen on a Caudron biplane, Hucks on a Bleriot XI and W. B. Rhodes-Moorhouse fiying the Radlcy-Moorhouse monopla~eJ an adaptation of the Bleriot Xl which was built specifically for racmg by James Radley and Rhodes-Moorhouse and equipped with a 50 hp Gnome mounted in a fabric· covered fuselage. Lewis Turner's second success o[thc daY,came when he won the Grand Speed Handicap of 12 laps totalllllg 17 miles for the P. Tcofani Prize in 30 min 23-4 sec again on his Howard 'Vright biplane. The Radlcy-iVloorhouse mono~ plane's first contest success came when Rhodes-~vloorhouseclimbed it to 5,900 ft to win the Altitude Contest for the St Ivel Challenge Trophy. Also on 18 May, the Brooklands fraternity were indulging in a Get-offthe-Earth Handicap which drew seven pilots, some among them flying

A well-known racing combination at Hendon during 1912-13-\'V. D. Rhodes),IIoorhollse and the Radlcy-i\IIoorhouse monoplane, their first success being the winning of the St Ivel Challenge Trophy on 18 i\1ay, 1912, with a height of 5,900 rt.

Grahame-'White landing his Farman biplane near one of the pylons at Hendon during Easter 1912. (Flight Intemational.)

new aircraft including Parke with the Avro F monoplane and Sopwith with the Coventry Ordnance \i\Torks biplane. H. Spencer came first flying his Macfic Empress, followed by Raynham and Sopwith respectively, both using Howard V\Tright biplanes. Raynham flew Sopwith's Burgess-built Sopwith-vVright-now rc-engined with a 40 hp A.B.C. in place of the Gnome-to win, out of a field of five, the Cross-country Handicap to Chertsey. The final event of the afternoon, two laps of the short course to the mill half-way to Chertsey, saw Sopwith victorious on his two-seat Bleriot. George Handasyde once again acted as handicapper for the day, which brought three new names-8ignor G. Sabelli with a Dcpcrdussin monoplane, F. vVheeler with an Avro 500 and Lieut E. Hotchkiss flying a Bristol Boxkite. vVhitsun 1912 had a full programme of events at Hendon, with a good array of new prizes. On Saturday, 25 May, three starters were on the white line for the Cross-country Handicap to Elstree and back, Valentine being the eventual winner on the Bristol P.l of the Cyril Maude Prize. The Altitude Contcst for the St I vel Trophy went to Hamel with a climb to 4,000 ft in a Bleriot accompanied by Miss Trehawke Davies-a woman enthusiast whom several well-known aviators piloted at this period. The first pylon race of the weekend was the Nlonoplane Speed Handicap for the Barlow Trophy and 80 sovereigns and brought Valentine his second success of the day on the P.I, Ewen winning the Harry Randall Prize. Racing was resumed on rvlonday, 27 May, the Giesler Trophy and 140 sovereigns being offered to the winner of the 44 mile Cross-country Handicap, consisting of two laps from Hendon to St Albans. Of three entrants, Cody-flying his Circuit of Britain biplane-disagreed with his handicap and withdrew, leaving the race to be won in 52 min 20 sec at 53 mph by Valentine on the P.I, Hucks's BU:riot coming in one minute behind. The second Speed Handicap was also held on Monday but was abandoned when Ewen crashed his Caudron biplane. The final item of the programme was the Grand Speed Handicap of six laps for the Marie Tempest Cup and 50 sovereigns which Cody won with his Circuit of Britain biplane.

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The Flanders F.3 monoplane raced by R. C. Kemp at Brooklands during 1912.

Brooklands also had a represcl1lative programme over that 'Vhit the Relay Race on the Saturday being WOIl by T. O. ~II. Sopwlth and H. Spencer, second place falling to B. Rhodcs-?\1oorhollsc and ~icut ~. ,Hotchkiss. On the same day Ray.nham won the Quick Gctoff Competllion on a Henry Farman. On \Vhlt ~/[onday a tOlal entry of 15 was rccci~cd for the IO-mile Cross-country Race to Chertscy and back, two. heats being run. ~irst was Raynham, still adhering to the Sopwith\tVn~h~). sec~md was P1ZCY on a Bristol Boxkite and in third place came LeslIe 1'. MacDonald flYing the 60 hp R.E.P. Vickers No.5 monoplane. Gordon Bell was a new name on the list, flying a 50 hp Gnome Bletiot into seventh place. Flying was made difficult at the First June Meeting at Hendon on I June. 1912. by a very erratic wind, but three contests were run successfully. Two laps of the Cross-country Handicap course to the Hermitage at Stanmore and back totalled 18 miles and drew three entrants for prizes pl-csented by Julia ~eilson and Fred Terry, Hamel on a Bleriot winning by 100 yards from Lewis Turner's Howard "'right, third being RhodesM~)Qrhouse.on the Radley-Moorhouse monoplane. The Paul Maninetti Pnze was PlclTe Verrier)s award for winning the six-lap final of the Grand Sp~ed Pylon Race on a 70 hp Renault Maurice Farman, second place bemg taken by Rhodes-Moorhouse on the Radley-Moorhouse. The AltItude Contest for the St lve! Challenge Trophy went once again to Hamel, who had made a speciality of climbing his Bleriot in height ~vents but this time. in the tricky wind prevailing, he recorded only 2,500 wcck~nd,

"T.

,to

The following Saturday, 8 June, brought the most important meeting at Hend?n so far with the first Aerial Derby as the main attraction. Before thIS spectacular event began, however, six machines took-off in the race around the six pylons in the Speed Handicap for the Shell Silver Tr~phy and cash prizes totalling £100. Raynham, in the Sopwith''''nght, was first by 53 seconds. A crowd of 45,000 had paid for admission at Hendon to see the start and finish of the Aerial Derby, the course of which consisted oran 81-mile circuit with turns at Kempton Park, Esher, Purley, FurBeet, Epping and High Barnet. The main award was the £105 DailY Mail Gold Cup which was complemented by £460 total cash

prizes. The seven competitors, who new around the cOUl"Se in poor weather, were: Aircraft HanriOL monoplane

Pilot S. V. Sippc

?1aurice Farman

P. Verrier

Caudron monoplane Bleriot two-sealer Bleriot two-seater Radley-rv[ool'hollsc monoplane

?1. Guillaux

Bristol Prier P.l two-seater

T. O. M. Sopwith C. Hamel * 'tV. B. Rhodes-l'v[oorhousc J. Valentine

• Carrying l\Iiss Trehawkt: Davies as passenger.

Sopwith was first in. I hI' 23 min 8-4 sec at 58·5 mph, Hamel second, Rhodes-l\tloorhouse thIrd and Valentine fourth. Sopwith was disqualified for allegedly failing to negotiate the Purley turn cOlTeclly, but his appeal was allowed on 5 November, 1912,and he received the Gold Cup and£250. Other awards on the same day were the London Aerodrome Gold Trophy to Hamel, the London Aerodrome Silver Trophy No.3 to Guillaux, the London Aerodrome Silver Trophy No.4 to Rhodes-Moorhouse, the London Aerodrome Silver Trophy No. 5 to Valentine, the London Aerodrome Silver 'Trophy No.6 to Verrier and the London Aerodrome Silver Trophy No.7 to Sippe. On the following vVednesday, 12 June, the point-to-point balloon race for the John DunviJIe Cup was held at Burlingham, first place being taken by A. lVlortimer Singer in the 80,000 cu ft Planet, beating Lieut B. H. Barrington-Kennett by the narrow margin of 350 yards. Very rough wcather conditions made matters difficult for the competitors in the Grand Prix of the Aero-Club de France on 16-17 June) 1912. The course lay from Angers to Cholet and back \vith seven laps to be flown, giving a total of 683 miles. Great .Britain was represented by Gustav Hamel flying a llieriot with E. V. Sassoon as passenger but bad weather made them retire on the second lap. The annual long-distance balloon race for the Hedges Butler Challenge Cup took place at I-Iurlingham on 22.J une, 1912. five balloons leaving the starting mat. These were: Balloon

Capacity eu ft

Acronaut{s)

Ballshee 11 Pland Pompadour L' Esperallce Billie II

80,000 80.000 50.000 50.000 28,000

l\lrsJohn Duoville/C. F. Pollock A. :\lortimer Singer Capt E. i\L l\laitland A. Preston Hohler Gilbert Dennisonl E. T. Willows

Gustav Hamel and :Miss Trehawkc Davies leaving No. J pylon at Hendon to take second place in the Bleriot in the first Aerial Derby on 8.June, 1912.

Mrs John Dunville and C. F. Pollock were first with 205 miles, A. Mortimer Singer second-196 miles) Capt E. M. Maitland third-l 50 miles, i\. P. Hohler fourth-126 miles, and Gilbert Dennison and the airship pioneer E. T. 'Villows nfth. On the same day-22 June-the Second Summer IVleeting was in progress at the London Aerodrome) only eight miles distant from Hurlingham. Four competitors-Verrier on a Maurice Farman) Valentine on a P.I, Hamel on a single-seat llleriot and Hucks on a two-seat Bleriot-set

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off t?ward~ Elstree in the Cross-country Handicap, all four missing that turmng poInt because of heat haze. A totally unexpected complication arose when the g!obu~ar shapes of the balloons of the Royal Aero Club members compet~ng 1I1 the Hedg~s Butler event started drifting across the c
Lady Mann Purse to Verrier, the Lady O'Hagan Prize to Turner, the Lady Shelley Prize to Miss Trehawkc Davies as passenger, the London Aerodrome Silver Trophy No.2 to lVII'S R. T. Gates as passenger and the IVIappin and \,Vebb Prize to Turner. All three aviation centres in the London area-Hurlingham, Hendon and Brooklands-were busy with events on Saturday, 13 July, 1912. The day 'was exceedingly hot and at Hurlingham the long-distance balloon race for the Mortimer Singer Cup was scheduled. Competing were: Balloon

Aeronaut(s)

Capacity eu ft

North Star Planet L'Espirance Pompadour Dunlop II Banshee 1I Clouth IV Dunlop I

80,000 80,000 50,000 50,000 50,000 80,000 77,000 50,000

l\'Irs Assheton Harbord A. Mortimer Singer A. Preston Hohler Capt E. M. Maitland J. D. Dunville Mrs John Dunville W. F. Clouth James Radley

Bentfield Hucks was also the winner of the main awards at the Hendon Midsl!mmer Meeting a :week lat.er. on 29 June, 1912. The Cross-country Handicap was for 16 mIles conslstll1g of two laps of the course to Elstree and back, the prizes being presented by Arthur Bourchier. Only three took part-Hucks came first in his two-scat Blcriot in 18 min 1 sec Verrier s~cond in a Maurice Farma;n a.:nd Hamel third in a single-seat Bleriot. ~ her~ were only thl:ee entnes 1I1 the Grand Speed Handicap totalling SIX mIles by co~pletll1g four laps around the aerodrome for prizes from \,V. Clarkson. FIrst came Hucks with 7 min 4 sec in his Bleriot second was Verrier's NIauriee Farman and third was Lewis Turner i~ the 50 hp Gnome Howard "Vright. 6 July, 191~, was a special Ladies' Day at Hendon organized by the \ Vomen's Aenal League but the high wind compelled cancellation of the e,vents for women pilots. The :NIcn's Cross-country Race-two laps of the Elstree~and-returncourse-was declared void as the two finishers had not cOI?plied with the rul?s. The Speed Handicap was won by Lewis Turner flymg a Howard Wnght and the Speed Handicap for pilot and lady passe~ger went to Verner flymg With Mrs de Beauvoir Stocks on a Maunce Farman, the London Aerodrome Silver Trophy No. I being presented to Mrs Stocks. Mrs Stocks-using an Anzani Bleriot XI-was also the recipient of the Daily Nlirror Prize as the only lady pilot to fly th~ee laps of t~e field. Various awards were presented for the day's flYlI~g and consIsted of the "Vomen's Aerial League Prize to Verrier, the AerIal League Purse to Turner, theivIrs E. Goddard Purse to Verrier, the

James Radley came first with a night of 132 miles to Market Drayton, Salop. On 30 April, 1912, Mrs Assheton Harbord had achieved the distinction of being the only woman holding the Royal Aero Club's Aeronatil'S Certificate when she was granted No. 16. At Hendon the Second July Meeting was in progress-with prizes donated by MaUl"jce Farkoa and Arthur Bourchier-and Signor G. Sabelli joined the Jist of prizewinners when he won the Speed Handicap of six laps in 12 min 23·6 sec flying a 35 hp Anzani Deperdussin, being awarded the Grahame-\"'hite Cup No.5. First place in the Grand Speed Handicap of six laps for the :Nliss Florence Parbury Prize went to H. J. D. Astley for a time of 10 lTI.in 0·4 sec on a 50 hp Gnome Bleriot. In equally sweltering conditions the Brooklands Aero Club staged their third Cross~country Handicap over a course of 10 miles for a £50 first prize. Lieut E. \,V. Copland Perry won on the Sopwith~\IVright, H. Spencer came second on the Macfie Empress and C. L. Pashley was third flying a Sommer biplane. Among the seven starters was Gordon Bell on the elegant Martin-Handasyde Military monoplane. Copland Perry was successful also in winning the Speed Handicap on the following day, 14 July, in brilliant, hot weather, once again with the Sopwith-\I\fright which had turned out to be quite a successful racer despite its cumbersome appearance. NIaurice Farkoa again generously presented the Trophy and cash prizes at Hendon on 20 July for the 16-mile Cross-country Handicap consisting of two laps of the course to Elstree. Only three starters were released from the white line, first place going to Astley on a 50 hp Gnome Bleriot for a time of 20 min 21 sec. The Grand Speed Handicap for prizes from Rushmore Lamps Ltd took three machines around the aerodrome for six laps with Signor Jules Nardini and his 50 hp Gnome Deperdussin leading into first place. A handicap race of a very different kind was staged in full view of thousands of holidaymakers on 24July, 1912, from Black Rock at Brighton to a point just to the west of Hove. The two protagonists were the popular

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Claude Grahame-\r\'hite with ?is Farman hydro-biplane which he flew on 24July, 1912, to beat HatTy PreSlon s motor-boat A1y Lady A10lly in a race between Brighton and Have.

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Claude Grahamc-\VhilC with his .Eenry Farman hydro-biplane emblazoned with ,,,rake Up England' and Harry Preston's 55 [t cabin cruiser motor-boat 1\~ Lady l\1Iolly. The handicap-the aeroplane gave the boat 12·5 seconds start and had also to cover two laps of the course to the boat's single lap-worked remarkably well over the distance involved as Grahame- White beat My Lady M.ol!JI by only 10 yards. Bad weather had its efTect on the Cross-country Handicap at Brookl~ndsheld on 27 July, 1912, as only Lieut E. W. Copland Perry on the Sopwlth-\IVnght and Lleul E. Hotchkiss on a Bristol Prier P.I two-seat monoplane flew, the biplane proving the winner. Ra~ing activity at Hendon on 3 August was similarly sparse, the Speed Handicap of four laps around the aerodrome drawing only Jules Nardini oJ? a Deperdussin against 1vlarcel Desoutter on a 50 hp Gnome Bleriot, WIth Desoutter winning in 6 min 25 sec. A few minutes later the pair flew the same course again, -ardini with a standing start beating Desoutter with a flying start by 2·4 sec. For some time little had been done to improve on any of the existing offic~al British records but at 5 a.m. on 12 August, 1912, Geoffrey de H.avllla.n:I took-off from Salisbury Plain in his newly designed B.E.2, WIth MaJ F. H. Sykes, e.O. of the Military Wing of the Royal Flying Corp~, as h1s passenger, and coaxed the 70 hp Renault engine into taking the b1plane up to ]0,500 ft to set a new British altitude record both solo and with passenger. The 5· 75 mile Speed Handicap over four laps at Hendon on 17 August, 1912, pro:,ed an exciting event when the scratch Deperdussin piloted by Valentmc overhauled the three other competitors-A. Blackburn on the Grahame-\Vhite Henry Farman, Lewis Turner on a Howard \'Vright and :Nlarcel Desoutter on a Bleriot-LO win in 6 min 30-4 sec. Nardini was now making a name as a racing pilot at Hendon, being awarded the Tit-Bits Trophy on 28 August, and he participated there again on 31 August in the Second August Meeting which fine weather helped to make a resounding success. After two laps of the course to Elstree and back, totalling 18 miles, Lewis Turner brought his Howard v~right into first place in 30 min 16 sec. Turner used the same biplane to wm ~he next event, the Grand Speed Handicap, but Nardini on a Deperdussm and Desoutter on a Bleriot came second in a deadheat. A. Blackburn flew the 50 hp Gnome Grahame-\'Vhite Boxkitc but retired, and among the others competing Lieut Spenser D. A. Grey raced the 50 hp Gnome Blackburn 1ercury monoplane ·0. 33 stationed at Hendon as a trainer. Two awards which went to Lewis Turner were the NIosley F}owers an? Company Prize and the London Aerodrome Silver Trophy No.9. LoUIS Noel was awarded the R. A. Yerburgh Prize, and the G. H. Chirgwin Prize went to NIarcel Desoutter for climbing his Rleriot to 3,050 ft in the Altitude Contest, beating Richard Gates who reached 2 900 ft in a Henry Farman. ' ~-I: J. Astley was pilot to Miss Trehawke Davies in Sopwith's two-seat Blenot In the 1912 Coupe Pommeroy competition for the pilot flying the greatest :Iistance from France in 24 hours. The pair took off from Issyles':NIoulmeaux at 5·29 a.m. on 3 September and had reached Bonn by 7 p.m., but they failed to win the award and were subsequently unluckv enough to crash on the way back. '

Hendon's September I\lIeeting took place on 7 September, 1912, the first event being the Cross-country Handicap to Elstree and back twice. The two monoplanes entered-Sabelli's Ham-jot and Desoutter's Blcriotwere beaten by Louis Noel on the Maurice Farman who won in 21 min 14 sec for the Grahame-\Vhite Cup Ko. 6, the London Aerodrome Silver Trophy No. 10 being awarded to Sabelli for second place. A strong wind delayed the start of the Grand Speed Handicap of four laps of the aerodrome pylons, for so long that it was finally too latc to continue and the event \...,as put off until the next meeting. Lcopardstown Racecourse ncar Dublin was chosen by the Aero Club of Ireland fOl- the start of its race to Belfast and back on 7 September, 1912, the prize for the winner being £300. Sixteen entries were received, but appallingly bad weather prevailed over the course with the result that only four machines-all monoplanes-started, none of which reached Belfast on the first stage. As a consolation for their efforts under extremely trying conditions the £300 first prize was shared between James Valent.ine for reaching Newry-50 miles away-on his Dcperdussin, and H. J. D. Astley for flying his Bloriot as far as Drogheda. The Shell Prize of £50 went to Lieut J. C. Porte, also on a Dcperdussin, and Desmond Arthur received £25 for his gallant tryon a 70 hp Gnome Bristol Prier P.l. The non-starters in what had promised to be a most interesting event included G. Hamel, Bleriot; R. B. Slack, Blcriot; C. \'\Tilson, Bleriot; H. Busteed, Bristol Prier P.l; H. jullerot, Bristol Boxkite; VV. H. Ewen, Caudron monoplane; S. V. Sippe, Hanriot monoplane and H. R. Simms, Avro 500 biplane, together with a Vickers monoplane, Handley Page H.P.5E monoplane and Twining Biplane No.2. On the following Saturday, 14 September, the Autumn Meeting was held at Hendon in bright weather but with a fresh breeze which interfered with the Grand Speed Handicap of six laps, making it necessary to arrange a revised handicap. Mrs C. de Beauvoir Stocks vacated her Anzani Bleriot and flew instead as passenger with Noel on the 70 hp Gnome Henry Farman to win the event in 14 min 32 sec by beating.J. L. Travers on the Grahamc-White Boxkite and Marcel Desoutter on a Blcriot. The Horace Goldin Prize went to Sydney Pickles and the Hendon Trophy No.2 to R. T. Gates. Flying at Hendon suffered again from the weather two weeks later on 28 September, 1912, when the Naval and Military Meeting was held. This part of the show was carried through but the 12·5 mile Crosscountry Handicap of two laps over a triangular course and the Open Speed Handicap were abandoned because of wind and mist. On the same day the 10 mile Brooklands Cross-country Handicap was cancelled owing to high winds and poor weather. At the end of the following week the all-important weather was cold but good for flying so that the Speed Handicap \vas run at Hendon on 5 October, 1912, for the J. E. 'rVithers Prize and the International Correspondence Schools Trophy No.1, both of which Lewis Turner won on the Grahame-White Boxkite. On 6 October, a Relay Race for carrying dispatches was staged at Brooklands, and won by a team comprising H. Spencer flying the IVIacfie Empress and R. H. Barnwell on the Vickers-Farman biplane.

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.n.

l

I

During Saturday, 12 October, the lively Hendon management under Grahame-''''hite, Richard Gates and Bernard Isaac organized the Second Autumn Meeting which included a two-lap Cross~country Handicap to Elstree totalling 18 miles for the Maharajah or Alwar Trophy, which Lewis Turner, continuing his run of successes, won on the Grahame\'Vhite Boxkite. The coming of autumn with its earlier nightfall brought about the postponement until 19 October of the four-lap Grand Speed Handicap as the daylight had gone. At Brooklands, on 13 October, an Altitude Contest was held with first place going to Raynham for 3,000 ft on the Flanders F.4, H. A. PetrePeter the Monk of thc well-known Petre brothcrs-was second at 2,900 ft on the Martin-Handasyde monoplane, and E. C. Pashley-one of another pair of prominent flying brothers-came third at 1,600 ft flying a Sommer biplane. An Altitude Contest was a feature of the programme during the next weekend at Hendon on 19 October, ]912, and was notable for the record height of 6,850 ft for the aerodrome during 1912 whieh was aehieved by Hucks in a 70 hp Gnome Bleriot to win. Travers achieving 2,850 ft on a Henry Farman won second place. On the same programme the International Correspondence Schools Trophy No. 2 was first prize in the Grand Speed Contest of six laps, being won by the Grahame-'Vhite pilot Louis Noel on the Henry Farman. vVhen October, the closing month for the 1912 Michelin awards, arrived, there was the usual sudden increase of activity in attempting to win them. The last day for the British Empire Michelin Cup No. I and £500 was 3l October and the contest resolved itself into a duel between 1-1. G. Hawker and F. P. Raynham. Hawker used the Sopwith-Wright biplane, v'lith its 40 hp A.B.C., at Brooklands, making his first attempt on l6 October but coming down after 3 hI' 3l min. His next tryon 2l October ended after 2 hI' 40 min. Hawkerls third effort on 22 October gave 3 hI' 30 min but this ,vas beaten on the same day by Raynham who-making his attempts at Shoreham using the Avro G Military Trials biplanestayed up for 3 hI' 48 min. So far, neither had managed the qualifying minimum flight of 5 hI' required by the contest, which in 1912 was a straightforward duration event by a British pilot flying an all-British aircraft between sunrise and one hour after sunset. On 24 October both pilots made their final attempts. Raynham in the two-bay cabin biplane stayed aloft for 7 hI' 31 min 30 sec l until the oil in the 60 hp Green was exhausted, thereby setting a new British duration record. Before the time limit had expired, Hawker brought the well-used Sopwith-''''right in to land after 8 hI' 23 min to win the competition and also to find himself the holder of a new British duration record. The 1912 contest for the British Empire Michelin Cup No.2 and £600, involving a ]86 mile cross-country closed course over which the winning British pilot and all-British aeroplane had to establish the fastest time, had elosed a fortnight before on 15 October. The main contender for this was S. F. Cody fiying his Military Trials biplane, re-engined with a 100 hp Green, which he flew nonstop between Laffan's Plain and Newhaven, covering about 220 miles, as he lost his way, at an average speed of 54 mph over the 186 mile course for 3 hI' 26 min between his take-off on 12 October at 11.50 a.m. and his landing at 3.16 p.m., a performance

which brought him success in the :NIichclin contest for the third year in succession. Stuttgart was chosen as the startin~ point for. the 1912 Gordon Bennett Balloon Race and 19 balloons rose mto the all' on 27 October, among them the 80,000 cu ft Honey Aloon flown by J. de Francia representing the Royal Aero Club and Great B:itain. After 41 hours aloft.Hontry Moon landed at Kronstadt to secure mnth place, the contest belllg 'won by France. vVith the approach of winter the 'weather worsened, and at Brooklands on 27 October the Speed Handicap which had already been postponed on 20 October because of bad weather was once again put off by a boisterous wind until 3 November. The ncxt weekend brought with it cold but fine conditions so that, at Hendon on 2 November, 1912, it was possible to run the Grand Speed Handicap, in the six-lap final of which Marcel I?esout~er was ab~e to win the London Aerodrome Silver Trophy No. 12 wlth a tlme of 9 mm 38 sec . on his 50 hp Gnome Bleriot. The Speed Handicap on 3 November, at Brooklands, for a total dIstance of 4·5 miles in three laps-postponed from 27 October-was won by F. 'Varren Merriam on a Bristol Boxkite, with H. Spencer, still fiying the rebuilt Macfie Empress, coming second. . At Hendon's next meeting on 9 November, 1912, the Grahame-"Vlute Trophy was won by R. T. Gates flying the single-rudder Graham~­ 'Vhite Boxkite the London Aerodrome Bronze Trophy went to LOUIS Noel with the' Maurice Farman, and the London Aerodrome Silver Trophy No.ll was ,von by Sydney Pickles on a Caudron biplane. \Vith winter closing in, the last Hendon race of 1912 was held on 16

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The Sopwith-Wright biplane with which H. G. Hawker won the :Miche1in Cup No.1 in 1912. (FLight International.)

November and was a friendly Speed Handicap of four laps around the pylons, the contest being between Desoutter on his Bleriot and Noel on the Henry Farman, with Noel proving the winner. The final Brooklands event of the year was on Sunday 24 November, and the fine day drew large crowds of spectators to watch the Speed Handicap of two laps. The winner was John Alcock flying a Henry Farman in his first race; he was the man who, seven years later, was to be acclaimed for his part in the first nonstop Atlantic flight. The bad winter weather, culminating in a gale on 24 December, 1912, did not stop Edward Petre-Peter the Painter-from taking-ofT at 9.10 a.m. from Brooklands in a 65 hp Antoinette Martin-Handasyde monoplane in an attempt to accomplish a record nonstop flight to Edinburgh. After fighting the wind all the way to Marske·by-the-Sea on the Yorkshire coast, Petre turned in to land but the machine broke up in the air and he was killed after a flight which had already set up for a llritish pilot a new record for 200 miles in a straight line. Since the start in the United Kingdom in 1906 of serious competitive aviation with the first official balloon races, the annual increase in the number of events and of record attempts had been at a steady rate until 1911, but 1912 had witnessed a trebling of activity in twelve months. This was largely owing to the rapid improvement in aeroplane and engine design, matched with the output of new pilots from the flying schools. An equally important factor was that of the businesslike approach of thc managements of Hendon and Brooklands, and their successful endeavours in presenting worthwhile awards to the winners of the events on the programmes. These contests by now had become a very popular part of the social and sporting scene, encouraged by their regular staging of events at weekends and occasionally at mid-week. The total of slightly over 100 races and record attempts during 1912 was destined just to be surpassed in the course of 1913, with neither ycar being approached again in the volume of such events taking place within twelve months. Tn retrospect, 1912 and 1913 were the two busiest years in sporting fiying in Great Britain.

Throughout 1912, the honours had been fairly evenly divided between monoplanes and biplanes, with the biplanes surprisingly often showing themselves superior to the monoplanes in speed for the same power. The tractor monoplane was strongly entrenched, many-Blcriots, peperdussins and Hanriots-being of foreign origin, while the tractor bIplane, thanks mainly to A. V. Roc, had come strongly to the fore. The pusher biplane, however, still occupied a strong position, mainly because of its suitability as a trainer, an occupation for which it had been developed extensively. The 1913 season at Hendon opened on 22 February in cold but ideal fiying weather, with a Grand Speed Handic;lp around the aerodrome pylons for the 60 guinea Aero Show Trophy. The fin~1 heat was exciting with very close cutting of the pylons by a group of pilots who were now fairly well experienced. First, in 12 min I? sec, was E. Richet Ayi,~g the ungainly 110 hp Canton-Unne Breguet bIplane, second was Verner on the 70 hp Renault Maurice Farman and third came Harold Blackburn on No. 33, the Blackburn Mercury school monoplane. On 26 l"ebruary, a private handicap speed race was run around the Hendon pylons between the Belgian, Brindejonc des Moulinais, on a 50 hp Morane·Saulnier monoplane, Vale~tine an? his two-seat ~ll~riot, ~nd Richard Gates with the Grahame-''''hlte Boxklte, the easy wmner belllg des Moulinais on his fast French machine. The British solo height record was broken again on 13 wlarch at Eastchurch when Eng-Lieut E. F. Briggs reached 14,920 ft while flying an 80 hp Ie Rhone Bleriot. The first two days of Hendon's 1913 Easter Meeting were spoiled by rain and generally poor weather, but the Speed Handicap of four laps of the pylons was scheduled on Good Friday, 21 March, Marcel Desoutter on a BJeriot competing against Manuel Chevillard flying a Henry Far~an with Capt Tyrer as passenger. The weather was so bad that the followmg day's altitude and speed events were givcn up, and Sunday's weather was fine but no contests were arranged. On Monday, 24 March, however, 20,000 spectators arrived to watch the very successful day's flying. A Cross-country Handicap was flown over the course to Elstrce and. back for the Oddenino Trophy, won in 11 min 8·4 sec by G. Collardeau [n the 110 hp Canton-Unne Breguet biplane. The eight-lap final of the Speed Handicap for the Dairy Express Gold and Sliver Medals resulted In a deadheat between Collardeau on the Breguet and Verner on the Maunee Farman. An extra heat of four laps was then arranged which Verrier won by 10·6 sec for the Gold Medal, the Silver Medal going to Collardeau; the accompanying cash award was divided equally between .the two.pIlots. The British Petroleum Company presented the 50 gumea pnze for the Easter Aeroplane Handicap on 24 1\JIarch at Brooklands, the wi~ner being John Alcock using Maurice Ducrocq's Henry !';'arman; A. Kmght came second on the Vickers-Farman biplane and H. G. Hawker was third with the 40 hp A.B.C. Sopwith-Wright biplane which had just been completely rebuilt. Among the other competitors was R. H. Barnwell . flying the Vickers No.5 monoplane. At the end of l\1arch 1913, the announcement came of two Important Daily lvIail prizes. £5,000 was off~red to .t~e win~cr of the Circuit. of Britain flying a waterplane of entIrely BntIsh deSign and constructIOn

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Third place in the Aero Show Trophy race at Hendon on 22 February, 1913, was gained by Harold Blackburn with the Blackburn }'·lercury used as r\o. 33 at the Blackbu.rn Flying School at Hendon. (Flight International.)

around England, Scotland, \,Vales apd to within one mile or Kingstown Harbour, in ] reland) in 72 continuous hours) starling and finishing at a point at the mouth of the Thames. The second Dairy Mail offer was of £10,000 to the first person flying across the Atlantic Ocean from any point in the USA) Canada or i e\\,_ foundland to any point in Great Britain or Ireland within 72 hours) without restriction on nationality of entrants or ail"craft. Two meetings arranged at Hendon-lhat of5 April, 1913) including a Speed Handicap and Altitude Comest, and the First Spring Meeting of 12 April-had to be cancelled owing to excessively strong winds. On 16 April, 1913) an event took place at 1Vlonaco of which-at the time-relatively little notice was taken in Great Britain but which was subsequently to assume the greatest significance, to exert a profound influence on the design and development both of aircraft and engines, and to claim the attention and the resources of several nations. This was the Schneider Trophy Contest, first held in 1913 for the award presented by Jacques Schneider-a patron of French aviation-as the prize in one of several contests during the Hydro-aeroplane Competitions under the aegis of the Aero-Club de France. The competition was won for France by Maurice Prevost) who ftew his 160 hp Gnome Dcperdussin seaplane around the 173·6 mile course-made up of 28 laps of 6·2 miles each-at 45· 75 mph in 3 hI' 48 min 22 sees, to receive the bronze Trophy symbolizing Speed as a winged figure poised upon and caressing the centre one of a trio of female figures rising from a breaking wave) incorporating also the face of Neptune. On 17 April, 1913, the first nonstop night between England and Germany was accomplished by Gustav Hamel piloting Frank Dupree of the Standard staff in an 80 hp Gnome Military Type Bloriot XI. Take-off was at 12·40 p.m. from Dover) and Cologne was reached after 4 hr 18 min in the air) during which a distance of 320 miles was covered on a route over five countries) heavy storms being encountered over Belgium and Holland. The point-to·point distance was 245 miles. On Saturday, 19 April, 1913) a special London Day was organized at Hendon under the patronage of the Lord Mayor, Sir David Burnett. The weather was fine) but so windy that two of the events-the two-lap Cross-country Handicap to Elstree and the Speed Handicap for the London Cup presented by Mappin and Webb-had to be cancelled. An unofficial Speed Handicap was arranged between Manuel Chevillard on a Henry Farman and Verrier on a Maurice Farman which Verrier won by 10 seconds. For his performances during the day Chevillard was awarded the London Aerodrome Silver Trophy No. 13) the Cherry Kcarton Prize and the Special Silver Trophy. Hendon's next important event was the Fifth London Aviation Meeting staged over \'Vhitsun) and Saturday, 10 May) 1913, was fine and sunny for the holding of the Altitude Contest for the Danny Maher Trophy. A new biplane design by T. O. M. Sopwith and F. Sigrist-the prototype 80 hp Gnome Sopwith Three-seater-was flown to 7)400 ft during a flight of 40 minutes by Hawker to win the Trophy. The aerodrome pylons provided the course for the Speed Handicap for the Shell lOa guinea Prize, the six-lap final being won by Lewis Turner on a Caudl"On biplane. Robert SIackls second place on a Bleriot also brought him a Shell Prize and

third place wa,;; filled by Licut J. C. Porte on his 100 hp Anzani Dcperdussin. On \Vhit wlonday) 12 Nlay) the Giesler Challenge Trophy was awarded to Brindejonc des Moulinais for coming first in his IVloraneSaulnier in the three-lap Cross-country Handicap to Elstree. Lewis Turner was once again among the prize-winners when he brought his Caudron biplane into first place in the four-lap Speed Handicap of six miles for the Horace Goldin Trophy and he was also awarded the London Aerodrome Prize. On the \\'hit Nlonday Hawker used the new Sopwith Three-seater to win the Brooklands \Vhitsun Cross-counlry Handicap of 12 miles by 39 seconds. Because of the strong wind and rain there were only three starters. John Alcock, flying Ducrocq's Henry Farman, was blown down after taking-off and gave up, so the contest became a race between Hawker in the Sopwith and Gordon Bell in the new Martin-Handasyde Military monoplane fitted with the 80 hp Laviator engine. Hendon's next affair of note was a week later on 17 May, 1913) when the Summer Meeting was staged. The London Aerodrome Prize for the 18 mile Cross-country Handicap over two laps of the course to Elstree was won by Slack and his Bleriot. Among the monoplanes participating was the reconstructed and modified Handley Page H.P.5 E. A final of eight laps around the pylons decided the Grand Speed Handicap, the London Aerodrome Prize for first place going to Verrier on a 1Vlaurice Farman. On 24 1ay, 1913, the Hendon Empire Day Meeting was held, with perfect flying weather. The end of the Speed Handicap came with a final heat of eight laps and was won by the American pilot \ V. L. Brock flying a 35 hp Anzani Deperdussin monoplane, which brought him the vVithers Cup and the Agent General of British Columbia Prize.

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Two racing pilots of 1913 at Hcndon-J\'lal'cd Desoutter) left, and G. "V. Bealty, right, seated in the 50 hp Gyro-\,\rright biplane.

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Royal Aero Club to land in a ballQon within five miles of the pond a quarter of a mile south-southwest of Champion Lodge, Maldon, Essex, after ascending not less than 30 miles from 1vlaldon. Hendon was unfortunate with the weather on Ladies Day, 5 July, 1913. The Cross-country Handicap was held in pouring rain, each of the three starters carrying the stipulated lady passenger over the short threelap course to Mill Hill and back. Pierre Verrier won the event flying a Maurice l~arman and was awarded the Elkington Bowl, the Mappin and \IVebb Bowl and the Mrs VV. Hutton Prize. Noel and Brock, the two other competitors, lost their way in the downpour but Noel received the London Aerodrome Cup for his efforts. Four starters braved the weather in the Speed Handicap which was won by E. Cheeseman 011 the 50 hp Gnome Grahame-\'Vhite Boxkite, his prize being the \'Vomen's Aerial League Cup. A. Mortimer Singer's generosity again was apparent during 1913 with his offer of £500 for six consecutive out-and-return flights by an amphibian between t\VO points five miles apart, one on water and the other on land, with a landing at each point, giving a total of six alightings on water and six on land within five hours. A minimum altitude of 750 ft was to he reached on each flight, together with one climb to 1,500 ft. Steadily, the Sopwilh Aviation Company \vas gaining strength and experience, and felt competent enough to enter its Bat Boat la flown by I-I. G. Hawker, the firm's chief pilot. The machine was a two-bay biplane with a single pusher engine mounted between the mainplanes, making it necessary to carry the tail unit on four booms. To meet the award's all-British stipulation, the 90 hp Austro-Daimler engine was replaced by the 100 hp Green. The two landing points selected were a field near Ramble Aerodrome and a buoy in the Solent, between which Hawker, accompanied by Lieut S.

G. \V. Beatty with the Gyro-\'Vright, which he flew into second place at Hendon in the Speed Handicap on 24 July, 1913.

D. A. Grey, on 8 July, 1913, passed back and forth without incident to complete the requirements in 3 hr 25 min and win the award. Saturday, 12 July, 1913, brought an annual event in lighter-than-air racing with the take-off from Hurlingham for the seventh Hedges Butler Challenge Cup contest. The balloons were: Balloon

Capacity cu. ft.

Aeronaut(s)

Banshee II

80,000 35,000 80,000 95,000 50.000 50;000

MrsJohn Dunville A. Preston Hohler A. Mortimer Singer ?vlaj E. M. Maitland J. D. Dunville James Radley *

At/ascot Planet RFe Polo Dunlop I

* Wilhdrew

M. D. lvianton flying the single-rudder Grahamc-\'Vhitc Boxkite, with which he was second in the Speed Handicap at Hendon on 19 July, 1913. (Flight International.)

Banshee II's landing 120 miles away at Edingthorpe gave Mrs Dunville her sccond win in succession. This time no trouble arose between the I-Iurlingham aeronauts and the Hendon aviators during the Hedges Butler contest and the Speed Handi~ cap at Hendon on the same day for theJuly Cup presented by P. Teofani, which was won by Verrier who beat the others in the 12 mile final over eight laps with the Maurice Farman fitted with skids and an enclosed nacelle. The weather was bad the following week at Hendon when the Second Summer Meeting was held on 19 July, 1913. Twelve miles over eight laps was again the distance in the final of the Speed Handicap for the London Ae.l'Odrome Silver Trophy No.16, which was awarded to Robert Slack ~Yll1g his !vIorane-Saulnier monoplane; Nlarcus D. rvlanton came second m [h.e Grahame-\ Vhite Boxkite and Norman C. Spratt brought the Deperdllssm monoplane over the line into third place. On Thursday, 24 July, 1913, a mid-week attraction-the Hendon Floral Fete-was arranged at the London Aerodrome. Among the varied evcnts on the programme was the Speed Handicap with an eight-lap final of 12 miles for the London Aerodrome Silver Trophy No. 17, which went to J. C. Porte flying a Deperdussin of 75 hp, second was G. \-V.

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H. G. Hawker with the Sopwith Three·seater, flown to set several height records during 1913. (Hawker.)

Beatty piloting a 50 hp Gyro-'Vright biplane and third came Verrier on a Maurice Farman. Hendon was again active on 26 July, fol' the Second]uly wlccting which included the popular Speed Handicap for 12 miles over cight laps. This time Beatty came in first on the Gyro-\Nright to win the London Aerodrome Silver Trophy No. 18, with l3rock second and Porte third, on Deperdussin monoplanes of 75 hp and 100 hp respectively, Hawker set out on 27 .July, 1913, on another climb in the Sopwith Three-seater, this time with three passengers, and succeeded in taking the biplane up to 8,400 ft for a new world record with such a load. For a long time most of the competitive flying had been held in the south of England) but a programme was arranged in the north over the 1913 August Bank Holiday weekend at the Burton-on-'rrent Meeting from Friday, I August, until Tuesday,S August. The first competition was held on Bank Holiday Monday, 4 August, thc 750 yards by 300 yards aerodrome being on ground lent by Bass) Rattcliffe and Grelton, and which formed part of an island madc by two arms of the River Trent. The day's competitions started with the Altitude Contest for £25) which was won by Sydney Pickles flying the Radley-Moorhouse monoplane to 6,100 ft. Next came the Cross-country Handicap to Repton, also for [,25, and this had a close finish with F. P. Raynham winning by 75 yards in the 50 hp Gnome Avro 500. On 5 August, three competitors took part in a six-lap closed-circuit Around-the-lsland Handicap Race for the Marquis of Anglesey Cup. This was won in 9 min 50 sec by.E. Ronald Whitehouse fiying the Handley Page H.P.5 E monoplane, bcatIng Freddy Raynham on the Avro 500 and Sydney Pickles on a 60 hp Anzani Bleriot.

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A busy prograrnme was arranged at Hendon over the 1913 Bank Holiday weekend as the Sixth London Nleeting. On 2 August R. H. Carr won the Harry Preston Cup in the Grahame-\Vhite Boxkite as first home in the eight-lap 12 mile final of the Speed Handicap. R. B. Slack was awarded the International Correspondence Schools Cup and also the C. C. \ Vakefield Prize. A new cross-country course to Bittacy Hill) near i\IiIl Hill, was tried out on 4 August, four laps of which totalled 16 miles. First prize was the Lord Desbol"Ough Challenge Bowl, won by Verrier Hying a :Nlauricc }7arman. On the same day the Speed Handicap over the aerodrome pylon course of 12 milcs in eight laps was run for the i\Iappin and "'ebb Trophy) Louis Nocl being the winner on the Maurice Farman. The Bank Holiday Monday was also the occasion for a meeting at Brooklands, but a strong wind made racing difficult. Another award was added to the year's prize list with the announcement that on 6 August, 19 i 3, the Sir Thomas]. Lipton 'T'rophy, worth 100 guineas, would be awarded to the winner of a race for hydro-aeroplanes over a course of 60 miles near Cowes. Mosley, Flowers and Company were responsible for making the Trophy) which consistcd of a circular base surmounted by four falcons carrying betwecn the points of their upturned wingtips a globe, on which stood a female figure holding aloft in her left hand a single-float biplane. Hendon's Saturday racing on 9 August, 1913) included a Speed Handicap with a six-lap final for the London Aerodrome Silver Trophy Xo.19 which Raynham won on the Avro 500, showing that the 50 hp Gnome biplane was able to beat two monoplanes-Porte's ItO hp Anzani Deperdussin which was second and Spratt's 60 hp Deperdussin which came third. The Cross-country Handicap used the ncwly-adopted course to Bittacy Hill) which gave a lap distance of four miles, four laps being flown for the afternoon's events. Louis Noel came first in the .Maurice Farman to win the Mappin and ""ebb Challenge Trophy and the London Aerodrome Prize.

The reconslructcd Handley Page H.P.5 E, piloted by E. R. Whitehouse to win the Marquis of Anglesey Cup at Burton-on-Trent on 5 August, 1913. (Flight

International,)

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At the next Saturday meeting at Hendon, on 16 August, 1913, two Morane-Saulnier monoplanes won events. Robert Slack flew his into first place in the eight-lap Speed Handicap final for the High Commissioner of New Zealand Trophy and the London Aerodrome Prize, and in the Altitude Contest Philippe Marty reached 5,000 ft in his IVloraneSaulnier to win the London Aerodrome Silver Trophy No. 20. During the day, Bentfield Hucks made an attempt on the British altitude record in a Bleriot XI but reached only 9,800 ft. The dates fixed finally for the 1913 Daily AlIail Circuit of Britain were 16-30 August, the total distance being 1,540 miles in nine stages. Four entries were received: Aircraft

Pilot

Cody Circuit of Britain seaplane Short 5.68 Radley-England Walerplane I Sopwith Circuit seaplane

S. F. Cody Withdrew F. K. McClean/Gus Smith Withdrew Jamcs Radley/E. C. Gordon England \Vithdrew H. G. Hawker/H. A. Kauper

Remarks

Out of the initial entrants only the Sopwith started. Flying his machine as a land plane, Cody had crashed and been killed at Laffan's Plain on 7 August, 1913, 'W1cClean withdrew his Short owing to engine trouble and the unusual twin-hull Radley-England was withdrawn for the same reason. Sopwith and Kauper left the water at the new starting point of Southampton at 11.47 a.m. on 16 August, heading eastwards along the coast, reached Yarmouth and then were forced to retire afi.er Ha\vkcr collapsed

The Grahame-\"'hite Lizzie-a popular winner of races at Hendon during 1913. (Flight International.)

B. C. Hucks's Blcriot XI alongside No. I pylon at Hendon.

from exhaust fumes and the heat of the sun. Returning later to their takeotT point for modifications to the aircraft, the pair made ready for a second attempt, on which they left Southampton at 5.30 a.m. in calm and mist on 25 August. This time the crew struggled on for two-thirds of the course as far as Dublin, where further engine trouble beset them and on 27 August they crashed on alighting after covering 1,043 miles in 20 hI' flying lime at 52 mph average speed. Allhough the SOpwilh failed to complete the stipulated course, the Daily i\;Iail awarded Hawker a special prize of £1 ,000 for his determination. On 19 AuguSl, 1913, a long-distance flight was accomplished by Capl C. A. H. Longcl'oft, with Lieut-Col F. H. Sykes as his passenger, in a 70 hp Renault D.E.2 of No.2 Squadron, RFC, specially equipped with an extra fuel tank. Leaving Farnborough at 9.40 a.m. the biplane was set on course for Alnmouth 287 miles away and landed there at 3.10 p.m., having set a new British nonstop record with one passenger. After a stop of2 hI' 10 min at Alnmouth the machine flew on to Montrose to make a total distance Hown of about 450 miles in 7 hI' 40 min and accomplishing the longest cross-country aeroplane Hight in one day in Great Britain. Gusty, unsettled weather bedevilled the Hendon meeting on 23 August, 1913, but seven starters took-off in the 16 mile Cross-country Handicap Over four laps of the Bittacy Hill course. The Hendon Cup for first place went to Slack on the Morane-Saulnier; the new 50 hp Gnome Grahame\\"hite Boxkite-fitted with twin rudders and known as the Bi-rudder 'Bus -was flown into second place by M. D. ~1anton; and Verrier finished third on the Maurice Farman. Lieut J. C. Porte raced home in his 110 hp Deperdussin to beat Philippe Marty on a :Nlorane-Saulnier by two seconds in the eight-lap final of the Speed Handicap, thereby receiving the London Aerodrome Cup.

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Another mid-week meeting-Motor Cycle Day-was held at Hendon on Thursday, 28 August, 1913, with the Anglo-American Oil Companx Pratt's Trophy as the first prize in the eight-lap final of the Speed Handicap. This, together with the London Aerodrome Silver Trophy 1 0.21, went to A. Debussy flying the 110 hp Canton-Unne Breguet biplane, and Verrier was awarded the Anglo-American Oil Company Prize. On the following Saturday, 30 August, the Second August Meeting was staged, the London Aerodrome Silver Trophy No. 22 being awarded to \ V. Birchenough after piloting the early single-rudder Grah~me­ \Vhite Boxkite into first place in the eight-lap final of the Speed Handicap.

another thrilling finish when the first four aircraft crossed lhe white line within four seconds of each other, Noel in the Bi-ruddcr 'Bus being the winner of the London Aerodrome Prize for first place. The London Aerodrome Silver Trophy No. 23 was first prize for four laps of the Bittacy Hill course in the Cross-country Handicap and went to Marcus A1anton on the Grahame-'Vhite Boxkite for a time of 25 min 23 sec. Hendon Aerodrome provided the start.ing and finishing points on 20 September, 1913, for the Second Aerial Derby of94·5 miles, with turns at Kempton Park, Epsom, 'Vest Thurrock, Epping and Hertford. Out of 15 entrants there were II starters, nine of whom arrived home within 20 minutes of each other. Competing were: Aircraft

Pilot

Caudron biplane Henry Farman Bleriot Bleriot Avro 504 Sopwith Three-sealer 1'lorane-Saulnier Deperdussin

E. Baumann P. Verrier W. L. Brock B. C. Hucks F. P. Raynham H. C. I-Ia wker P. Marty J. C. Porte R. B. Slack R. H. Barnwell G. Hamel

~'Iorane-Saulnier

)'Jartin-Handasyde i\Iorane-Saulnier

Two well-known specialist monoplane pilots indulged on 30 August, 1913, in an exciting race when J. C. Savage-B. C. Huc~s's. manager-:issued a challenge to Gustav Hamel to compete for the Bmmngham Dally Post Trophy, plus £500-a-side stakes. Both I-lucks and Hamel were scheduled to use 80 hp Gnome Bleriots, and the contest \vas to start from the Tally Ho Grounds at Edgbaston, Birmingham, with stops at Redditch, Coventry, Nuneaton, Tamworth, "Valsall , a~d to. finish at Birming~am. At each stop there was to be a rest of 30 mm WJth an extra 10 mm at Tamworth. As Hamel was unable to procure a Bleriot identical with Hucks's machine, the £500 bet was withdrawn and Hamel used a J\lIorane-Saulnier monoplane but carried his mechanic as a handicap to compensate for the superior performance of his machine. Visibility was bad but they took-off at 2.30 p.m. and, after a very close race, Hamel won by 20·4 seconds. An extremely close finish was witnessed at the Hendon September Meeting on 6 September, 1913, in the four-lap Cross-country Handicap of 16 miles over the Bittacy Hill course when, in a strong wind, Philippe Marty flying a Morane-Saulnier beat Marcus lvlanton piloting the Birudder 'Bus by 0·2 sec to win the London Aerodrome Prize. Hendon's Autumn Meeting took place a week later on 13 September and the eight-lap final of the Speed Handicap was the occasion for yet

A popular winner in I hr 15 min 49 sec at 76 mph average speed was Hamel on an 80 hp Gnome :Nlorane-Saulnier single-seater with wings reduced in span from 30 ft 6 in to 20 ft. His awards consisted of the Daily _\Iail Ae,-ial Derby Gold Cup and a £200 cheque from the same newspaper. The three British aircraft entered came in second, third and fourth and were, respectively, the 120 hp Austro-Daimler Martin-Handasyde 1913 monoplane flown at 72·5 mph by R. H. Barnwell who received the London Aerodrome Silver Trophy No. 25, 1-1. G. Hawker in the Sopwith Three-seater at 67 mph-awarded the London Aerodrome Silver Trophy No. 24, and F. P. Raynham in the remarkable new prototype 80 hp Gnome-cngined Avro 504 biplane at 66·5 mph. As winner of the Sealed Aerial Derby Handicap, B. C. Hucks received the Shell Trophy. A large new biplane, the Graham-"Vhite Charabanc powered by the 120 hp Austro-Daimler, had made its debut at Hendon and its weightlining qualities were soon demonstrated by Louis Noel, the firm's chief pilot, when-on 22 September, 1913-he took up four passengers for 10 min 7 sec to set a new British record. Later in the day, he improved on lhis performance and set yet another record by piloting seven passengers for 17 min 25·4 sec, the total live load being 1,134 lb. This feat was eclipsed at Hendon on 2 October, 1913, by 1 oel when he coaxed the Charabanc off the ground for a flight of 19 min 47 sec, taking aloft with him nine passengers, the total live load then being 1,372·5 Ib which constituted a British and world rccord. Hendon was again in the news with the First International Air Contest ~\·hieh was staged there during 25-27 September, 1913, the countries 1I1volved being Great Britain, France and the USA. On 25 September, On his wlorane-Saulnier with clipped wings, Hamel won the 12 mile Speed Handicap; on 27 September the 12 mile Internalional Speed

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The prototype Avro 504, which F. P. Raynham flew into fourth place at 66·5 mph in the Aerial Derby of 1913. (Flight International.)

Louis Noel at the controls of the Grahame-'White Charabanc with, behind him, the nine passengers whom he took up at Hendon on 2 October, 1913, to set a new British and ''''orld record with a total live load of 1,372'5 lb. Fourth from the left is]. D. North and at the e.xtremc right is R. H. Carr. On the side of the nacelle is the Charabanc's famous Klaxon hom. (Boultoll Paul.)

Handicap, and on the same day he came first in the eight-mile Crosscountry Handicap over the Bittacy Hill circuit. Two other events on 27 September were the Altitude Contest of which W. L. Brock was the winner in a Bleriot climbing to 2,700 ft in 13 min 10 sec and the Military Crosscountry Handicap of 16 miles for the Anglo-American Oil Company Trophy won by Noel on a Maurice Farman. As the result of the combined efforts of Grahame-vVhite and Hamel, overall winner of the event was Great Britain-the prize being the Hendon Trophy and £1,000. Known popularly as the' Val' of the Roses Race, this was between the Lancashire-built prototype Avro 504 Down by F. P. Raynham with H. V. Roc, Alliott's brother, as his passenger and the Yorkshire-constructed Blackburn I monoplane piloted by Harold Blackburn accompanied by Dr M. G. Christie, the machine's owner. The prize was the rorkshire Evening JVews Challenge Cup and the course nearly 100 miles from the take-off point at 'NIoortown, Leeds, to York, Doncaster, Sheffield and Barnsley. In front of a crowd of 60,000 the two machines took-off abreast at 2.14 p.m. on 20 October, 1913, to fly in very poor visibility. Raynham found it impossible to see sufficiently well and gave up at Dewsbury after overshooting Barnsley. "fhe Blackburn monoplane carried on, however, completing the course to win in 1 h1' 58 min 34 sec flying time, averaging 50 mph to finish aL 5.48 p.m.

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Two days later, on 4 October, mist and rain at Hendon also made racing difficult, but the eight-lap final of Lhe Speed Handicap around the airfield's pylons was completed for the Harry Preston Prize, the winner being the Swiss, E. Baumann, on a Caudron biplane. Also on 4 October, the October Aeroplane Cross-country Handicap was run at Brooklands, attracting 16 entries of whom only six started. First home was F. \Varren ~/Ierriam on a Bristol Boxkite, but he was disqualified for missing a pylon and first place therefore went to Harry Hawker on the Sopwilh Three-seater. R. H. Barnwell flew the wlartinHandasyde 1913 monoplane into second place, A. Knight was next on the Vickers No.5 monoplane, and among the newcomers to racing was the 70 hp Gnome-engincd Parsons biplane on which Lieut Vincent vVaterfall finished the course. Sunday, 12 October, 1913, was the date of the next Gordon Bennett Balloon Race which started from the Tuileries in Paris, and in which Great Britain was represented by Jean de Francia with Honey Moon and J. D. Dunvillc flying Banshee II, but the even Lwas won by the USA. Although the season was drawing to its close, racing continued at Hendon with a mid-week meeting designated Weekly Dispatch Day, the first prize in the eight-lap final of the Speed Handicap being the WeekiJI Dispatch Trophy won by Verrier on the 70 hp Renault Maurice Farman. Two days later, on 18 October, the award for the eight-lap final of the Speed Handicap at Hendon was the London Aerodrome Cup, the result being a dead-heat between Grahame-"Vhite flying a MoraneSaulnier and Brock on a B1eriot. 'Vhile the Hendon pilots were racing around the aerodrome pylons, in the north, on 18 October, a race ofa different nature had been arranged over an aO-mile course from Hull, taking in Beverley, Driffield, Market "'eighton, Goolc, Scunthorpe and Barton. Harold Blackburn in the Blackburn I monoplane was to have flown against Lieut E. \AI. Copland Perry's Bleriot, but the event was abandoned finally, owing to engine trouble in the Bleriot and damage to the undercarriage of the Blackburn during a heavy landing at Beverley.

The Blackburn I monoplane, winner on 2 October, 1913, of the Yorkshire Evening News race. (Blackburn.)

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The next two events at Hendon were the Speed Contest between Morane-Saulnier monoplanes on 23 October, 1913, in which, of the two entrants, Marty beat Slack, and the Second October ~1eeting on 25 October, 1913, with an eight-lap final in the Speed Handicap. Louis Noel came first in the Maurice Farman to win the Captain Ernest C. Bass Trophy and the London Aerodrome Prize, and the Captain Ernest C. Bass Prize was awarded to Philippe Marty. One of the daintiest of the sporting monoplanes of the period-the Dyott pmvcred with the 50 hp Gnome-won the eight-lap final of the Speed Handicap at Hendon on 1 November, 1913, in the hands of its designer and owner G. 1\1. Dyott, who was presented with the London Aerodrome Silver Trophy No. 26. Second was Verrier flying the new 70 hp lVlaurice Farman filled with a front elevator. Ever alive to offering the paying public something novel and sensational, on 6 1 ovember, 1913, the Hendon management staged the first Speed Handicap to be held at night, over four laps of the aerodrome pylon course. 'I'he three starters-all experienced racing pilots-provided a spectacular race and a fantastically close finish, Louis Noel on the lVlaurice Farman beating R. H. Carr on the Grahame- \'Vhite Boxkite by one second, with Marcus Manton flying another Grahame-\Vhite Boxkite into third place 0·2 sec behind Carr. 31 October, 1913, had been the closing date for the year's British Empire Michelin Cup No. 1 and its accompanying £500 but, as no attempts had been made during the stipulated period, extension was allowed until 14 November. The contest had reverted to a closed-circuit event based on a course of Brooklands, Hendon and Farnborough, with a minimum distance of 300 miles to be covered. A compulsory landing of five minutes----during which the cngine was to be stopped-was required every 60 miles at the end of each third trip, and refuelling, repairs and intermediate landings were banned. The aircraft must be all-British and the course must be covered between 7 a.m. and one hour after sunset. The Sopwith Three-seater was prepared specially by fitting it with a 100 hp Green engine, and Hawker made his first attempt from Brooklands on 31 October but, owing to illness, gave up at Hendon on the eleventh trip after managing 220 miles; a second try by Hawker on 14 November came to an end after a struggle through appalling weather. In the meantime, Reggie Carr had entered the competition at 8 a.m. on 6 November when he left Hendon in the Grahame-\'Vhite Charabanc which was equipped with a 100 hp Green engine and increased tankage. After covering 315 miles, on the sixteenth lap the big biplane made a forced landing, Carr being awarded the Trophy and the cash prize for having flown the specified minimum 300 miles. The contest for the 1913 British Empire ~IIichclin CupI\o. 2 closed on 30 November, following an extension from the original date of 15 October. Again a British pilot and all all-British aeroplane were stipulated, the Cup and £800 to go to the one making the fastest time in either direction around a 297-mile circuit including Hendon, Salisbury, Shoreham, Eastchurch and Brooklands. On 18 November both Carr on the Charabanc and Hawker on the Three-seater started in a gale. Carr left at 8.20 a.m. from Hendon flying anti-clockwise but ran out of petrol after 140 miles of forcing his way against the wind at only 27 mph average

speed. Hawker made his take-off from Brooklands at 9.45 a.m. heading clockwise but gave up at Hendon with a broken pressure pipe, having managed 265 miles in 5 hr at 53 mph. A final attempt by Hawker on 27 Xovember was thwarted by fog, and no further efforts were made before the closing date. The Royal Aero Club asked the Michelin Tyre Company to carry the contest forward to 1914, but the coming war prevented any attempts taking place. A race to the South Coast and back was a feature of the aviation calendar late in 1913 when the London-to-Brighton Handicap was held on 8 November. Over a total distance of 130 miles, the course lay from Hendon to the turning point at the Palace Pier where the time was taken for the outward part of the flight. After proceeding along the coast to Shoreham for refuelling, the return journey was then timed from the Palace Pier once again in the opposite direction from Shoreham back to Hendon. The nine starters included George Dyott on his Dyott Monoplane-subsequently overturning on Beachy Head, Raynham flying the Avro 504 prototype, which made a forced landing, R. H. Barnwell on the :rliIartin-Handasyde 1913 monoplane-compelled to abandon the attempt owing to failing light, and the rest consisted of various French types, among which was the 70 hp Renault Maurice Farman piloted into first place by Pierre Verrier for the Sussex Motor Yacht Club Trophy and £100, Gustav Hamel being awarded the Barclay Walker Trophy and £50 for making the fastest time-l hI' 40 min 14 sec in his MoraneSaulnier. The Olympia :NIotaI' Show was celebrated at Hendon on 15 November, ]913, by a Speed Handicap named in the Show's honour, the first prize in the eight-lap final being the Shell Trophy and 50 guineas. Fil~t place went to ,.v. Birchenough on the old 50 hp Gnome Grahamc-"Vhite single-rudder Boxkite, who just managed to beat Raynham on the more powerful and far newer Avro 504 prototype by 0·2 sec. Hendon's Second November Meeting was held on 22 November; the 16-mile Cross-country Handicap was over four laps of the convenient Bittacy Hill course and notable for Louis Noel's win of the London Aerodrome Cup for his first place in the quaint little new 50 hp Gnomepowered Grahame-''''hite Lizzie biplane, which was on its very first day out after being built. On 22 Kovember, 1913, another remarkable cross-country flight was undertaken by Capt C. A. H. Longeroft of No.2 Squadron, RFC, with Col F. H. Sykes as his passenger when he flew the Bristol-built 70 hp Renault B.E.2 2l8-filted with a 54 gal petrol tank-about 600 miles nonstop to set up a new British record for distance with one passenger. Takeoff was from Montrose at 8.55 a.tn. with a turning point at Portsmouth, after which he headed for Farnborough, landing there at 4.10 p.m. after being airborne for 7± hI' and averaging over 80 mph. A B.E.2 was again in the news three weeks later when, on 13 December, 1913, at Upavon CaptJ. M. Salmond took a 70 hp Renault-powered machine up to 13,140 ft for a new height record, but this could not be accepted as an all-British achievement as its French engine disqualified it. The 1913 Hendon racing season was nearly at an end when on 13 December the Cross-country Handicap for the Hendon Cup was held over the customary Bittacy Hill circuit with four laps giving a total of 16

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miles. 'The Grahame-\!Vhite Bi-rudder 'Bus was Oown into first place by R. H. Carr, with Brock second on a Bleriot and Dyott third on his Dyott Monoplane. The last ballooning award for 1913 came on 19 December when rVlrs A.ssheton Harbord, accompanied by C. F. Pollock, won the Mortimer Smger Cup for long distance with a flight of 130 miles from Battersea to Taunton. Hendon's final main event for 1913 was held a few days before Christmas, on 20 December, with a cold wind gusting at 20-30 mph, and featured a IG-mile Cross-country Handicap over four laps of the Bittacy Hill circuit for the Grahame- \ Vhite Cup which ~1arty won on his lVlorane-Saulnier. 1913 had proved to be a very busy year in competitive flying with, as in 1912, the major portion of racing events held at Hendon, Brooklands still taking second place. The aircraft employed had not shown any significant change, most pilots continuing to use various monoplanes and biplanes of French derivation, with only a sprinkling of types originating in Britain. Most of the major cash awards on offer for several years had been won by now and there had been a lull in the offer of such inducements. Some short-lived stimulus came, however, at the beginning of 1914 with the announcement of an Around-the-"Vorld Race to be organized by the Panama Pacific International Exposition of San J'rancisco, the event to be an open international one for any motor-driven type of aeroplane or airship, take-off to be from the San Francisco Exposition Grounds during the period from 15 ~!{ay) 1915, until noon on 4 December, 1915. The enthusiasm of the Hendon pilots knew no bounds and even on the cold, \vet and windy 10 january, 1914, six starters lined up in the 16 mile Cross-country Handicap over four laps of the Bittacy Hill course for the Hendon Cup, Verrier scoring yet another win in the l\IIaurice Farman. A week later, on 17 january, a Speed Handicap with a six-lap final was Down at Hendon, Reggie Carr proving the winner on the GrahameWhite Boxkite. On 21 January, 1914, another long-distance flight-of 325 miles-by a Service pilot was accomplished successfully when, at 9.15 a.m. Cdr]. VV. Seddon left the Isle of Grain in a Maurice Farman seaplane with Artificer Teasdale as passenger and flew westwards to Plymouth to land there at 4.40 p. m. His total flying time was 5 hI' 25 min and one stop on the way was made at Calshot. The practical Avro 504 prototype showed its qualities of climb when, on 4 February, 1914, Raynham flew it to Hendon and took it up to 15,000 ft for an unofficial British height record, and again-on 10 FebruaryRaynham and his passenger R. J. MacGeagh I-Iurst ascended to 14,420 ft in I hI' 20 min, beating Hawker's figure, to set a new British altitude record with one passenger. Appropriately, events at Hendon on 14 Fcbruary, 1914, were billed as a St Valentine's tvleeting, but the weather spoiled the occasion with a 40 mph wind and rain, forcing a reduction in the number of laps in the Cross-country Handicap from four to three-giving a total distance of 12 miles. Out of eight starters L. A. Strange came in first on a GrahameWhite Boxkite, second place being filled by Reginald Carr flying the odd little Lizzie. In France on 22 February, 1914, Gustav Hamel challenged Roland

Garros to a series of races at j uvisy over 12 laps of 1·2 miles each; Gan·os was thc winner of two out of three contests. 17ine weather blessed Hendon on 28 February, 1914, drawing large crowds, the First Lord of the Admiralty \'Vinston S. Churchill and i\!!rs Churchill being there among the spectators. During the day, \Vinston Churchill flew as passenger with Lieut Spenser D. A. Grey in the Sopwith Sociable biplane-popularly called Tweenie. In the afternoon's Speed Handicap final over six laps]. M. Cripps was the winner on a Grahame-\Vhite Boxkite, with Grahame-\Vhite himselfsccond on his ~/Iaurice Farman Longhorn.

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Claude Grahame-\'Vhile in the l\1aurice Farman Longhorn, which he flew into second place in the final of the Speed Handicap at Hendon on 28 February, 1914.

Hendon's next attraction was the March Meeting on 7 March, 19 I4, seven assorted machines taking-off on the 16 mile Cross-country Handicap over four laps of the Bittacy Hill circuit. Louis Strange was now \vell into his stride as a racing pilot, leading throughout the event and coming in first on the Grahamc-\IVhite Bi-rudder 'Bus. Hendon's mid-weck meeting on Thursday 19 March included a 16 mile Cross-country Handicap utilizing the Bittacy Hill course, the five starters including the regular racing pilots Birchenough, Carr, Marty, Noel and Strange, Noel's Maurice Farman beating the rest. The Aero Show Meeting at Hendon for 21 March, 1914, was scheduled to include the Shell Trophy Speed Handicap, but the wind was too strong and the event was replaced by three laps of the Bittacy Hill circuit to give a 12 mile Cross-country Handicap. Noel on a lvlaurice Farman came in ahead of the four other starters to gain first place. Calmer conditions at Hendon two weeks latcr on 4 April, 1914, made it possible to hold the Speed Handicap for the London Aerodrome Cup. Against experienced opposition, a newcomer to racing-R. J. Lillywhite\\"on the event piloting a Grahame-\'Vhite Boxkite. The following Saturday's racing at Hendon on 11 April, 1914, brought five starters in the Cross-countl-y Handicap of four laps of the Bittacy Hill circuit for the Barclay \'Yalker Cup. First place this time went to \ V. Birehenough on the Grahame-\'Vhite Bi-rudder 'Bus, F. \V. Goodden

On 20 April, 1914, Great Britain made up for the previous year and entered the second Schneider Trophy Contest at Monaco. 'I'he course was quadrilateral with 28 Japs and C. H. Pixton and Lord Carbery represented the United Kingdom. Pixton flew a biplane, the single-seat Sopwith Tabloid on floats, powered by a 100 hp Monosoupape Gnome which Victor Mahl had tuned specially and which drove an Integral propeller. Lord Carbery crashed his ~10rane-Saulnier monoplane on the day before the race and borrowed the Deperdussin belonging toJanoir but had to retire during the first lap in the contest as he was unfamiliar with the handling of the machine. Pi"{ton's tiny Tabloid performed faultlessly to cover the 150 nautical miles in 2 hI" 13·~~ sec at an average speed of 86· 78 mph, giving Great Britain its first Schneider Trophy win. Having

Louis Noel on the Blcriot overtaking Louis Strange Aying the Grahame·\Vhitc Boxkite during a race at Hendon on 14 March, 1914. (Flight International.)

flew a Caudron biplane into second place and third came Louis Noelwho had forsaken his .Maurice Farman-\vith E. G. Dunn as his passenger in an 80 hp Ie Rhone Morane-Saulnier. Noel and Dunn in the same monoplane then had a private race of six laps around the aerodrome against Marty on another ~l1orane-Saulnier, a contest which Marty won by three seconds. Another private speed race took place two days later at Hendon on 13 April, when Grahame-\Vhite flew a 60 hp Morane-Saulnier around the aerodrome pylons against R. H. Carr on Lizzie, the biplane winning by one second. At Hendon on the same day, the Barclay \ Valker 'Trophy was awarded to]. IvI. Cripps as winner on a Grahamc-""hite Boxkite of the eight-lap final of the Speed Handicap. Lillywhite was four seconds behind on another Grahame- \"'hite Boxkite for second place. Mid-week racing at Hendon on Thursday 16 April, 1914, was scheduled to include a Biplane Speed Handicap of six laps of the pylons, but, as only two biplanes were available subsequently, two monoplanes were included also, Birchenough emerging finally as the winner on a Graharne-vVhite Boxkite.

c.

I-I. Pix ton, winner of the 1914 Schneider Trophy Race at i\Ionaco, resls on the por~ lower wing and float of the Sopwith Tabloid seaplane. (Hawker.)

Hendon [or the start ora race in 1914. (Flight InternationaL.)

completed the course, Pixton continued for two extra laps to make a full 186·3 miles taking 2 hr 9 min 10 sec over the entire distance, his average of 92 mph over the additional laps constituting a new \lvorld speed record lor seaplanes. Hendon's St George's NIeeting on 26 April, 1914, featured a 12 mile Cross-country Handicap over the standard Bittacy Hill course, four machines taking part. One was the Handley Page H.P. 7 G biplane, flown by E. Baumann who retired at the start with engine trouble. First home out of the three left was l\1arty on a lVlorane-Saulnier. The Saturday meeting at Hendon on 23 NIay, 1914, saw Noel win the four-lap Speed Handicap on a l\10rane-Saulnier against fOUf other pilots flying biplanes, but the biplanes came to the fore again at the Hendon Whitsun Meeting on the following Saturday and the Monday. On 30 May, billed as the Eighth London Aviation Meeting, the six-lap final of the Speed Handicap for the Daily Telegraph Cup was won by Verrier flying a Nlaurice Farman, and on I June Claude Grahame-\Vhite flew Lizzie to gain first place in the nine-mile Speed Handicap for the Hendon Cup. During the same day Louis Noel on a Henry Farman beat the rest of the competitors in the 24 mile Cross-country Handicap over six laps of the Bi ttacy Hill course, winning the Giesler Challenge Trophy and lOO guineas. One of the big even ts of the 1914 racing season, the Third Aerial

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..

A Nloranc-Saulnier, Bleriot XI and Maurice Farman Longhorn lined up at

Derby, \vas scheduled for 23 May, but bad weather forced postponement until two weeks later on 6 Junc. Again, the weather was bad, but it was decided that the contest should take place despite a thick mist over the 94·5 mile course, the same as that used for the 1913 contest. Twenty-one cntries were received originally but were whittled down to 11 for the start at Hendon. These werc: Aircraft Radley·Moorhouse monoplane Maurice Farman Henry Farman Henry Farman BlCriot i\'Iaurice Farman Morane-Saulnier Morane·Saulnier Morane·Saulnier Sopwith Tabloid Sopwith Tabloid

Pilot

F. Bjorkland W. Birehenough R. H. Carr P. Verrier L. A. Strange

J.

Alcock

W. L. Brock L. 'oel Lord John Carbery C. H. Pixton R. H. Barnwell

The start of the Aerial Derby at Hendon on 6 June, 1914. A Bleriot XI taxies away, with a .Maurice Farman Longhorn waiting to follow.

One of the most interesting biplanes, but forced to withdraw, was the Avro 511 Arrowscout which had been modified specially for Raynham to fly it in the Aerial Derby but was damaged at Brooklands on 5 June when its ultra-light undercarriage collapsed. Another withdrawal was the 65 hp Martin-Handasyde pusher biplane which was not ready in time for J. Blatherwick to fly it. The only aircraft of British design left were the 80 hp Gnome Tabloid of Pixton and the 100 hp Monosoupape Gnome

j'

''''ith two on board, a Maurice Farman Longhorn moves up to the starting line in the Aerial Derby on 6Junc, 1914, at Hendon.

Tabloid of R. H. Barnwell, which was the Schneider winner converted into a landplanc. Fog caused both Tabloids to retire and the winner was the American 'AT. L. Brock piloting a Morane-Saulnier around thc course at an average speed 0[71·9 mph in I hI' 18 min 54 sec to receive the Daily Mail Gold Cup and 200 sovereigns together with the Shell Trophy and 100 sovereigns for also winning the Sealed Handicap. Two Henry Farmans secured second and third places, flown respectively by R. H. Carr and Pierre Verrier. Inclement weather spoiled the balloonists' pleasure on 1O June, 1914, when the Hare and Hounds Race for the John Dunville Cup was to have been held at Hurlingham, with J. D. Dunville as Hare in Banshee II, the Hounds being: Balloon

Aeronaut(s)

.(da

Maj the Han Claud Brabazon Lieut T. G. Hetherington Lieut-Col E. i\1. i\laitland A. Mortimer Singer Lionel H. Mander Capt L. J." Atherton

DUlIlop 1

RFC Regular racers at Hendon dUI"iug 1914--the lVlaurice Farman Longhorn and Deperdussin monoplane.

82

PIQl/Lt

,He/eor Thistledolt;tl

83

at 9.30 a.m., eight competitors climbing away from Hendon. Both of the British designs were unlucky-Lord Carberis 80 hp Ie Rhone Bristol Scout crashed on landing at Birmingham and Hawker became ill while flying the J 00 hp Monosoupape Gnome Tabloid and retired. The Daily Mail Gold Trophy and £400 and £250 presented by the Anglo-American Oil Company all went to the winner \V. L. Brock fiying an 80 hp Gnome J\llorane-Saulnicr, his Hying lime being 4 hI' 42 min 26 sec at an average speed or 69 mph.

F. P. Raynham-nearest to camera-supports the tail of the Ana 511 Arrowscout which he was to have flown in the 1914 Aerial Derby but which was withdrawn on the day before the race.

John Akock al the controls of the 100 hp Sunbeam Maurice Farman which he flew into third place on 20 June, 1914, in the London·to-Manchesler Race. Ready to release Louis Noel in a Maurice Farman in onf' or the events at Hendon during 1914.

The annual long-distance balloon race for the Mortimer Singer Cup was held at Hurlingham on 27] une) 1914, \vith seven starters: Balloon

Capacity ell ft

Aeronallt(s)

BUlIshu If

80,000 50.000 50;000 12.000 50,000 50.000 80,000

:'\lrsJohn Dunville Lionel H. Mander C. F. Pollock Capt L. L. Atherton Lieut T. C. Hetherington Lieut-Col E. ~r. r...laitland :'\11".<; A. Mortimer Singer

The weather was so bad finally that the contest was abandoned. At the end of the week the wind was still vcry strong but did not pl'event the holding of the Cross-country Handicap at Hendon for the :NIrs]. B. :rvlanio Cup worth 100 guineas. Four machines left on four laps of the Bittacy Hill course) the event giving Lizzie another win) the pilot being Reginald Carr. During the last year Brooklands had virtually ceased to offer any competition to Hendon as a centre of competitive flying) and the London Aerodrome was without any rival in this field. It was the starting point for the London-to-Manchester Race of 20 June) 1914) a Cross-country Handicap of 324 miles with three stops allowed. The start took place

First place went to Ballshee 11 for landing at Hythc, Kcnt. The prevailing bad wcather had caused the Speed Handicap for the Shell Trophy and 50 guineas to be postponed several times at Hendon

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85

lHeleor

Polo Thistledowll

Dunlop I Pompadour PintId

A disappointed Lord Carbery surveys the damage to his Bristol Scout, which crashed on landing at Birmingham during the raee from London to .Manchester on 20 June, 1914.

during the 1914 season, but, eventually, thc race was run on 27 June over eight laps around the aerodrome pylons, Louis Noel coming in first on a Morane-Saulnier, Verrier was second on a Niaurice Farman and]. L. Hall third with his Avro 500. 4]uly, 1914, was Ladies' Day at Hendon and three trophies-presented respectively by the ',,",omen's Aerial League, ,'V. Parnell and Company, and Mappin and ''''ebb-were awarded as prizes in the 16 mile Crosscountry Handicap in which each aeroplane was supposed to carry a lady passenger. Of the five starters only four met this requi,-cment, and R. H. Carr with :NIiss Saunders came in first in a Morane-Saulnier, R. ]. Lillywhite flying solo in the Grahame- \ Vhitc Hi-rudder 'Bus was second, and Louis Koel with Nliss Gladys Liglllfoot came third on a Bleriot. Hurlingham's last major balloon race before the war was held on I 1 July, 1914, for the Hedges Butler Challenge Cup. Six balloons rose from the starting mat and were: Balloon Banshu II Planet lWefeor Pompadour Polo ThisliedoWll

Mrs John Dunville's win for the third successive year brought her permanent possession of the Cup. Spectacular advances in aircraft design had still not transpired by mid1914, development proceeding at a steady pace along logical lines. evertheless, races over a comparatively long distance were now feasible and a practical proposition, making it possible to organize a handicap contest of 508·5 miles from London to Paris and back to London, the first between the two capitals. The date selected was II ] uly, 1914, with a 6.30 a.m. start scheduled from Hendon, the contest being organized by International Correspondence Schools. Apart from Lord Carbery's Bristol Scoutwhich had been fitted with long-range tanks-the six other aircraft were of French origin. T. E. Hearn was accompanied by Mrs I-learn in a Bleriot, E. Renaux had Miss Unwin as his passenger in a Maurice Farman Shorthorn, Loui, Noel, W. L. Brock, R. I-I. Carr and Roland Garros flew solo in Nrorane-Saulnicrs, the two non-starters being Hirth on a Morane-Saulnier and R. R. Skene on the Martin-Handasydc 1913 monoplane. Bad visibility forced postponement of the start for one hour, but all seven eventually took-off from Hendon and headed for Buc. The fast and handy Bristol Scout was scratch machine and ran into trouble on the return flight, engine failure compelling Lord Carbery to alight in the English Channel from which he was rescued; hO\....ever, the airframe of the machine was lost subsequently in the water. T. Elder Hearn and Renaux had retired just after the start, and the race was won by Brock in 7 hI' 3 min 6 sec at 71·5 mph average speed, a feat which earned him the Trophy, £300 from the Royal Aero Club and £500 presented by the International Correspondence Schools. The winner's time was also the fastest in the race. Second place went 1O Carros and third came Renaux and Miss Unwin, who had taken off once more when the visibility had improved and "who reached Hendon again on the following day, having

Aeronaut(s) Mrs John Dunville A. Mortimer Singer

Lionel H. Mander Licut-Col E. M. Maitland .T. D. Duoville Capt L. L. Atherton

86

Doyen of air race starters, A. G. Reynolds, right, ready to send off the , competitors in the Ladies' Race at Hendon on 4 July, 1914.

87

taken 26 hI' 55 min. Garros received £ ISO and Renaux £50 as the second and third prizes in ihe event. "'hile the London-to-Paris pilots were away from Hendon engaged in the race, a single-heat, six-mile Speed Handicap for the P. Teofani Trophy was staged to keep the spectators entertained) and out of the four starters Grahame-\Vhite came in first flying his ~1auricc l';'arman.

l

""~,

"'~_:_,-

Cecil L. Pashley flying the Pashley Brothers Biplane and W. H. Elliott piloting a Iviaurice Farman; Pashley was the winner by 17 sec. Despite the manifestly unsettled international situation, a 16 mile Cross-country Handicap over four laps of the familiar BiUacy Hill course was held at Hendon on 1 August, 1914, being won by Louis Noel flying a Morane-Saulnier monoplane. On Monday, 3 August, 1914, another Cross-country Handicap-of 12 Jniles-took place at Hendon [or the Lord Desborough Challenge Bowl, the winner being R. J. Lillywhite with the Grahame-''''hite Bi-rudder 'Bus. The Hendon Speed Handicap on the same day-12 miles made up of eight 1·5 mile laps-carried the Mappin and Webb London Cup as its first prize, and '\T. L. Brock, flying the 80 hp Gnome Morane-Saulnier, completed his brief but vcry successful pre-war racing career by winning. The most important competitive event in the year's British aviation calendar was to have been the Circuit of Britain for the Daily iV/ail £5,000 prize, scheduled to start from the Admiralty yacht Enchantress

.

The 80 hp Le R~6ne Bristol Scout prototype which Lord John Carbery flew in the London-Pans-London Race on 11 july, 1914, and which was lost in the English Channel on the retun1 trip.

The ''\lhite and· Thompson t\vin-engine Dying-boat, to have been flown by A. Loftus Bryan in the 1914 Circuit of Britain.

On the south coast at Shoreham, flying instruction had served as the main preoccup~tion, but on 11 July, 1914, a Speed Handicap took place over a 1·75 mile course around the pylons. The main prize was the Bright~n Cup and .£70, cash prizes totalling £100 being presented by Sh~ll. There were ioyr finahsts, and the event was won by 39·4 seconds by Ene C. Pashley f1Yll1g the Pashley Brothers Biplane which had been completed on 9 July. £20 went to J. L. Hall for second place on his A~ro 500, and John Alcock earned £10 for flying a Maurice Farman into thIrd place. On Sunday 12 July Hall with his Avro 500 and Eric Pashley on the Pashley Brothers Biplane indulged in a race around the previous day's pylon course, Pashley winning by eight seconds. Morane-Saulnier monoplanes with 80 hp Ie Rhone engines took the first three places at Hendon on 18]uly, 1914, in the 16 mile Cross-country Handicap held over the Bittacy Hill course for the Hendon Cup and £20. Out of eight starters, R. H. Carr was first, Koel second and Brock third. The Speed Handicap of 12 miles for lhe Shoreham Cup and a cash pnze, planned for 18 July, 1914, was abandoned owing to bad weather, but, on 19 July, a race over- six miles took place at Shoreham between

The Blackburn Type L seaplane which was to have been flown by Sydney Pickles in the 1914 Ci.rcuit of Britain. (Blackburn.)

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89

at 6 a.m. on 10 August, 1914. Several firms had prepared waterplanes specifically for the contest) the nine entries being: Aircraft Sopwith 1914 Circuit biplane D.F.''''. biplane. Sopwith Bat Boat 2 Grahamc-White Type XIII Eastbourne ..A.viation Company Circuit seaplane White and Thompson single-engine Oying-boat Avro 510 Blackburn Type L ''''hite and 'rhompson twin-engine flying-boat

Pilot Victor :Mahl Lieut C. H. Collett C. H. Pix ton Claude Grahame-White F. B. Fowler Capt E. C. Bass F. P. Raynham Sydney Pickles A. Loftus Bryan

,., Beardmore-built.

In the event) the contest was cancelled automatically by the outbreak of war, several of the aircraft ultimately finding their way into the flying services for varied employment. The Supermarine contender in the

1919 Schneider Trophy event-the Sea

Lion I G-EALP flown by Sqn Ldr B. D. Hobbs.

Foundation for Adventure

Racing had been extremely popular for some three years, but relatively few attempts had been made in Great Britain to design small machines exclusively for the purpose. Among the efforts just before the war began was the Sopwith single-seater derived from the Tabloid with the express intention of competing for the 1914 Gordon Bennett Aviation Cup. It used an 80-hp Gnome equipped with a deep-chord cowling blended into a finely conceived circular fuselage but was never raced and, instead, saw war service at Hendon in the RNAS as 1215. Two Lee-Richards annular monoplanes also were built for the same event. Civil flying came to an abrupt end until the struggle in France and Belgium had been settled, and the advent of the 1914-18 War brought with it the termination of the unique way of life to which Hurlingham and Hendon had become so accustomed.

For four and a quarter years racing and record breaking werc forgotten while the aeroplane) the balloon and the airship-together with the men who created and flew them-\vent to war. By the time that the Armistice of 11 November, 1918, arrived, remarkable progress had been achieved in British aircraft and their powerplants. The exigencies of operational service had created several distinct classes of aeroplane designed to execute specific tasks. Before the War the majority of British Service aircraft were powered by engines of foreign orjginmainly French-but, once the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service were in action, urgent steps were taken to produce suitable British aero engines. This intensive programme was responsible eventually for the Royal Air Force-as the RFC and RNAS became on their amalgamation on I April) 1918-constituting at the war's end the world's most powerful and best cquipped air force. Quantity of aircraft produced had been of prime importance, but, at the same time, there had been an unrelenting search for greater overall performance and reliability. Great attention had been paid to load carrying and range, there being Jess need of speed for speed's sake. The direct result was that, when the fighting ended, important progress had been made in the production of practical aircraft capable of flying incomparably greater distances than before mid1914 and with powerful, reliable engines. These aircraft were available in large quantities and were, therefore, those with which Great Britain faced the immediate future.

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1914, which was taken over by the Admiralty as No. 1215 at the start of the 1914-18 \-\'ar. (Hawker.)

The Sopwith Gordon Bennett Racer of

During the \'Var H. G. Hawker established yet another altitude record on 6 June, 1915, when he took the 80 hp Gnome Sopwith Sigrist Bus twoseat biplane-named after its designer F. Sigrist-up to 18,393 ft. A significant feature of aircraft development during the war was the evolution of the long-range bomber of great capacity, promoted notably by the RNAS and exemplified by the firm of Handley Page to become a class of aeroplane for which the c'Jmpany became famous. The first Handley Page success with this type was thc 0/100 and 0/400 twin-engine biplanes, followed by the considerably larger four-engine V/1500. An 0/400-C9681-powel'ed by two 360 hp Rolls-Royce Eagle VIlIs and flown by ~Ilaj A. S. C. MacLaren, with Brig-Cen A. E. Borton also on board, made the first flight from England to Egypt, 3,000 miles, leaving Cranwell on 28 July, 1918, and landing at Heliopolis, Cairo, on 8 August. The machine then flew on to Palestine to be attached to! 0.1 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps, for operations against the Turks, during which it assisted the British advance by dropping large bombs, transporting petrol to aerodromes and co-operating with Col T. E. Lawrence's forces. Among the accomplishments by Service aircraft before the Armistice was the first flight from Italy to England made by HM Airship S-RI commanded by Capt George Francis IVleager, RAF, accompanied by a crew of seven and an Italian Army observer. The S-R I took-off from Ciampino, ncar Rome, at 4.25 a.m. on 28 October, 1918, landing 10 hI' 35 min later at Aubagne Airship Station, !vlarseilles. After being moored out between windscreens for nearly 12 hours, S-Rl left on the second stage of its flight on 29 October at 2.50 a.m., passed Lyons-shrouded in fog-at noon and turned back at 1.20 p.m. because of a contrary wind and landed at Bron, near Lyons, at 2.50 p.m. after 12 hours airborne, to be moored to a lorry filled with hydrogen tubes, the handling guyropes being tied to pickets screwed into the ground. Bron was left at 5 a.m. on 30 October and the next landing was 10 hours later at St Cyr Airship Station, near Paris, where the S-RI again had to moor in the open as the shed was too small. The final stage of S-RI's flight started from St Cyr at 6.15 a.m. on 31 October, the last landing being eight hours later at Kingsnorth Airship Station, Hoo, near Chatham, the total flying time for the trip amounting to 40 hI' 35 min. For the stage between Aubagne and St Cyr, a French naval officer-Lieut de Vaisseau C. Picard-joined the S-Rl. The second notable long-distance flight by a Handley Page 0/4·00 was accomplished also by C9681, this time from Egypt to India shortly after the war ended. Piloted by Capt Ross Smith, the 0/400 left Heliopolis on 29 Novernber, 1918, carrying Maj-Gen \V. G. H. Salmond and B,-ig-Gen A. E. Borton, together with two mechanics, SgtsJ. M. Bennett and \V. H. Shiel'S. Damascus to Baghdad-495 miles and the longest stage in the trip, during which food supplies for seven days were on board-was covered in 6 hI' 53 min with arrival at Baghdad on 1 December; the slightly shorter second longest leg of 485 miles from Karachi to Nasirabad occupied 6 hI' 35 min. The final stage was from Allahabad to Calcutta Racecourse. Later, C9681 flew on to Delhi from Calcutta landing on 12 December. Its intended use, to bomb Kabul during the Afghan \Var, was thwarted when C9681 was wrecked on its passage northwards as it was caught in a cyclone while on the ground.

On 13 December, 1918, Maj A. S. C. MacLaren again set out on a longdistance flight, in a Handley Page V/1500 biplane-Jl936 HMA Old Carthusian-powered by four 375 hp Eagle VIlIs mounted in tandem pairs, which had been constructed for the bombing of Berlin. At the time of the Armistice, three of them-belonging to No.166 Squadron-were being prepared at Bircham Newton for the attack on the German capital. The distance from the take-ofT point at Nlartlesham Heath, Ipswich, to Karachi, was about 7,000 miles and Nlaj "NIacLaren was accompanied by another pilot, Capt R. Halley. On board was Brig-Gcn N. D. K. MacEwen, for what was to be an evenLfuljourney. Flying by way of Sicily and Malta, night stops were made at each and the V JI 500 left Malta at 2 a.m. on 20 December, passing over Benghazi and SoHum to land at Mersa Matruh for engine adjustments. "Vhile these were done the aircraft was flooded by heavy rain and Brig-Gen MacEwen and the three mechanics being carried on the ft.ight went on to Cairo by train. Arriving at Heliopolis on 3 January, 1919, J1936 left Cairo during the morning of 12 January. Take-off from Bandar Abbas on the Persian Gulf was at 8.55 a.m. on 13 January but the 126 ft span biplane ran into trouble at sea three miles off Ormara on the Baluchistan coast when one cylinder of the port pusher engine blew off, and the machine made a forced landing on the beach. Before taking-off the load was reduced by discarding spares, kit and the radio, so that Old Carthusian left on 16 January to fly on with the two pilots and one mechanic, Brig-Gen MacEwen and the two other mechanics completing the journey to India on board HMS Brilomarl. More engine trouble came during the 150 mile stage from Ormara to Karachi, J 1936 ultimately struggling into Karachi on the pair of tractor engines only, having taken 2t hours from Ormara. After landing at Karachi, Old Carthusian flew eastwards to Delhi and then to Lahore before being used later on operations in the third Afghan \IVar, during which Capt Halley took it to bomb Kabul on 24 May, 1919. Another product of the war, the de Havilland D.H.9 two-seat day bomber, made an unofficially observed successful attack on the world altitude record on 2 January, 1919, when C6078-powered by the 450 hp Napier Lion-took-off from Martlcsham Heath at 11.30 a.m. in a gale and climbed to 30,500 ft. C6078's pilot was Capt Andrew Lang and in the rear seat was the observer Lieut A. \V. Blowes. 10,000 ft was reached

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The Handley Page V/1500 J1936 H:\IIA Old Carthusian flown from England to India at the beginning of 1919 by Maj A. S. C. MacLaren. (Handley Page.)

in 6 min 18 sec and 20,000 ft took 19 min 40 sec, at which height trouble began. The tachometer cable broke, and then Lieut Blowes collapsed from lack of oxygen owing to a supply-pipe fracture. The machine strained upwards to 30,500 ft, 25 miles out at sea off Yarmouth, at which point ~he Lion stopped. The biplane then started a bumpy descent, becolTlIng uncontrollable at 27,000 ft and taking 25 min for the first 10,000 ft of the descent. At 20,000 ft Blowes regained consciousness and a satisfactory landing was made, both of the crew suffering from frostbite on the face and frozen hands and toes but with the knowledge that they had beaten the previous height record of 28,900 ft held by the USA. On 1. May, 1919, after a lapse of four years and eight months and just under SIX months from the end of the war, civil aviation was permitted again in Great Britain. A 1,600 mile circuit of Britain in a record 30 hI' flying time was accomplished from Andover during May 1919 by a single aircraft 'l-vhcn an RAF 0/400, powered by a pair of 350 hp Eagles and piloted by Maj K. R. P~rk and Capt Stc\vart, completed the course in four days, averaging 450 mIles per day at an average speed of 66 mph. Two navigatol's-Maj B. E. Smythies and Lieut '''filson-were in the crew, together with three engineer-fitters and two wireless operators. Still awaiting a winner some six years after it was announced was the £10,000 Daily Mail prize for the first nonstop transatlantic flight. Although preparations were being made early in 1914 and the lV!artinHandasyde Transatlantic monoplane was under construction, the war had produced several advanced designs which now made the Atlantic flight a reasonably practical proposition. Engines had become far more reliable, and therefore the main consideration was the provision of ~dequate auxiliary fuel tank~. Rate of consumption was of primary lmportance and the predomlllantly westerly winds over the Atlantic made it essential that, for any chance of success, the direction of Right should be from wcst to east. Little time was lost before the Daily Mail Transatlantic prize came into the news again. Only six weeks from the end of the war, announcements were appearing at the very beginning of January 1919 of contenders which included a large Handley Page biplane to be flown by the Canadian

The red and yellow Martinsyde A The Raymo/" which crashed at Quidi Vidi, Newfoundland, on 18 May, 1919, when F. P. Raynham and Capt C. \'\T. F. :Morgan were taking-off on their attempt to fly the North Allantic. (Canadian Museum of Science and Tech,wlogy.)

The Sopwith Atlantic of H. G. Hawker and Lieut~Cdr. K. Mackenzie-Grieve at Glendenning's Farm, before their take~ofr on the North Atlantic attempt of 18 [Vlay, 1919. (Canadian A1useum if Science and TechnoLogy.)

Lieut-Col Raymond Collishaw and a crew composed ofLieut Pat O'Brien, Capt I. F. Fuller and Lieut C. C. Robinson; the Curtiss Colossus flyingboat to be flown by a US 1 avy pilot; and the Sundstedt Sunrise seaplane of the Swedish-American Capt Hugo Sundstedt-a 100 ft span biplane with an enclosed cabin for four passengers, which weighed 10,000 Ib empty and was equipped with two 400 hp Liberty engines giving a top speed of 80 mph, but which was subsequently crashed on 27 lV!arch, 1919, from 400 ft in a spiral dive at the Bayonne Yacht Club by a Russian pilot, Cdr Czenzki. Cthers announced included a Handley Page VJl500 with Maj H. G. Bracklcy as pilot; the Boulton and Paul P.G designed by J. D. North and to be piloted by Maj K. S. Savory and Capt.J. H. Woolner and navigated by Capt A. L. Howarth; the Fairey nIC N2255 with Sydney Pickles as pilot and Capt A. G. D. \'\Test as navigator; the white and khaki Short S.538 Shamrock-adapted from the Shirl and to be flown by Maj .J. C. P. Wood with navigation by Capt C. C. Wylie; the Whitehead Bomber with Capt Arthur Payze as pilot; the Alliance P.2 Seabird K-160JG-EAGL to be piloted by its designer J. A. Peters; the Caproni Triplane l'Vhite Eagle; the Sopwith Atlantic with H. G. Hawker as pilot and Lieut-Cdr K. l"!ackenzie-Grieve as navigator; the MarLinsyde A The Raymor piloted by F. P. Raynham with Capt C. W. F. Morgan as navigator; the specially converted Vickers F.B.27 Vimy with Capt John Alcock as pilot and Lieut Arthur \,Vhitten Brown as navigator; and the gigantic Felixstowe Fury flying-boat. In fact, only a few of these made the attempt. Geographically, I\ewfoundland was ideally situated as the best point of departure, and from April 1919, aircraft and crews stancd to assemble there. The first machine ready was the Sopwith Atlantic which made a test night from Glendenning's Farm at St John's on II April. On 16 April The Raymor-with red fuselage and yellow wings and its name derived from those of its crew-was test· flown, but bad weather then

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ship which they could find. Sighting the small Danish steamer Nfa1Jl, Hawker brought the Sopwith down ncar it and he and ~/Iackenzic-Grieve were picked up after having flown 1,400 miles from St John's, but no immediate word of their rescue could be sent as the A1my was without radio. Two more contenders then came into the picture-the Handley Page Vfl500 under Vice-Admiral Mark Kerr's supervision at Harbour Grace, and the modified Vimy being assembled at Quidi Vidi. The Vimy was nown over to Lester's Field, its point of departure, and left on the Atlantic

J. D. North's design for the honour of being the first aeroplane to cross the North Atlantic nonstop-the Boulton and Paul P. 8 Atlantic G-EAPE. (Boulton POIlI.) forced both machines to wait before taking off. Finally, at 3.48 p.m. on 18 May, 1919, Hawker and Mackenzie-Grieve made a successful departure in the Sopwith Atlantic from Glendenning's Farm, dropped the detachable undercarriage and set out over the ocean. One hour after the Sopwith had taken off, The Raymor started its run at Quidi Vidi, six miles away from Glendenning's Farm. Raynham's path lay across the wind and just after the biplane had left the ground a gust forced it down, the undercarriage collapsed and the machine crashed to a stop, the crew being severely shaken and Capt Morgan's head injured. Meanwhile, the Sopwith flew on through rough weather, but trouble came with the failure of the cooling of the Eagle engine. Lack of water in the radiator made the crew realize that they could not reach I rcland-thcir destination-and they decided to alight on the water alongside the nearest

Alcock and Brdwn taking-off in the Vimy on the transatlantic flight. (Vickers. )

The Vickers Vimy flown by Alcock and Brown. (Vickers.)

96

attempt at 4.13 p.m. GMT on 14 June, 1919. Alcock and Brown soon encountered stormy weather and ice started to choke the engines' air intakes, compelling Lieut Brown to climb out along the wings to reach each nacelle to clear the stoppages. Ireland came into sight at last and the machine was brought down to land on Derrygimla Bog at Clifden, Galway, at 8.40 a.m. on 16 June after a total of 16 hI' 27 min in the air during which 1,890 miles were covered at an average speed of 118 mph. Alcock and Brown had won the Daily Mail £10,000 prize and both were knighted subsequently. The Vfl500 Atlantic, the remaining machine prepared at St John'S, was not now needed for its original purpose but instead a nonstop flight to )Jew York was contemplated by Vice-Admiral Kerr, the two pilots Maj Brackley and Maj Tryggve Gran and the engineer F. "Vyatt. Together with another engineer, A, P. Arnold, and a rigger, C. C. Clements, the crew took-ofT from Harbour Grace on 4 July, 1919, but crashed on landing with engine trouble at Parrsboro, Nova Scotia. The machine was repaired by the first week in October and set afffor ='lew York on 9 October D

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carrying a total of 12 people and landed successfully at Greenport, Long Island, after a flying time of 11 hours. The V /I500's next essay was a I ,ODD-mile flight from Kew York to Chicago nonstop and this started on 14 )Jovember, 1919, but fl-eezing conditions forced a landing at Mount Jewett, Penn., the next take-off being on 10 December for Cleveland. Landing in the dark on the North Randall Track racecourse in place of Martin Field, the wings were ripped off, and the V /1500 was dismantled, and did not Oy again.

Competitors lined-up at the start of the 1919 Aerial Derby at Hendon, with Licut-Col G. L. P. Henderson's Avro 504K H2586 in the foreground.

The Nicuport L.C.I Nighthawk K-151, piloted in the 1919 Aerial Derby by Maj L. R. Tait-Cox. Late in 1919, the Handley Page Vf1500 Atlantic flying over the United States during its attempted flight from New York to Chicago. (Handley Page.) Throughout the war Hendon Aerodrome had been busily engaged, but with the return of peace there was an immediate slackening of Service activity and a gradual return to civil fiying. Back to the old surroundings came a number of the pre-war pilots, and making a reappearance also was A. G. Reynolds, a pre-war Hendon starter and timekeeper at numerous contests. Until the war, the London Aerodmme at Hendon had been directed by the Grahame-\Vhite Aviation Company but had then been requisitioned. The end of the war found the flying field in the hands of the Air IVIinistry, with no sign of dcrcquisitioning and with Grahame-\'Vhite faced with the usual prospect of endeavouring to deal successfully but impossibly with bureaucracy. Determined in his efforts to bring Hendon back to its prewar position as the most prosperous aerodrome in the country, Grahame''''hite went ahead with plans for establishing the London Flying Club

The Grahame-White G.\'\T.E. 6 Bantam K-J50jG-EAFK, which Capt P. R. T. Cham.berlayne flew in the 1919 Aerial Derby. (Flight inlemational.)

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thcrc, with its members permitted by officialdom to fly from his private property. The position, however, was patently an unsatisfactory one, with so much uncertainty precluding the possibility of making positive arrangements for a steady future. l'\evertheless, although the aerodrome was never to reg~in its former glory, aftcrjust under five years air racing came back at \\'hItsun, 1919, with the first post-war competitions in the British Isles. On Saturday, 7 June, the 20-mile Cross-country Handicap was flown over fiv~ laps of the pre-war course to Bittacy Hill for 50 guineas first and 20 gUIneas second pt-izes. Four biplanes were entered-an 80 hp Ie Rhone Grahame-''''hite Bantam AQ\vn by Capt P. R. T. Chambcrlayne, a 110 hp Ie Rhone Avro 504K-Licut G. R. Hicks, a 90 hp RAF Airco

The D.HAR K-141 flown in the 1919 Aerial Derby by Capt Gerald Galhergood. (Hawk" S;dd,l,y.)

D.H.6 K-IOO-Capt G. W. Gathergood, aod a 170 hp A.B.C. Wasp B.A.T. Bantam-Lieut C. Turner. K-IOO was a non-starter and was replaced by another 504K flown by the old Hendon racing pilot Maj R. H. Carr. Reggie Carr retired during the race, and first place went to Lieut Hicks in the other 504K, Chamberiayne came second and Turner third. After a gap of several years the basic Avro 504 design was back at Hendon and able to hold its own against a much later type of machine which was better suited to racing. Thc second \Vhilsun contest, on lVlonday, 9 June, was another Crosscountry H~?dicap .over the Bittacy Hill course but or 10 laps flown in gusly condItIOns. FIve entrants-the same pilots as on the Saturday~took part with the same aircraft for the prizes presented by the Anglo-American Oil Company. First place for the Anglo-American Oil Company Cup and 100 gumeas went to Lieut Turner, Lieut Hicks \-vas second for 30 guineas and Capt Chamberlayne third for 20 guineas. Maj Carr was again unlucky in making a forced landing. 1~ 19 sav,' revival of the Aerial Derby, the fourth-billed as the Victory Aenal Derby-on 21 June over a course of 189 miles around London made up of two laps of the 94·5 miles covered by a route from Hendo~ and taking in Kempton Park, Epsom, \rVest ThutTock, Epping Herlrord Epping again and finishing at Hendon's No.1 pylon. Sixteen e~tries wer~ received: Aircraft B.A.T. F .K.23 Bantam Graham,:-Whitc C.W.E.G Bantam B.A.T. EK.23 Bantam

Registration

Pilot ReD'larks C. B. Prodger 170 hp Wasp Capt P. R. T. Chamber· layne K-125 ~\'1aj C. Draper 200 bp W",p, clipped lower wings H2586/C-EAEV Lieut-Col G. L P. Hen- Replaced derson Martinsyde

K-123 K-150

F.4 Grahame-White G.W.E.6A K-153 Bantam AireD D.H.4R K-141 Aireo D.H.4 AireD D.H.9 :\fartinsyde FA ::'\ieupon L.C.I Nighthawk

Bristol :\1.1 c: 54-3 Baby B.A.T. F.K.2G B.A.T. F.K.23 Banlam ~pwith R.i\f.! Snapper \ Ickers biplane

.\\TO

Capt G.

"V.

Gathergood running up the engine of the D.H.4R K-141 which he flew in the 1919 Aerial Derby. (de Havilland.)

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M<.lj R. H. Curl' Capt G. W. Gathergood M. D. Manton Capt H . .J. Saint Lieut R. H. Nisbet Maj L. R. Tait-Cox

K-142 K-I09

K-152 K-151 C4964/G-EAER K-131 K-102

K-I+9fG-EMJ

Blue/yellow checks

i\faj C. H. C. Smith Capt H. A. Hamersley Lieut C. Turner Capt C. R. Vaughan I I. G. Hawker Capt J. Alcock

Turner, Vaughan and Alcock were non-starlers and lhe B.A.T. F.K.27 K-143 lwo-seat spons sesquiplane-derivcd from the Bantamwas scratched as it was not ready in time. Thirteen starters took-off but rOllr~Smith, Carr, Chamberlayne and Tait-Cox-forced-landed, leaving Gathergood to come first to win the Daily Nlail Gold Trophy and the Shell £500 prize in I hr 27 min 42 sec at 129·34 mph; l\isbet gained second place at 124·61 mph [or the Shell Trophy and £100 and Manton 101

The AircD D.H.4 K-142 being prepared for M. D. J\;Janton to fly it in the 1919 Aerial Derby. (FLightllllemational.) K-123, the B.A.T. F.K.23 Bantam flown by C. B. Prodgcr on 21.Jul1c, 1919, in the Victory Aerial Derby. (FLight International.)

IVlaj C. H. C. Smith's aircraft in the 1919 Aerial Derby-the Bristoll\tI.IC C4964/G-EAER-being started at Hendon.

was third at 117·39 mph. Hamersley won the Scaled Handicap in 1 hI" 16 min 3 sec at 70·3 mph for the Shen Trophy and £100, Draper was second for the Shell Trophy and £50, and third place "vent to Nisbet who was awarded also the Shen Trophy and £25. Now that the Atlantic had been crossed nonstop by aeroplane, a new allempt was planned using an airship-the R-34 built by \ Villiam Beardmore of Inchinnan, Glasgow-for a double trip. Five 275 hp Sunbeam IVlaori IV engines, slung beneath the envelope, drove the R-34. which was 643 ft long, 78 ft 9 in in diameter and of 1,960,000 cu ft capacity. Commanded by Maj G. H. Scott and carrying in addition an official crew of six officers and 20 ·COs and a quantity of mail, the airship left East Fortune, Scotland, in the dark at 1.42 a.m. on 2 July, 1919. Once airborne, a 20-year-old stowaway-AC2 \'V. "'. Ballantyne-was discovered on board and, after 4 days 12 hI' 12 min at an average speed of 32 mph over the 3,604·24 miles, the R-34 arrived at 1.54 p.m. GMT on 6 July to land at Hazelhurst Field, Nlineola, Long Island, New York. On arrival over the aerodrome Maj J. E. NI. Pritchard dropped by parachute to supervise the ground handling. After three and a half days at Mineola, R~34 left on the return trip, again with J\llaj Scott in command and with the rest of the complement increased to 31 offIcers and 102

men. R-34 ascended at 3.54 a.m. GMT on 10 July, and, assisted by the prevailing westerly winds, came in to Pulham, Norfolk, at 6.57 a.rn. Gl\1T on 13 July after averaging 46 mph for the flight of 3,800 miles which took 3 days 3 hr 3 min. To R-34's credit stood the first cast-west crossing of the Atlal}tic by air, the first double air crossing and the first successful airship crossmg. For the first time since the war, the pylon course on Hendon aerodrome was brought into use on 5 July, 1919, when the Peace Meeting was held to celebrate the signing of the Treaty of Versailles. The race was for the London Aerodrome Peace Trophy with seven entrants participating after three had withdrawn. The final heat of six laps was won by Capt P. R. T. Chamberlayne on the 80 hp Ie RhOne Grahame-White G.W.E.6 Bantam K-150, Lieut G. R. Hicks was second on an Avro S04K and third came Maj R. H. Carr on the other Grahame- White Bantam K-153.

The airship R-34 which, with Maj G. H. Scott in command, in 1919 made lhe the Ersl out-and-back air crossings of the North Atlantic. (Vickers.)

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Hendon was the scene on 26 July, 1919, of the Cross-country Handicap for the Hendon Trophy and the London Aerodrome £20 as first prize, the 20 miles being five laps of a four-mile course which included the aerodrome pylons and a point two miles away at Biuacy Hill. There were five starters and Maj Christopher Draper-flying the B.A.T. F.K.24 Baboon K-124/G-EACO-came in first, beating Maj Carr in a 504K into second place [or the London Aerodrome Medal and £20 and Capt Chamberlayne into third place in a Grahame-"Vhite Bantam. Acton Aerodrome was chosen for the start at 7 a.m. on 31 July, 1919, for the first nonstop flight [rom London to Madrid when Lieut 'V. R. Curtis and J. A. Peters-the second pilot and designer of the aircraft-flcw the 450 hI' Kapier Lion-powered Alliance 1'.2 Seabird G-EAGL the 900 miles in 7f hours. The Airco D.H.4R had been produced in under a fortnight as a special single-seat racing modification of the D.H.4 by reducing the span of the lower wings, substituting lengthy slanting strulS for the outer interplane struts, eliminating the stagger and fiuing a 450 hp Napier Lion cooled by a radiator beneath and driving a four-blade propeller. A second racer appeared as G-EAHT, the unequal-span D.H.9R evolved by reducing the span of the wings of a D.H.9A, using a single pair of slanting interplane

struts and equipping the airframe with a 450 hp Lion. During July, 19] 9, G-EAHT was entered in the closed-circuit race of 137 miles at the ELTA Exhibition at Amsterdam, which-flown by Capt G. \V. Gathergood-it \\'on at 145 mph. On 19 July, 1919, Birkdale Palace Aerodrome at Southport, Lancashire, ,,'as used for a race of 12 miles over the sands and sea at the Aerial Fete and Gymkhana. Ten Avro 504Ks were entered-first, second and third places going respectively to Lieut Brown, Lieut Adams and Capt E. )'laitland- Heriot. Avro 504Ks competed at Hendon on 2 August, 1919, in the Crosscountry Handicap over the Bittacy Hill circuit. Out of six original entrants, three S04Ks started, Maj R. H. Carr coming in first, Capt D. H. Robertson second and Lieut G. R. Hicks third. On 4 August, Maj Carr and his 504K were again the winners in 16 min 29 sec at Hendon in the next Cross-country Handicap using the Bittacy Hill course for which there were four starters. First prize was the London Flying Club Trophy and £20, the second prize of the London Flying Club ~ledal and £10 went to 1'. R. T. Chamberlayne for a time of 16 min 39 sec flying the second Grahame- White G.W.E.6A Bantam K-153, and G. R. Hicks retired, as did C. R. Vaughan with the B.A.T. F. K.24 Baboon K-124JG-EACO. 8 August, 1919, was the date of the Irish Aerial Derby from Tallaght, County Dublin, to the Curragh, Gormanstown, County Meath, Dublin and back to Tallaght, a total of 102·5 miles. Twenty-one entries were received, out of whom Lieut F. A. Urmiston-piloting a 100 hp Monosoupape Gnome 504K-'was the winner in 1 hI' 9 min 34 sec. Another Hendon to Brighton and return race was planned for 30 August, 1919, but was subsequently postponed. Great Britain's win of the Schneider Trophy in 1914 brought the 1919 contest to the British Isles a.nd a triangular course of 23·03 miles was laid out with the start and finish at Bournemouth, 10 laps being required to give a total distance of 230·3 miles. The event was on 10 September and entries 'were received from Great Britain, France and Italy. The British machines consisted o[ the 28 ft span 450 hI' Lion Fairey III G-EALQpilot Lieut-Col Vincent Nicholl, the 450 hI' Cosmos Jupiter II Sopwith Schneider G-EAKI-H. G. Hawker, the 450 hp Lion Supermarine Sea Lion I G-EAL1'-Sqn Ldr B. D. Hobbs, and-a. reserve-the 240 hI' Siddeley Puma Avro 539A, allotted G-EALG-Capt H. A. Hamersley. )'1isfortune struck the British team when the Sea Lion, taking-off again after having alighted for safety in the fog, was damaged on striking an obstruction, and the Sopwith Schneider retired as the fog enveloped the course. Subsequently, the contest was annulled because of the confusion caused by the fog. Although the competition had been declared null and ,"oid and the Royal Aero Club had rcco",mcnded that the Trophy should be awarded to Italy, the FAI disagreed, but Italy was allowed to organize the next contest as Janello in the Savoia S.13 had set up the fastest time at 109·77 mph. All of the British aircraft in the 1919 Schneider were biplanes. The Fairey lIT G-EALQ was Cl'eated from the original Type III K10designed by F. Duncanson-which had served with the RNAS and was bought on disposal by Fairey for use later on experimental flying. For

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I-Icndon\ new group of racing pilots consisted mainly of those in the first three places of the Peace Trophy event, together with Lieut C. Turner, Maj C. Drapei', Maj C. H. C. Smith, Capt D. H. Roberlson, Capt G. Gathergood, Lieut-Col G. L. P. Henderson, Lieut K. R. Park, Capt C. R. Vaughan and Capt H. A. Hamersley, flying an assortment of types which included modifications of both makes of Bantam, the D.H.6 K-IOO, Avro 504K H2580 and the Bristol IVLlC G-EAER.

"T.

''''inner of the 137-mi1e closed-circuit race at the ELTA Exhibition, Amsterdam, the D.H.9R G-EAHT flown by Capt G. W. Gathergood at 145 mph. (de Havillalld.)

the Schneider the wings became single-bay on reduction in span from 46 ft to 28 ft and the new engine was installed. \ Vith a maximum speed of 160 mph Hawker's Sopwith Schneider was the fastest of the .1919 entries, and its Jupiter was faired carefully into the fuselage. The slllglebay 24 ft span wings were rigged with slight negative stagger, and the fuselage terminated at the rear to form the lower part of the rudder and to act also as the tail float. The pair of main Aoats were designed with fiat bottoms, and the general design of the Sopwith Schneider was drawn up under the direction of "V. G. Carter. R. J. Mitchell was responsible for the Supermarinc design, a single-bay fiying-boat with its pusher engine installed between the unstaggered wings. G-EALP was derivc~ from the Sea King, which had a remarkably high performance approachmg t1~at of a similarly powered land plane. The reserve Avro S39A had been designed by Roy Chadwick and was a last-minute modification of the 539, evolved around the Puma, as the Avro representative at the contest. Capt Hamersley flew the 25 ft 6 in span single-seat 539 biplane at Hamble for its initial flight on 29 August, 1919, but flotsam damaged one of the twin floats on 3 September. 'IVhile repairs were being made, alterations included the fitting of a wide-chord fin and a rudder with horn balance. On 20 September, 1919, another main event scheduled to start from Hendon was postponed, this time a race to Manchester and b.ack. . Relaxation of restrictions after the war turned 1919 into a fairly prolIfic year of record attempts, with yet another round of activity started by the Australian Government1s offer in 1\Ilareh 1919, of £AIO,OOO to the first Australian airman to fly a British aircraft from the United Kingdom to Australia within 30 consecutive days. During the succeeding six months several teams announced their intentions and preparations. Projects

Capt H. A. Hamers1c)' coming ashore at Hamble on 29 August, 1919, in the Avro 539A G-EALG Schneider Trophy entrant.

The Sopwith Schneider G-EAKI, which retired during the 1919 Schneider Trophy contest owing to fog over the course. (Hawker.)

which came to nothing were those ofLieut H.]. L. Hinkler who proposed using an 80 hp Ie Rhone Sopwith Dove, Licut Charles Kingsford Smith, Lieut Valdemar Rendle, Cyril Maddocks and L. Booker with a Blackburn Kangaroo, and Lieut R. J. P. Parer as first pilot and LieutJ. C. McIntosh as second pilot flying a 200 hp Beardmore F.E.2b-a distinctly dubious choice for a trip of over 11 1000 miles across long stretches of inhospi table terrain and water. Hounslow Heath was the favoured point of departure and the first away was the 375 hp Eagle VIn Sopwith Wallaby G-EAKS which left at 11.44 a.m. on 21 October, 1919, carrying Capt G. C. Matthews as pilot and navigator accompanied by Sgt Thomas Kay as engineer. The biplane -a development of the Atlantic-reached Vienna without incident but, from then on, its passage was far from smooth. Bad weather set in, the crew were held as prisoners. in Yugoslavia, snow at Belgrade brought an enforced delay of four weeks, at Constantinople a cracked cylinder requiring attention \vasted another week, and rain at Aleppo brought another hold-up. Despite this the \IValiaby flew on, but the end came on 17 April, 1920, when it crashed on landing at Grokgak in Bali, 1,100 miles from Australia but without injuring the crew. The dark green Vickers Vi my G·EAOU, powered by a pair of 350 hp Eagle VIlIs, was the next to leave Hounslow, taking off at 9.10 a.m. on 12 ~ovember, 1919, with a crew consisting of the brothers Capt Ross Smith and Lieut Keith MacPherson Smith as pilots and Sgts W. H. Shicrs and J. M. Bennett as mechanics. Among the entrants, the Vim)' was the most powerful and after flying for 11,294 miles, Port Darwin was reached at 5 a.m. on 10 December. On 13 December G-EAOU left Darwin to fly on to Adelaide to a great welcome, having covered a total distance of 14,350 miles in 188 hI' 20 min. Knighthoods were bestowed on the two pilots in recognition of their epic journey half way around the world. Early on 13 November the second of the ungainly 450 hp Lion Alliance P.2 Seabirds-G-EAOX Endeavour-left snowbound Hounslow with Lieut R. Douglas as pilot and navigated by Licut J. S. L. Ross, but crashed six miles away at Surbiton shortly after, exploding and killing both of the crew immediately.

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Nine days after the Vimy had left on its attempt, G-EAO\V-a Blackburn Kangaroo powered by two 275 hp RoUs-Royce Falcons-after waiting for fog to disperse took-off from Hounslow Heath at 10.37 a.m. on 21 November, 1919, with an all-Australian erew consisting of 31-year-old Capt G. H. \ Vilkins as commander and navigator, Lieut Valdemar Rendle-whose previous plans were to fly with Kingsford Smith-as first pilot, Lieut D. R. ''''illiams as second pilot and Lieut Garnsey Polts as engineer. Taking two weeks to cross Europe in appalling weather, after one forced landing at Frejus and another 30 miles farther on, their attempt ended on 8 December when port engine trouble and a broken oil pipe forced a return to Suda Bay, Crete, and a landing there on the beach after a frightening spin over Canea at 800 ft, the machine finishing its run on its nose.

The crew of the Vickers Vimy G-EAOU which was the first aircraft to fly from England to Australia, late in 1919. Left 10 righl: Sgt \·V. H. Shicrs, Lieut Keith 1\1. Smith, Capt Ross Smith and SgtJ. M. Bennetl. (Vickers.)

Swinging the starboard propeller of the Blackburn Kangaroo G-EAO\V which left Hounslow on 21 November, 1919, competing for the £A 10,000 England-toAustralia prize but which forced~landed in Crete on 8 December. (Blackburn.)

Capt Ross Smith, lefl, and Lieut Keith 1\1. Smith in front of their Vimy G~EAOU at Hounslow before taking-off for Australia on 12 )Jovember, 1919. (Vickers.)

At 9.34· a.m. on 4 December, 1919, yet another entrant took-off from HounslO\v Heath in the snO\v for Australia. The machine was the 275 hp Falcon Martinsyde Type A MkJ G-EAMR, piloted by Capt Cedric E. Howell with Cpl George H. Fraser as his navigator. The attempt ended in tragedy on 10 December when-after leaving Taranto for Athens-the two-bay biplane plunged into the sea in foul weather off St Georges Bay, Corfu, killing its crew. The London Aerodrome at Hendon on 15 November, 1919, was the starting point for G. "V. Gathergood to set up 18 speed and distance records in the Airco D.H.9R G-EAHT. Over a closed-circuit distance in a given time the machine accomplished 35·47 miles in 15 min at 141·89 mph, 71·67 miles in 30 min at 143·35 mph, 144·51 miles in I hr, 250-49 miles in 2 hr at 125·24 mph, a greatest speed of 149-43 mph in 1 min 14·85 sec and 13 closed-circuit speed records without landing over distances from 5 km to 400 km. Although the Vimy had won the prize for the first night to Australia, Lieuts R. J. P. Parer and]. C. :NlcIntosh-both Australians returning home after the war-decided still to undertake the trip by air in easy stages but using a war-surplus 240 hp Puma Airco D.H.9-a far more suitable aircraft than their original choice of an antiquated pusher F.E.2b. Their

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The Vickers Vi my Commercial prototype G-EAAV which crashed at Tabora on 27 February, 1920, during the attempted flight from England to South Africa by Capts S. Cockerell and F. C. G. Broome. (Vickers.)

Commercial prototype G-EAAV powered by a pair of 350 hp Eagle V III engines, which left Brooklands for Cape Town. The night was organized by The Times under Lord Northc1iffe, the crew consisting of the two pilots Capts F. C. G. Broome and S. Cockerell, a mechanic Sgt-nIJaj J. "'yatt, a rigger C. Corby and The Times representative Dr P. Chalmers !vIitchell acting as a scientific observer. G-EAAV new southwards for just over four weeks but crashed on 27 February at Tabora in Tanganyika where the attempt was abandoned. A Handley Page 0/400, G-EAMC, powered by a pair or Eagle VIIIs, was used by another crew attempting to gain the Daily Mail £10,000 offered for the first flight from Cairo to the Cape. The machine, piloted by IVlaj H. G. Brackley and navigated by Capt 17 rederick L. Tymms, was entered by the Daily Telegraph and left the Cricklewood Aerodrome on 25 January, 1920. The Daily Telegraph correspondent Maj C. C. Turner joined G-EAMC at Cairo on 20 February, and two others in the crew of the machine which left Cairo on the same day were A. Knight and an individual named Banthorp. On 25 February the 0/400 crashed when landing six miles north of £1 Shereik and was damaged beyond repair. The next machine to leave for Cape Town was another VimyG-UABA Silver Queen-purchased by the South African Government and flown by two South African pilots, ,t\Tg Cdr Pierre van Ryneveld and FIt Lieut C.]. Quintin Brand, accompanied by Fit Sgt E. F. Nevvman and "'. F. Sherratt. The take-off from Brooklands was at 7.30 a.m. on 4

D.H.9 G-EAQM-Iate F1287-left Hounslow Heath in fog at 10.30 a.m. on BJanuary, 1920, on what was to be a very protractedjourncy punctuated by numerous incidents. After a forced landing in France, where they damaged a wheel, Rome was reached by 23 January-following a ncar plunge into the crater of Vesuvius when they had made a detour for "Nlclntosh to photograph the volcano-and departure from Cairo was late in February. On 27 February G-EAQM landed at Baghdad and by 8 March had reached Karachi and Calcutta on 14 "Nlarch, with only six shillings in the pockets of the crew. After staying for 10 days to raise money by diverse means, lhey left Calcutta with £ 1,000 on 25 March and set course for Rangoon. Engine trouble brought two forced landings, on the second of which at "Nloulmein Racecourse G-EAQM crashed when trying to avoid the crowd. After eight weeks spent in repairs, the crew took-ofT once more but crashed in a ditch near Sourabaya. Repaired once again, the D.H.9 left Timor on 2 August, 1920, and flew on for eight hours on the final 500 mile stage to the Australian mainland, landfall being made at Darwin on 2 August, 1920, almost out of fuel with only one pint of petrol left in the tank. Mascot Aerodrome, Sydney, welcomed the D. H.9 on 22 August, and G-EAQwI then flew on with "Nlelbourne as its next intended stop but turned over on landing at Cu1cairn and was wrecked. Despite this final mishap, Parer and Mclntosh had accomplished the first successful flight from England to Australia in a singleengine aircraft and were awarded £ 1,000 as a consolation prize. ''''ith the Atlantic flown and Australia linked by air, South Africa was the next far point to appeal' on the list and, once again, the Vimy was the type chosen by two of the crews. First to take-off, at 11.30 a.m. on 24 January, 1920, was R. K. Pierson's design, the plump Vickers Vimy

\Vg Cdr Pierre van Rynevcld, lift, and Fit Lieut C. .J. Quintin Brand before their take-off for South Africa. (Vickers.)

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III

~ I

1920, in the D.H.9 H5648 Voorlrekker at the end of their journey from England. (Courtesy BOAC.)

at Korosko. The two engines were transferred to a surplus RAF Vimy and the replacement-Silver Queen II-left Heliopolis at 6.45 a.m. on 22 February; the new Vimy took the crew as far as Bulawayo but crashed there while taking-ofT on 6 March. The South African Government then offered the D.I-I.9 H5648 Voortrekker, with which the two pilots flew on to 'Vynberg Aerodrome, Cape Town, landing on 20 :March, 1920, to complete the first night from Great Britain to South Africa in a flying time of 4 days 13 hI' 30 min for the 7,500 miles. The third crew to take-off on the London-to-Cape Town attempt left Hendon on 4 February, 1920, and were Fit Lieul F. S. Cotton and Lieut W. A. 'Townsend flying the de Havilland D.H.14A G-EAPY powered by a 450 hp Lion. The biplane reached La :Nfarmilla, f\1essina, where it turned over in a forced landing and was subsequently shipped back to England. F. P. Raynham, prominent among British pre-war pilots, was quick to return to civil flying and, on 21 March, 1920, set up at A.&A.E.E. Martlesham a new world speed record of 161·434 mph over one kilometre, flying G-EAPX, the 300 hp Hispano-Suiza red Martinsyde Semiquaver biplane. The Semiquaver was constructed specially as a racer, and was based on G. H. Handasyde's F.4 design. Among the attractions of Easter Nlonday, 5 April, 1920, at Bournemouth was the Cross-country Race to Christchurch Priory with two laps to total 20 miles. First out of six entrants-in 20 min 31 sec-and winner of the Bournemouth Aviation Company Trophy and II guineas was Sgt Pit R. E. Tollerfie1d, second Capt Matthews, third Lieut Carter Smith, fourth Lieut F. "V. Knox-each flying a 504K. All finished the course, but the remaining two pilots were disqualified. The Bournemouth Aviation Company olTered a trophy and 25 guineas for another Cross-country Race on 1 May, 1920, for three laps of a course from Bournemouth Aerodrome to Langham VVaterworks at Ringwooda total of 12 miles. Bad weather spoiled the event, and, out of six entries, three] 10 bp 1e Rhone S04Ks took ofI abreast, Sgt Pit R. E. Tollerfield beating Capt Saddler by one length and two seconds for first place, third place going to Capt Matthews. Crickle\vood Aerodrome was used on 4 !vIay, 1920, for a successful attempt on the Class C.S load to altitude record by Capt G. T. R. Hill, who piloted the Handley Page H.P.IS W.S G-EAP], carrying 3,690 Ib, to 13,999 ft in I hr 20 min. Awaiting a winner during 1920 by the final date of 31 October was the Daily K\press £ 10,000 prize for the first flight from England to India. Two aircraft and crews prepared for the attempt-Cdr R. \"1. Kenworthy as pilot and Capt G. H. 'Vilkins as navigator ofG-EAO"V, a Blackburn Kangaroo with a pair of 250 hp Falcons, and G-EASO Old Carthusian II, a Handley Page 0/400 powered by two Lions, with Maj A. S. C. ~racLarcn as pilot and Capt]. A. Barton as navigator. G-EASO was scheduled to start from Croydon on 15 1\1ay but was stopped by Government instructions owing to unrest in Arabia. Ultimately, the project was cancelled entirely on 20 October, 1920. Croydon was, howevel', the scene of the take-ofT on 31 May, 1920, of H.]. L. Hinkler on a flight to Australia in the tiny Avl'O 534 Baby prototype biplane G-EACQ, equipped with a 10-year-old Green engine of

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The Vickers Vi my G-UABA Silller Queen at Brooklands. (Vickers.)

February, 1920, and the trip was punctuated by mishaps, the firs~ of which came when-after having flown 530 miles from Cairo-a radIator cap was found to have fallen off just after leaving Heliopolis and the silver G-UABA crashed into boulders during the subsequent forced landing

\Vg Cdr van Ryneveid and FIt Lieut Brand landing at \\rynberg on 20 :r..!arch,

The Bristol Bullet G-EATS in the original form in which Capt C. F. Uwins flew it on 24July, 1920, in the Aerial Derby. (Bristol,)

only 35 hp. Leaving at 4.50 a.m. and flying over the Alps, Hinklct' landed 700 miles away at Turin after a nonstop journey of 9! hI', the longest so far accomplished in a lightplane. HinkleI' was thwarted subsequently in his intention to reach Australia by refusal of permission to fly over the Iraq desert; he gave up the idea and returned to Croydon on 9 June, 1920, having flown G-EACQ for a total of 2,250 miles in 34·5 hours flying time. After exhibition at the 1920 Olympia Aero Show and competing in that ycar's Aerial Derby, the Avro Baby was shipped to Australia and flown by HinkleI' 800 miles nonstop in 9 hours from Sydney to Bundaberg-his birthplace-on 11 April, 1921, to set a new Australian long-distance record. A.&A.E.E. :Nlartlesham provided the course on 17 June, 1920, for a successful attack by Nlaj L. R. Tait-Cox on the British speed record under Class CAb when he flew the 320 bp A.B.C. Dragonfly Nieuport Goshawk G-EASK-a single-seat, single-bay 20 ft 6 in span biplane designed by H. P. Folland-at J 66·5 mph. The around-London course for the Fifth Aerial Derby held on 24 July, 1920, was extended by II miles compared with that of 1919 to reach a lOtal of 200 miles consisting of two laps of 100 luiles each, starting from Hendon and leading to Brooklands, Epsom, '!\fest Thurrock, Epping) Hertford and back to Hendon. Fifteen machines lined up for the start at 2.15 p.m., the list including: Aircraft

Registration

Pilot

Avro 534 Baby 1\vro 534B Baby S.P.A.D.8.29 D.H.14A

G-EACQ G-EAUG

H. J. L. HinkleI' Capt H. A. Hamer-dey L. Jensen FIt Lieut F. S. Cotton

Sopwith Snipe First place for fastest speed in the 1920 Aerial Derby went to the Martinsyde Semiquaver G-EAPX flown at 153·45 mph by Capt F. T. Courtney. (Flight

International, )

G-EAPY

Sopwith Snipe

G-EAUW G-EAUV

Sopwith Snipe Avro 539A

G-EAUU G-EALG

Nieuport Nieuhawk Martinsyde F.G Martillsyde FA

G-EA]Y G-EAPI G-EAPP

Sopwith/Hawker Rainbow Bristol Bullet 11artinsydc Semiquaver

G-EAKI G-EATS G-EAPX

]. H,Jamcs Licut R. H. Nisbet Sqn Ldr T. O'B Hubbard H. G. Hawker Capt C. F. Uwins Capt F. T. Courtney

Nieuport Goshawk

G-EASK

1I.laj L. R. Tait-Cox

RelDarks

Passenger, Mr Harwood

Capt W. L. Jordan

FIt Licut W. H. LongCon Fit Licue]. S. T. Fall Capt D. G. Wcstgarth~ Ex-Schneider Hcslam

Replaced F. P, Raynham

Fifth place in the 1920 Aerial Derby was secured by Capt VV. L. Jordan with the Sopwith Snipe G-EAUVl, (Flight Internatiollal.)

Fourteen eventually took-off, but Calton's crash in the D.H.14A and retirements by Longton, Fall, \ Vestgarth-Heslam and Tail-Cox whittled the finishers down to nine. First place in the Derby for fastest speed for the Royal Aero Club Trophy and £500 went to Frank Courtney, who overturned on landing after averaging 153-45 mph, James was second and Uwins third: in the Handicap for the Aerial Derby Cup and £250 Hamersle)' came first, second place for £ I 00 went to HinkleI' and third for £50 was Courtney,

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115

min 35 sec at an average speed of 107·224 mph Oying a Savoia 8.19 flying-boat powered by a 550 hp Ansaldo S Giorgio engine. Following a lapse of seven years since the last contest in 1913, the Gordon Bennett Aviation Cup was revived in }"'rance on 26-27 September, 1920, over a course of 186·5 miles at Villesauvage, Etampes, between Great Britain, France and the USA. Proposed British entries were F. P. Raynham on the red Semiquaver G-EAPX, tvlaj L. R. Tait-Cox with the l\ieuport Goshawk G-EASK and H. G. Hawker flying the SopwithJ Hawker Rainbow G-EAKI. The last two withdrew and Raynham-with a defective oil pump-was compelled to retire in the first lap, leaving Sadi Lecointe, as the only pilot to complete the course, to win on his Nieuport in I hI' 6 min 17·2 sec. France thus won the Gordon Bennett Aviation Cup outright, having gained it three times in succession.

The Avro 539A G-EALG with which Capt D. G. \Vestganh-Hcs1am was forced to l'eti"e during the 1920 Aerial Derby. (Auro.)

The fourth Schneider Trophy Contest, held at Venice from 19 until 21 September, 1920, over 10 laps of a triangular course for a total of233 miles was of disappointingly little interest. British entries \vere absent and the French withdrew, leaving Italy's single aircraft-after bad wcather stopped the attempt on 19 September-to win by a fly-over on 21 September, when Luigi Bologna covered the complete course in 2 hI' 10 Maj L. R. T'ait-Cox's aircraft in the 1920 Aerial Derby, the elegant Nieuport Goshawk G-EASK. (FiighIInternational.)

The D.H.14A G-EAPY whieh crashed during the 1920 Aerial Derby while being raced by Fit Lieut F. S. Colton. (Hawker Siddelry.)

During 1920, .in keeping with the pra(:tice of the Army and the Navy, the newly-constitutcd Royal Air Force allowed the public to inspect it to a degree for a rew hours when the Royal Air Force Tournament was held at Hendon. On 2 July, 1921, the second or these shows was put on-again at Hendon-as the Royal Air Force Pageant and included two raccs in the programme. The J 2 mile Handicap drew eight starters-an 0/400, 504K, F.2B, Snipe, D.H.9A, S.E.5a, B.A.T. Bantam and a Nighthawkout of which lhe Snipe flown by FIg Off J. Oliver came first in 5 min 15 sec. A racehorse slart was adopted fOl' the 14 Avro 504Ks in another 12 mile race for representatives of 14 various RAF units, Kenley winning in 8 min 4 sec. Three different air stations were represented in the Relay Race, each by a team consisting ora 504K, F.2B and a Snipe, wilh Kenley again the winners. On 16 July, 1921, Hendon was host to the two teams-each of three S.E.5as-taking part in the air race between Oxford and Cambridge Universities organized by O. E. Simmonds. This was the first and only such event, the distance of 129 miles being made up or three laps of a

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117

The 200-mile handicap over two laps of the IOO-mile course was won at 163·34 mph by J. H. James, the company's test pilot, on lbe 4·50 hp Lion II Mars I or Bamel which-racing in its original prototype formhad been designed by H. P. Folland specially for the 1921 Aerial Derby and had been built in only four weeks. VVith wings of 22 ft span terminating in elliptical tips on the upper planes and square tips on the lowel' and separated by single interplane struts, the Mars I utilized the rear fuselage, tail unit and undercarriage of a Nighthawk; a single retractable radiator was fitted. The 1\11ars I received an all-silver finish with its markings in red and made its first flight at Sunningend on 20 June, 1921.

1"'"01' the second year running, the United Kingdom was not represented in the Schneider Trophy contest, the fifth of which was held at Venice on 6-7 August, 1921. France and Italy competed and the Trophy was won for Italy by Giovanni de Briganti who flew a Macchi tvL 7 flying-boat over the 230'3-mile course in 2 hr 4 min 29 sec at 110·9 mph. At the beginning of the 1920s the aerodrome at Plough Lane, vVaddon, was well situated for its ultimate expansion as a prominent civil airport for the next two decades and as a point of departure and return for many long-distance pilots. For a few years after its opening-and until commercial operations stopped such activities-the aerodrome was used for a number of racing events) and on 17 September, 1921, the First Croydon Aviation i\lIeeting was held there in bad weather. The day's programme included the Club Handieap for Avros to fly three 24-mile laps-won by Capt F. G. M. Sparks on lbe 80 hp Renault Avro 548 G-EAFH in 13 min 56·4 sec against four 504Ks; the First Waddon Handicap over the same course of 72 miles for machines with a minimum top speed of 100 mph-won by Fit Lieut W. H. Longton in 14 min 20·4 sec in a 220 hp Viper S.E.5a against two S.E.5as) one D.H.9A and a Snipe; the First Croydon Handicap over 72 miles for aircraft with a maximum speed of 100 mph whieh F. G. M. Sparks won again on G-EAFH, in 12 min 49 sec competing with four 504Ks, a B.E.2c and two D.H.6s-one of the last-named being G-EAvVD; the First Autumn Handicap-two laps o[ 32 miles each for the first, second and third machines in the Croydon and Waddon Handicaps-brought anothcr win for Sparks on G-EAFH. A new award~the Air League Challenge Cup presented by the lben Secretary of the Air League of the British Empire, AVM Sir \'Villiam Sefton Brancker and Philip Foster-made its appearance at the Croydon meeting. The Cup was to be competed for annually in a type of event to be selected by the Royal Aero Club but, as so little civil flying had yet developed by 1921, it was decided that the award should be made to RAF stations and squadrons after competition among them. This was done in 1921, 1923 and 1924, after which-from 1927 onwards-the Air League Challenge Cup became a civilian award. On 17 September, 1921) it was competed for as a relay race of three laps totalling 72 miles [or three tcams each with three pilots, the winning team from No.24 Squadron at Kenley-comprising in lap order-FIt Lieut J. M. RobbS.E.5a at 123·6 mph, FIt Lieut R. W. Chappell-504K, and FIg Off P. Murgatroyd-S.E.5a. At Brussels on 18 September, 1921, the tenth Gordon Bennett Balloon Race was held with 14 starters. Great Britain was represented by Henry Spencer, who came second with a flight of 419·2 miles to Fishguard in iVIargaret, and by Sqn Ldr F. A. Baldwin, who finished fourth in Banshee 1II. Since winning the Aerial Derby the Gloucestershire Mars I G-EAXZ had been modified to increase its performance by reduction of wing area from 205 sq ft to 180 sq ft. The machinc's next important race was on 1 October, 1921, in the Coupe Deutsch de la Meurthe, the course of 186 miles consisting of three laps from Villesauvagc, Etampes) to La Marmogne and back. On arrival in France) lack of cooling capacity in the single radiator at full power was remedied by installation of a pair of Lamblin .·adiators. G-EAXZ, flown by J. H. James) was the sole British

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Starting the silver and red Gloucestershire Mars I G-EAXZ at Hucclccote after its completion in June 1921. Subsequently) J. H. James flew it to win the 1921 Aerial Derby. course from Hendon to Epping) thence to Hertford and back to Hendon. The Oxford and Cambridge aircraft \vere distinguished by dark and light blue tails respectively; the Cambridge team of R. K. Muir, H. A. Francis and' V. S. Philcox won, the fastest lap being flown at 118·55 mph. Hendon on 16July, 1921, was also the scene of the Sixth Aerial Derby which was run after the niversities' race. Twelve starters consisted of: Aircraft Avro 543 Baby· Avro 534C Babyt Sopwith Pup Bristol Type 29 Tourer Avro 552 Sopwith F.I Camel

S.E.5a Nieuport Nieuhawk Martinsyde FA Bristol Type 32 Bullet Glouccstershire Mars I S.E.5a

Registration C-EAUM G-EAXL G-EAVX G-EA\VB G-EAPR C-EAWN

G-EAJY G-EAXB

G-EATS G-EAXZ

• Two-seater.

t

Pilot

CaptJ. Tully H. J. L. Hinkler

D. L. Forcstier- \Valker A. S. Butler Maj 1.. R. Tait-Cox Capt H. S. Broad F. J. Ortweiler Fit LicutJ. Noakes ~.faj E. L. Foot Capt C. .F. Uwins J. H. James Lieut W. H. Longton

Single-seater.

entry against one Italian and three French machines. I-laving made one trip out at 166 mph and returned at 171 mph, James was forced La retire aftcr this one lap as thc fabric on G-EAXZ's upper wings was found to be lifting owing to parting of the stitching. The event was won for France by Georges Kirsch at 173 mph on a I\ieuport-Delage Sesquiplan. After returning to England the 1\1ars I G-EAXZ was modificd by fitting fairings behind the wheels, cutting down the wing area by a further 20 sq ft and fairing the centml bank of cylinders. It was then prepared for record attacks over the A.&A.E.E. NIartlesham course. On 19 December) 1921, in its Titanine dope scheme of high-gloss bluc fuselage and white wings and tail and with]. H. James at the controls, the Nlars I sct a new British speed record of 196-4 mph. Three of the members of the crew who made the first flight to Australia -Sir Ross Smith, Sir Keith Smith and Lieut]. M. Bennett-teamed up respectively as pilot, navigator/wireless operator and mechanic early in 1922 for an around-the-world flight. The aircraft was the 450 hp Lion Vickers Type 60 Viking Mk. IV amphibian G-EBBZ, designed by R. K. Pierson and completed and tested by April 1922. The start from Croydon was to be on 25 April, 1922, but the projcct came to an end when, during a test Right of the aircraft at Brooklands on the morning of 13 April, Ross Smith and Dennett crashed and were killed. An around-the-world flight which was cancelled was to have been made by the 650 hp Rolls-Royce Condor TIT Fairey Fremanlle G-EBLZJ N 173, designed during 1922 for Capt R. H. lVlcIntosh of Handley Page Transport Ltd as pilot; the machine 'was delayed in completion until 1925. The Easter Monday Meeting at Croydon on 17 April, 1922, attracted a diverse selection of aircraft, the handicapping of which was by]. D. Coales, Capt R. J. G. Crouch and]. H. Ledeboer. Entries for the Club Handicap for two laps of eight miles each, open to all types of aeroplane, were: Aircraft

Registration

D.H.9A D.H.9B Bristol !vLl D

G-EAVP

Martinsyde F.4 Marlinsyde FA Parnall Panther B.E.2b D.H.6 A\'ro 504K Avro 504K Avro 504K S.E.5a

Av1'O 552

G-EBCM G·EAPW C-EAXY

G-EAPR

Pilot Capt R. H. Slacken Capt C. D. Barnard Capt C. F. Uwins

Fit Lieut W. H. Longton FIt Lieut H. O. Long Capt A. F. ~Ifuir FIt Cdt Kevill Vintcent Dr E. D. W. Reid i\faj H. A. Petre C. D. Palmer Fit Lieut A. F. Ingram Fig Off R. S. Carroll H. J. L. Hinkle..

to Uwins on the M.lD G-EAVP and third to Stocken on the D.H.9A. Three eight-mile laps made up the 24 mile course for the Second Croydon Handicap for machines with a maximum speed of 100 mph, but out of five entrants only two started. Of the pair, NIaj Petre came first in the 504K G-EAXY and Vice-Admiral Mark Kerr was second in a B.E.2c. The First Spring Handicap was confined to the aircraft gaining the first th,'ee places in the \ Vaddon and Croydon Handicaps but brought only three starters who finished fir'st Stocken-D.H.9A, second Petre-504K G-EAXY, and third Hinkler-Avro 552 G-EAPR. On 24 NIay, 1922, Croydon was lhe lake-off point for an around-the~ world attempt. The aircraft was G-EBDE, a three-seat D.H.9 reconditioned by A.D.C. Ltd and bought by Maj Wilfred T. Blake, leader and organizer of what was hoped would be the first successful world flight in stages with a different aircraft fOI' each portion. Capt ~orman NIacmillan was the pilot and Lieut-Col L. E. Broome acted as cinematographer. G-EBDE was damaged in a forced landing at Istres, lVIarseilles, was still faulty after repairs and was replaced by another A.D.C. D.H.9 G-EBDF which then flew on as G-EBDE, the registration being altered so as not to spoillhe film being made of the flight. At Istres, Capt Geoffrey H. Malins replaced Broome as photographer to allow him to go ahead to organize the Tokyo-to-Vancouver stage. After numerous incidents, G-EBDE reached Calcutta on 12 August but without Blake, who had left the expedition at Agra suffering from appendicitis. On G-EBDE's arrival at Calcutta, Blake-who had travelled there by train from Agra-auctioned the machine and the logbooks from the Empire Theatre's stage for 2,500 rupees to the owner of the Empire lvJail, who intended to give the a.ircraft to 'the Hindu University of Benares. A 350 hp Eagle Vln Fairey IIlC seaplane G-EBDI had been prepared for the next over-water stages of the Hight to Vancouver, and Macmillan, accompanied by Malins, made the first seaplane take-off from the Hugli River at Calcutta on 19 August

Remarks

Scarlet, black nose/tail, white letlering

Withdrew

Withdrew Black nose

First was Capt R. H. Stocken, Capt C. D. Barnard was second and third came Capt C. F. Uwins. The Second \ Vaddon Handicap was for aircraft with a minimum top speed of 100 mph racing over [0111' laps of eight miles cacho Out of seven entries, six took-off, first place going to HinkleI' on the Avro 552, second

The blue and white Glouccslershire :-oral'S I/Bamei G-EAXZ, as modified late in 1921 for the Coupe Deulsch de la ~[eurlhe race. (Flight International.)

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121

The vVestiand vVeasel J6577 with Bristol Jupiter II engine, flew on 24 June, 1922, in the Handicap Race during the RAF Pageant at Hendon.

to fly to Akyab, 320 miles away. Very bad weather was encountered, and they soon landed with engine failure on the mud-flats one mile south of the island of Lukhidia Char in the Bay of Bengal. The crew stayed there to weather the storm until 22 August, when they left again, but came down 20 min later owing to a petrol lock. After about eight hours drifting in the gale, the silver IUC capsized and started to sink, but the crew after terrible suffering were fortunate to be picked up by the launch Dorothea on 24 August. The entire attempt was then abandoned. Another of the conversions of A.D. G.-the 400 hp Liberty 12 D.H.9A G-EAXC-was the only British machine out of three starters on 25 May, 1922, in the Civil Aircraft Handicap for the Coupe Lamblin at Le Bourget, Paris. The circuit lay from Le Bourget to Brussels, thence to Croydon and back to Le Bourget. G-EAXC-flown by tbe Aircraft Disposal Company's Rex H. Stocken-set up the fastest time but the race was won on handicap by Mons Bajac of France. On Saturday, 3 June, 1922, the ''\Thitsuntide Races were run at ''\Taddon Aerodrome, Croydon. First place in the Third Club Handicap over 16 miles for entrants with a maximum speed of 120 mph v,rent to Alan J. Cobham on a 240 hp Puma D.H.9B. Other starters were Lieut-Col S. D. A. Grey and Maj H. A. Petre-each on a 504K, Capt G. F. Uwins flying the Bristol M.l D G-EAVP and F. P. Raynham with the Sopwith Antelope G-EASS. Cobham-again piloting the Puma D.H.9B-came first out of four starters, which included Maj E. L. Foot on a Martinsyde F.4, in the First Sprint Handicap of eight mile~ for aircraft with a minimum top speed of 110 mph. There were six starters in the First \,Vhitsuntide Handicap of 24 miles for aircraft with a minimum top speed of 100 mph, the winner being Uwins's scarlet M.ID G-EAVP; among the entrants were S. H. Hayns on an S.E.5a and Raynham \vith the Antelope, The Surrey Open Handicap of 16 miles had eight starters, first place going to Freddy Raynham on the 200 hp Viper Antelopo G-EASS. On 24 june, 1922, the RAF Pageant was held at Hendon and, despite a strong wind and rain, three races were concluded. In the event for 304Ks around a local circuit, 18 from various RAF stations made a racehorse start, the winner being FIg Ofr P. ~1urgatroyd from Cranwell. J22

Twelve biplanes-a 504K, Vimy, Bristol F.2B, S.E.5a, two D.H.9As, Martinsyde F.4 Buzzard, Pup, two "Vestland ''\Teasels-one Jaguar II F2914 and one]upiter II]6577, Snipe and the lengthened Avro Aldershot prototype j6852-took part in the Handicap Race, the Aldershot flown by FIg Off C. E. Horrex being the winner. A team from Kenley, consisting of FIt Lieut R. W. Chappell-504K, Fit Lieut J. M. Robb-F.2B, and FIt Lieut F. L. Luxmore-Snipe, took first place in the Relay Race. Shortly after Capt F. S. Barnwell's resignation at Bristol, plans went ahead under '-\T. T. Reid's direction for the construction of the Bristol Type 72 Racer G-EBDR which appeared in mid-1922 as one of the most radical of all British aircraft to be flown" The 510 hp Jupiter was faired into an extremely plump circular-section monocoque fuselage, to which were attached the fabric-covered untapered wings of 25 ft 2 in span. The pilot was in an open cockpit in line with the trailing edge of the wings and at the highest point of the curvature of the fuselage. A chain and sprocket gear operated the retractable undercarriage, the wheels of which went into the underside of the wings. During the initial flight at FiIton at the beginning of july, Uwins found that the full-span ailerons caused the wings to twist and affected the lateral stability. External bracing wires were then added but, following further modifications and a total of seven flights, the all-red Racer \vas abandoned without having raced. Three prominent pre-war balloonists competed on 6 August, 1922, for Great Britain in the eleventh Gordon Bennett Balloon Race, at Geneva. They were Lieut-Col J. D. Dunville 'with Banshee 111 and Griffith Brewer and Maj the Hon Claud Brabazon-as Brewer's aide-in a new Bee of 80,000 cu. ft. The Bee was forced to land near Zurich at night by a thunderstorm and the event was won by the Belgian Mons Demuyter in Belgica. Racing took place again on 7 August, 1922, at vVaddon. The August Open Handicap had six entrants for two laps of eight miles each. Maj C.

After seven flights, the unsuccessful Bristol Type 72 Racer G-EBDR of 1922 was abandoned. It was tOed with white markings. (Bristol.)

123

Draper on a 504K ,vas a non-starter and HinkleI' on the 543 Baby G-EAUM retired, so first place went to Flt Lieut "V. H. Longton on an S.E.5a, another S.E.5a piloted by FIt LieutJ. 1\1. Robb was second, third came Alan S. Butler in the single-seat de Havdland D.H.37 G-EBDO Sylvia with black fuselage and gold \-\lings and fourth was R. H. Stocken fiying the Martinsyde F.4 G-EATD. The Air League Challenge Cup was for a relay race of two laps of eight miles each between RAF Kenlev and RAF Uxbridge, during wbich FIt Lieut R. W. Chappell's 504K m;'de a forced landing with engine trouble. The event was postponed and then abandoned for 1922. The main event at ''''addon on 7 August was the seventh Aerial Derby, consisting of two circuits of London making 200 miles altogether in poor weather conditions. The nine entrants were: Aircraft Bristol M.ID Bristol Bullet

Registration G-EAVP G-EATS

Gloucestcrshire Mars I Martinsyde FA Avro 543 Baby D.H.S7 Gloucestershire Mars III Spal'l'owhawk 11

G-EAXZ G-EATD G-EAUM G-EBDOj G-EAYN

S.E.5a lvfartinsyde F.G

G-EBDK

* Retired. t

Pilot L. L. Carter Fit Lieut Rollo A. de Haga Haig J. H. James Capt Rex H. Stocken >I< H. J. L. HinkleI' A. S. Butlcr* Maj L. R. Tait-Cox * H. H. Perry F. P. Raynham

Named S)/uia.

The winner was J. H. James at 177·85 mph in the faslest time. Fit Lieut de Raga Haig at 145 mph carne second in fastest time and in the handicap, Raynham was third in fastest time at 107·85 mph, and Larry Carter came first in the handicap at ]07·85 mph. Naples was selected for the sixth Schneider Trophy contest, held on 10-12 August, 1922. The triangular course was again over a total of230 mile.s, and Great Britain competed with R.]. Mitchell's design for Super manne-the 450 hp Napier Lion-engined Sea Lion II G-EBAH flown by Capt Henn C. Biard. Originally, the machine was the Sea King II

Winner of the 1922 Aerial Derby Handicap, the red, black and white Bristol l\1.1D GMEAVP flown at 107·85 mph by L. L. Carter. (Bristol.)

amphibian scout constructed at ''''oolston in 1921, and now it ,vas modified wilh smaller equal-span wings as a single-seat pusher flying-boat for the 1922 Schneider event. The intended French participants wcre not ready in time, so the Supermal'ine was faced only 'with the Italian Macchi M.7, Macchi M.7 Naval and S.I.A.I. Savoia S.19-all pusher biplane flying-boats. Biard piloted G-EBAH around the course in I hI' 36 min 22 sec at an average speed of 145·7 mph for Great Britain's second win. I n British air racing 1922 was of great significance as it was the year of the first King's Cup contest. From its inception this event, initially for the Cup presented by HM King George V, became the most important and widely publicised British air race. The intention was to hold it annually, participation was open to British aircraft and the idea was to encourage sporting flying generally. Aftcr some initial dissension, it was agreed during January 1923, that a new King's Cup would be awarded each year and not on a challenge basis as originally suggested by the donor.

M

The Martinsyde F.4. G-EATD flown by Capt R. H. Stocken in the seventh Aerial Derby on 7 August, 1922. (Flighlllllenwlional.)

F. P. Raynham starting in the 1922 King's Cup \\lith the l\1artinsyde F. 6

124

125

G-EBDK. (Flight International.)

Winner of the first King's Cup Race, the blue and silver D.H.4A G-EAtvlU City of 1'"ork flown by Capt F. L. Barnard at 123·6 mph. (Hight International.)

The black and gold D.H.37 G-EBDO Sylvia, which A. S. Butler flew into fifth place in the first King's Cup Air Race, in 1922. (Hawker Siddeley.)

Equipped with swcptback wings, the D.H.9C G-EBAX flew in the 1922 King's Cup with Fig Off L. Hamilton as pilot and Princess Ludwig of Lowenstein\Vertheim as passenger. (de Havilland.)

The D.H.9 G·EBEN piloted by M. W. Piercey in the 1922 King's Cup. (Flight Illtemational.)

Competing in the 1922 King's Cup, Capt C. F. Uwins flew the Bristol Tenseater G·EBEV. (BriJJo/.)

The D.H.9A G-EBCG was flown in the 1922 King's Cup by H. H. Perry but forced to retire. (Hawker Siddeley.)

126

127

II G-EBAH as an amphibian, but the Schneider Trophy winner withdrew. The list of entrants consisted of: Aircraft Avro 5·1-3 Baby Avro 5f3C Baby Sopwith Gnu

Third place in the 1922 King's Cup event was gained by A J. Cobham with the D.H.9B G-EAAC. (Hawker S;ddeley.)

The start of the 1922 King's Cup was at 9 a.m. on 8 September from Croydon, and the course for the first day was to Birmingham and Newcastle, terminating at Renfrew, Glasgow. After an overnight stop the return journey started at 9 a.m. from Renfrew on 9 September, passing through. :rvlanchester and Bristol with the finish at Croydon. On both. days the weather was bad with a gusty wind. The handicappers-Col \V. A. Bristow and Capt R. J. G. Crouch-were faced with 21 biplanes and one monoplane; H. C. Biard was to have competed in the Sea Lion

The portly Vickers Vulcan G-EBE?I was seventh in the 1922 King's Cup with Capt S. Cockerell as pilot. (Vickers.)

128

Registration

G-EAUM G-EAXL G-EAGP

Avro 504K Blackburn Kangaroo

G-EADA

13oulton and Paul P.9 Blackburn Kangaroo

G-EASJ G-EAW

Boulton and Paul P.9

C-EA\'VS

,'ickers Type 61 Vulcan Avro 552A Brislol M.I D

G-EAPR G-EA\·P

G-EA~IJ

G-EBE~l

Martinsyde F.6 G-EBDK Bristol Type 75 Ten-seater G-EBEV

Pilot Sqn Ldr H. J. Payn H. J. L. HinkleI' FIt Lieut W. H. Longton l\laj C. R. Carr LieUl-Co! S. D. A. Grey C. T. Holmes Lieut·Cdr R. W. Kenworthy Licm-Col J. E. Tennant Capt S. Cockerell Capt F. C. Broome Fit Lieut R. A. de Haga Haig F. P. Raynham Capt C. F. Uwins FIg Ofr L. Hamilton

Rell1.flrks

Retired Aylesbury. engine trouble

D.H.9C

G-EBAX

D.H.9B D.H.9 D.H.37 D.H.9 D.H.9A

G-EAAC G-EBEP G-EBDO G-EBEN G-EBCG G-EHDU

A.J. Cobham Capt A. F. Muir A. S. Butler M. W. Piercey H. H. Perry

Retired

Lieut C. Turner

The Sweep. all-

G-EAMU G-EHEU

Capl F. L. Barnard Capt F. T. Courtney

S.E.5a

D.H.4A A. ''''. Siskin 11

Passenger, Princess Ludwig of LowensteinVlertheim Sylvia

white City of York

Out of 21 starters, 11 arrived back after flying 810 miles to finish at Croydon, the winning pilot being F. L ..Barnard, Commodore of the lnstane Air Line, flying Sir Samuel Instone's blue and silver City if York, powered by the 375 hp Eagle, with a total flying time of 6 hr 32 min 50 sec at an average speed of 123·6 mph, second was Raynham in his bright yellow F.6 with black-edged wings and fuselage, and third came Cobham. To pass the time at Croydon on the Saturday while awaiting the arrival of the King's Cup competitors, an impromptu race was organized over a local circular course. OUl of four entrants H. H. Perry-who had retired from the King's Cup race in his D.H.9A-\von in a red S.E.5a. On 30 September. 1922, just a year since the holding of the first race for lhe Coupe Deutsch de la Meurthe, the second and last contest was held, again over the 186 mile total course from Villesauvage, Etampes, three out-and-home flights of 31 miles each way being required. ]. H. James again competed with the Gloucestcrshire Mars I G-EAXZ, now fitted with new smaller wings of 20 ft span, square-cut tail surfaces reminiscent of Folland's earlier S.E.5a and using a single Lamblin radiator. Once more the blue and white racer was unlucky, as James had to retire when his maps became detached from the board to which they were stuck and flew around the cockpit; the strings retaining the mapboard then became entwined around the pilot's neck, compelling him to cut the cords and lose the vital maps in the slipstl-eam. E

129

On 4 Octobcr, 1922, James made an attempt on thc world speed record over onc kilometre, but his figure of 212·15 mph was not sufficiently greater than the existing record to qualify; nevertheless, his 212·15 mph with G-EAXZ was a new British speed record. I,'rom 16 October until 20 October, 1922, Firle Beacon at Itford, Sussex, became the centre of the Daily j\llail £1,000 gliding competitions. During 17 October F. P. Raynham set up a new British duration record for gliders by staying in the air for I hI' 53 min 2 sec in the 36 ft span Handasyde monoplane. The glider, 16 ft 7 in in length and with a wing area of 157 sq ft, was designed jointly by G. H. Handasyde, Sydney Camm and Raynham and built for the Handasyde Aircraft Company by the Air Navigation and Engineering Company at Addlestonc, Surrey.

,

.

, -Ci The silver Vickers Type 61 Vulcan G-EBfC flown by Capt S. Cockerell in

the 1923 King's Cup. (Vickers.) A move to Hendon was made for the start and finish of the 1923 King's Cup race, held on 13-14 July, but in other respects the slightly shorter course of 794 miles was the same as that of 1922. Seventeen pilots lined up in their assorted biplanes for the start and were: Aircraft Sopwith Gnu Boulton and Paul P.9 Supermal'ine Sea Eagle Avro 552A

Capt A. F. ~vfllir's aircraft in the 1923 King's Cup-the D.H.9 G-EBEP. (Flight IlItcmatiollal.)

A new award [or air racing came during 1923 with Lord Edward Grosvenor's presentation of the Grosvenor Challenge Cup for British aircraft with an engine of not more than 150 hp and Dmvn by British pilots. The first contest was on 23 June, 1923, over a handicap course of 404 miles from Lympne to Croydon, Birmingham, Bristol, Croydon and back to Lympne. Out of nine starters, first was Fit Lieut v\'. H. Longton on the Sopwith Gnu G-EAGP in 4 hr 38 min 6 sec at 87·6 mph, second was F. P. Raynham on a 504K G-EAMZ at 96·1 mph and third came H.J. L. Hinkler in the Avro 543 Baby G-EAUM. Dr E. D. W. Reid in his S.E.5a G-EBCA retired at Birmingham, Sqn Ldr F. L. Robinson retired in the Boulton and Paul P.9 G-EAWS, and the event was marred by Maj E. L. Foot's fatal crash at Chertsey in Lhe 140 hp Lucifer Bristol M.ID G-EAVP. During 1923 the Avro 504K was still being used for racing and at that year's RAF Pageant at Hendon on 30 June, eight S04Ks-each representing an RAF station-engaged in a two-lap event of 12 miles over a local course which Nctheravon WOI1. Halton came first in the Relay Racc at the Pagcant, its team consisting of Fig OffC. N1. Vincent, Fit Lieut E. B. Riee and Fit Lieut C. H. Stevens, flying a 504K, an F.2B and a Snipe. 130

?>.Iartinsyrlc F.G D.H.9C D.H.9C D.H.34 D.H.9 Vickcrs Type 61 Vulcan D.H.9A D.H.37 D,H,4A lJ.H.9A D.H.9 A.VII, Siskin Il Glouceslershire Grebe

Registr!ltion G-EAGP G-EAWS G-EBFK G-EAPR G-EBDK

G-EBDl) G-EBGT G-EBBW G-EBEP G·EBFC

G-EBCC'" G-EBDO'"

G-EAMU'" G-EBGX G-EBEZ* G-EBEU G·EBHA

'" G·EBCG was named Bettine, G-EBDO Sylvia. Eileen.

Pilot ]~It I.icul W. H. Longton Sqn Ldr F. L. Robinson Capt H. C. Biard H. J. L. HinkleI'

F. P. Raynham Capt C. D. Barnard Capt H. S. Broad G. Powell Capt A. F. Muir Capt S. Cockerell Capt R. H. Slockcn Maj H. Hemming Capl F. L. Bal'llard .H. H. Perry A.]. Cobham Capt F. T. Courtney L. L. Carter

G~EAMU

City oJ York and G-EBEZ

Flown by A. J. Cobham, the D.H.9 G-EBEZ Eileen came in second in the 1923 King's Cup Race. (Flight International.)

131

~1odified the blue and white Gloucestershire Bamel became t1le Gloster I

G-EAXi and won the 1923 Aerial Derby at 192·36 mph with L. L. Carter at the controls. (Gloster.)

Frank Courtney came in first after a,:eraging 149 mph in 5 hr 25 min 27 sec flying time, Alan Cobham fimshed second, and Capt Hubert Broad was third. During August 1923, the International Aero Exhibition was held at Goteborg in Sweden, and ?n 4 ~ugust Norma~ ,Macmillan l.eftCroy~on in the Bristol Type 76 JupIter-FIghter G:EBGI' to ta~e part In the flYing contest at Torslanda. By reachmg GOlebor~-7S:J.mIles away from Croydon-in one day, he set up a new rec?rd. for the Journey. . The Aerial Derbies, run on a course enclrclmg London, ended In 1923 when the eighth was held on 6 August. The 13 entrants were: Aircraft S.E.5. Avro 543 Baby Sopwith Gnu Boulton and 1'aul 1'.9 Avro 50'~K

Avro 5.12 D.H.37 Martinsyde F.6 D.H '99A D .H . A

Registration G-EBCA G-EAUM C-EADB G·EBEQ C-EAMZ G-EA1'R C-EBDO G EBDK -. G-EBCG G-EBGX G-EBEZ

~~~~~lh/Ha\~k~rRain~w G-~A~I

Gloucestershlre Gloslel I

G-EAXZ

• Retired,

t

Pilot Dr E. D. W. Reid H.]. L. Hinkler*

Longton on the Rainbow-the Schneider of 1919 fitted as a landplane164·02 mph and third was C. D. Barnard at 147-50 mph. In the Handicap Section Capt Hamcrslcy's Avro 552 was first at 109·5 mph, Perry and the D.H.9A were second at 128 mph, and third came Fit Lieut 'Voodhouse on the 1'_9 at 91·25 mph. Also on 6 August at "'addon the 100 mile race ove,- a triangular course for the Air League Challenge Cup was held, IS RAF 275 hp Falcon Bristol F.2Bs taking-off at two-minute intervals for the fastest time over the circuit to determine the winner. Only three finished without fault, the winning RAF station being Eastchurch with Flt Lieut H. S. Shield averaging 93·2 mph. The twelfth Gordon Bennett Balloon Race, which started from Brussels on 23 September, 1923, proved catastrophic as, out of 15 starters, three balloons crashed in flames in a heavy storm, killing five out of six in their crews, and two other balloons crashed. The pair of British balloons competing were Banshee III with Lieut-Col. J. D. Dunville and Sqn Ldr F. A. Baldwin which came sixth on landing at El"Sten in Holland, and J[mgaret flown by Henry Spencer and C. Berry which fell into the sea off Denmark, from which both were rescued. The seventh Schneider Trophy Contest, held at Cowcs, on 27-28 September, 1923, was rather different from lhe previous events. So far entries had been entirely in the hands of private enterprise but changed enlirely in 1923 with the arrival of a team from the USA with the official backing of the United States Government. Great Britain's two entries were the Supermarinc Sea Lion III G-EBAH-the Sea Lion 1T redesigned by R. J. Mitchell and rebuilt with two-bay wings, a longer fuselage, strutmounted wingtip floats and a 525 hp Lion-flown by H. C. Biard, and the Blackburn Pellet G-EBHF flown by Lieut Cdr. R. vI'. Kenworthy, the company's chief test pilot. The Pellet-designed by Maj F. A. Bumpus and constructed specially for the 1923 Schneider-was noticeably cleaner than the Sea Lion and used the hull of the Blackburn N.IB flying~boat fighter which the firm were constructing during the last year of the Great

"T.

]. R. King Fit Lieut]. W. Woodhouse W. M. W. Thomast Capt H. A. I-Iamersley Maj H. Hemming F. P. Raynham H. H. Perry Capt F. T. Courtney • Capt C. D. Barnard Fh Lieut W. 1-1. Longton L. L. Carter

Withdrew.

The race started al.1d !inishe? at 'Vaddon and was over two 99·5 mile laps of the same ~ircult. fhe wmner .was Lar.ry Carter-the new Gloucestcrshire chief pllot--o n . the Glostet I, .whlch was t~e :NIars I Bamel modified once again with. struts replacJI~g the prevIous J:>rlon centresection and with fuel tanks III th~ upper W1n.gS. The first BrItIsh post-war single-scat land plane rac~r designed speCIfically for the purpose,. the :~;,IIars I won the 1923 AerIal Derby at 192·36 mph. Second was FIt Lleut 132

-_.,__-.iii The Blackburn Pellet G-EBHF just before capsizing with Lieut-Cdr R. "V. Kenworthy on taking-off for the seaworthiness tesLs in the 1923 Schneider Trophy event. (Blackburn.)

133

'Val', Unequal-span mainplanes were fitted, on the upper wings of which was mounted a tractor Lion of 450 hp, The Pellet was unlucky as, on its first launching in the River Humber, Kenworthy was thrown out when it capsized and, during the Schneider seaworthiness tests at Cowes on 27 September, the Pellet-avoiding a wayward boat-porpoised on its enforced take-off and sank, again without harm to the pilot who was able to breathe the air trapped in the hull before struggling free to rise to the surface. Owing to various wilhdrawals, induding the }'rcnch, the race around the five-lap Cowes-Selsey-Southsea course totalling 214·17 miles was resolved in fine wealher between the Sea Lion III and two of the American floatplanes, of which the 465 hp Curtiss D-12A-engined grey-painted Curtiss CR-3 flown by Lieut David Rittenhouse, USN, came first in I hr 12 min 26 sec at 177·38 mph. Henri Biard was third at 151·16 mph. Supporter of British aviation for nearly 20 years, the Daily l\!Iail offered £1,000 as the chief prize among others for a light aeroplane competition, called The Motor Glider Competitions, held at Lympnc for the week commencing 8 October, 1923. This produced some single-seat designs with low power and, after the trials were over, a number of them took part at Hendon on 27 October, 1923, in very bad weather in the Lightplane Race Meeting. Among the entries were:

The Vickers Vulture I G-EBHO at Brooklands before setting off to fly around the world. The attempt came to an end at Akyab on 24 l\'!ay, 1924. (Vickers.)

The Supermarine Sea Lion III G-EBAH flown into third place at 151·16 mph in the 1923 Schneider Trophy contest by Capt H. C. Biard. (Vickers.)

was won by Hubert S. Broad flying the 26 hp Blackburne Tomtit~powered de Havilland D.H.53 monoplane which becamc later G-EBHX. The five-lap Speed Race around the pylons brought four machines for a racehorse start and was won by Norman lvIacmillan with the 750 cc Douglasengined Parnall Pixie II monoplane designed by Harold Bolas and fitted with its small set of wings. On 25 l\tlarch, 1924, another around-the-world attempt started when the 450-hp Lion II Vickers Type 95 Vulture amphibian G-EBHO, designed by R. K. Pierson, left Calshotjust after noon under the command of the navigator Sqn Ldr A. S. C. MacLaren and pilotcd by FIg Off W. N. Plenderleith, together with a mechanic Sgt R. Andrews. Following delays brought about by engine trouble, the Vulture reached Akyab Island, Burma, but crashed on 24 :Nlay while taking-off. A replacement Vulture -G-EBGO-vvas then brought into usc, leaving Akyab on 25 June, some four weeks after G-EBHO's accident. The attempt ended on 2 August, 1924, when G-EBGO was damaged landing in the water at Nikolski in the desolate Kuriie Islands in the Bering Sea. The machine had left Petropavlovsk and was forced down by fog and impenetrable mists after the crew had flown 13,000 miles in the two Vultures. In 1924 the RAF's fifth annual show at Hendon received its final title of Royal Air Force Display. Held on 28 June) the programme included the standard Avro 504K Race over an eight-mile course in which 10 representatives of various stations made a simultaneous start, RAF Halton being the winner. Six stations took part in the Relay Race, first place going to RAE Kenley with FIg Off Leslie Hamilton on a 504K, Fit Lieut C. N. Lowe on an F.23 and Sqn Ldr R. S. ~ifaxwell on a Snipe. The 1924 King's Cup Race was the only one of the series for both landpla~1es, which started from A. & A.E.£. Martlesham, and for seaplanes, ~\·hlch started from nearby :NLA.E.E. Felixstowe, alterations being made In the handicaps accordingly to allow for the difference in distance. The entire course of 950 miles was flown in one day on 12 August without compulsory stops but with turns to be made at Leith Harbour, Dumbarton

134

135

Aircraft Avro 558 D.H.53· Avro 560 Vickers Typc 89 Vigct A.N.E.C. I Handasydc monoplanc A.N.E.C. I Parnall Pixie II t D.H.53

Registration G-EBHW

G-EBHN C-EBHR G-EBIL

* Named Sylvia j [ and became G-EBHZ. t

Pilot Capt H. A. Hamersley Maj H. Hemming H. J. L. Hinkler Capt S. F. Cockerell 1\1[' W. Piercey 1'". P. Raynham ]. H . .James Capt Norman Macmillan Capt H. S. Broad

Small set of wings fitted.

Despite a 30-50 mph wind, the Handicap Race around a 7·5 mile local pylon course for Lord "Vakefield's £50 prize drew nine starters, and

Flown by Capt Norman 1Vfacmillan, the Fairey IUD N9777 came in second in thc 1924 King's Cup. (Fairey.)

Alan Cobham continued on the same path to come first, taking 8 hI' 57 min 12 sec at an average speed of 106·6 mph. In second place was Macmillan and third was Alan Butler. Five weeks later, A.]. Cobham took-off from Croydon on 19 September, 1924, in the D.H.50 prototype G-EBFN Galatea on the first of a series of long-distance flights. Heading south, he covered 920 miles to Madrid nonstop and continued on to Tangier during the first day. On 20 September he flevI' from Tangier to Toulouse and on 21 September Galatea landed at Croydon just after noon, having flown 3,000 miles in 28 hI' flying time, the total elapsed time being 55 hr. Lympnc was used for the Air League Challenge Cup race on 1 October, 1924, over a course of 100 miles. Three Snipes each were entered by Nos. 25, 32 and 56 Squadrons, those of No. 25 Squadron from Hawkinge flown by FIt Lieuts W. E. G. Mann, E. B. Mason and C. R. Keary winning in 59 min 7-4 sec at 100·2 mph average speed. Lympne was again the scene of air racing with the contest for the Grosvenor Challenge Cup on 4 October, 1924, nine out of 14 starters completing the 100 mile course. In first place was Bert HinkleI' on the 32·6 hp Bristol Cherub I Avro 562 Avis G-EBKP at 65·87 mph for eight laps of the 12·5 mile course, second came FIg orr S. H. Gaskell with the 32 hp Cherub III Westland Woodpigeon I G-EB]V, and third was T. W. Campbell with the 32 hp Cheruh I Bristol Type 91 Brownie I G-EB]M

Jim.

Thc D.H.50 G-EBFN GaLatea with which A. J. Cobham won the 1924 King's Cup at 106.6 mph. (de Havilland.)

A special all-wood, single-seat racing model of the little Bristol mono~ plane-the Type 98 Brownie III with a 36 hp Cherub III~was suggested by F. S. Barnwell, but the idea was eventually discarded. Two months after his Right to Tangier, Alan Cobham started on his next long-distance venture on 20 November, 1924·, departing from Croydon for Rangoon in the second D.H.50 G-EBFO. Accompanying him as engineer was Arthur Buller Elliott, and the other passenger in the biplane's behvccn-wings cabin was Air Vice-Marshal Sir \'V. Sefton Brancker, Director of Civil Aviation. A survey of the route was carried out during the 17,000 mile flight which occupied 220 h1' flying time at an average cruising speed of 80 mph, and which ended on 18 March, 1925, with G-EBFO's landing in England. America's success in the 1923 Schneider Trophy contest took the 1924

Castle and Pendennis Castle at Falmouth, with the finish at Lee-on-Solent pier. The enlry list was small, the 10 competitors being: Aircraft Supcrmarinc Seagull III Supermarine Seagull III D.H.50 D.H.50 Fairey fJ1D

Registration

Pilot

G-EBFN*

Col the :L\{aster of Scmpill Capt H. C. Biard A.,j. Cobham Capt F. L. Barnard Capt N. Macmillan

Martinsycle F.G

G-EHDK

J.

G-EBDO* G-EBIP G-EBJQ G-EBJS

Capt F. T. Courtney

D.H.37

Vickers Type 91 Vixen III A. W. Siskin III A. W. Siskin HI

G-EBFP

N9777

* G-EBFN was named Galatea and 136

R. King A. S. Butler Sqn LeiI' I-I.,J. Payn FIt Licut H. V·l. G. Jones

G-EBDO S)lvia.

The Short S.4 Satellite G-EBJU raced by J. Lankester Parker in the Grosvenor Challenge Cup event on 4 October, 1924. (Short Bros.)

137

Thc sccond Gloucestel"shirc Gloster IIJ7505/G-EB]Z to Specification 37/23 for the J924 Schneider Trophy contest. (Gloster.)

flown in high-speed tests at Cranwell by L. L. Carter until) during one run calculated at 230 mph) there was elevator flutter and the machine was wrecked when the undercarriage coIlapsed in a landing which Carter attempted at about 200 mph. To Gloucestershire went the credit for having produced the first examples of the subsequent line of high-speed racing floatplanes in the design of which the smaIl group of British aircraft firms building them for the next seven years werc to become preeminent. As new post-war civil aircraft began to reach the market) they were promoted in various ways) among them being fast flights between capitals which brought publicity. On 29 May, 1925, Alan Cobham made one of these when he flew the prototype de Havilland D.H.60 Moth G-EBKT from Croydon to Zurich and back in one day. On 27 June, 1925, the sixth Royal Air Force Display was held at Hendon) among the items being a Lightplane Race for the Air ~ifinistry Directorates. The course selected was two laps of five miles each over the old cross-country circuit to Bittacy Hill) six 26 hp Blackburne Tomtitpowered de Havilland D.H.53 Humming Bird monoplanes-J7268 to J 7273 inclusive-racing each other after a simultaneous start. First was \ Vg Cdr W. S. Douglas for the Directorate of Equipment. The King's Cup Race returned to Croydon for its start on 3 July, 1925, the distance of 1,608 miles--{)ne lap of 804- miles each day-taking in The Stray at Harrogate) Town Moor at . ewcastle) Renfrew) Sealand and Filton, with the finish at Croydon on 4 July, being the longest so far. The 15 entr'ants were:

event to the United States) Baltimore being chosen for the 217·6 mile course with 25 October scheduled as the date. Britain intended to ente,') but Reginald Mitchell's Rolls-Royce Condor powered design for Supermarine was not completed in time. Since the last Schneider Trophy contest Hubert Scott-Paine had relinquished his control of Supermarine at the 'end of 1923 when he sold his shares to Sqn Cdr James Bird. Mitchell) however, retained the position of chief designer which he had held since 1920, Although Supermarine were out of the running, the Gloucestershire Aircraft Company were able in 1924 to join the list of British firms gaining experience of high-speed marine aircraft by constructing Schneider contenders. Under Henry Folland's dii:ectio,n. two examples of the Gloster II 'were constructed, covered by All' Mllustry Specification 37/23. Both were basically developments of the successful Gloster I landplanc but were mounted on small, finely-conceived twin floats. In each the 525 hp Napier Lion drove a two-blade fixed-pitch Fairey-Reed metal propeller and the upper wings were once again faired into the fuselage with a pylon centre-section. Cooling of the Lion was through a pair of Lamblin radiators mounted one on each forward und~r­ carriage strut. All other steps were taken to refine the Gloster II to ~lve a top speed of 225 mph. On 12 September, 1924, the first machine, J7504, was transported to Fe1L'Xstow~ for testmg but) on 2? Septef!1be:, it sank and was lost when an undercarnage strut collapsed as It was ahghtll1g) fortunately without injury to Hubert Broad the pilot. Great Britain was without a Schneider entry Italv had withdrawn and the USA-rather than win the Trophy for the yc'ar without opposition-decided to postpone the event until 1925. The floats of the second Gloster II J7505JGEBJZ were replaced by a land undercarriage, and the machine was

Persistent fog decreed that only three finished on the final day. Frank Barnard gained his second King's Cup win by coming first in the 395 hp .Jagual--engined Siskin V at 141·7 mph in II hI' 30 min 15 sec, Sqn Ldr Jones was second at 142 mph and Maj Hemming third at 120 mph. As the weather had caused so many retirements during the King's Cup) as mitigation the Croydon Stakes Consolation Handicap of 520 miles was organized on 5 July to Blackpool and back to Croydon by \,vay of Filton and Shotwick, the result being a win for Col the Master of Scmpill flying the green and silver D.H.51 G-EBIQ.

138

139

Aircraft

Registration

Pilot

D.H.60 1Iolh D.H.60 :Motb Avro 548A .A.N.E.C. I D.H.S! D.H.SIA Avro 504N D.H.37 Bristol Type 84 Bloodhound Hawker W'ooclcock A.W.Ajax :i\Iarcinsyde A. D.C.I A.W.Siskin V A.W.Siskin V A.\V.Siskin n'

G-EBKT G-EBKU G-EBKN G-EBIL G-EBIQ G-EBIM G-EBKQ G-EBDO G-EBGG G-EBMA G-EBL:M G-EBKL G-EBLN G-EBLQ G-EBLL

A.J. Cobham Capt G. de Havilland H. H. Perry ], H.]ames Col the Master of Sempill Capt C. D. Barnard H.J. L. Hinkler Maj H. Hemming T. W. Campbell Maj P. W. S. Bulman Capt F. T. Courtney Sqn Ldr W. H. Longton Capt]. L. N. Benncll-Baggs Capt F. L. Barnard

Sqn LeiI' H. W. G. Jones

From 1 to 3 August, 1925, racing took place at Lympne when the Royal Aero Club August Nleeting was held. Competitors included:

The D.H.5IA G-EBIlVI flown by Capt C. D. Barnard in the 1925 King's Cup Race. (de Havilland.)

Aircraft

Registration

D.H.53 Austin vVhippet Short Satellite Pander D Sopwith Gnu Avro 504N Bristol Bloodhound Martinsyde F.6 Avro 548A Sopwith Scooter R.A. E. Hurricane D.H.53 Avro Avis Beardmore W.B.XXtV Wee Bee Hawker Cygnet Cranwell C.L.A.3 Parnall Pixie II A.N.E.G. IA D.H.GO Moth Parnall Pixie D.H.60 Moth D.H.54 Highc1ere Bristol Type 83 Trainer Bristol Brownie I S.E.Sa

G-EBHZ G-EAPF G-EBJU H-NACN G-EADB G-EBKQ G-EBGG G-EBDK G-EBHK G-EACZ G-EBHS G-EBHX G-EBKP G-EB.JJ G-EBMB G-EBMC

r

G-EBK~d

G-ElllL G-EBKT G-EBKK G-EBKU G-EBKl G-EBGD G-EBJM G-EBCA

Pilot Fig Off G. E. F. Boyes FIt Lieut F. O. Soden J. Lankesler Parker Col the !\tJaster of Sempill ].R.King H. J. L. HinkleI' T. W. Campbell FIg 00' L. Hamilton A. B. H. Youell J. P. C. Phillips Fit LieutJ. S. Chick Wg Cdr W. S. Douglas H. J. L. Hinkler Capt A. N. Kingwill FIt Lieut P. W. S. Bulman Fit Lieut N. Compel' Capt F. T. Courtney J. H.James A. J. Cobham Sqn Ldr R. A. de Haga Haig Capt H. S. Broad Capt H. S. Broad C. T. Holmes Capt C. F. Uwins Dr E. D. W. Reid

The Light Aeroplane Holiday International Handicap over 50 miles on I August attracted 14 starters, first place going to FIt LieutJ. S. Chick at 73·41 mph on the 32 hp Cherub III RAE Hurricane G-EBHS built by the Establishment's Aero Club, second was "Vg Cdr '-\'. S. Douglas on the red D.H.53 G-EBHX at 67 mph and third H . .T. L. Hinkler flyinf( the Avis G-EBKP at 64·7 mph. Also run on 1 August was the International Scratch Specd Race, over 50 miles for two-seat aircraft, won by Capt A. N. Kingwill on the 32 hp Cherub Beardmore W.B.XXIV Wee Bee I G-E~IJ at 66·49 mph with FIt Lieut P. W. S. Bulman second at 65·95 Alan Cobham taking-off in the prototype D.H.GO :Moth G-EBKT at the start of the 1925 King's Cup. (Hawker Siddeley.)

The Beardmore \V.B.XXIV VVccBcc I G-EBJJ piloted by Capt A. N. Kingwill at 66·49 mph to win the International Scratch Speed Race at the Lympne races in August, 1925. (Beardmore.)

The Sopwith Gnu G-EADB raced at Lympne in August 1925 in the IOO-mile International and 50-mile Private Owner's Handicaps.

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141

The RAE Hurricane G-EBHS Rown by Fit Lieut J. S. Chick at the Royal Aero Club i\feeting in August 1925. (Flight ll1lematiolwl.)

starters. l.. lt Lieut Bulman brought the Cygnet G-EB~1B in first at 75·58 mph, second was C. T. Hohnes flying the Bristol Type 83 Trainer G-EBGD, and third came C. F. Uwins on the third Brownie I G-EB]wI. Alan Cobham crashed in the last lap when making a forced landing in the :NIoth G-EBKU but was unhurt. Over eight laps of the course to total IOO miles for the Grosvenor Challenge Cup Race, Fit Lieut Chick was first on Hurricane G-EBHS at 81·19 mph, Uwins second on Brownie G-EBJM and Com per third on the C.L.A.3 G-EBMC out of 12 starters. Seven starters lined Llp for the four-lap First Private Owners' Race, first place being taken by FIt Lieut Chick at 81·55 mph on the Hurricane G-EBHS, second was Dr E. D. W. Reid with his S.E.5a G-EBCA, and third came Comper in the C.L.A.3 G-EBMC. 'I'he period since the last Schneider event had given the British designers preparing for the eighth contest time to consider their approach and to plan accordingly. 1925 was of particular interest as it marked the appearance of the first of Reginald Mitchell's monoplane seaplane racer designs for Supermarine. rvlitchell had now made an absolute breakaway from his previoLls Schneider flying-boats, had given up completely the biplane and had drawn up a mid-wing cantilever monoplane \vithout external bracing, mounted on twin wooden floats and powered by the 700 hp Napier Lion VII cooled by a pail' of Lamblin radiators containing 226 plates installed one beneath each wing. An i-scale model was tested during J 925 in the Duplex wind tunnel of the National Physical LaboratOl-y at Teddington to assess any possible reduction in drag and to check the effect on performance accruing from the use of underwing radiators. It was found that they rcduced maximum lift by about 2 per cent and that their fitting in such a position might modify seriously the wings' characteristics. Construction of the all-wood S.4, covered with stress-bearing three-ply,

George Reynolds dropping the Rag to start J. H. James in the A.N.E.C. IA G-EBIL in the race for the Grosvenor Challenge Cup at Lympne on 3 August, 1925. (Flight InternationaL.)

mph on the Hawker Cygnet G-EBMB-thcre being only two starters. The same day's other event was the 50 mile International Scratch Speed Race for single-seaters which brought four starters of whom Fit Lieut N. Compel' was first on the 32 hp Cherub Cramvcll C.L.A.3 parasol monoplane G-EBMC at 81·89 mph, Capt F. T. Courtney was second on the Parnall Pixic II G-EBKl\'[ and J. H. James third on the A.N.E.C. IA G-EBIL. On 2 August five races were run at Lympne, each over a 10·5 mile course with variations in the laps stipulated. In the first event over two Japs Alan Cobham was first in the Moth G-EBKT at 81·95 mph, the second of one lap was won by Sqn Ldr R. A. de Raga Haig in the Pixie G-EBKK at 60·06 mph, the third of one Jap was won by Capt Hubert Broad on the Moth G-EBKU at 74·75 mph, thc fourth of two laps was won also by Broad but flying the D.H.54 G-EBKJ at 103.40 mph, and the fifth by FIt Lieut Chick on the Hurricane G-EBHS at 72·16 mph. The third day at Lympnc-3 August-featured three events. First was the eight-lap 100 mile International Handicap without restrictions on types of aircraft which resulted in a very varied assortment among the 17

The Supermarine 5.4 with its designer R.]. :Mitchell fifth from the left, Capt C. B. \ Vilson sixth from left, H.]. L. Hinkler seventh from left and Capt H. Biard eighth from left. (Vickers.)

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143

The Supermarine S.4 G-EBLPfN197 which set up a world speed record of 226·752 mph on 13 September, 1925. (Supermarille.)

Although the S.4 had a short life o[ eight weeks, it justified its existence on 13 September, 1925, when, flown by Biard over Southampton \Alater, it set up a world speed record of 226·752 mph over a 3 km course at Calshot. The two other British Schneider entrants were a pair of Gloucestershire Gloster III biplanes designed by Henry Folland and H. E. Preston. Both N194 and G-EBLJjN195 had a span 0£20 ft and were powered by the 670 hp Lion VII, the fabric-covered wings being attached to a monocoque fuselage of a light ash framework sheathed in three-ply, the whole being mounted on twin duralumin floats supplied by Short Brothers. Surface radiators "vere under development by Gloucestershire but, as they were not ready in time, twin rectangular Lamblin radiators were installed on the leading edges of the lower wings. U pan completion, the Gloster Ills were taken to M.A.E.E. Felixstowe for their taxi-ing tests which took place in poor weather but which were finished in 12 days from their beginning on 16 August, 1925. H. S. Broad made the initial flight on 29 August in N194 and encountered faulty directional stability, but there was too little time left in which to make any major alterations, such as introduction of upper and lower dihedral. A simple compromise was therefore adopted, which consisted of greatly extending the chord of the fins both above and below the fuselage; at the same time the machines were redesignated Gloster IlIA. Training for the British 1925 team had been provided by the Gloster I seaplane J7234, the ex-G-EAXZ Mars I Hamel which had passed to the Air Ministry and had been fitted with twin floats and a new fin and horn-balanced rudder. In the course of trials with]7234, the Lamblin circular-section radiator was replaced with flush surface radiators on both upper and !O\ver pairs of wings.

Launching the Supermarine S.4 at Baltimore during the 1925 Schneider Trophy contest. (Vickers.) began on 25 'l\1arch, 1925, its first flight taking place at \IVoolston only five months later on 25 August with H. C. Biard piloting. The tailplane and fin were formed as an integral unit with the monocoque rear fuselage which was attached to the steel tubing [are part, and a feature of the highspeed section wings was the installation of flaps inboard of the ailerons to which they were interconnected so that the ailerons drooped \vhen required. The all-white S.4 was indisputably the most beautiFul racin.g seaplane designed so far and was constructed also to comply wIth an All' Ministry interest in high-speed development, for which permission to . proceed was received on 18 March, 1925. It was allotted serial Nl97 and registration G-EBLP, neither of which it carried, its only embellishment for the Schneider event being the blue numeral 4 on the sides of the fuselage and under the wing tips and a Union Jack on the rudder.

144

The Gloucestershire Gloster IlIA N194 for the 1925 Schneider Trophy contest, equipped with Lamblin l'adiators on the lower wings. (Closter.)

145

and navigability trials were held on 23 October, but Biard crashed into the water after a stall and spin when wing nutter developed in the S.4 at the first main turning point and he was unable to regain control in time. The fuselage broke into two halves, but Biard escaped unhurt when he struggled free beneath the water and came up to the surface. Hinkler's Gloster IlIA 1\195 was then brought forward to replace the 8.4, but he was unable to complete the seaworthiness tests in lhe lime left on 23 October. The contest, due to be held on 24 October, was postponed owing to the wind and rain until 26 October, on the morning of which Hinkler attempted to complete the navigability trials by carrying out

The Glouccstershire Gloster IllB N195. (Gloster.)

'IVith only brief air experience-Broad managed four flights with N194, and HinkleI' had just one on the reserve Nl95-the team sailed for the United States, reaching Bay Shore Park, Baltimore, on 6 October in appalling weather. The canvas hangars provided collapsed in the wind, causing minor damage to the S.4's tailplane and the Gloster IIIAs. The triangular course of 21 7·6 miles in seven laps was over Chesapeake llay with start and finish at Bay Shore. The preliminary seaworthiness

The Gloster lIIB N195, showing the wing sUl'face radiators fitted after the 1925 Schneider Trophy contest. Nl94 was modified in the same way and both aircraft were used for development flying. (Gloster.)

The Gloster lIIB Nl95 following 1925 modifications. (Gloster.)

the taxi-ing test of half a mile. The rough water caused two of N195~ float struts and the bracing wires to collapse, leaving Broad to represent Britain with Nl94 against the United States and Italy. Lieut James H. Doolittle of the USAAS won the 1925 Schneider Trophy contest for the USA by flying his Curtiss R3C-2 at 232·573 mph in 56 min 6·36 sec, Broad came second in. 194 at 199·169 mph and Italy was third. Both Gloster 111As were then returned to the parent firm, and 1 195 was altered to becorne the Gloster 111ll by embodying surface radiators on each of the four wings in place of the pair of lower wings' Lamblins. The vertical tail unit was modified once more to includc a fin with a wellrounded leading edge, and N194 was equipped also with the same style of fin. Both the Gloster lIlA N194 and the Gloster IIIB NI95 were employed at Fclixstowe as trainers for the British team in the 1927 Schnci~ der contest. Towards the end of 1925, preparations were completed for another

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147

flight from London to Cape Town. Since its journey to Rangoon and back with Sir W. Sefton Braneker, the 230 hp Puma D.H.50 G-EBFO had been modified as the D.H.50] with the installation of a 385 hp Jaguar III to give extra power, and was ready for A. J. Cobham, accompanied by A. B. Elliott as engineer and B. \ V. G. Emmott as Gaumont cinematographer, to take-off from CI'oydon on 16 );rovcmbcr, 1925, heading southwards. Flying by way of Paris, Lyons, IVlarseilles, Cairo, Khartoum, Nlalakal, Livingstone, Bulawayo and Pretoria, \ Vynberg Aerodrome at Cape Town was reached in the evening of 17 February, 1926, after a journey of 8,115 miles, completing the second successful flight from England to the Cape and the first [Q be made with the original aeroplane throughout. After a slay of nine days in South Africa, G-EBFO took-off from Cape Town on 27 February to fly across the African continent and part of Europe by the same route to land at Croydon at 4.20 p.m. on 13 March, 1926, after a return trip of IS days and having accomplished the first flight of 17,000 miles from England to South Africa and return.

\

Expansion Unlimited

'. i ~'i I

~[oored on the J\Iedway at Rochester, the white and blue Short-Bristow Crusader N226 built for the 1927 Schneider Trophy event. (Short Bros.)

'

By 1925 the pattcrn of post-war flying in the British Isles had become reasonably clearly defined. Several airframe and engine manufacturers had managed to survive the slump of the years immediately following the Armistice, although the expected boom in private flying for the masses failed to materialize. The early long-distance flights and air racing used mainly ex-Service aircraft of all sizes and types; at the same time there was the slow emergence of specialized shorr-rangc, single-scat racers and commercial aircraft with increased range and reliability as important factors in their design.

By lhe middle 1920s, the seven years since the end of the 1914-18 War had seen a subtle but positive change in British aviation, which was now to excrt a very marked influence on racing and record breaking in the United Kingdom. After the unccrtainty of the immediate period following 1918, viewed broadly racing \-vas now passing into the province oCthe privatc owner, for whom a rapidly extending range of small aircraft was appearing on the market at reasonable prices. The same aeroplanes were making it feasible for the civil owner to undertake record-sctting flights, and high-speed racing had encouraged participation by several governments) with the Schneidcr Trophy a goal attainable as a matter of national honour and a convenient meam of advancing the qualities of a nation's military and naval aircraft and their associated engines. Brooklands Aerodrome was the testing ground for Vickers without revival of racing to any degree and, after lengthy negotiations, Grahame\\'hite's London Aerodrome at Hendon passed finally into the covetous hands of the Air l\tlinistry so that all civil racing there ceased. A new factor-the appearance of flying clubs equipped with aircraft, staffed by instructors and increasingly able to look after the needs of the private owner-now started to influence competitive Hying and races began to be included in the clubs' programmes. Early in 1926, A. H. R. Fedden'sJupiter air-cooled radial engine underwent a very successful endurance test without replacements, which resulted in a I'ccord distance of 25,074 miles in 225 hr 54 min. The engine was installed in the Bristol Type 84 Bloodhound G-EBGG, a two-seat fighter

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149

Alan Cobham in the cockpit and B. ''Y. G. Emmott at the camel'a hatch of the D.H.50J G-EBFO before setting off in 1925 on the first flight fi'om England to South Africa and back. (Hawker Siddeley.)

biplane design by "V. '1'. Reid, which was flown for over eight weeks in almost daily trips from 4 january until 8 March bet\veen Croydon and Filton by two Impnial Airways pilots-Capt F. L. Barnard and LieutCol F. F. R. Minchin. A 230 hp Puma D.H.9 was selected by FIt Lieut Oliver and FIg Off Brooke for an attempt to fly from Karachi to London in five days the take-off being scheduled for I March, 1926. ' . Antwerp was the departure point, on 30 NIay, 1926, of the balloonists 111 th~ fifteenth Gordon Bennett Balloon Race. Great Britain's representatives were C. 'V. Berry with Henry Spencer as his aide in Jtfiramar, Sqn Ldr F. A. Baldwin with Robert L. Dunville-son of Lieut-Col J. D. DunvJ11e of pre-war ballooning fame-as his aide in Mrs Dunvi1le's entry Ballshee111, and Capt G. F. Meager with FIg Off M. L. Stcff as his aide in Bee. The event was won by van Orman of the United States in Good)'ear [fl.

The silver Bloodhound G-EBGG set another record in the summer of 1926 whcn F. F. R. Minchin left Croydon on 30 June to fly to Cairo and landed again at Croydon on 2 july, having flown 5,400 miles in 56 hr. Alan Cobham's D.H.50j G-EBFO, after an intclval of three months from long-distance flying during which the land undercarriage was removed and replaced by a pair of metal floats constructed by Short Brothel:s, was ready fOl' a commercial survey flight from England to Austr~ha and back. Cobham was accompanied again by his engineer A. B. Elhott, and the take-off was made from the Medway at Rochester at 5 a.m. on 30 June, 1926, the ultimate destination being :Nlc1bourne. Apart from C:0bham's temp?rary illness at Athens and Baghdad, the flight went according to plan untIl on 6 july, between Baghdad and Basra, a tribesman fired at the machine, piercing the petrol feed and injuring Elliott who died at 11.15 p.m. the same night. Cobham dccidcd to continue the flight with a new engineer, Sgt A. H. \'Vard of No. 84 Squadron, RAF, and landed at Port Darwin on 8 August, 1926, where wheels were fitted for the next stage to Melbourne which was reached on 15 August. G-EBFO left Melbour.ne on 29 August to return home carrying, in addition, C. J. S. Capel of Armstrong Siddeley who had been invited by Cobham to fly

The D.H.50J G-EBFO which Alan Cobham fiew from England to Australia and back during the Summer of 1926.

150

back to England instead of going by sea, once his business in Australia had been completed, and at the same time to assist Sgt \-Vard with the maintenance of the Jaguar. Take-off from Darwin was on 4 September and the return flight was relatively uneventful. The D.H.50j made its final landing of the journey on the Thames at \ Vestminster on I October, 1926, having flown 28,000 miles in 78 days, and Alan Cobham was subsequently knighted. A new system was used for the 1926 King's Cup Race which was over the two days 9-10 july, the same course of four laps being flown from Hendon on each of the two days. The first lap of 166 miles was HendonNlartlesham-Cambridge-Hcndon, the second lap of 200 miles was Hendon-Coventry-Cheltenham-Hendon, the third lap was again HendonMartlesham-Cambridge-Hendon, and the fourth lap was again HendonCoventry-Cheltenham-Hendon. Each day's distance was 732 miles, mak· ing a total of 1,464 miles for the entire event. The entry list comprised: Aircraft

Registration

Vickers Type 148 Vixen III Nimbus Marlinsydc Martinsyde A.O.C.l D.H.51

G-EBIP

Pilot Fit Lieut E. R. G.

Dristol Type 99 Badminton D.H.60 Moth

G·EBI\'IK

Scholefield Capt F. T. Courtney Sqn Ldr H. W. G. Jones Col the Master of Sempill Capt F. L. Barnard

G-EBNO

Capt C. de Havilland

D.H.60 Molh D.H.60 Moth Crallwcll C.L.A.3 D.H.37A

G-EBMO G-EBLI G-EBMC G·EBDO

Capt H. S. Broad Capt F. G. M. Sparks Fit Lieut N. Comper A. S. Butler

D.H.GO Moth

G-EllME

Capt W. L. Hope

D.H.GO Moth Martillsydc F.G Sop with Scooter Nimbus Martinsyde Parnall Plover

G-EBLW G-EllDK G·EAGZ G·EBOJ G-EBON

Capt W. J. McDonough Flg Off L. Hamilton D. A. N. Watt H. H. Perry Sqn Ldr C.]. Q.Brand

G-EBOL G-EBKL G-EBIQ

Retnarks

Retired Retired Retired Light blue/silver. Retired Red/white Brown/silver Retired Lois, n::d/silver. Retired Blue/silver. Retired Green/silver Withdrew Withdrew Retired Silver. Retired

Dudley \'Vatt's withdrawal was because the Clerget engine of his Scooter was French-built and therefore did not quallfy. Out of 14 starters on the first day, seven remained to take-off on the second day and five crossed the finishing line. Engine trouble forced nine competitors to retire during the two days. The winner, Hubert Broad, covered the 1,464 miles in 16 hI' 20 min 22 sec at an average speed of90·4 mph, second came Scholefield at 142 mph, and third at 152 mph was Jones. The pure racer of interest was the silver Badminton G-EBMK, a singleseat biplane designed by F. S. Barnwell and powered by a 510 hp Jupitcr VI. Cyril Uwins took the Badminton for its first flight on 5 May, 1926, and its retirement in the King's Cup was caused by fuel feed trouble. To maintain interest at Hendon as the intervals between activity became longer towards the end of the main race on the Saturday, 14 entrants went for an impromptu handicap race over a course to points just outside the 151

Refuelling the silver Vickers Vixen III G·EBIP flown into second place in the 1926 King's Cup by Fit Lieut E. R. C. Scholefield.

Sqn L?t' Sir C.]. Quintin Brand pilotcd the silver Parnall Plover C-EBON 111 the 1926 King's Cup but had to retire. (Flight Intemational.)

aerodrome. In the first heat were the Short Satellite an Avro 504K three Nloths and the D.H.51; in the second heat wer~ a D. H.9J, D.H.9A, thc Bloodhound, a 1\I1<;>th, the Scootcr, two S.E.5as and a Breguet; the fi~aj was won by Fit Lleut Boyce on thc Satellite with the .Master ofSempd} ,second on the D.H.51 and G. A. Lingham third on an S.E.5a. 1he Yorkshire Aeroplane Club organized the first Inter-Flying Club

Race Meeting on 24 July, 1926, at Sherburn-in-Elmct; the weather was bad and the 20 milc race over a triangular coursc, flown by six instructors on D.H.60 Moths, took place at 3 p.m. in a heavy storm. Capt J. D. Parkinson of the Newcastle-upon-Tyne Aeroplane Club was first on G-EBLY, with G-EBNY and G-EBNN second and third respectively. Four teams, all on Moths, took part in the Tnter-club Relay Race won by the Yorkshire Aeroplane Club, and six Moths, three Renault Avro 548s and one Ie Rhone Avro 504K flew in the Opcn Handicap, in which Capt T. N. Stack came first in the 548 G-EBOK. The Private Owners' Race had only two entrants and ,vas won by NIl's S. C. Eliott-Lynn with her pale blue D.H.60 Moth G·EBKT, beating Sir John Rhodes by a rew seconds.

Among the retirements in the King's Cup Race of 1926 was the i\imbus :'Iartinsyde G·EBOJ flown by H. H. Perry. (Flight International.)

Capt F. L. Barnard was the pilot of the Bristol Type 99 Badminton G-EB~lK in the 1926 King's Cup but the silvcr biplane retired from the race. (Bristol.)

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153

On 21-22 August, 1926, the Bournemouth Summer Aviation Race Meeting was held at Ensbury Park Racecourse. There 'were eight main events, those on the first day being held in gusty, rainy weather, but conditions improved to fine on Lhe next day. One criticism of the meeting was that the flying field was rather small for the faster aircraft, but the affair was very well supported by many of the most prominent British pilots of the period. Starting at 2 p.m, on the first day, the Light Aeroplane Club Instructors Scratch Race of 10 miles over two five-mile laps for standard Moths from light aeroplane clubs included: Aircraft D.H.GO Moth

G-EBLT

Pilot Capt W.]. :McDonough

D.H.GO Moth

G-EBNY

Capt S. L. F. St Barbe

D.H.GO Moth

G-EBOH

Capt C, L Thompson

D.H.60 Moth

G-EBLI

Capt F. G.

Registration

:~vI.

Sparks

Remarks Midland Aero· plane Club, green/silver London Aeroplane Club, brown/ silver Hampshire Aeroplane Club, light and dark blue/silver London Aeroplane Club, brown/ silver

Capt F. G. M, Sparks was the winner of the £20 first prize. The Bascombe High Power Handicap of 10 miles over two five-mile laps for aircraft of 100 hp or ovcr was entered by: Aircraft S.E.C.rd.

Registration

D.H.37A

G-EBDO G-EBOJ

Nimbus Martinsyde Sopwith Grasshopper Sopwith Swallow S.E.5a A vro 501-R Gosport

F-AIAQ

G·EAIN

G-EACZ G-EBPA G-EBNE

Pilot Capt C, D. Barnard

A, S. Butler Wg Cdr W. S. Douglas D. A. N. Watt D. A. N. Watt FIt Lieut A. Bamber H.J. L. HinkleI'

Remarks White/blue stripes, withdrew Lois, red/silver Silver Khaki, withdrew Silver, withdrew Silver, withdrew Silver

silver D.H.53 Humming Bird G-EBHZ which FIg OffG. E. F. Boyes flew at the Bournemouth Summer Aviation Race Meeting 21-22 August, 1926,

The

(Hawker Siddcley.)

The Ensbury Park Low Power Handicap of 10 miles over two five-mile laps for aircraft under 100 hp was entered by:

Aircraft D.H.GO Moth D.H.GO Moth D.H.GO Moth D.H.60 Moth D.H.GO Moth D.H.60 Moth D.H.60 Moth D.H.GO Moth

Registration

G-EBLT G-EBKT G-EBNY G-EBLI G-EBMF G-EBNP G-EBOH G-EBME

Pilot Capt W. J. McDonough IVfrs S. C. Eliott-Lynn Capt F. G. M. Sparks N. H. Jones Maj K. M. Beaumont L. j. C. Mitchell FIg OfT R. H. Stocken Capt W. L. Hope

\'V. L. Hope was the winner of the £25 first prize. 154

Remarks

Light blue

Dark blue/silver

Fig Off C. E. F. Boyes

G-EBLT G-EBKT G-EBNY G-EBMF G-EBNP G-EBJH G-EBHS C-EBOH

D.H.60 Moth D.H.GO Moth D.H.60 Moth D.H.GO Moth Hawker Cygnet RAE Hurricane D.H.60 Moth D.H.GO Moth D.H.60 Moth

G·EBMO

Remarks

Silver/Luff Silver White/crimson Peacock bluel silver Silver

Capt G. de Havilland won the -!20 first prize., . On thc second day the Pnvate Club HandIcap of 10 mIles over two fivemile laps was entered by: Aircraft

Registration

D.H.37A S.E.C.M.

G-EBDO F-AIAQ G-EBKT G-EBHS G-EBJH G-EAIN G-EACZ

D.H.50 Moth RAE Hurricane

Brown/silver Brown/silver

C-EBHZ

Registration

D.H.60 Moth

D.H.53

A. S. Butler was the winner of the £30 first prize, Wg Cdr W. S. Douglas came second, and H.]. L. HinkleI' was third. Entrants in the Christchurch Sprint Scratch Race of 10 miles over two five~111ile laps for Moths werc:

G-EBNO

Pilot Capt W. J. McDonough Mrs S. C. Eliott·Lynn Capt S. L. F. St Barbe W. T.Hay G. H. Craig· Fit Lieut F. H. Shales FIt LieutJ. S. Chick FIg Off R. H. Stocken Capt H. S. Broad Capt G. de Havilland

Aircraft

Hawker Cygnet Sopwith Grasshopper Sopwith Scooter D.H.fiO Moth D.H.53

G·EBNO

G-EBHZ

Pilot A. S. Butler Capt C. D. Barnard Mrs S. C. Eliott-Lynn FIt LieutJ. S. Chick FIt Lieut F. H. Shales D. A. N. Watt D. A. N. 'Vatt Capt G. de Havilland FIg Off G. E. F. Boyes

Remarks Lois Withdrew

Withdrew Withdrew

Capt G. de Havilland was the winner of the £25 first prize. 155

Thc cntrants in the Private Owners' Handicap of 20 miles over four fivc-milc laps were: Aircraft D.H.GO Moth

S.E.C.M. D.H.37A Hawker Cygnet RAE Hurricane Sopwith Grasshopper S.E.5a Sopwith Scooter D.H.GO MoLh D.H.GO fvloth

D.H.53

Registration

G-EBKT F-AJAQ G-EBDO G-EB]H G-EBHS G-EAIN

G-EBPA C-EACZ G-EBNO C-EBME G-EBHZ

Pilot Mrs S. C. Eliott-Lynn Capt C. D. Barnard A. S. BuLler FIt Lieut F. H. Shales FIt Lieut J. S. Chick D. A. N. \Vatt FIt Lieut A. Bamber D. A. N. Watt Capt G. de Havillancl Capt W. L. I-lope FIg Off G. E. F. Boyes

Retnarks

\Vithdrew

Lois \Vithdrew "Vithdrew Silver, withdrew

Withdrew

W. L. Hope won the £40 first prize. The Bournemouth Summer Handicap of 20 miles over [our five-mile laps was entered by: Aircraft D.H.50 Moth D.H.GO Moth S.E.C.M.

D.H.37A D.H.GO Moth D.H.GO Moth D.H.GO Moth D.H.50 Moth Hawker Cygnet RAE Hurricane D.H.50 Moth Nimbus Martinsyde Sopwith Grasshopper Sopwith Scooter S.E.5a Av1'o 504R Gosport D.H.GO Moth D.H.60 Moth D.H.GO Moth

Registration

G-EBLT G-EBKT F-A1AQ G-EBDO G-EBLI G-EBNY G-EBMF C-EBNP

G-EB]H G-EBHS G-EBOH G-EBO.J C-EAIN

G-EACZ C-EBPA G-EBNE

G-EBMO

Pilot Capt V·/.]. McDonough Mrs S. C. Eliott-Lynn Capt C. D. Barnard A. S. Butler Capt F. G. IvL Sparks Capt S. L. F. St Barbe W. T. Hay Capt A. G. Lamplugh FIt Lieut F. H. Shales Fit LieutJ. S. Chick FIg Off R. I-I. Stoeken Wg Cdr W. S. Douglas D. A. N. Watt D. A. N. Watt FIt Lieut A. Bamber H. J. L. HinkleI' Capt H. S. Broad Capt G. de Havilland Capt W. L. Hope Fig OfT G. E. F. Boyes

Remarks

A rare parasol monoplane, the Supcrmarine Sparrow G-EBJP which competed at Lympne on 17 September, 1926, in the Stewards' Handicap Race. (Supermarine.)

Withdrew

Lois Withdrew

D. A. N. \t\Tatt was the winner of the £100 first prize. The Light Aeroplane Club Members' Scratch Race of 10 miles over two five-mile laps was entered by:

\".Tithdl'ew

Registration

Pilot

D.H.60 Moth

G-EBLT

D.H.GO Moth D.H.60 Moth D.H.GO Moth D.H.60 Moth

G-EBNY

E. L. Brighlon Maj K. M. Beaumont

G-EBLI G-EHMF G-EBNP

Mrs S. C. Eliott-Lynn R. Malcolm G. H. Craig

Aircraft

Withdrew Withdrew

Remarks

Withdrew

The winner of the Ensbury Park Low l)ower Handicap un 21 August, 1926, the peacock blue and silver D.H.60 :Moth G-EBNO piloted by Capt Geoffrey de Havilland. (Hawker SiddelC;'.)

Mrs S. C. Eliott-Lynn was the winner of the £20 first prize. There \vas fine weather at thc first l1ying meeting of the Newcastleupon-Tyne Aeroplane Club held at Cramlington on 4 September, 1926, at which five events were held. Excepting Air Cdre]. G. \rVeir's green and silver D.H.5IA G-EBIQ flown by Capt A. N. Kingwill, all of the competing aircraft werc D.H.60 Moths. ~t\Tinners of the ev~nts ,,;ere: 20 mile Instructors' Race-Capt J. D. Parkmson, Moth; 20 mile PrIvate Owners' Handicap-Capt A. N. Kingwill, D.H.5IA; 20 mile Open Handicap-Capt A. N. Kingwill, D.H.5IA; Inter-club Relay-Yorkshire Flying Club flying Moths; Inter-club Members' Scratch Race-Dr H. B. L. Dixon, Moth G-EBPT. Following the 1926 Light Aeroplan? Trials, at Ly~pne c:m ] 7 Sept:mber the Stewards' Handicap over 25 mlies for machmes ehmmated m the Trials was won by FIt Lieut Nicholas Compel' on the Cramvell C.L.A.4A G-EBPC at 70·85 mph, competing against the prototype Blackburn Bluebird-later G-EBKD, A.N.E.C.IV Missel Thrush G-EBPI, Avro 562 Avis G-EBKP and the Supermarine Sparrow II G-EBJP. On 18 Septembcr, the last day of the Light Aeropla~e Competitions, t~lree.races vvere held. The 50 mile Lympne Open HandIcap for a total pnzc hst of £100 was won by Fit Lieut J. S. Chick flying the Hawker Cygnet G-EBJH,

156

157

D.H.53

G-EBNO

G-EBME G-EBHZ

-

vVithdrew

"'~ ...

r Among the competing aircraft in the Lympne Open Handicap on 18 September, 1926, was the Hawker Cygnet G·EB~JB. (Peter Lewis.)

Competing at Lympne on 18 September, 1926, in the Grosvenor Challenge Cup event was the D.H.60 Genet Moth G-EBOU with Capt H. S. Broad as its pilot. (Hawker Siddeley.)

The Short S.7 t\1ussel I G-EBNlJ flown in the l'ace for the Grosvenor Challenge Cup at Lympnc on 18 September, 1926, by]. Lankester Parker. (Short Bros.) The Cranwell Light Aeroplane Club's C.L.AAA G-EBPC which took part in the Lympne Open Handicap on 18 September, 1926. (FLight International.)

competing against 15 other entrants which included the Avis G-EBKP, Pixie III G-EBKK, Cranwell C.L.A.4A G-EBPC, Short S.4 Satellite G-E~JU, Brownie I G-EB]M, Cygnet G-EBMB, Short S.7 Mussel I G-EBMJ, RAE Hurricane G-EBHS, S.E.5a G-EBCA, Avro 581 Avian G-EBOV, two Moths including G-EBMO, Scooter G-EACZ, S.E.5a G-EBPA and S.E.5a G-EBPD. Five entries were received for the 100 mile handicap for the Society of Motor Nlanufacturers' and Traders' Prize of 200 guineas open to aircraft which had completed at least 50 per cent of the Light Aeroplane Competition course. HinkleI' brought the

C. T. Holmes piloted the Bristol Type 91 Brownie I G-EBJ~'[ Jim at Lympne on 18 September, 1926, in the race for the Grosvenor Challenge Cup. (Bristol.)

158

159

prolotype Avro 58\ Avian G-EBOV in first at 90 mph, ahead of Frank Courtney on the Pixie III G-EBKK, Cyril Uwins on the Brownie II G-EBJK, Hubcrt Broad on the 75 hp Genet D.H.60 Moth G-EBOU, and a Hawker Cygnet. The main event at Lympne on 18 September was the 75 mile handicap for the Grosvenor Challenge Cup and £100 total prize money, run with six laps ofa 12,,) mile triangular course. Entered were: Registration

Pilot

Blackburn Bluebird 1 0.H.60 Genet 1'10th Hawker Cygnet

G·EBKD G-EBOU G-EBJH

Hawker Cygnet Supermarine Sparrow 11 Avro Avian 1 Avro Avis Cranwell C.L.A.4 A.N.E.C. IV Missel Thrush Parnall Pixie Short Satellite D.H.53 Westland Widgeon D.H.60 Moth Cranwell C.L.A.3 Short Mussel J D.H.60 Moth O.H.60 :Moth Bristol Brownie I RAE Hurricane Bristol Brownie I [ RAE Sirocco

G-EBJP G-EBO\' G-EBKP G-EBPC G-EBPI G-EBKK G-EBJU G-EBHZ G-EBJT G-EBKT G-EBMC G-EBMJ G-EBMO G-EBNO G-EBJM G-EBHS G·EBJK G·EB'lL

Sqn Ldr W. H. Longton Capt H. S. Broad Fit Lieut J. A. Gray/Fit Lieut R. L. Ragg FIt Lieut P. 'Y\'. S. Bulman Capt H. C. Biard H.J. L. J-linkler Wg Cdr W. S. Douglas Fit Lieut H. S. P. Walmsley Lieut~Col C. L. P. Henderson Capt F. T. Courtney }-Ig Off G. E. F. Boyes FIt Lieut A. L. A. Perry-Keene :Maj L. P. Openshaw Mrs S. C. Eliott-Lynn Flt Lieut N. Comper J. Lankester Parker Col the Master of Sempill Capt G. de Havilland C. T. Holmes

\'\'estland Wood pigeon I D.H.53 D.I-I.60 Moth A.N.E.C. II

G-EBJV G-EBHX G-EBME G-EBJO

Aircraft

G-EB~m

Capt C. F. Uwins FIg Off M. Richards/FIt LieuL R. L. Ragg FlL Licut A. P. Ritchie Fit LieutJ. S. Chick Maj H. de Havilland N. I-I. Jones

Retnarks

Withdrew vViLhdrew Withdrcw WiLhclrew Withdrcw

W. H. Longton was first at 84·95 mph. On Sunday, 26 September, 1926, the Lancashire Air Pageant at vVoodford Aerodrome included racing. Out of 18 entries for the 28 mile Open Handicap over a triangular course, 10 started and Fig OffH. R. D. Waghorn won on the Avro 585 Gosport G-EBPH. Mark Anthony Lacayo, flying the ~10th G-EBLV, came first out of six entrants in the J nter-club Members' J 4 mile race for standard ~1oths, and the Newcastleupon-Tyne Aeroplane Club won the Inter·club Team Race for Moths. On 2 October, 1926, the Yorkshire Aeroplane Club held its second Pageant at Sherhurn-in-Elmet. Dr H. B. L. Dixon of the Newcastleupon-Tyne Aeroplane Club won with the D.H.60 lvIoth G-EBPT the J nter·club lVlembers' Handicap to Selby and back for members trained throughout by light aeroplane clubs, and the Open Handicap of 25 miles around Selby and Tadcaster gave Sqn Ldr \Valter H. Longton his second win in a fortnight on the Bluebird G-EBKD. The ninlh Schneider Trophy contest was held relatively late in 1926 with navigability tests on 11-12 ::-.J"ovember and the main flying competition on Saturday, 13 l\ovember, at Hampton Roads, Virginia, over a 160

tr~angular ~ourse of just. over 31 ~iles, seven laps giving a total distance of 217·6 mdes. Delays 111 prepanng Supermarine and Gloster entrants meant that Gre?-t Britain would not be represented, and the contest was between t~e 1?l1lted S~ates and Italy: The Americans flew Curtiss biplanes a?d the llaha.ns th:lr red Macchi M.39 monoplanes, one of whichptloled by MaJ Mana de Bernardi-won thc Trophy at 246·442 mph. At Stag Lane, Edgware, on 15 November, 1926, two D.H. wloths took-off on the first successful lightplane Hights from England to India. Both 80 hp A.D.C. Cirrus II powered aircraft had been converted into single-seaters, the pilot occupying the rear cockpit while an extra fuel tank filled the front cockpit. The pilots were Capt T. Neville Stack Hying the King's Cup winner G-EBMO and B. M. T. S. Leete piloting the second prototypc G-EBKU. The journey of5,500 miles took 54 davs both Mo~hs arriving at Karachi on 8 January, 1927. ' , ~a!'ly It1 1927 3:11 announcement was made of a nonstop circuit of Bntam of 1,046 miles for 29 March, 1927, by H. J. L. Hinkler. Start and fil1lsh were to be at Croydon, the clockwise route taking in Bristol \IVexford, Dublin, Belfast, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Newcastle, Norwich and Lympne, but the flight was subsequently abandoned. At Bournemouth from 15 to 18 April, 1927, the Easter Air Race Nleeting of 12 events was held at Ensbury Park Racecourse with £500 total prize money. First on Good Friday came the 10 mile Boseombe Stakes Scratch Race for flying club instructors, won by Capt F. G. M. Sparks of the London Aeroplane Club at 76 mph flying the Moth G-EBMF; next the 20,mlle Poole Handicap won by D. A. N. Walt at 114·2 mph with the S.E.5a G:EBOG; MISS W. E. Spnoner came first at 76 mph in the 20 mile Chnstchurch Handicap Stakes with the Molh G-EBMF; Fig OfT

CaptT. N. Stack, lift, and B. M. T. S. Leete, righl, en route to Tndia with G-EBKU one of the pair of D.H_GO i\1oths used on their flight from England dUTin~ 1926-27. (Hawker Siddeley.)

F

161

R. L. Ragg was first in the 10 mile Ensbury Park Stakes at 69·25 mph piloting the Hawker Cygnet G-EBJH; and Capt Geoffrey de Havilland flew the Moth G-EBQH into first place in the 20 mile Branksome Cirrus Handicap Stakes at 87·5 mph. On 16 April, the four events included the Bournemouth Easter High Power Handicap of 20 miles won by Dudley \'Vatt at 116 mph-again on S.E.5a G-EBOG; the Winton Handicap won by Fig Off R. L. Ragg with the Cygnet G-EBJH at 72·5 mph; the 10 mile Bournemouth Anial Oaks in which iVliss Sicele O'Brien came first at 75 mph in the Moth G-EBKT; and the Bournemouth and District Business Houses Handicap of20 miles won by Avro 548 G-EBAJ flown by A. B. H. Youell at 74 mph. Flying was prohibited on Easter Sunday, but on Monday, 18 April, H. J. L. Hinkler won all three events of 20 miles, the Bourncmouth and District Hotels and Restaurant Association Handicap at 90 mph, the Kill Joy Trophy and Stakes-as consolation for the ban on Sunday flying-at 89 mph and the Holiday Final Handicap at 93 mph, each time flying the prototype Avro 581A Avian G-EBOV. Moths were successful on 1 May, 1927, in the races held at the Midland Aeroplane Club At Home at Castle Bromwich Aerodrome, Birmingham; G-EBLW-f1own by E. L. Brighton-won the Council Cup event for A licence pilOlS trained by the Club, and another Moth was flown into first place by Capt W. J. McDonough-ChiefFlying Instructor of the Midland Aeroplane Club-in the 20 mile handicap for aircraft of under 100 hp. On 15 May, 1927, the Hampshire Air Pageant took place at Hamble Aerodrome, Hampshire, with large crowds of spectators despite unsettled weather. Nineteen starters took-off in the 22 mile ''\'akefield Light Aeroplane Handicap for the Sir Charles Wakefield Challenge Cup and £50 won by L. J. C. Mitchell piloting the Brownie I G-EBJM, Fit Lieut G. I. Thompson came first in the Light Aeroplane Utility Race for Moths carrying pilot and passenger, FIt Lieut C. F. Ie PoeI' Trench flew the Halton H.A.C.I. Mayfly G-EBOO into first place among 18 starters in the President's Challenge Cup Race, and the Morris Challenge Cup

Seen at Drooklands, the Hawker Horsley J8607 flown by FIt Liclit C. R. Carr and Fh Lieut L. E. M. Gillman on 20-21 May, 1927, in an aHempt on the world long-distance record. (Flight In/emational.)

Long.dislance pilot H. ]. L. Hinkler with the prototype Avro S8tA Avian G·EBOV with which he won several events at the 1927 Bournemouth Easter 1\i(eeting. (Auro.)

Open Handicap with 22 startel~ was won by the S.E.5a G-EBQK flown by A. B. H. Youell. Prominent among the sporting pilots of the period was Mrs Sophie C. Eliott-Lynn, and on 18 May, 1927, accompanied by the Hon Lady Mary Bailey, she piloted the 85 hp Cirrus II Avro 594 Avian G-EBRS from Hamble to a new height record of 16,000 ft for a two-seat lightplane of under 880 lb empty weight plus passenger. A modified 670 hp Condor III Hawker Horsley Mk.II two-seat day bomber-with strengthened undercarriage and specially tuned enginewas prepared in the spring of 1927 to fly from Cranwell to Karachi 3,900 miles away in an attempt on the nonstop long-distance record. The silver biplane, J8607, was scheduled to take-off on 16 May, 1927, but the start was postponed owing to rain and bad weather until 9.38 a.m. on 20 May when FIt Lieuts C. R. Carr and L. E. M. Gillman successfully lelt Cranwell's long runway after a difficult take-off run in a veering \vind. Having flown for 3,419 miles in 341- hI', the Horsley came down in the sea 45 miles southeast of Bandar Abbas in the Persian Gu1fat 8.15 p.m. on 21 May, being forced to do so by an air lock in the fuel system. Although the intended destination ,",vas not reached, the previous record had been beaten by 75 miles with a flight which was the longest distance flown nonstop until then by a British aircraft, but the rescued crew's pleasure was short as, only two hours later, Col Charles A. Lindbergh beat their figure with his 3,610 mile solo flight from New York to Paris. The next pilot to start a long-distance flight in a Moth was the Australian Dennis M. M. Rooke, who left Croydon on 24 lVIay, 1927, for Australia in the 85 hp Cirrus II D.H.60 Moth G-EBQJ. He crashed while landing at Karachi on 20 June but, after repairs had been made, continued from Karachi during July, but the flight came to an end on 14 August, 1927, when G-EBQ] hit a palm tree and was wrecked on taking-off from Aurangabad. The race for the Sassoon Cup on 26 NIay, 1927, involved nine singlcseat fighter squadrons consisting of No.3-' Voodcock, No. I7-' Voodcock, Xo.19-Grebe, i o .23-Gamecock, No.25-Grebe,l 0.29-Grebe, -0.32

162

163

NrrsGeoffrey de Havilland, left, and Lady Baileywith the D.H.60 :t\lothG·EBQH at Stag Lane after setting a new two-seat lightplanc altitude record of 17,283'47 [l on 5 July, 1927. (Hawker Siddeley.)

-Gamecock, No.41-Siskin, and No.43-Gamecock, flying at 2,000 ft over a course of 100 miles starting at Northolt, flying to Duxford and Halton, and finishing at Northolt. The contest was won by Pit Off A. H. Montgomery ofNo.32 Squadron piloting thc Gamecock]8073 at 156 mph. Ensbury Park Racecourse was used to hold the Bournemouth \'Vhitsun :NIceting on 4 and 6 June, 1927, which was marred by the crash on 4 June during a test flight of A. S. Butlcr's D.H.37A G-EBDO Lois in which the pilot Maj Harold Hemming was injured and the passenger C. S. J. Plevins killed. The Low Power Handicap of 10 miles for aircraft of under 1,500 cc was won by FIg Off McKenzie-Richards on the D.H.53 G-EBQP; Mrs S. C. Eliott-Lynn came first with the Widgeon III G-EBPW in the 10 mile Ladies' Race; the 10 mile Private O\vners' Handicap was won by H.]. L. Hinkler flying the Avian G-EBOV; Sqn Ldr C. A. Rea brought the Boulton and Paul P.9 G-EAWS in first in the High Powcr Handicap of 10 miles; F. T. Courtney was first on the D.H.60 Moth G-EBOI out of 12 starters in the 10 mile NIedium Power Handicap~ during which Sqn Ldr W. H. Longton died when his prototype Bluebird I G-EBKD collided with the prototypc Widgeon III G-EBPW flown by the \Vestland test pilot Nlaj L. P. Openshaw who was killed also; D. A. N. \Van was the winner in Avian I G-EBQL of the Bournemouth Hotels Association Sweepstake, and the Bournemouth and District Business Houses Sv~'eepstake with two starters was won by Sqn Ldr C. A. Rea-the Boulton and Paul tcst pilot-again with the P.9 G-EAWS. On 11 June, 1927, the Newcastle Air Pageant at Cramlington included three races in the programme. Lady Mary Bailey flcw the D.H.60 Moth G-EBQH into first place in the Private Owners' Handicap, the President's 164

Cup Race for instructors was won by Capt F. G. M. Sparks-C.F.I. of the London Aeroplane Club at Stag Lane-flying a NIoth and the London Aeroplane Club took first place in the Inter-club Relay Race. The Horsley j8607's long-distance record of J\lIay was of short duration and the RAF lost little time in preparing the second long-range Horsley II, J8608, for another attempt which started on 18 June, 1927, when Fit Lieuts C. R. Carr and P. H. Mackworth took-off from Cranwell for J ndia. The flight ended quickly when the engine's oil started leaking and, although the crew had been instructed to bale out if in trouble, a safe landing was made at A.&A.E.E. IVlarrlesham with j8608 in a heavy overload condition with more than 1,000 gallons of petrol aboard. On 22 June, 1927, the Bristol and \'Vessex Aeroplane Club Air Pageant was held at Filton; FIt Lieut C. F. Ie PoeI' Trench flew the 32 hp Cherub III Halton HAC.I Mayfly biplane G-EBOO-designcd by C. H. Latimer-Needham-into first place in the Selfridge Cup Handicap, and H. ]. L. Hinkler used the prototype Avian G-EBOV to win both the de Prez Trophy Utility Race and thc de Prez Trophy Handicap. The first of Lady Bailey's record-breaking attempts took place at Stag Lane on 5 july, 1927, when-with Mrs Geoffrey de Havilland as passenger-she flew the D.H.60 Moth G-EBQH to a ncw lightplanc altitude record of 17,283·47 ft. After a break of two years since 1924, the Air League Challenge Cup was competed for on 16 July, 1927, at the Birmingham Air Pageant at Castle Bromwich and was now a handicap race among club members. Norman H. Jones became the first civil winner of the Cup when he covered the 116 mile course to \IVoodford and return at 73·5 mph in his 32 hp Cherub II A.N.E.C.II G-EB]O, one ofW. S. Shackleton's designs, bad weather having dictated this particular route. The Low Power Handicap of 12·5 miles was won by thc D.H.60 Moth G-EBPU flown by the Lady Bailey, but the High Power Handicap was abandoned owing to lack of entries.

G.EBRF, the Blackburn Bluebird II with which Col the iVlastel' of Sempill competed in the J927 King's Cup race. (BLackburn.)

165

Considerable consternation was caused among the competitors in the 1927 King's Cup Race-hcld on 30 July as part of the Nottingham Flying t\1eeting at Hucknall Torkard Aerodrome-and nearly one-third withdrew in protest against the impossibly high speeds required under a handicap formula based on 103 mph for three t\1oth Xs, which meant that the Avro 566 Avenger-with a maximum speed of 180 mph-would have had LO fly at 244 mph. The intention was to hold the King's Cup event at Bournemouth but, because aflocal antipathy towards air racing, it was run at Nottingham, the course of 539·5 miles being made up of three separate ci rcu iL')- H ucknall-Spi ttlegate-Hun tingdon-King's L ynn-Cranwell-Hueknall; I-Iucknall-Howden-Skegness-Hucknall; Hucknall-Spittlegate-Huntingdon-King's Lynn-CranweH-Hucknall. Two days before the race, the Bristol Type 99A Badminton-modified with new 33 ft span tapered wings braced with centre-section struts and single interplane struts-crashed on 28 July during a test flight at Filton and killed the pilot F. L. Barnard. Before the Badminton's crash the entry list contained 26 names but was finally: Remarks

Aircraft

Registration

Pilot

A.N.E.C.J1 Hahon H.A.C. LIVlayAy

G-EBjO G-EBOO

Cranwell C. L.AA D.H.60 MOlh Avro 594A Avian J L Widgeon III Bluebird II D.H.9 Vickers Type 113 Vespa I Martinsydc 1".6 Vickers Vixen Il I

G-EBPB G-EBME G-EBSD G-EBRL G-EBRF G-EBKO G-EBLD G-EBDK G-EBIP

Avro 566 Avenger D.H.71 Tiger :r-.-loth D.H.71 Tiger Moth Widgeon III

G-EBND G-EBQU G-EBRV G-EBRQ

Hawker Horsley Avian II Avian D.H.60X Moth D.H.60X Moth D.H.60X Moth D.H.60 Moth D.H.GO Moth Avian I Boreas ~imbus rvlartinsyde

j8606 G-EBRR G-EBRS G-EBSK G-EBRT G-EBQH G-EBMV G-EBPU G-EBQL G-EBOj

Retired N. H.Jol1cs Fit Lieut C. F. Ie Poer Retired Trench Fit Lieut N. Comper ''''ithdrew Capt W. I.. Hope Withdrew H. J. L. Hinkler Capt W.]. McDonough Col the Master of Sempill Retired W. G. R. Hinchliffe Retired Sqn Ldr H. J. Payn Withdrew FIg Ofr N. Vintcent Fit Lieut E. R. C. Seholefield Withdrew Fit Lieut S. N. Pope Withdrew Capt C. D. Barnard Retired Capt H. S. Broad Entered as Sqn Ldr H. M. Probyn H. Brooklyn FIt Lieut P. W. S.llulman Withdrew Capt H. A. Brown Mrs S. C. Eliott-Lynn Withdrew Retired B. Martin Capt F. G. M. Sparks Retired Retired A. S. Butler Withdrew A. B. H. Youell Retired Lady M. Bailey Retired D. i\. N. Watt Sqn Lelr 1-1. \'V. G. Jones ''''ithdrew

This was the first King's Cup in which women pilots had entered and, out of six finishers in poor weather, 'V. L. I-lope carne in first at 92·8 mph, second was Capt McDonough at 102·8 mph, third was FIt Lieut Scholefield at 141·6 mph, fourth was Hinchliffc, fifth Sqn Ldr Probyn and sixth Fit Lieut Bulman at 121·5 mph. On I August, 1927, at Hucknall there were six events. The Popplewick Stakes Low Power Handicap of 8·5 miles was won by FIt Lieut C. F. Ie 166

PoeI' Trench on the Halton H.A.C.I Mayfly G-EBOO against five starters; Capt W. J. McDonough came first at 102 mph in the Widgeon III G-EBRL out of 12 entries in the Pelham Stakes £100 Private Owners' Handicap; out of four starters in the first race for the newly-presented S.B.A.C. Challenge Cup FIg Off D. W. F. Bonham-Carter-representing thc RAE Aero Club-came first in the 594 Avian I G-EBQN at 96 mph; the Hucknall Stakes High Power Handicap with three starters was won by Sqn Ldr H. W. G. Jones flying the Boreas Nimbus Martinsyde G-EBOJ at 141·2 mph; Mrs S. C. Eliott-Lynn flew the D.H.60 Moth G-EBMV into first place for the Ladies' Purse out of three starters, and won also the Grosvenor Challenge Cup with G-EBMV at 88·5 mph over a 68 mile course among 14 starters. Another RAF attempt on the long-distance record was made in 1927 when, just before noon on 2 August, the Horsley Mk.II J8608 left Cranwell for I ndia once again, carrying FIt Lieut C. R. Carr and FIg Off E. C. Dearth. This third attempt failed when the machine made a forced landing in the Danube at Sommerburg j it was salvaged and returned to England, as was also J8607 from the Persian Gulf after the first attempt. Early on 23 August, 1927, a Hawker biplane of very different style set out all a long-distance record attempt-this time for lightplanes-when the 26-year-old Fit Lieut Robert Linton Ragg took-off from Lympne in the 30 hp A.B.C. Scorpion Hawker Cygnet G-E~JH of the RAE Aero Club to fly to North Africa. The flight ended immediately after the machine left the ground, as a down-current forced the single-seater into a row of telegraph wires. G-EBQU, the first of the pair ofD.H.71 Tiger Moth monoplanes, was fitted subsequently with a new pair of wings of reduced 19 ft span and flown at Stag Lane on 24 August, 1927, by H. S. Broad to set up a new Class 3 record of 186·47 mph over a 100 km closed-circuit course. On 29 August, again at Stag Lane, Broad took G-EBQU to 19,196 ft in 17 min for a new world altitude record in Class 3. 10,000 ft was reached in 6·5 min and, at approaching 20,000 ft, the machine was climbing at a rate of 1,000 ft/min. The Avian prototype G-EBOV was modified with a new wide-track

The D.H.7l Tiger Moth monoplane G-EBQU flown by Capt H. S. Broad at to set records for 100 km and altitude. (de Havil-

Stag Lane during August 1927,

land.)

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undercarriage and a long-range tank remammg the 581 A, with which H. J. L. Hinkler left Croydon at 5·27 a.m. on 27 August, 1927, to fly 1,200 miles nonstop to Riga, Latvia, in 101 hr. The flight was the longest so far undertaken nonstop by a lightplane and, after completing business negotiations in Latvia, Hinkler flew G-EBOV leisurely back to Ramble. During the year the Fokker F.VlIa G-EBTQ was bought by Princess Ludwig ofL6wenstein-\Vcrtheim to attempt the first east-to-west nonstop Atlantic crossing by aeroplane. Named St Raphael, the silver and black monoplane left Upavon at 7.30 a.m. on 31 August, 1927, carrying the Princess piloted by Lieut-Col F. F. R. Minchin and with Fig Off Leslie Hamilton also in the crew, to disappear without trace, presumably in the North Atlantic. Born in London in 1897, Lieut Richard Reid Bentley served with the South African Air Force as a flying instructor at Roberts Heights from 1923 until 1928, but in 1927 bought the 85 hp Cirrus II D.H.60 Moth G-EBSO from de Havilland at Stag Lane, intending to fiy it back to Cape Town. Engaged to Miss Dorys Oldfield of Pretoria, he named GEBSO Dorys after his fiancee and left Lympne at 10.30 a.m. on I September, 1927, to try to achieve the first solo lightplane flight between England and South Africa in a proposed time of 14 days. Nlinor delays en route extended this to 25 days to Johannesburg but at 2.20 p.m. on 28 Scptembe,' Bentley reached Cape Town after covering 7,250 miles in 28 days, the fastest time recorded so far. Although free ballooning had little following in Grcat Britain by the late 1920s, the country was represented among 15 starters on 10 September, 1927, in the sixteenth Gordon Bennett Balloon Race which started from the Ford Airport at Dearborn, near Detroit. Sqn Ldr R. S. Booth and Capt G. F. Meager formed the crcw of the only British balloon competing-the 80,000 cu ft Bet-which landed on the Cove Tobacco Estate, a plantation five miles northeast of Clover, 80 miles southwest of Richmond, Virginia. They were unplaccd, and the winner was the American Hill with a flight of 725 miles in the Detroit to Baxley, Georgia. A second attempt on the east-to-west passage of the Atlantic by aeroplane started at 1.00 p.m. on 16 September, 1927, when the Fokker F.VIIa-G-EBTS Prirlcess Xenia with blue fuselage and natural varnished wings-left Baldonnel, Dublin, for New York. Named aCtel" the wife of VV. R. Leed, the sponsor of the flight, who had been a Russian princess before she became Mrs Leed, the machine was equipped with long-range tanks in the cabin and carried two pilots-l\1aj James C. Fitzmaurice, Commandant of the Irish Free Statc Army Air Corps, and Capt R. I-I. l\1cIntosh of Imperial Airways. Between 400 and 600 miles out over the Atlantic, the Princess Xenia was faced with rain, fog and a gale and the crew turned back to Ireland to make a successful landing at 7·30 p.m. on the sands at llealestrand about five miles from Ballybunnion at the mouth of the Shannon. The Hooton Air Pageant was held on 24 September, 1927, in bad weather at Hooton Park, "Virral, Cheshire. Flying the D.I-160 Moth G-EBMF, Capt F. G. M. Sparks won thc 11·5 mile HooLon Park Handicap; Mrs S. C. Eliott-Lynn came first in the 30 mile High Power Handicap at I 17·75 mph in the S.E.5a G-EBPA; the Intcr-c1ub Members' Race was won by C. F. Ie Poer Trench in the Halton H.A.C.I MayOy G-EBOO;

W. L. Hope brought the Moth G-EBMV into first place in the Low Power Handicap; Mrs Eliott-Lynn and her S.E.5a G-EBPA won the Ladies' Race, and another S.E.5a, G-EBTO, was flown into first place in the Open Handicap by Capt Sparks. During the meeting Mrs Eliott-Lynn attempted to beat Lady Bailey's altitude record with the 594C Avian II G·EBSD but was forced to give up by the rain. Britain's failure to win the 1925 Schneider event at Baltimore resulted in extreme pressure on behalf of the aircraft industry and the public to ensure that the United Kingdom competed in the next of the series. Any possibility of winning the 1926 contest seemed to be out of the question as there was so little time to prepare a suitable design capable of beating the United States' Curtiss R3C series which were able to benefit inestimably from their parallel development in the Pulitzer and Mitchell races organized annually betwccn the US armed Services. Towards the end of 1925 the Air Ministry asked the National Physical Laboratory to employ the Duplex tunnel to conduct tests on a i-scale model of the new Supermarine Schncidcr S.5 design by R. J. Mitchell. Work at the NPL started early in March, 1926, but, while the tests were in progress, the Air Ministry abandoned any idea of entering for 1926 owing to insufficient time being available. Italy, however, came to the fore again in 1926 when the ninth Schneider Trophy race was won on 13 November by IVlaj Mario de Bernardi flying the red Macchi M.39 monoplane for seven laps around the total 217·6 mile triangular course at Hampton Roads, Virginia, at 246·442 mph in fine weather. The Air Ministry was persuaded finally in 1926 that the time had come for an all-out Schneider effort and for the RAF to compete. Development offast aircraft and the backing offoreign governments for competing teams had brought the British endeavours to the point where-excellent though the efforts of private enterprise had been-what was needed now was a co-ordinated programme to bring together aircraft and engine designers and research and experimental establishments which had worked separately hitherto. During 1926 the Air Ministry agreed to extend its research schedule for high-speed aircraft and to allow the Royal Aero Club to enter RAF aircraft in the 1927 event. The RAE wind tunnels at Farnborough were to be used mainly for research into the aerodynamic properties of parts of the aircraft and with aspects of cooling; the Duplex tunnel of the National Physical Laboratory at Teddington \vas to be concerned with use of large-scale models for complete investigation of aerodynamic properties. Three aircraft were ordered from Supermarine and three from Gloucestershire, which-on I I Novcmber, 1926-became the Gloster Aircraft Company. All s1..... were to be powered with the twelve-cylinder, three-bank, inline 1 apier Lion liquid-cooled engine, as Rolls-Royce were not sufficiently advanced with a racing engine to compete with the wellestablished Napier product. This order of special aircraft-for the use of the RAF High Speed Flight to be formed at M.A.E.E. Felixstowe under Sqn Ldr L. H. Slatter-was increased laler to seven with the addition of one Short-Bristow seaplane to employ an air-cooled radial engine for comparative purposes. l'he Glosters were covered by Specification 5j26, the Supermarines by S.6/26 and thc Short-Bristow by 7/26. The basic Supermarinc design by

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R. J. Mitchell was designated S.5, and Specification S.6/26 of 19 j\'Iarch, 1926, was issued to cover the design and construction of a single-scat, highspeed floatplane and its required speed at low altitudes, controllability at high speeds, a reasonable degree of positive stability in all axes of flight, and a good degree of manoeuvrability in the air and on the water. The engine stipulated was the ungcarcd Napier Lion VIlA of 740 Ib dry weight and giving 750 bhp at 3,000 rpm. Sufficient petrol was to be carried for one hour at full power at ground level and oil was to be enough for I! hours, together with 50 per cent excess. The 8.5's load was to be 180 lb for the pilot and 20 Ib for instruments. The speed at 1,000 ft was to be not less than 265 mph and the alighting speed with engine off was to be not more than 90 mph, or as agreed with the Director of Technical Development in consideration of the strength factors. The intensity of the National Physical ~aboratory's association with the many aspects of Schneider Trophy racer design increased shortly after Italy's win of 13 November, 1926, when Reginald Mitchell called at Teddington to discuss the design of the S.5, and the NPL's agreement to tcst models of the Supermarine contender in the Duplex tunnel and to obtain data. The facilities of the NPL were extended later to include testing of the Gloster and Short-Bristow designs. The i-scale models tested by the NPL Duplex tunnel consisted of three monoplanes for Supermarine, four biplanes for Gloster and two monoplanes for Short. The three Supermarine models embodied different combinations of wing and bracing; No.l's low wings-viewed from the front-were braced to the floats by W struts and with a cross strut bctween the floats, No.2 used wire for the outer bracing and betw'een the floats in place of the struts, and No.3 utilized a high wing position with the roots blended downwards into the outer cylinder fairings, combined with No.1 's full strut system. Testing of the Gloster biplane models with a similar upper wing root arrangement to that of the Supermarine No.3 model showed the biplane to possess an abnormally high maximum lift; the Supermarine No.3 model was therefore built with high wings of smaller area to check whethcr or not the Gloster's high lift might be caused by interference effect. After tunnel tests at various speeds, the opposite effect was found to that expected, with stalling occurring at a lower angle and a small change in drag for such a large decrease in wing area. The Supermarine high-wing design was therefore abandoned. The conclusion was that the unusually high lift of the Gloster biplane came partly from the floats; a similar effect was found with the Short-Bristow monoplane, with the conclusion that the helmet cowling over the engine may also have bcen responsible on the Short layout. The I-PL Duplex tunnel's contribution to the three Schneider designs was extremely valuable and showed that full-scale results could be computed with a fair degree of accuracy for high-speed seaplanes. The ShortBristow design's Aoat was established as having the lowest d"ag, the Supermarinc float mcdium drag and the Gloster fioat the highest drag. The drag of the Gloster fuselage was distinctly lower than that of the Supermarine, and the Short~Bristow's wings possessed a superior drag coefficicnt compared with that of the Supermarine. The Gloster form of float strut appeared to be the best, and tests were carried out also in the Duplex with a landplanc model of the Gloster biplane with dihedral on

the upper wings and with a single-strut undercarriage using a broadchord axle fairing. Reginald lv:1.itchell was fully aware of the value of the NPL contribution and maintained the closest personal contact with the Laboratory's staff involved in assisting with the design of the Supermarine contenders for the 1927, 1929 and 1931 Schneider contests. Among the significant suggestions made by the NPL, and subsequently adopted, was that of disearding the mass of heavy struts at first embodied in the projects and of substituting bracing wires. The powcrplants were of primary importance, and backing the airframe designers were Capt G. S. VVilkinson of Napier-responsible for the specially developed Lions and for reducing radically the frontal area of 5·55 sq ft of the Lion Series XI to 4·25 sq It lor the 1927 Schneider Lion VIIB, A. H. R. Fedden, who began the development of the Mercury I in November 1925, for the Short-Bristow monoplane-with the first engine being built in August 1926, and P. A. Ralli of Fairey, who designed the Fairey-Reed propellers installed. }""ollowing modification at Brockworth, the Gloster Ills N194 and Nl95 were dispatched to Felixstowe to serve as trainers for the High Speed Flight and as development aircraft. N194, filled with Lion VII 62015, was used to test different propellers to provide design data for future high speed seaplanes and general data concerning high tip speeds. On 2 December, 1926, FIg GfrO. E. "Vorsley tested at various settings hvo-blade propellers with detachable blades oflight alloy, at 2,700 Ib take-off weight, and he carried out trials on 8 December, 1926, with a Fairey-Reed of 7·75 ft diameter and another of forged dural. On 20 April, 1927, NI94 tested a Gloster adjustable-pitch propeller of 6·75 ft diameter which proved a failure as, at 12 kt taxi-ing speed, the blades were damaged badly by spray and the tips considerably bent. NI94 would not accelerate past 12 kt as the blades stalled and produced insufficient thrllst. On 29 April, 1927, NI94 tested a 7 ft diameter Gloster adjustable-pitch propeller which produced poor acceleration and a long take-off.

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Shown to advantage in this view is the design of the helmets used to cowl the cylinders of the radial engine fitted to the Short-Bristow Crusader. (Short Bros.)

In the midst of this unprecedented British Schneider activit), the aircraft were assuming tangible form. The solitary Short-Bristow Crusader N226 was constructed by Short Brothers at the Seaplane "Vorks, Rochester, under Contract A.M.674206/26) following the initial design work carried out by VI/. G. Carter on behalfof Col A. "V. Bristow, the consultant engineer originally in charge of the radial-engine project. As the floats were already being made by Short, it was decided to use their facilities and long experience to undertake the entire construction, with Short's Arthur Gouge and C. P. T. Lipscomb completing the detail design work. The philosophy behind the Crusader was that the main advantage of an air-cooled powerplant-besides its inherent lower weight-lay in the lighter airframe construction possible compared with that demanded by a liquid-cooled unit, the 12 per cent decrease in weight conferring an equivalent 6 mph gain in speed. This advantage) however, was offset by the exceedingly high aerodynamic resistance of the fuselage) approximately equal to the entire drag of the Supermarine S.5. Launched on the Medway on 18 April) 1927) the Crusader was a low-wing monoplane of mainly wood construction, but embodying a steel-tubing fore fuselage and mounted on a pair of dural floats developed by Gouge in the Short seaplane tank to give 78 per cent buoyancy reserve and an excellent water performanc-e. The vertical tail surfaces, undercarriage struts and the coaming on top of the fuselage were royal blue, the rest of the machine white. The elliptical wings were at first to be 28 ft in span but were made finally 26 ft 6 in and of RAF27 scction modified with a sharper leading edge. Following brief water tests at Rochester) the Crusader was taken to Fclixstowe for H. J. L. Hinkler to conduct its first flight on 4 May, 1927. The sparking plugs fittcd limitcd the Mercury 1's output to about 790 bhp, instead of the expected 960 bhp which should have bestowcd a top speed of 255-265 mph on the straight. Consequently, the Crusader recorded 225 mph TAS only, in trials which \-vere plagued with spasmodic engine behaviour

The wings of the Short-Bristow Crusader were of graceful elliptical outline. (Shor' Bros.)

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The peak of biplane elegance, the blue and bronze Gloster ] VA N222 constructed for the 1927 Schneider Trophy eVCI1t. (Gloster.)

owing to choking caused by fuel mixture instability. In an attempt to cure t!lis trouble, the NPL checked the airflow around the air intakes as it was thought to be faulty, but pelformance was still held in check by lack of full power from the engine, and the second Mercury fitted subsequentlyout ofthc initial batch of three ordered-gave only 850 bhp at 2,500 rpm. Alone among the three firms involved in constructing the 1927 Schneider contenders, Gloster adhered to the biplane as, in Henry Folland's opinion) the various advantages inherent in the compact biplane layout-lower structural weight, increased strength) greater rigidity, fewer problems with the flutter being encountered at the higher speeds now attained and improved manoeuvrability-were still worth exploiting. In conjunction with H. E. Preston, Folland evolved the Gloster IV, in which every conceivable effort was made to reduce head resistance; the engine faired extremely closely into the slim 7 sq ft maximum crosssection monocoque fuselage) with the roots of the upper 'wings sloping downwards to blend with the outer cylinder banks of the Lion. The main airframe was of wood covered with laminated spruce and mounted on twin Gloster floats of duralumin. Compared with the Gloster III) from which it was developed, the Gloster IV was estimated to gain about 70 mph by a 40 per cent reduction in head resistance giving 37 mph, increased engine power conferring 20 mph, improved propeller efficiency bringing 9 mph and increased landing speed 4 mph. The Lion's double copper sheet, wing surface radiators were installed with the corrugated sUl'faces presented to the airflow, and a minimum 15 per cent increase in lift was gained by smooth blending of wings to fuselage on the Gloster IV. The substitution of wire in place of interconnecting float boom struts reduced drag and water resistance to give a faster take-off. Compared with the lift/drag ratio of 26·2 for the Gloster III, that of the Gloster IV showed a re~arkable increase to 42·3. Owing to exceptional wing efficiency, asSisted by the use of a modified RAF25 very thin acrofoil section) it was found that the landing speed had not increased and that a reduction in wing area of26 sq ft would be possible, still retaining the desired alighting 173

Evidence of the skill of lhe Gloster design team in reducing resistance-a head-on view of the Gloster IVA N222. (Gloster.) rate. Load factors had been increased in the Gloster IV by 30 per cent to cover accelerations at higher speeds, and the Gloster Patent Variable Control Gear was inserted in the control system to give more comfortable and positive control with less pilot strain. From tests the floats were assessed as good longitudinally, but the small lateral stability might be improved with an increase in the track. 'J'he first of the Gloster IVs, N224, was completed for its initial Hight in March 1927 and was fitted with the direct-drive 900 hp Lion VIlA and wings of26 ft 7·5 in span. The Gloster IVA N222, ready with the Gloster lVE for its first flight in August 1927, also used the 900 hp direct-drive Lion VII A but, in common with the Gloster IVE, had its wings reduced in span to 22 ft 7·5 in and its area reduced to 139 sq ft. The lVE N223 differed from the IVA in having the geared Lion VIlE 63103, driving a 7·67 ft diameter Gloster dural propeller 6927, which developed 875 hp at 3,100 rpm. Following flight experience, a strengthened, combined oil tank and cooler-forming part of the underside of the nose-was installed, together with additional oil cooling tubes along the lower fuselage side. The upper surfaces of the Jloats also embodied flush engine-cooling radiators. Both the IVA N222 and the IVE N223 were fitted with cruciform tail units incorporating fin and rudder surfaces above and below the fuselage, and this modification served to enhance even further the appearance of the series by removing on the IVA and IVB the bulbous shape of fin and rudder which constituted the sole jarring note in the otherwise notably pure lines of the IV N224. The Gloster IVs were finished with powder blue fuselages and struts coupled ·with bronze wings, tail unit, head-rest fairing and three cylinder fairings, copper radiators and anodised dural floats and spinner, together with polished dural propeller

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blades. The rudders of all three had blue, white and red stripes with black serial numbers. Great Britain's 1927 Schneider team was completed by the three Supermarine S.5s, the next significant stage in Reginald Mitchell's series of racing seaplanes. Since the end of the 3.4 jn 1925, several design studies had been discussed which included, at the end of 1925, the S.5 as a smaller version of the 8.4 fitted with a pair of low-set cantilever wings and, later, the low· wing design with strut bracing of which the modcl was one of three tested by the NPL. Cantilever construction imposed a weight penalty to preserve sufficient strength, and this tended to cancel out the attendant aerodynamic advantages. Mitchell concluded that the answer lay in the braced monoplane, and so the definitive S.5 \vas conceived. It was decided also at Supermarine that the biplane's increased drag outweighed its further small weight reduction, and that its view was inferior to that of the monoplane. The NPL staff accordingly vwrked very hard to reduce drag on the 8.5, in conjunction \-vith the efforts being made to cut component weight. In the new series of Lion for 1927, increased power was available, the auxiliaries \vere arranged more compactly, overall height had decreased by 2 inches and frontal area was reduced to 4·25 sq ft in the VIlB, but the higher engine speed and compression imposed great strain on the ignition -particularly the sparking plugs. The high benzole content of the fuel gave carbon deposit on the plugs during idling, and the high concentration of TEL dope produced a tendency to lead deposit while idling, so that the final fuel combination selected was 25 per cent benzole, 74·78 per cent petrol and 0·22 per cent dope. All petrol was carried in the starboard Hoat, which was larger than the port and was also placed 8 inches further from the centreline without detriment to the water performance and with the advantage of a lower e.G. vVith full tanks, the starboard float tended to be lower in the water and helped to balance the Lion's torque on take-off, and this nullified torque problems on the water and in the air, besides simplifying fuel feed. Adoption of a low-wing position for the S.5, and the consequent removal of the planes from being in line with the outer cylinder banks as on the 8.4, improved the pilot's view but cost 3 mph; however, this loss was thought to be more than balanced by the

The early style of short oil-cooler is discernible alongside the cockpit in this view of the Supermarine 5.5/21 N219 being towed in after its first test flight at Calshot during 1927. (Vickers.)

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better view fmm the cockpit, which was also moved towards the nose. Use of wire bracing enabled thinner roots to be used on the RAF30 section wings, and this was largely responsible for the reduction of weight from 45 per cent to 36 per cent, at the samc timc allowing omission of two interfloat struts and a reduction in frontal area of the four main float struts. The addition of 14 bracing wires to the S.5 brought an appreciable reduction of resistance bestowing about 5 mph cxtra speed, and, compared with the S.4, the S.5's fuselage cross-section was greatly reduced by about 35 per cent to 5·9 sq ft. Several times during construction pilots were 'fiued', and a great deal of trouble was experienced becausc of their

A significant step forward in racing seaplane design, the blue and silver Supermarine S.5/25 N220 equipped with long oil-coolers. (SIIJ)crmarille.)

varying sizes. Meticulous attention to each of these problems brought overall improvements, which includcd II mph increase from reduced fuselage area) 4 mph increase from 14 per cent reduction in frontal area of the floats by reduction of the S.4 floats' 55 per cent reservc buoyancy to 40 per cent for the S.5's starboard float which was extremely low and demanded very efficient lines, an increase of 24 mph from the usc of surface radiators on the S.5 instead of the Lamblin type of the S.4) about 5 mph extra from the usc of wire bracing, and 30 mph increase from higher horsepower and greater propeller efficiency using one of 7·25 ft diameter and 11·43 ft pitch. All three S.5s wcrc of the same basic construction, consisting of a dural monocoquc fuselage with integral fin, all-wood wing panels with upper and lower surfaces covered by flush coolant radiators, wooden horizontal tail surfaces and rudder and dural floats. Colouring of the S.5s was ultramarine fuselage, floats beneath waterline and fin, and silver wings, horizontal tail surfaces) float tops and struts and cylinder bank fairings. Tests were carried out at Calshot during August 1927 on the 5.5/21 N219 fitted with the direct-drive 900 hp Lion VUA 63006 driving a 7 ft diameter 9·2 ft pitch F.R.183 propeller, as a result of which the oil cooler surfaces on the flanks of the fuselage were extended aft, and the fairings at the front of the cylinder blocks were enlarged. S.5/25 N220 was equipped with the geared 875 hp Lion VIII3 63106, driving a 7 ft 3 in diameter 11-43 ft pitch F.R.376 propeller; S.5/25 N221 used the geared 875 hp Lion VUB. On 24 July, 1927, the S.5/21 N219 was flown over a 3 km speed test course between Calshot and Southampton from 5.52 a.m. until 6.01 a.m. at 3)050 mean rpm, the two runs in each direction resulting in an average ground speed of 284 mph. After nearly two years of intensive preparation, the tenth Schneider Trophy contest was held at the Lido, Venice, on 26 September, J927, over seven laps of a triangular course totalling 217·4 miles, after postponement from the previous day because of bad weather. By the beginning of September the British team had arrived at Venice to find that their only opponents were the Italians, each flying Mario Castaldi's latest designthe red-painted Macchi M.52 monoplane. The sale intended United Stales enlTy-the blue and gold Packard-Kirkham biplane of Maj Alford]. ''''illiams-was not ready, and America's entry in the 1926 Schneider was its last. The RAF High Speed Flight were Sqn Ldr L. H. Sialter, Fit Lieuts S. M. Kinkead, S. N. Webster and O. E. Worsley and Fig Off H. M. Schofield) with Air Vice-Marshal F. R. Scarlett in charge: the aircraft shipped to Venice consisted of the Short-Bristow Crusader-now with rudder stripes) serial 225 and white struts-for usc as a practice machine owing to its inferior speed compared with the Lion-powered machines; the Gloster I V N224, Gloster IVA N222 as reserve and Gloster IVB N223 (I); and the Supermal·ine S.5/21 N219 (6) and S.5/25 N220 (4). On II September, FIg Off Harry Methuen Schofield took-off in the Crusader, but crashed owing to crossed aileron controls and survived the accident. Seaworthiness tests were on 21 September and the contest started at 2.30 p.m. on 26 September. In full view of many thousands of spectators, the Italian machines were unable to match the pace set by the

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Second place at 272·91 mph in the 1927 Schneider Trophy contest was gained by Fit Lieut O. E. '''Torsley flying the Supermal'inc S.5/21 N219, shown with the earlier type of short oil-coolers on the flanks of the fuselage. (Vickers.)

British and retired one by one with engine failw-e. The British rnethod of using a steady banked turn without loss or gain of height was found to be superior to the ltalian style of climbing into the turn and then diving out of it; at the 1927 contest) discrepancies were found between the three groups of observers with errors of 15 seconds-or over 3 per cent-possible in anyone lap) equalling 10 mph in 300 mph, but over the whole course the error dropped to 0·36 per cent or about 1 mph. From this it was concluded that speed measurements over short courses were liable to considerable error) and it was found that the ASI readings of the S.5 around turns showed a drop from 299 mph to 285 mph or 4· 7 per cent. Fit Lieut Kinkead flew the Gloster IVB N223 for three laps at an average speed of275 mph-reaching 289 mph at one point-before having to retire in the sixth lap O\ving to a crack threc.quartcrs of the way around the Lion's splined shaft. He dropped out of the race after averaging 272·53 mph for 34 min 11·9 sec over five laps. The contest was won by Fit Lieut Sidney Norman Webster flying the S.5/25 N220 at 281·656 mph; Fit Licut Oswald Ewart Worsley came second at 272·91 mph in the S.5/21 N219. The reduction gear in the Lion VIIB, enabling a slowerrunning propeller to be used) had thus vindicated itself) making it possible during the contest on 26 September for FIt Lieut vVebster to establish a new 100 km closed-circuit world speed record of 283·67 mph in N220. Very bad weather at Sherburn-in-Elmet spoiled the Yorkshire Aeroplane Club's Air Pageant on 1 October) 1927, but several races were run. In the President's Light Aeroplane Handicap) B. Martin was the winner in D.H.60 Moth G-EBSK, Fig Off A. F. Scroggs came first at 113 mph in the Private Owners' Handicap and was the winner also of the Open Handicap-in each case piloting the S.£.Sa G-EBQM, Miss Madeleine C. M. Woodhead was the winner in Moth G-EBNN of the Ladies' Handicap, and Mrs S. C. Eliott-Lynn new the S.E.5a G-EBPA to win the Wattle Handicap. Mrs S. C. Eliott-Lynn-who became Lady Heath upon her marriage to Sir James Heath during October I927-took-off on 8 October, 1927, from Woodford in an attempt to beat the lightplane height record. With Mrs Williams as passenger, she was flying the 100 hp Alpha Avro 594C Avian II G-EBSD fitted with new RAF28 section wings with rounded tips. Fog set in over "Voodford during the flight and, after climbing to an indicated altitude of 19,200 ft, G-EBSD landed successfully at Frodsham, Cheshire. Despite this effort) the altitude record of 17,283'47 ft remained Lady Bailey's as, upon correction) the height was found to tie with hers. On 14 October, 1927, the 80 hp Cirrus II Avro 594 Avian HI prototype G-EBTU Red Rose left Croydon on an attempt to fly (0 Australia; the pilot was Capt "V.I. Lancaster and his passenger Mrs Keith Miller) wife of a Melbourne journalist. Baghdad was reached early in 1 ovember) but a fractured magneto drive forced them down at Ur en route to Bushire) to be delayed for three weeks. On 4 December, the Red Rose landed at Karachi and on 21 December reached Rangoon. After leaving Rangoon on 2 January, 1928) a live snake was found in the cockpit; Lancaster missed it when he tried to kick it away} but NIrs Miller managed to batter the reptile to death with the spare joystick. On 8 January they arrived at Singapore, and Muntok, Banka, was reached on 9 January. On taking off from Muntok on 10 January, engine trouble caused the Red Rose to

crash with minor injuries to the crew. By this time the flight had beaten Lieut R. R. Bentley's lightplane record of 7)250 miles for distance OOWI1) and after repairs the Avian was able to leave Muntok again on 12 March. At 2.30 p.m. on 19 March, 1928, the Red Rose landed at Port Darwin, after averaging 70 mph for over 13)000 miles and achieving the first lightplane flight between England and Australia with two people aboard. At the same time, Mrs NIiIler became the first woman to have flown between the lvVO countries, and the Red Rose flew on to land at Mascot, Sydney, on 30 March, 1928. Two months after its transatlantic attempt was abandoned, the Fokker F.VIIa G-EBTS Princess Xenia set off from Upavon, all 15 November, 1927, heading for India with R. H. McIntosh and H. J. L. Hinkler as crew. They intended to beat the world long-distance record but were forced down by bad weather during the afternoon of 16 November at Bialokrynica) Eastern Galicia) after 24 hr 42 min. The landing on rough ground damaged the .Fokker and slightly injured the crew. Sir Alan Cobham embarked upon another of his long-distance flights on 17 1 ovember) 1927, when he took-off from the Medway at Rochester in G-EBUP-the silver and white Short S.5 Singapore I all-metal flyingboat powered by two 650 hp Rolls-Royce Condor IlIA engines. Sir Alan's original ambition had been to fly around the world in the 93 ft span machine, but) as some stages would have been beyond the aircraft's safe range) it was decided to undertake instead the Sir Charles vVakefield Flight of Survey around Africa. Accompanying Sir Alan were his wife Lady Gladys Cobham, Capt Henry V. Worrall as co-pilot, Rolls-Royce engineer F. Green, Rolls-Royce assistant engineer C. E. Conway and S. R. Bonnett as Gaumont cinematographer. The flight was an eventful one,

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FIt Lieut S. N. \"'ebster) winner of the Schneider Trophy in 1927 at 281·656 mph, poses with the Supermarine S.5/25 N220. Fifth from the left in the front row is R. J. i\i[itchell) the aircraft's designer. (Vickers.)

\

particularly in the 1vIcditerranean on the outward sector where the Singapore was damaged by gales. En roule, an additional survey flight was carried out in Africa for the Colonial Office, and G-EBUP arrived back at Rochester on 4 June, 1928, having covered some 20,000 miles. During November, 1927, the 80 hp Cirrus II Avian 111 G-EBUG was shipped out to South Africa for a tour by Lady Heath and arrived at Cape Town on 6 December. In honour of her aerial tour, a race of two laps around a 12 mile triangular' course was arranged on 28 January, 1928, at Baragwanath Aerodrome, Johannesburg, with four competitors out of whom Lady Heath was first flying G-EBUG, R. R. Bcntley in his N[oth G-EBSO Dorys came second, third wac; Capt G. \V. Bellininstructor to the Johannesburg Flying Club-on a 1\10th, and Maj A. M. :Nliller, flying another Moth, was disqualified. Early in 1928 H. ]. L. Hinkler accomplished the first successful solo flight from England to Australia by lightplane. His take-off was on 7 February at 6.48 a.m. from Croydon in the 80 hp Cirrus II Avro 581E Avian prototype G-EBOV, modified once more to embody the hi-convex RAF28 wings from thc 594C G-EBSD, a combination which-Hinkler averred-handled well in rough weather. Rome-I,IOO miles awaywas reached nonstop for the first time, and in the record time of 14 hr. G-EBOV then set up the fastest times so far to Ca1culla in 10 days and Singapore in 13 days, reaching Darwin at 6 a.m. on 22 February, 1928, after covering 11,005 miles in I5t days, ","ith a flying time of 128 hr. Hinkler's performance was rewarded with the honorary rank of Squadron Leader in the RAAF and by the award of thc AFC. At the cnd of her aerial tour of South Africa, Lady Heath left Capc Town on 12 February, 1928, in her Avian III G-EBUG to return to England. The Hight of 10,000 miles began 13 days latcr at Pretoria on 25 February and ended at Croydon on 17 May, 1928, with Lady Heath's accomplishment of the first flight by a woman from Cape Town to England, the first solo flight from South Africa to Britain and the first solo flight from the Cape to Cairo~5,132 miles in 72 hr flying timc.

The impressive Shorr S.5 Singapore I G-EBUP which was flown 20,000 miles around Africa during 1927-28 by Sir Alan Cobham, seen in the port seat of the cockpit. (Short Bros.)

After his return to South Africa by air at the end of September 1927 R. R. Bentley married Miss Dorys Oldfield, and on 3 March, 1928, they set off for England in their Moth G-EBSO Dorys, accompanying Lady Heath from Bulawayo to Khartoum and from Tunis to Naples on part of the journey, which was concluded successfully when G-EBSO landed at Croydon on 12 May, 1928. Bentley had become the first pilot to make an out-and-return flight in a lightplane from England to the Cape, a total distance of 16,000 miles having been covered. During his stay in England in 1928, he became the first flying instructor to the Liverpool and District Aero Club at Hooton Park. Lady Mary Bailey-wife of Sir Abe Bailey-made a flight during the year to South Africa and returned later to England, flying solo in each direction. Piloting her 80 hp A.D.C. Cirrus II D.H.60 Moth G-EBSF, fitted with an extra fuel tank in the front cockpit, she took-off from Croydon on 9 March, 1928, and reached Khartoum on 5 April. From there, R. R. Bentley escorted her to Malakal in Dorys, but, a few days afterwards, having left Kisumu, Lady Bailey crashed on landing at Tabora on 8 April and wrecked the Moth. She was determined to fly on to the Cape, and a replacement Moth G-EBTG was flown from Nairobi to Tabora where G-EBSF's engine was fitted to it. Taking-off again on 20 April, Broken Hill was reached on 21 April, Bulawayo on 24 April and, flying the last stage through bad weather, Lady Bailey landed at Wynberg Aerodrome, Cape Town, just after noon on 30 April, the first woman to fly solo the 8,000 miles from England to South Africa. After a stay of under two weeks, Lady Bailey left Cape Town on the return trip by air to England on 12 May, 1928, but damaged G-EBTG in a forced landing at Humansdorp and decided to postpone her journey until the autumn. After the 1927 Schneider Trophy contest, the world speed record was gained for Italy on 4 November, 1927, by Maj Mario de Bernardi flying a Macchi M.52 at 297·83 mph. The Supermarine S.5/25 N221 was prepared early in 1928 to attack this record, and the attempt was made on 12 March, 1928, over the Solent off Calshot. The pilot was the South African member of the inactive High Speed Flight, FltLieut S. M. Kinkead, but, during its rUIl, N22l dived into the Solent from 100 ft at well over 300 mph, the pilot being killed immediately. On Easter Sunday, 8 April, 1928, the Easter Meeting at Lympnc included the Manufacturers' Scratch Race to Summer House Hill and back. Each pilot carried a passenger, and out of the four entrants H. S. Broad was first on thc D.H.60 Moth G-EBWC, after both the Avian III G-EBWU and Bluebird II G-EBTA rctired; the Widgeon III was a nonstarter. On Easter :Nlonday, 9 April, the 21 mile Suffolk Handicap was run at Hadleigh Aerodrome, Suffolk, with five entries; Nliss ''''inifred Evelyn Spooner won the race, flying her 60 hp Cirrus I D.H.60 Moth G-EBOT. The single-seat 85 hp Cirrus II Widgeon III G-EBRN, with a 50 gal fuel lank installed in the front cockpit, left Lympne on 23 April, 1928, in an attempt to reach Australia. The pilot was \Vg Cdr Edye Rolleston NIanning, a 39-year-old Australian, but the parasol monoplane ran into trouble continually as far as Baghdad, where the trip was abandoned and the machine shipped back to England. Towards the end of 1926, the de Havilland D.H.65 Hound military

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Running up the Lion XI of the D.H.65A Hound G-EB1\J/J9127 on 27 Apt·iI, 1928, just before H. S. Broad took-offto set new speed-wiLh-load records. (Hawker Siddeley.)

two-seat prototype G-EBNJ had flown at Stag Lane and, although it never \Vent into production, the company had confidence in its potential and prepared it 18 months later as the D.H.65A, for attempts on the speedwith-load records. The black-trimmed silver two-bay biplane was fiUed with a 540 hp Lion XI and modified as a single-scater for H. S. Broad to fly over the return course between Stag Lane and Reading on 26 April, 1928, with a 1,000 kg load. The record over 100 km was broken successfully, bUl On 27 April, Broad secured improved figures, recording 155·428 mph for the first circuit and 162·284 mph for the second, giving 158·8 mph average for 1,000 kg over 100 km; his third circuit of 159·575 mph gave an average of 159·046 mph for the three laps; a fourlh circuit at 157·931 mph produced 158·766 mph average for the Jour laps and the fiflhfinal-circuit al158·22l mph produced an average of 158·656 mph for the five laps. Another racing win for the Moth was scored on 5 May, 1928, at the Bristol Air Pageanl staged at Filton when the ninth D.H.60 built-GEELW flown by H. J. Willis-came first in the Selfridge Cup Race over a triangular 16·7 mile course. The race for the Talbot O'Farrell Challenge Trophy was won by C. F. Uwins piloting G·EBGA, a silver and black Bristol P.T.M. of Filton's Reserve Flying School. On 24 May, 1928, the fighter squadrons of the RAF raced for the Sassoon Cup, taking-off at 3.30 p.m. from Hornchurch for two laps of a course to Leigh-an-Sea, Chelmsford and back to Hornchurch, a total of lOl miles. The Siskins of Nos. I, 19,29,32,41,56 and III Squadrons, the Woodcocks of Nos.3 and 17, the Grebe ofNo.25 and the Gamecocks ofNos.23 and 25 competed in an event held in twO heats without a final, the winner-Fig Off H. T. Andrews of No.4 1 Squadron from Northoltflying the first machine home in the fastest time under handicap. One Siskin retired, and the winner's time of 42 min 26 sec gave an average speed of 134·5 mph, which was low compared with 156 mph recorded in 1927. 182

The Hampshire Air Pageant was held at Hamble on 27-28 May, 1928, the finals of the events being flown on the second day. The four-lap 22 mile ''''akefield Light Aeroplane Handicap for aircraft of under 5,000 cc was won by Fit Lieut C. F. Ie Poer Trench flying the Halton H.A.C.Il Minus G-EBOO-originally the H.A.C.I but now converted into a parasol monoplane, the President's Cup Race for aircraft under] 00 hp was won by FIt Lieut T. B. Bruce at 102·75 mph with the 594 Avian I GEBQN, T. N. Stack came first in the Morris Open Handicap at 129·75 mph with the Boreas Nimbus Martinsyde G-EBOJ, and Capt R. G. Cazalct flew his 90 hp Cirrus III Widgeon lIlA G-EBRM to win the Light Aeroplane Utility Race. Among the machines participating were Harold Bolas's new design, the Parnall Imp G-EBTE, and the Cranwell C.L.A.4A G-EBPB, designed and flown by Nicholas Comper. On 30 May, 1928, a D.H.9 belonging to the Soulh African Air Force was flown at Zwartkop Air Station, Pretoria, by Col Sir Pierre van Ryneveld to establish a new South African speed record of 138 mph. Kingsford Smith had been determined to achieve his ambitions in longdistance flying during the last nine years since he was banned-allegedly through insufficient navigational experience-from taking part in the contest in 1919 to be the fIrst to Oy from England to Australia. After many setbacks over securing a suitable aircraft he took-off at 8.52 a.m. on 31 May, 1928, in the Fokker F.VIlb-3m 1985 from Oakland Airport, San Francisco, on the first attempt to cross the Pacific by air. In the crew of the Southem Cross were the Australian Charles T. P. Ulm as co-pilot, the American navigator Capt Harry W. Lyon of the US Navy and the American wireless operator James 'IV. vVarner. Wheeler Field, Honolulu, 2,400 miles away, was reached at 12.17 p.m. on 1June, after 27 hr 27 min; take-off on the next stage from Barking Sands, Kauai Island, 90 miles distant, was at 5.22 a.m. on 3 June, and the next landing was at Albert Park, Suva, at 3.45 p.m. on 4 June after covering 3,138 miles in 34-! hI', constituting the longest nonstop ocean flight so far. Naselai Beach~20 miles from Suva-v.,ras the scene of the next departure, at 2·52 p.m. on 8 June, for the final stage of 1,750 miles to Brisbane which was accomplished safely when the monoplane landed at Eagle Farm Airport on 9 June at 10.50 a.m. On the following day the Southern Cross flew on to Mascot

'Vinner on 9 June, 1928, of the Air League Challenge Cup at 90·5 mph, Sqn Ldr H. M. Probyn's ''''estland \'\'idgeon III G-EBRQfitted with the 75 hpArmstrong SiddcIey Genet II. (Wtsl/olld.)

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The progl'amme for the ninth RAf Display at Hendon on 30 June, 1928, included a 28 mile Handicap Race between a Siskin, Gamecock, \Voodcock, Fox, fvloth and Flycatcher, which FIt Lieut E. }". \\Taring won with the Flycatcher. The SBAC Challenge Cup contest for 1928 was arranged for inter-club competition at four inter-club meetings under the General Council of British Light Aeroplane Clubs. The first was of 16·7 miles at Bristol on 5 May, followed by 22 miles at Hamble on 28 May, 12·25 miles at Birmingham on 9 June and 14·5 miles at Blackpool on 3 July, the winner being Dr H. B. L. Dixon of the Newcastle-upon-Tyne Aeroplane Club at 95 mph with the 85 hp A.D.C. Cirrus] I D.H.50 Moth G-EBPT. A minor gale was experienced at Squires Gate Aerodrome on 6 July, 1928, when the Blackpool Air Pageant included several races. The Owner Pilots' Handicap of 14·5 miles was won at 97 mph by Norman H. Jones with tbe Cirrus Moth G-Em'Vl, FIt Lieut D. W. Bonham-Carter flew the Parnalllmp G-EBTE atlOO mph into first place in the 14·5 mile Blackpool Business Houses and Hotels Nomination Handicap, out of four starters Dr H. B. L. Dixon won the Inter-club Members' Handicap in the Moth G-EBPT, Midland Aeroplane Club members H. J. Willis, E. L. Brighton and R. L. Jackson flew Moth G-EBPT to win the Interclub Relay, the 28-year-old NIiss \'\Tinifred Sawley Brown won the Open Handicap at 99·5 mph in the Avian 111 G-EBVZ, and on 7 July first place in the DailY Dispatch Nomination Handicap went to i\tliss Sicele O'Brien flying her Moth G-EBOS.

Aerodrome, Sydney, after a flight of 7,389 miles in 83 hI' 11 min flying time. Kingsford Smith was made an honorary Squadron Leader in the RAAF, DIm a Flight Lieutenant, and both were awarded the AFC. The Midland Air Pageant at Castle Bromwich, Birmingham, on 9 June, 1928, featured several races. The Midland Inter-club Handicap over a 12 mile course was won-out of six entries-by FIt Lieut Turnbull of the Newcastlc-upon-Tyne Aeroplane Club on a Moth, G-EBPT, T. N. Stack-flying a Moth, G-EBUF-camc first out of 27 entries to win the Midland Open Challenge Cup, and the Air League Challenge Cup over 24 miles was won among five starters by Sqn Ldr Harold i\tlelsome Probyn-under the pseudonym of Harold Brooklyn-flying his 75 hp Genet II Widgeon 111 G-EBRQ at 90·5 mph.

Victor in an exciting and unusual race on 15 June, 1928, the Armstrong Whitworth Argosy I C·EBLF City rif GLasgow flown by Capt G. P. Olley from London to Edinburgh, beating the LNER Pacific locomotive Flying Scotsman by 15 minutes. (Courtesy BOAC.)

Following the Fokker F.VIIa G·EBTS's sale to Air Communications Ltd, and its registration to the company on 3 August, 1928, another flight was planned to India and back in eight days for this aircraft which took-off from Lympne on IO June, 1928, piloted by Charles Douglas Barnard and FIg Off Erie Herbert Alliott and with the 52-year-old Mary, Duchess of Bedford, as passenger. A faulty engine caused a delay at Bushire after 48 hI', but Karachi was reached on 22 August after a new Jupiter VI had been installed. An unusual contest took place on 15 June, 1928, when Imperial Airways' silver and dark blue Armstrong Whitworth Argosy I G-EBLF City of Glasgow competed against the L IER locomotive Flying Scotsmall in a race to Scotland. Capt Gordon Percy Olley piloted the Argosy which also carried 18 passengers, including Air Vice-Marshal Sir Vycll Vyvyan, Maj H. G. Brackley and Fit Lieut George Birkett, and which left Croydon at 10 a.m. to fly by the east coast route with stops at Bircham Newton and Cramlington. The Ciry of Glasgow beat the Flying Scotsman by arriving at TUl'nhouse Aerodrome, Edinburgh, 15 minutes before the train-which departed from King's Cross at 10 a.m. also-steamed into ''''averley Station.

The Short S.7 lVlussci I G-EBM] which Lady Heath and Miss Sicele O'Brien flew from Rochester on 10 July, 1928, in an altempt on the altitude record for seaplanes with a maximum weight of 500 kg. (Shorl Bros.)

Miss Sicele O'Brien was Lady Heath's passenger on 10 July, 1928, at Rochester when, at noon, the 85 hp CilTus IT Short S.7 Mussel I G-EBNI] on twin floats took-off from the Medway to attack the height record for seaplanes with a maximum weight of 500 kg. The monoplane reached 13,400 ft in I hI' 32 min, but the record was not accepted by the F AI as G-EB"NTJ was found to have been 30 kg overweight at take-ofT. Out of 37 final entrants for the 1928 King's Cup, 36 machines started after FIt Lieut P. vV. S. Bulman had retired after taxi-ing the Hawker Heron 185

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G-EBYC into a car at J-Iendon on the starting day 20July. Those to take off were: Aircraft D.H.GO Moth D.H.GO Moth

An unusual competitor in the 1928 race [or the King's Cup, the Cierva C.8L Mk.II G-EBYY autogyro piloted by H. C. A. Rawson. (Flight International.)

D.H.60 Moth Halton H.A.C.l1 ~Iinus D.H.GO Moth Bluebird II Avro 543 Baby Simmonds Spartan Cierva C.aL Mk.ll D.H.GO J\loth Avian lIlA D.H.60 Moth D.H.GO :\loth Avian III D.H.60X Moth Avian 1111\ D.H.60 Moth Avian lIlA Avian lilA D.H.GO .Moth Widgeon Jil

Avro 594 Avian I Widgeon IliA A.N.E.C.IV Missel Thrush D.H.GOG Gipsy Moth PamaH Imp

Widgeon III

ii_

~

For his second win o[ the King's Cup~in 192B-Capt W. L. Hope flew the D.H.60G Gipsy :Moth G-EBYZ at 105 mph. (Flight International.)

D.H.GOG Gipsy Moth S.E.5a D.H.GOG Gipsy Moth Bristol Type 83E Boreas Nimbus Martinsydc Glostcr Grcbc Bristol Typc 10 1 Blackburn Lincock I Avro 567 Avenger 1I

Registration

G-EBVD G-EBMF G-EBOO G-EBOT G-EBSZ G-EAUM G-EBYU G-EBYY G-EBPQ G-EBYP G-EBUX G-EBYV G-EBXJ G-EBWI G-EBYR G-EBRT G-EBZD G-EBYO G-EBUF G-EBRO G-EBQN G-EBRM G-EBPI G-EBYZ G-EBTE G-EBRQ G-EBYK G-EBTO G-EBQH G-EBYT G-EBO] G-EBOW G-EBVO G-EBND

Pilot H. M. YC:l tman E. E. Stalllmers 1'1. A. LaC II yo FIt Lieul C. F. Ie poer Trench Miss W. J';' Spooner Fig Ofr I.. S. Dirt R. A. Whitehead Fit Lieut S· N. Webster Fit Lieut J~r. C. A. Rawson Lieut L. (j. Richardson J. C. Can trill . Capt G. de Havdl~nd Wg Cdr S. VI/. SmIth H. Martin N.H.jont.:S Capt C. J:S. Wilson A. C. rvL Jackaman

Fig Off C. E. F. Boyes Capt E. vv. J>ereival Capt T. 1'J. Stack . Col the !VI ;Ister of SempJlI Fit Lieut Jt. L. Ragg Capt R. (;.
Capt A. lvI. Blake flying the Blackburn Lincock I G-EBVO with which 5qn Ldr J. Noakes competed in the 1928 King's Cup Race. (Blackburn.)

Fitted with strut-connected upper and lower ailerons and w!th l~~-rlr a~d cartridge chutes [aired, the AVl'O 567 Avenger II G-EBNP galO~ . t P ace III the 1928 King's Cup with FIg OffJ. Summers at thG conhols. ( ALITO.)

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r

The D.H.60G Gipsy Moth

G~EBYK

piloted by Hubert Broad in the King's

Cup Race of 1928. (Hawk" Siddclcy.)

The first award was made in 1928 of the Siddeley Challenge Trophy, presented by J. D. Siddelcy, to the solo club pilot obtaining the highest King's Cup placing, the winner, out of 14 nominated club entrants, being vVinifred Spooner of the London Aeroplane Club. Capt Geoffrey de Havilland took· off from Stag Lane on 25 July, 1928, in his own 100 hp Gipsy I D.H.GOG Gipsy Moth G-AAAA with his wife as passenger to attack the two-seat lightplane altitude record and established a new height of 19,980 ft. The Moth's distinctive registration was the first of the ne\'\' series commencing with the letter A which came into force in July 1928. At 5 p.m. on 29 July, 1928, Lieut Patrick M. A. Murdoch of the South African Air Force left Croydon in the 85 hp Cirrus II Avian III G-EBVU John on a flight to South Africa. After flying 8,300 miles in 13·~- days he landed at Cape Town on 12 August, the new holder of the England.to. Cape Town record. Murdoch then left Cape Town on 14 August in an attempt to fly back to England in 10 days, and trying to complete the out and back trip in two weeks but, after reaching BuJawayo, the Avian crashed-without injury to the pilot-and the flight was abandoned. In July 1928 T. N. Stack won first place with the Moth G-EBYK in the Light Aeroplane Race at the Halton Air Pageant. The latest version of the D.H.60 Moth, fittcd with Maj F. B. Halford's outstanding new Gipsy engine and designated officially D.H.60X Moth but widely known as the D.H.60G Gipsy Moth, was promoted in various ways. G-EB\'VV was equipped with special fuel tanks in the front cockpit for an endurance flight. In it Hubert Broad took-off from Stag Lane at 5.30 p.m. on 16 August, 1928, and remained airborne [or exactly 24 hrcreating a new unofficial endurance record for lightplanes. Since 1925 the greatly increased cost and complexity of producing Schneider Trophy racers had caused the countries involved to ask the FAI to make the contest bi·annual instead of annual. Following the 1927 event, the next had been scheduled [or September 1928, but the FAI eventually gave way and the 1928 contest was postponed until 1929.

Second place at 127 mph in the 1928 King's Cup went to C. F. Uwins with the silver modified Bristol Type 101 G-EBOW. (Bristol.)

The first day's course of 540· 75 miles lay from Hendon to Mousehold, Castle Bromwich, Hucknall, Sherburn.in.Elmct, Cramlington and Glasgo\,>'. A stop of 30 minutes was allowed at each control point, and the 24 entrants who finished the first section left Glasgow on 21 July to cover the 555·75 miles of the second section which took them to Hooton Park, Filton and Hamble, with the finish at Brooklands. Twenty-three competitors arrived home and \'\T. L. Hope scored his second successive win, covering the 1,096·5 miles in 10 hI' 24 min 4 sec at an average speed of 105·5 mph, Uwins was second at 127 mph, and third came \IVinifred Spooner at 83·5 mph. The first fatality in the event since its inception in 1922 occurred with Guy \Varwick's crash on Broadlaw Hill, Peebles.

G-AAAA, the D. T-LGOG Gipsy Moth flown by Capt Geoffrey de Havilland from Stag Lane on 25 July, 1928, to set up a new two·seat lightplanc altitude record of 19,980 ft. (HawkerSiddeley.)

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Although an outward record to India was denied the Princess Xenia in June, the return trip of 5,000 miles from Karachi-left at dawn on 2 September, 1928, and with stops at Bushire, Aleppo and Sofia, culminating in the Fokker's arrival at Croydon late on 6 September-was made in a record time of 41 days. Accompanying Kingsford Smith and Dim to the United States in 1927, with the intention of crossing the Pacific with them in whichever aircraft they chose was Lieut Keith V. Anderson, who subsequently withdrew owing to the protracted negotiations in obtaining the aircraft and returned home to Australia. However, Anderson decided to attempt the first flight from Australia to England and left Sydney on 9 September, 1928, in a Bristol Type 28 Tourer G-AUDj, together with H. S. Hitchcock, but crashed on 11 September at Pine Creek, Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, the biplane being completely wrecked. Kingsford Smith's crossing of the Pacific in the SOli them Cross was the first in a series of flights in the same machine, his ne.xt plan being to make the first aerial crossing of the Tasman Sea to New Zealand. Before the night was undertaken the Fokker was flown nonstop twice across Australia, on the first occasion from Point Cook 2,090 miles to Perth and on the second from Perth to Adelaide and then on to Richmond Aerodrome, Sydney, a total distance of 4,390 miles across Australia and back. Those on board were Kingsford Smith, Dim, the navigator H. A. Litchfield-all Australians-and the New Zealand wireless operator T. H. Mac"Villiams, the crew scheduled for the trans-Tasman flight. At sunset at 7.05 p.m. on 10 September, 1928, the Fokker F.VIIb-3m G-AUSU Southern Cross took-off from Richmond Aerodrome and flew out towards Christchurch, 1,624 miles away, passing through several thunderstorms but surviving a passage of 14 hI' 25 min to land at 9.30 a.m. at Sockburn Aerodrome) Wigram. After nearly a month's stay in New Zealand, the homeward trip started at 5 a.m. on 8 October, 1928, and ended just after 2 a.m. on 9 October with a landing at Richmond Aerodrome. The Moth and Avian had made aerial touring a possibility for their owners, and on 14 September, 1928, the Vicomte and VicomtesseJacques de Sibour left Stag Lane in their blue and silver D.H.60G Gipsy Moth G-EBZR Safari lIon the first stage ofa journey around the world. Flying across Europe and North Africa they reached Baghdad, where they were delayed by engine trouble, but eventually arrived in Indo-China ,,,,here with G-EBZR, they boarded ship for the United States. The pair then flew across America, travelled to Le Havre by sea and flew back from Le Havre to land at Stag Lane on 19 july, 1929, having covered 33,000 miles. After her forced landing at Humansdorp, Lady Bailey stayed in South Africa for just over four months before leaving again for England in her Moth G-EBTG. She took-off from Cape Town on 21 September, 1928, to fly by the west coast route across Africa and arrived back at Croydon on 16 January, 1929, at 3.15 p.m., having flown nearly 18,000 miles since she lef, England. On 4 October, 1928, Lady Heath took-off from Croydon in the 85 hp Cirrus II D.H.60X Moth G-EBZC in an attempt on the lightplane alLitude record, but her revised figure of 18,800 ft in a climb of I hr 10 min failed by 1,180 ft to beat Capt Geoffrey de Havilland's height of 19,980 ft.

Towards the end of 1928, Fit Lieut David D'Arcy A. Greig carried out landing speed and incidence tests at Calshot with the Supermarine S.5/25 N220, resulting on 7 October in 95·5 mph lAS at 11·5 deg, on 10 October 91·5 mph JAS at 12·6 deg and on 4 November 89 mph JAS at 11·6 deg. Two months after H. S. Broad's endurance record in the D.H.60G Gipsy Moth G-EBvVV, the machine was used in an attempt to fly the Atlantic from west to east which ended in disaster. G-El3\'VV was shipped out to Newfoundland and took-off from Stjohn's at 5 p.m. on 17 October, 1928, WIth fud aboard lor 25 hours flying with Lieut-Cdr H. C. MacDonald as pilot but, after being sighted 600 miles out, disappeared without trace. Croydon to Berlin, a distance of 620 miles nonstop in 4 hr 52 min, was the solo lightplane record achieved between the capitals on 19 October, 1928, by T. N. Stack, in G-AAAT, the first production 105 hp A.D.C. Cirrus Hermes I Avro 594 Avian IV. R. R. Bendey and his wife took-off from Croydon on 19 October, 1928, to return to Pretoria, again using their Moth G·EBSO Dorys now fitted with a 90 hp Cirrus III. The journey of 7,450 miles was completed in 63 days when G-EBSO landed at Pretoria on 22 December, after its third flight over the route between England and South Africa. A new two-seat biplane, the prototype 95 hp Cirrus III Simmonds Spartan G-EBYU, designed by Oliver Edwin Simmonds, was used on 24 October, 1928, piloted by Fig Off H. 'V. R. Banting and with LicutCol L. A. Strange as passenger, to fly from Croydon to Tempelhof nonstop in 7 hr 10 min, a record time for a two-seat lighlplane; it set up another record for the return flight to Croydon on 27 October in 5 hI' 55 min. On 30 October, 1928, another attempt started from Sydney to fly from Australia to England. The aircraft was the specially built 220 hp Wright

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The Blackburn II G·EBS'''' flown around the British Isles during 1928 by Col the Master or Sempill. (Blackburn.)

e-

\VhirlwindJ5 powCI'cd Ryan B-1 Brougham G-AUIX, and thc crew were the Australians Capt Frank Hurley, Fig OffS. J. Moil' and Fig OffH. C. Owen. The monoplane reached Athens but crashed there on 26 November, injuring two of the crew, and the flight was then abandoned. Preparations were completed towards the end of 1928 for the attack on the world speed record by the Supermarine S.5/25 N220 flown by Fit Lieut D. D'Arey A. Greig. Taking-off at 2.15 p.m. on 4 November, the blue and silver monoplane flew six times along the course at Calshot at an average speed of 319·570 mph, sufficient to establish a new British record but failing to set a new world figure. Another solo flight to Africa, starting at the end of the year, was accomplished in a 90 hp Cirrus III D.H.60X Moth-G-EBZZ Asilallliwhen Capt R. S. Rattray, who left Croydon on 4 December, 1928, covered 5,000 miles to Accra, in 41 days to land there on 15 January, 1929. Another record fell to the 100 hp Gipsy I D.H.60G Gipsy Moth on 7 December, ]928; it was the 100 km closed-circuit for two-seat lightplanes which was broken by the de Havilland chairman Alan S. Butlcr, flying with his wife Lois as passenger, over a 62-4 mile return course between Stag Lane and Twyford at 119·84 mph. The machine was his own Moth G-AACL. As three attempts with the Horsley in 1927 had failed to beat the world long-distance record, plans were made to use an ail"craft constructed specially for the RAF. The contract was placed with Fairey, and in the summer of 1928 appeared the product of the design team under D. L. Hollis \'Villiams, the elegant silver high-wing Long-r"ange 1\10noplane 1vlk.IJ9479-known also as the Postal to conform with the RAF's custom of the period of applying such a designation to certain aircraft used for experimental purposes. The two-seat machine was equipped with a single 570 hp Napier Lion XI driving a Fairey-Reed propeller and was of fabric-covered all-wood construction; the tapered high-efficiency cantilever wing ,vas of 82 ft span and incorporated a new system of triangulated tube internal bracing devised by Hollis vVilliams. The wings contained tanks carrying over 1,000 gallons of fuel and the 48 ft 6 in long fuselage incorporated a cabin; the pilot was seated at the leading edge of the wings in an enclosed cockpit giving an excellent view. The long-distance record attempt to India was scheduled to take place late in 1928 with Sqn Ld I' Jack Noakes as pilot and Fig OffE. V. Major as navigator. Sqn Ldr Noakes was subsequently injured in an accident to another aircraft and was replaced by Sqn Ldr A. G. Jones-'Villiams who rnade the initial flight ofJ9479 at Northolt in November, ]928, following the first taxi-ing tests on 30 October by Capt forman :Macmillan. Eventually the record attempt was postponed until the spring of 1929. The Halton Aero Club's H.A.C.I Mayfly and !-I.A.C.Il Minus had raced at various race meetings during 1927 and 1928, and C. H. LatimerNeedham designed a pure racing monoplane, the layout of which was completed by the summer of 1928. Designated H.A.C.IIl Meteor, the single-scat 43 ft lOin span monoplane was unconventional in being powered by two 32 hp Bristol Cherub Is installed as tractor and pusher units at the front and back of the nacelle mounted in the ccntre of the sweptback wings which tapered from 7 ft chord to 1 ft 9 in chord at the 192

tips. The ouler 6 ft of the wing panels pivoted as controllers in lhe absence of a tail unit, and inboard of the wingtips the leading edges of lhe wings were equipped with unusual pilot planes designed to operate as slots and with the same effect. The undercarriage consisted of two wheels mounted in tandem in trousers with the front one steerable, the machine being balanced by short skids installed under the wingtip rudders just inboard of the pivoting controllers. The lVleteor, although almost completed, never flew, but the estimated top speed was 120 mph and the speed range 25-120 mph.

The Bristol Type 109 G-EBZK constructed during 1928 as a contender for the World long-distance record. (BristoL.)

At the same time as Fairey prepared the Long-range Monoplane Mk.I design to the RAF's requirement, Bristol drew up plans for the Type 109 biplane. F. S. Barnwell was in charge of the design project, and the aircraft, registered G-EBZK, made its first flight on 7 September, 1928, flown by C. F. Uwins. The machine was fitted with the 480 hp Bristol Jupiter VIII, was portly and far from prepossessing in appearance. Although the intention of the firm was that the machine should be uscd for a long-distance flight and various projecL'; were discussed, none transpired and the Type 109 was employed as a test-bed for the Jupiter engine. Early in 1929 G. E. Pelty and A. C. Thornton redesigned the Blackburn Bluebird for all-metal construction as the Bluebird IV, and on 8 lVIarch, 1929, the prototype G-AABV, equipped with a 100 hp Gipsy I, left Croydon bound for DUI"ban, Natal, the birthplace in 1894 of its ownerpilot Sqn Ldr Leonard H. Slatter, landing at Durban on 15 April arter 39 days. On 8 March, 1929, the 100 hp Gipsy I D.H.60G Gipsy Moth G-AAEA took-off from Croydon on a flight to India. The machine was piloted by Sqn Ldr Donald Herbert Drew, accompanied by Mrs A. S. Cleaver, and G

193

The silver Vickers Type 134 Vellore I G-EBYX which FIt Lieut S. J. Moir and FIg Off H. C. Owen flew from England to Australia in 1929. (Vickers.)

the journey was completed in three and a half months, Karachi-5,500 miles away-being reached in mid-June. Despite failing to fly from Australia to England in 1928, the Australians Fit Lieut Sydney James Moir and Fig Off H. C. Owen still wanted to make a record night between the two countries. On their second attempt they chose the opposite direction and left Lympne on 18 March, 1929, piloting the 76 ft span 490 hpJaguar IV engined silver Vickers Type 131 Vellore I all-metal, two-seat freight biplane G-EBYX. Damage in North Africa caused some delay and then, after leaving Bima on 18 May for the 1,000 mile crossing of the Timor Sea, the Vellore was reported missing. The Vellore had reached Australia but crashed on the slope 150 yards from Cape Don lighthouse, Northern Territory, when making a forced landing on 18 May. A D.H.50 of Q.A.N.T.A.S., piloted by Capt Lester J. Brain, was sent out to search for the Vellore and located it on 26 May, remaining II hours in the air during the flight, an endurance record itself for an Australian-registered aircraft. In the crash, Moir \vas unhurt but Owen sustained hvo broken ribs. On 29 March, 1929, the Cinque Ports Flying Club Easter Meeting was held at Lympne. The 27 mile Impromptu Scratch Race-which replaced the Manufacturers' Scratch Race-was won out of five entries by Miss Winifred Spooner flying the D.H.60G Gipsy Moth G-AAAL, and the D.H.60 Cirrus Moth G-EBWT came first at 80·4 mph flown by W. L. Runciman in the 37 mile four-lap Cinque Ports Handicap_ Kingsford Smith, together with Charles Ulm, H. A. Litchfield and T. H. Mc'¥illiams, took-off from Richmond Aerodrome, Sydney, at noon on 31 March, 1929, in the Fokker F.VIlb-3m VH-USU Southem Cross, to fly to the United Kingdom to order aircraft for Australian Natio~lal Airways Ltd. They became lost on the way to vVyndham, 2,000 mIles away and were forced to land on I April, o\ving to lack of fuel, in the swampland of Glenelg Flats 200 miles from their destination after overshooting \¥yndham and spending 28~, hours in the air. Severe privation for the crew followed for the next 12 days until the Southern Cross was found 194

on 12 April; on 18 April the machine was able to take-off and fly on to Derby. The Southern Cross was ready for a new departure from Richmond Aerodrome, Sydney, at noon on 25 June, 1929, on the attempt to reach England. The crew still consisted of KingsfOl-d Smith, 1m, Litchfield and ~/1c\ Villiams, and the Fokker landed 2,000 miles away at Derby, on the same day before setting Ollt on the next stage. The Southem Cross landed at Croydon on 10 July, 1929, after a record trip of 12,000 miles from Derby in 12 days 14 hr 18 min_ At Rome the engine specialist C. C. l\IIaidment joined the crew for the final stages to London. England to )lew Zealand was the next long.distance night to be attempted, the pilot being Frank Mase, who left Lympne on 24 April, 1929, in the 95 hp Cirrus III Simmonds Spartan ZK-AAP The All Black. 'fhe biplane was damaged on take· off at Roanne, Loire, where Mase abandoned the flight. By the spring of 1929 the Fairey Long-range Monoplane Mid J9479 was ready for the attempt on the long·distance record, and it was intended to reach Bangalorc. At 9.27 a.m. on 24 April it left Cranwell, with Sqn Ldr A. G. Jones-Williams, C.O. of No.23 Squadron, as pilot and FIt Lieut N. H. Jenkins as navigator, and with the 530 hp Lion tuned specially for economic running. 1"01' over two days J9479 flew on until, owing to headwinds, shortage of fuel made a landing essential. After passing Karachi, the machine turned and landed there two hours later at 1.15 p.m., on 26 April, as no aerodrome ahead was within range of the fuel left in the tanks, found to be eight gallons on touch-down. The distance

.T9479, the Faircy Long.range Monoplanc which, with Sqn Ldr A. G. JonesvVilliams and Fit Licut N. H . .Jenkins as crew, madc the first nonstop flight from the United Kingdom to India, in April 1929, a distance of4, 130 n1ilcs. (Fairey.)

195

to Karachi was 4,130 miles in a total airborne time of 50 hI' 38 min; this failed to beat the record of 4,466 miles The annual handicap race between fighter squadrons for the Sassoon Cup was held at 3.30 p.m. on 28 May, 1929, among 12 squadrons all equipped with cither the Gamecock or Siskin. The course of 100 miles was from Northolt to North \Veald, Hornchurch, Biggin Hill, Kenley, Brooklands and back to Northolt, first placc being taken by Fit Lieut C. L. Lea-Cox of No.56 Squadron, piloting a Siskin Mk.IIIa at 146 mph. Heston, was selected for the start of the two-day King's Cup Race at 8 a.m. on 5July, 1929. Out of60 original entrants the 41 starters were: Aircraft Halton H.A.C.ll Minus Avro 543 Baby Simmonds Spartan D.H.GO Moth Avian III Simmonds Spartan D.H.60X MOlh Simmonds Spartan Simmonds Spartan D.H.60 Moth Bluebird IV Widgeon III Widgeon I II A D.H.50 Moth D.H.60G Gipsy l'\iIOlh D.H.60G Gipsy Moth D.H.60G Gipsy Moth D.H.60G Gipsy Moth D.H.60G Gipsy Moth D.H.60G Gipsy i\iIoth D.H.60X Moth Avian IV

Registration G-EBOO G-EAUM G·AAGN G-EBTH G·EBXJ G-AAGY G-EB\'VX G·AAMC G-AAFP G-EBYJ G·AACG G·EBRN G-EBRM G-EBPQ G·AAHB G-AAlV G·AAEW G-AACO G-AAHO G-AADC G-EBVK G·AAAT

Widgeon III

G-EBRQ

Pilot Fll Lieut G. R. Ashton FIt Lieul H. H. Leech FIt Lieut C. S. Staniland V. N. Dickinson H.]. V. Ashworth FI t Lieu t T. B. Bruce Capt H. H. Balfour Fit Lieul G. E. F. Boyes Fig Off R. W. Jackson H. R. Law Col the Master of Sempill Wg Cdr E. R. Manning Capt R. G. Cazalet Lieut L. C. Richardson Fit Lieut A. M. Kimmins D. E. Lewis D. S. Schreiber .1. \tV. P. Ch:tlmers P. P. Grey W. R. Bailey M. Brunton J'lt Lieut C. E Ie PoeI' Trench Sqn Ldr H. i\'l. Probyn

Avian I D. H.60G D.H.GOG Widgcon D.H.GOG D.H.GOG

Coupe lvloth Gipsy Moth III Coupe Moth Gipsy Moth D.H.GOG Gipsy Moth D.H.60G Gipsy Moth D.H.GOG Coupe Moth S.E.5a Avian IV D.H.60G Gipsy Moth D.H.GOG Gipsy i\[oth D.H.GOG Coupe ~oth S.E.5a Closter Grebe i\!lk.1I

G-EBQN G-AACL G-AAHG G-AADE G-AADX G-AAAA G-AAAL G-AADA G-AAEE G-EBTO G-AAHJ G·AAPH G-EBQH G·AAHR G-EBQM J7520

flg Off G. Thorne Mrs A. S. Butler A. F. Wallace C. S. Napier A. C. M. Jackaman Capt G. de Havilland Miss W. E. Spooner J. D. Irving Lady M. Bailey }'!t Lieut T. Rose Capt T. N. Slack Capt W. L. Hope A. S. Butler Capt H. S. Broad Fit Lieut A. H. Wheelcr Fig Off R. L. R. Atcherley

Gloster Grebe Mk.l [ Vickers Type 141

J7519 G-EBNQ

Fit Lieut E. H ..Fielden Fig Off J. Summers

Remarks

Red

The Halton H.A.C.II !vlinus parasol monoplane G-EBOO, Fit Lieut G. R. Ashton's aircraft in the 1929 King's Cup Race. (Flight International.) Entered as .J. Wellworth Blue/green

Entered as R. Llewellyn

The 589·5 mile course for the first day was from Heston to Henlow, Norwich, Hadleigh, Hornchurch, Lympne, Ramble, Bristol and Blackpool, which whittled down the survivors for the 579·5 miles from Blackpool 196

on 6 July to 26 starters to fly to Silloth, Glasgow, Dunbar, Newcastle, Leeds, l'\ottingham, Birmingham and back to Heston. First place went to Fig Off R. L. R. Atcherley, accompanied by Fit Lieu! G. H. Stainforth as navigator, at 150 mph, second was Lieut L. G. Richardson at 100·2 mph, and third was W. L. Hope at 91 mph. The SiddcIcy Trophy was awarded to Lieut L. G. Richardson of the London Aeroplane Club, who averaged 100·2 mph in the King's Cup over the 1,129 miles in the Cirrus III Moth G·EBPQ. On 10 July, 1929, R. R. Bentley look-off in his Moth G·EBSO Dorys to fly between England and South Africa for the fourth time. The destination was Croydon via Berlin, and accompanying the pilot on taking-off from Johannesburg was E. B. }7ilsinger, an American businessman bound for the German capital. Bentley landed at Croydon on 26 August, after covering 8,000 miles in 106 hr flying spread over 47 days.

fleet fighter G.EUNQ in its third version with nose radiator and arrester gear, as flown by Fig Off]. Summers in the King's Cup Race

The VickersType 141

of 1929. (Vickers.)

197

The Fokker F.VIIa G-EBTS The Spider on arrival in England after flying to India and back in under eight days during 1929.

The programme for the tenth RAF Display at Hendon included the Reserve Officers) Race over 28 ffilles 10 two laps) and out of only four entries a 150 hp Lynx Avro 504N of the North Sea Aerial and General Transport Reserve School at Brough-flown by Fl~ Off H. T. Messenger -came in first. The 28 mile Headquarters Handicap Race was won by Fit Lieut C. D. Adams in a Siskin Mk.IIIa. After the Fokker F.VIIa Princess Xenia had completed its record flight from India to England, it 'was returncd to Fokker for a thorough checkover and a ncw engine-the geared 500 hp] upit~r VIn. Renamed The S/iider and piloted by C. D. Barnard, aeeompamed by Robert Fawcett Little as co-pilot and navigator and with the Duchess of Bedford ~s passen~er, G-EBTS left Lympne at 5 a.m. on 2 Aug~st, 1929, headmg for IndIa. The record was broken with a flIght of 4,3:>0 mIles to Katachlafter stops at Sofia, Aleppo and Bushir,e-in 3 days ~ hI', the landing being on 5 August. On 6 August, The Sp,der left Karachi for England and landed at 5.30 p.m. on 9 August, having made the first return flight of nearly lO,OOO miles to India and back in under eight ~ays. . A Visitors' Race of 25 miles was included in the All' Pageant held ll1 unsettled weather at Scarborough Racecourse on 5 August, 1929, the result being a win for :rvliss \IVinifred Brown piloting the 85 hp Cirrus II Avian III G-EBVZ. An Inter-city Air Race between Manchest.er and Liverpool) starting at \ Vythenshawe Aerodromc) Northenden, with a stop of one hour at Hooton Park before returning to NOrlhenden) was held on 10 August, 1929 ovcr a total distance of 70 miles. Two teams) representing each city) were' formed from the six entries, and the winner was T. H. Kaylor piloting a D.H.60G Gipsy Moth at 98·53 mph. The two years since the 1927 SchneIder Trophy .contest had been sPt::nt in thorough preparation by Gloster and Sup~rmanne) the t\~'~ compam~s concerned in producing the seaplan~s reqUired for t.he BntIsh team 1D 1929; during this period) Supermanne had passed Il1to the control of 198

not until] ulle 1931 that the VVoolston firm's name was . " Vickers) l~lIt It wa:"'i1Jermarinc Aviation \"lorks (Vickers) Limited. change~ t~ The S~l ill had a pr~di1ection for, thc biplane, a,~d the excellent He,lll y I olland, slcr IV agamst the 5,5s 111 1927 at Vel1lce encouragcd showmg of the Gin ion of the biplane racer to the extent of designing the even further evo~L~:arted immediately after the 1927 contest) and excellent Gloster V. \'Vor -,s ~d from wind tunnel tests with models. As full-scale res';llts were obtall',ded however) an insurmountable obstacle presented ?esJ~n wor~ proc('I~'LiOd that the addition of a supercharger to the latest Itself when /t ,.va.: J ,ion VIID---on which the Gloster V was based-was 1,320 hp Nap,,; lor an increase in weight of the engine of 300 lb. To responsible part y . consequent forward movement of the e.G., the wings compensate for th{ '~lrer the nose) and it was then found that the front spar had to be moved J~~ was lo~ated across the engine's centre cylinder ?lock. of the upper plan )ilot's VIew would have been so poor that the bIplane Consequently, th~!ldoned. Using the same new powerplant, the remain~orm was .then ab.:. layout was that of the monoplane, and Folland and mg practical basl.--to Specification 9/28-the low-wing Gloster VI. Preston .produced e tion was used) consisting of a dural semi-monocoque Composite. const~·tl.d integral wing roots to which were attached the 26 ft fuselage. With CU1~t \\Iooden main planes, which incorporated a straight span. Wire-brace )Icd with elliptical tips and trailing edge) and with a lead~ng .edge .COU] .lio n of chord at the roots. Each of the twin dural floats consld~lable te~lIcfl(el tank amidships) and two sets were constructed) the embodl~d a m~m ,ing slightly shorter and of increased cross-section and alternatIve pall' be.: to be more satisfactory in wind tunnel tests. Every these were found Was made to reduce frontal area and to this end . beleuOI a · tvery thin section 'were uscd, covering'about " concel.va. 80 per cent flush Ia~lator,s of j\dditional cooling surfaces provided o~ the floats eou~d ofthe.wmg area, . c; either as extra radiators for the engme or for the ad) ~e sWIt~he? to set ~ being mounted on the fuselage side~ aft of tl~e cockpit. the mam at! coolcJ"llcorporated also the Gloster vanable-rallO control The Gloster VI Jcl
The Gloster VI N249 of 1929 with cockpit cover in place. (Gloster.)

A first-class example of streamlining, the Gloster VI N249. (Gloster.)

Designed to Specification 9/28, the elegant Gloster VI N249. (Closter,)

200

success, and FIt Lieut G. H. Stainforth found it impossible to keep the Lion running at full throttle on 5 September while piloting N250. Consequently, both Gloster VIs were withdrawn from the contest. By perhaps a stroke of luck, Supermarine were spared the troubles which befell Gloster's use of the Lion VIlD, by the decision to embody the Rolls-Royce R engine in Mitchell's new S.6 design, despite the fact that the Rolls-Royce R was a new unit developed from the Buzzard to produce 1,900 bhp at 2,900 rpm for a weight of 1,530 lb. The greater weight and size of the Rolls-Royce engine necessitated a larger-and consequently heavier-airframe than that of the 5.5, but the layout of the S.6 followed that of the 5.5, with the basic differences that an all-metal structure was used and that the two banks of cylinders in the specially developed racing R unit bestovved very different nose lines to the 3.6 from those of the discarded three-bank Lion. The thrust line with the R was somewhat higher, but the fine underside nose entry of the 8.5 was retained. Once more flush surface wing radiators were used, and they were fitted also into the tops of both floats. The upper ends of the front float struts of the 8.6s were set forward so that, whereas the Lion in the 8.5 was on a cantilever mount, the Rolls-Royce R \vas given additional support by the front struts of the 8.6. The oil tank was in the fin, and the oil was cooled by large coolers on the fuselage flanks from nose to tail. The floats for the 8.5 had been fairly bluff in the bows, but those of the 8.6 were of much finer form and enhanced the general appearance so that, coupled with other refinements, the 5.6 had evolved as a design of classic proportions and lines throughout. Following the Air Ministry's decision to enter for the contest, two examples-N247 and N248-were ordered in February 1929, and were completed in the summer, N247 being delivered to Calshot on 0 August. In Apt·il 1929 the RAF High 8peed Flight was reformed under 8qn Ldr A. H. Orlebar, the other pilots being FIt Lieut H. R. D. Waghorn, Fit Lieut D. D'Arcy A. Greig, FIt Lieut G. H. 8tainforth and FIg Off R. L. R. Atcherley, together with FIg OffT. H. Moon as engineer officer. The 8.6s, N247 (2) and N240 (0), were finished with ultramarinefuselage and floats below the waterline and with silver ·wings, horizontal tail surfaces, float tops, struts and cylinder banks. Blue, white and red stripes covered the rudder and were continued across the tail of the fuselage; the racing number was in white on the sides. The 5.6s were not without their initial troubles, as they were found to be tricky on take-off owing to the great torque generated and a reluctance to leave the water. The problem was resolved finally by carrying more fuel in the starboard float than in the port and by lengthening the port float. N247 made its first take-off on 10 August, and 1 248, delivered in mid-August, first flew on 25 August. In addition to being modified subsequently for improved take·off characteristics as was N247, N248 had less radiator area on the floats than N247, and lighter propellers were fitted eventually to both to assist rising from the water. 'IVhile awaiting delivery of the new Gloster and 8upermarine 1929 contenders, the tcam practised with the Gloster IV N224, Gloster IVA N222 and Gloster IVB N223, as well as with the 8upermarinc 8.5s N219 and N220. Mid-way through July, N219 was given a thorough overhaul and fitted with a geared Lion VIIB in place of its direct-drive 201

Lion to serve as a reserve; subsequently, it became the third machine in the British team, replacing the Gloster VI. In this form in the 1929 race, N219 had fuselage roundels and the racing number 5 in white on the sides and in black beneath each wingtip, but N221 was without either of these markings in 1929. Since 1927 the Gloster IVA N222 and IVB N223 had been modified. The view was improved by raising the upper wings to fair direct into the centre bank of cylinders) centre-section struts and longer interplane struts were incorporated, and a header tank was mounted externally on top of the centre-section. Both N222 and N223 went back to Gloster in March 1929, as the IVA had a troublesome yaw at high speed. The expedient adopted of removing most of the ventral fin area and increasing the dorsal fin area failed to act as a cure, and vertical tail surfaces were therefore fitted to match those of the Gloster IV N224, which had never suffered from this defect. The eleventh Schneider Trophy contest was arranged for 6-7 September, 1929, over seven laps of a quadrilateral course over the Solent with a total distance of217·4 miles, starting and finishing at Ryde Pier, Isle of 'iVight. The French team did not participate as they were not ready in time; also a non-arrival for the second Schneider running was the United States entrant Maj Alford J. \'Villiams who had intended flying the Mercury monoplane. The Italian team was the only opposition to the British team, which consisled of Fit Lieut Waghorn on the S.6 N247, Fig Off Ateherley 011 the S.6 N248 and Fit Lieut D'Arey A. Greig on the S.5 N220. The Schneider Trophy subsequenLly came to Great Britain for the second time in succession with FIt Lieut ''''aghorn's win on N247 at 328·63 mph on 7 September, second was ''''t OffT. Dal Molin at 284·2 mph on a red Macchi M.52bis, and third was Fit Lieut D'Arey A. Greig at 282·11 mph on N220. Fig Off Ateherley returned an average of 325·54 mph, but was disqualified for missing the Hayling Island pylon on his first lap. Nevertheless, on subsequent laps he set up new world records of 332·49 mph for 50 km and 331 mph for 100 km during the race with N248. Although Fit Lieut 'Vaghorn had flown on his first and third laps at two

Winner of the 1929 Schneider Trophy contest, the Supewlarine 5.6 N247 is secured to its launching lighter. (Vickers.)

new world record speeds in succession reaching 330·1 mph, and FIg Off Atcherley had beaten these figures on his fourth lap \vith 331·6 mph, none could be claimed as the speeds were not achieved over the 3 km official speed course. As a new absolute world speed record was now within Great Britain's ability, after the contest was over the attempts were made and, on 10 September, 1929, FIt Lieut Stainforth set up a new record of 336·31 mph Hying the Gloster VI N249-one run being at 351·6 mph-but, later in the same day, Sqn Ldr Orlebar-Oying FIt Lieut \Vaghorn's winning 8.6 N247 with a new propeller fitted-recorded 355·8 mph. However, on 12 September, 1929, Sqn Ldr Orlebar raised the world speed record to 357·75 mph with N247. On 16 September, 1929, the race for the Zenith Challenge Cup of

won the Schneider Trophy in 1929 at 328·63 mph. (Vickers.)

The D.H.60G Gipsy lvloth G-AAHR with cabin and as modified for racing. "'ith it H. S. Broad won the Zenith Challenge Cup on 16 September, 1929, by covering 1,037 miles at 112 mph. (Hawker Siddeley.)

202

203

Fit Lieut H. R. D. \oVaghorn in the Supel'marine S.6

1

247 with which he

France was held over a course of 1,037 miles from Ody to Lyons, Marseilles, Toulouse, Bordeaux, Tours and back to Ody, within one day. This was won at 112 mph by a British entry-the D.H.60G Gipsy Moth G-AAHR flying as a single-seater with a streamlined coupe top and piloted by H. S. Broad. Another long-distance flight, 6,000 miles from London to Nairobi, Kenya, started on 21 September, 1929, when FIt Lieut Frank Arthur Swoffer left in a 100 hp D.H.60G Gipsy Moth. One monlh later, on 21 October and after 78 hr flying, he landed at his destination. Cramlington Aerodrome, Newcastle, was used on 5 October, 1929, for three important air races. The course was of 15·85 miles, one lap of which at 94 mph on handicap won the Air League Challenge Cup out of 14 entries for N. S. Todd of the Newcastle-upon-'l'yne Aeroplane Club piloling the 90 hp A.D.C. Cirrus III D.H.50 Moth G-EBPT. The Handicap for the Grosvenor Challenge Cup was held over two 15·85 mile laps of the same course to total 31·7 miles, the ,",,,inner out of 17 entries being another member of the Newcastlc-upon-Tyne Aeroplane Club, G, S. Kemp, at 98 mph also flying the Moth G-EBPT. The third handicap event at CramIington, the race for the SBAC Challenge Cup, was over one lap of 15·85 miles, and out of four entries Dr H. B. L. Dixon, also of the Ne\vcastle-upon-Tyne Aeroplane Club, won at 97·5 mph with the Moth G-EBPT. Seven entries were received for the Kingston-upon-Hull Aeroplane Race Handicap held at Brough on 10 October, 1929, first place going to the 90 hp Cirrus TIl Avian IV G-AAAT flown by FIt Lieut C. F. Ie PoeI' Trench over the 30 mile course made up of five laps of six miles each. The end of 1929 brought a new allempt on the London-to-Cape Town record when, on 91 ovember, F. Roy 'J'uckett set off from Croydon in the D.H.60G Gipsy Moth G-AARW to lry to beat Lieut Murdoch's time of 13! days. His progress was slO\v and the flight stopped during February 1930 at Torosa, Kenya, when the machine crashed on take-off. After a break of nearly eight months, the Fairey Long-range Monoplane MkJ J9479 was ready for a new attempt on the world long-distance record, and at 7.50 a.m. on 17 December, 1929, Sqn Ldr A. G. JonesWilliams-accompanied again by Fit Lieut N. H. Jenkins-piloted it at a take-off weight of 17,000 Ib from Cranwell's runway. Changes included a revised fin and rudder to enable" J9479 to be flown feet ofT and the installation of a new 570 hp Lion Xl. The route had been changed with the destination now Cape Town instead of India. Once again the attempt failed as, during 17 December, J9479 crashed in the mountains south of Tunis 12 miles from the village of St 1vIarie du Zit, killing the crew. At 2.30 a.m. on 20 December, 1929, 28-year-old Francis C. Chichester took off from Croydon for Australia in his 85 hp Gipsy I D.H.60G Gipsy Moth G-AAKK Mme. Elijah. Five weeks later, Mme. Elijah landed al Port Darwin on 25 January, 1930, and then flew on to Sydney to arrive there at 1.20 p.m. on 30 January after a total journey time of 42 days, with a flying time of 180! hI' for the 12,650 miles; the aircraft was silver with black lettering, The Aga Khan offered £500 to the first Indian pilot to fly solo between the United Kingdom and India within one month during 1930 and first

to try was Man iVfohan Singh, an Indian student at Bristol University, who left Stag Lane on II January, 1930, flying the D.H.60G Gipsy Moth Nfiss India. After several forced landings the machine was damaged while alighting at Noyon, and \,,,as flown back to Lympne from Le Bourget on 25 January. On the same day, 25 January, Man Mohan Singh started on his second attempt, this time from Lympne but crashed on 3 February, 1930, at Cosenza, Calabria. After being shipped back to England following Wg Cdr Manning's abandonment at Baghdad of his flight to Australia, the Widgeon III G-EBRN was sold to Harrington R. Law, who set out early in 1930 on a flight to Australia. Damaged at Alhens on 18January, 1930, G-EBRN was sent home to England once more. Two New Zealanders-FIg Off H. L. Piper and Fig Off C. E. Kayset off from Croydon on 9 February, 1930, in the 105 hp Cirrus Hermes I Desoutter I G-AATI Aorangi in an attempt to beat Hinkler's record of 1St days to Australia. Engine trouble at Akyab delayed them, but they arrived at Darwin on 23 March, 1930, after making the first flight from England to Australia in a light cabin monoplane. The Aorallgi's cruising speed had been 102 mph, and the machine flew on to Sydney, arriving there on 3 April, 1930. Later, G-AATI was shipped to New Zealand and sold for £250 to S. .1. Blackmore of Blackmore's Air Services Ltd; it was then re-registered as ZK-ACJ. On 3 March, 1930, Karachi was the departure point for the D.H.50G Gipsy Moth owned by Aspy Merwan Engineer~\vhose real surname before the adoption of Engineer was Iralli~in an attempt to reach England. The machine was piloted by Ram Nath Chawla, accompanied by Engineer, and the landing in England was made on 20 March, 1930, at Thetford, Torfolk, as the aircraft had lost its bearings in fog and could not locate Croydon, to which it flew on 21 March, having covered 5,500 miles. Chawla and Engineer had completed the first flight by Indians between lndia and England but could not claim the Aga Khan's £500 prize as the solo pilot stipulation had not been met. The Tndian Government, hO\vever, awarded them £560 as a consolation prize. Another England-to-South Africa flight was completed when the silver GloSler A.S.31 Survey G-AADO-developed from the D.H.57 projeetwhich left Heston on 20 March, 1930, landed at Cape Town on 4 August, 1930, piloted by the de Havilland chairman Alan Samuel Butler, who was accompanied by his wife Lois as co-pilot. 'The ncxt attempt on Hinkler's solo record to Australia started on 23 ~(Iarch, 1930, at Lympne with the take-off of C. P. Patterson, a New Zealand businessman, in the D.H.60G Gipsy Moth G-AALM. His original intention was to leave Lyrnpne about 15 February, with arrival at Port Darwin scheduled for about 27 February. Damage to the aircraft when rnaking a forced landing in fog at Liz-sur-Ourq, 35 miles northeast of Paris, brought an end to the attempt, but a second start was made in G-AALM from Croydon early on 21 April, 1930. This attempt, however, ended shortly afterwards when the machine crashed at Arquel, Somme, through hitting a tree in fog, and caught fire; Patterson received slight burns. Another flight between Australia and England started at sunrise on 24- March, 1930, with the take-off from Sydney of the Ryan Monoplane

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205

G-AUIZ with two Australians-David Smith and Lieut \\T. H. Shiers-on board, but, on 29 March, a broken camshaft forced them down at \'Vyndham. They resumed the flight but crashed during another forced landing at Bangkok, and the attempt was abandoned. Rain and bitterly cold weather prevailed on 5 April, 1930, at the Berks, Bucks and axon Aero Club Meeting at \Voodley. Four finalists took part in the 33 mite Berks, Bucks and axon Cup Handicap run over five laps, Miss \rV. E. Spooner coming first in the Cirrus I D.H.50 tvIoth G-EBLX. The Berks, Bucks and axon Aero Club Members' Scratch Race over 33 miles was won by FIg Off H. H. Leech, piloting the 105 hp Cirrus Hermes I Avian III G-EBYP. On 8 April, 1930, Man Mohan Singh took-off from Croydon on his third aLtempt to win the Aga Khan's £500 for the flight to India, again using the Gipsy Moth Miss India. Karachi was reached on 10 ?vlay, just over a month later, which disqualified him. The Fokker F.VIIa G-EBTS The Spider had been at Woodford for overhaul by Avro and emerged with a new external coJouring of silver fuselage and blue registration replacing the old blue fuselage finish, in preparation for its take-off at 5.30 a.m. on 10 April, 1930, from Lympne bound for the Cape. C. D. Barnard was the pilot, R. F. Little was on board as relief pilot and the Duchess of Bedford travelled as passenger, taking over the controls for spells. Maitland Aerodrome, Cape Town, 9,000 miles away, was reached on 19 April in record time with 100 hI' flying and the return trip started on 21 April when The Spider left Maitland. On 29 April, oil congealing around the filters caused the engine to choke with oil, as there was no return to the tank, and a forced landing was made in the middle of the Dragoman Pass at Fliunitza, Bulgaria. The Spider took-off again on 30 April and landed at 5.30 p.m. on the same day at Croydon, after a total out-and-home flight of 18,800 miles. Redon Aerodrome, Hull, was used on 13 April, 1930, to run the Kingston-upon-Hull Air Race for the Sir Arthur Atkinson Challenge

\V. L. Hope seated in G-AAAH, the D.H.60G Gipsy I\,roth flown to Australia by Amy Johnson during 1930. (Hawker Siddeley.)

206

Trophy over 30 miles made up of four laps of seven and a half miles each. The winner was FIg Off S. A. Thorn, piloting the Avian IV G-AAHJ at III mph. The stipulation that the Aga Khan's £500 prize would be awarded only for a solo flight between England and India was met by Aspy :Nlerwan Engineer who flew back in his Gipsy Moth from Croydon, which he left on 25 April, 1930, to Karachi, where he arrived 17 days later-after a trip of 5,500 miles-on 11 May. Engineer's time \vas considerably shorter than that of Singh and he won the prize. There was a third contender for the £500 offered by the Aga Khan, J. R. D. Tata. Piloting the 100 hp Gipsy I D.H.60G Gipsy Moth G-AAGI, he took-off from Karachi on 3 May, 1930, and landed 10 days later at noon on 12 May at Croydon, but his 5,500 mile journey was in vain as the prize was already won. Croydon Aerodrome on 5 May, 1930, saw the start at 7.45 a.m. of a long-distance flight when Nliss Amy Johnson took-off on her attempt to make the first solo flight by a woman between England and Australia and to beat Hinkler's time of 15t days. Her aircraft was the 100 hp Gipsy I D.H.60G Gipsy Moth G-AAAH Jason, the fourth production machine which was formerly \'V. L. Hope's Air Taxis long-range Moth based at Stag Lane. Jason's fuselage and struts were dark green, and the wings and tail were silver. There was little general interest in the flight and, after one abortive take-off run, the Moth climbed away from Croydon. Escorted at first by live of the Moths from the London Aeroplane Club at Stag Lane, Jason headed for Vienna, 800 miles distant, and landed there on the same day. On 6 May the 800 mile stage from Vienna to Constantinople was completed, 7 May saw Jason 550 miles farther on at Aleppo, on 8 May another 470 miles lay behind with the arrival at Baghdad, on 9 May BandaI' Abbas-830 miles distant-was reached, 10 May saw the Moth at Karachi another 730 miles on, another 740 miles covered on II May brought Amy Johnson to Jhansi, on 12 May Calcutta was reached a further 690 miles distant, 13 May brought the Moth into Rangoon with another 650 miles behind it, the 370 miles to Bangkok took 14-15 May to cover, Bangkok to Singara-another 400 miles-was flown during 17 May, Singora to Singapore-470 miles-was covered on 18 May, 19 1tJ:ay brought the machine to Tjormal 800 miles on, Jason flew another 250 miles on 20 Nlay to reach Sourabaya, the 900 miles from Sourabaya to Atamboea took 22-23 May and the final stage of 500 miles from Atamboea to Port Darwin was flown on 24 May, the landing on the Australian mainland being made at 3.30 p.m. after 9,960 miles had been flown in 19t days. On 10 May, 1930, the 30 milc Sherburn-in-Elmet Air Race was held at the Yorkshire airfield, first place going to I. Thompson at 101 mph, piloting the D.H.60G Coupe Moth G·AACL. The Bristol Aerial Derby was held on 31 May, 1930, at Whitchurch Aerodrome and attracted a variety of competing aircraft which included the geared 440 hp Gnome-Rhone Jupiter 9ASB Bristol Bulldog G-ABAC flown by C. F. Uwins, the Breda 15 G-AAVL flown by A. Gordon Store, the D.H.53 Humming Bird G-EBXN piloted by Fit Lieut T. B. Bruce and several vVidgeons, Moths and an Avian. The event was won by Sqn Ldr H. M. Probyn-as J. Well worth-flying his Widgeon III G-EBRQ. 207

On Whit Monday, 10June, 1930, the Aerial Fete at Woodley, Reading, included a 45 mile Handicap from "Voodley to Hanworth and back which attracted six starters, among them the Glenny and Henderson Gadfly G-AAEY piloted by Mr Tanner. The race was won by the Avro 543 Baby G-EAUM with which Fig Off H. R. A. Edwards averaged 84 mph. Only three starters took part in the 30 mile Private Owners' Race on 19 June, 1930, at the Tollerton Air Pageant-A. Gordon Store on the Breda 15 G-AAVL, Fig Off W. A. Andrews on the 100 hp Gipsy I Spartan Arrow G-AAWZ and Fit Lieut S. David with W. Lindsay Everard's D.H.BOA Puss Moth G-AAXM The Leicestershire Fox. The first two were disqualified for low flying, leaving FIt Lieut David as the winner. Another attack was made on Hinkler's England-ta-Australia record when, on 20 June, 1930, E. L. Hook and J. Matthews took-off from Lympne in G-AAWV, a 100 hp Gipsy I D.H.60M Gipsy Moth with a metal fuselage. Progress was fairly good as far as Burma wh~re they were reported lost in the jungle. The Moth had crashed on 3 July near Tomas, 150 miles from Prome, Burma; Matthews was rescued, but Hook was found dead on the day of the crash. Sqn Ldr Kingsford Smith's next aim was to cross the Atlantic. vVith a crew made up of Evert van Dyk ofKLM as co-pilot, CaptJ. P. Saul as navigator and]. S. Vv. Stannage as wireless operator, the Fokker F.VIIb3m VH~USU Southern Cross took-off at 4.25 a,m. on 24 June, 1930, from Portmarnock Strand, Dublin, and set course. On 25 June, Kingsford Smith's blue and silver monoplane touched down 2,100 miles away at 11.53 a.m. at Harbour Grace, Newfoundland. The 1930 King's Cup Race-run on 5 July in excellent weatherreceived 101 entries, the longest list in the entire history of the event, 88 of whom subsequently started from Hanworth. The entry list included: Aircraft D.H.GO Moth D.H.GO Moth Robinson Rcdwing A.B.C. Robin Avian III D.H.GO Moth Bluebird IV C.L.A.7 Swift Bluebird IV Bluebird TV Bluebird IV D.H.60X Moth Bluebird ]V Bluebird IV llluebird IV Bluebird IV llluebird IV Bluebird IV Avian III D.H.60X Moth D.H.GO Moth Simmonds Spartan Spartan Three-seater I Bluebird IV Bluebird IV D.H.60X Moth

Registration G-EBOT G-EBVD G-AAUO G-AAID G-EBWU G-EBOI G-AAOB G-AARX G-AABV G-AATS G-AASV G-EBXG G-AATO G-AAIR G-AAUV G·AATN G-AAUW G-AAUU G-EBVZ G-EBYV G-EBQW G-AAGN G-ABKJ G-AAVG G-AAOI G-EBZZ

208

Pilot W. H. Sutcliffe G. Vlasto Fit Licut]. F. T. Barrett A. G. Mortimer Lieut Caspar John P. A. Wills Lord M. A. Douglas Hamilton FIg Off L. S. Snaith Capt N. W. G. Blackburn H. J. Andrews C. L. Pashley M. D. L. Scott Flt Lieut G. G. H. du Boulay Col the Master of Sempill L. Guinness Fit Lieut H. R. D. Waghorn Fit Lieut H. V. Rowley Sqn Ldr A. H. Orlebal' rvIiss W. S. Brown 1. R. Parker 1. B. Buckley Lieut-Col L. A. Strange Fig Off]. F. X. McKenna Sqn Ldr L. H. Slattcr Fig Off.J. VII. Gillan Capt R. S. Rattray

Aircraft D.H.60G Gipsy Moth D.H.GOG Gipsy Moth D.H.60G Gipsy Moth D.H.GO Moth D.H.GOG Gipsy Moth D.H.GOG Gipsy Moth Spartan Arrow D.H.GOG Gipsy Moth D.H.60G Gipsy :i\ofuth D.H.GOG Gipsy Moth D.H.60X Moth Simmonds Spartan D.H.60G Gipsy Moth D.H.60G Gipsy Moth D.H.GOG Gipsy Moth D.H.60G Gipsy Moth Bluebird IV Avian I Avian IV Parnall Elf I D.H.60G Gipsy Moth Spartan Arrow D.H.60G Gipsy Moth D.H.GOG Gipsy Moth Widgeon HI Widgeon III D.H.60G Gipsy Moth D.I-I,60G Gipsy Moth D.H.GOG Gipsy Moth D.H.60G Gipsy Moth Avian IV D.H.60G Gipsy Moth D.H.GOG Gipsy Moth Bluebird IV D.H.60G Gipsy Moth Southern Martlet Desoutter I Spartan Arrow D.H.60G Gipsy Moth Desoutter I Avro 619 Five Widgeon lIlA D.H.60M Moth D.H.GOG Gipsy Moth Avro 621 Tutor D.H.60G Gipsy Moth C.L.A.7 Swift Simmonds Spartan D.H.GOG Gipsy Moth D.H.60X Moth Desoutter I [ Sports Avian Sports Avian D.H.60M Moth Avian IVM Hendy 302 D.H.75A Hawk Moth Tomtit Tomtit D.H.GOG Gipsy Moth

Registration G·A13AM G-AAEF G-ABAE G-EBPQ G-AAKI G-AAEL G-AAWZ G-AARU G-AALJ G-AASG G-EBWT G-AAMG G-AALK G·AA\'VU G-AAEW G-AAGA G-AAVF G-EBQN G-AABS G-AAFH G-AABO G-AAWY G-AAJO G-EBYZ G-EBRQ G-AADE G-ABAI G-AAJS G-AADX G-ABBA G·AACV G-AAWR G-AAHI G-AACC G-AAGI G-AAVD G-AAPY G-ABBE G-AAEE G-AATK G-AASO G-EBRM G-AAYG G-AAYY G-AAKT G-AASL G-AAZF G-AAGO G-AADA G-EBQH G-AAZI G-AAYU G-AAWI G-AAXG G-AAHJ G-AAVT G-AAUZ G-AALL G-ABAX G-AAHPt

t

* Entered as]. Wellworth. 209

Pilot R. R. \V. R. TralTord A. B. Ferguson Mrs C. M, Young Lieut L. G. Richardson R. Ince Flt Lieut D. V. Carnegie W. A. Dudley 1". S. Symondson Maj A. A. Nathan Capt G. A. Pennington W. L. Runciman FIt Lieut F. G. Gibbons Fig Off H. H. Leech E. Fulford D. S. Schreiber Lieut-Col A. H. Gault Sqn Ldr J. \V. Woodhouse Fit Lieut T. B. Bruce D. S. Green H. A. Presto T. H. Naylor FIt LieutJ. R. Addams G. P. Fairbairn A. G. G. Marshall Sqn Ldr H. M. Probyn * C. S, Napier Capt R. Douglas Capt 1. C. Maxwell A. C. M. Jackaman Fit Lieut S. B. Allcn G. Goodwin Maj C. E. M. Piekthorne H. N. S. Norman Flt Lieut T. Rose Miss F. M, Wood F. G. Miles Fig OffP. E. G. Sayer Capt H. H. Balfour Hon Lady M. Bailey A. B. H. Youell FIt Lieut S. L. G. Pope Capt R. G. Cazalet Sqn Ldr H. A. Whistler ]. W. P. Chalmers Capt]. L. N. Bennen-Baggs G. R. de Havilland Capt G. Fane Fig Off H. T. Andrews .1. D. IrvingF. A. 1. Muntz Capt C. B. Wilson J. C. Cantrill FIt LieutJ. Oliver A. S. Butler FIg Off'S, A. Thorn Capt E. W. Percival FIt Lieut E. H. Fielden Sqn Ldr D. S. Don Capt the I-Ion F. E. Guest Capt W. L. Hope

Replaced D.H.BOA G-AAYD.

Aircraft

D.H.80A Puss Moth D.H.80A Puss Moth Southern Martlet D.H.80A Puss Moth D.H.80A Puss Moth D.H.80A Puss Moth D.H.80A Puss Moth D.H.80A Puss :~v1oth D.H.80A Puss ~vfoth D.H.80A Puss Moth Avro 625 Avian Monoplane Avro 625 Avian Monoplane Saro-Segrave Meteor Vickers Type 172 Vellore III

Registration

G-AAXW G-AAYD G-AAYZ G-AAFA G-AAXT G-AAXZ G-AAZP G-ABBH G-AAXL . G-AAXQ G-AAYV G-AAYW G-AAXP G-AASW

Pilot

Capt C. D. Barnard Capt 'W. L. Hope· Miss W. E. Spooner Capt M. H. Findlay E. G. Hordem Lieut-Cdr Glen Kidston Miss D. C. Gucst Capt H. S. Broad Mrs A. S. Butler Capt G. de Havilland F. Tomkins Capt T. N. Stack Fh Lieut R. L. R. Atcherlr::y Fig Off J. Summers

* Withdrew.

The silver Hawker Tomtit G·AALL with which Sqn Ldr D, S. Don came

18th in the 1930 King's Cup at 123,42 mph. (Rolls-Royce.) The course was from Hanworth to Hamblc, 'rVhitchurch, Birmingham, Hooton Park, Barton, ''''oodford, Sherburn-in-Elmet, Ponteland (Newcastle), Bedon, Leicester and back to Hanworth. The 753·25 mile race was won by Miss Winifred Brown at 102·75 mph, Alan Butler was second at 130 mph, and Fit Lieut H. R. D. Waghorn third at 100 mph; 61 of the starters finished the one-day circuit. As well as winning her the main award Miss Brown's 102·75 mph over the course as a member of the Lancashire Aeroplane Club brought her the Siddeley Trophy. A long-range single-seat Puss Moth, G-AAXI, was prepared specially for Sqn Ldr C. S. \·Vynne-Eyton's use in a west-to-east transatlantic attempt. His take-off was on 6 July, 1930, from Lester's Field, StJohn's, Newfoundland, with the intention of flying to Harbour Grace before leaving for Baldonncl, Dublin. The flight ended when-on leaving Lester's Field-G-AAXI dived into the ground from 30 ft and caught fire, the pilot being rescued suffering from shock and facial injuries, The Yorkshire Air Fete, held at Sherburn-in-Elmet on 13 July, 1930, included the Yorkshire Air Race, a handicap to Hedan and back, which J. Trving won at 112 mph on the Gipsy Moth G-AADA. On Saturday, 9 July, 1930, the flying meeting at Hanworth included a race over a course to Reading and Farnborough and back to Hanworth,

The racing model D.H.60M C-AAXG, flown by A. S. Butler, came second in the 1930 King's Cup. (Hawker Siddeley.)

Charles Kingsford Smith's famous Fokker F.VIIb-3m VH-USU SOl/them Cross, finished in blue and silver, after overhaul prior to its transatlantic flight in June 1930. (Qantas,)

Flown by C. L. Pashley in the 1930 King's Cup Race, the Blackburn Bluebird IV G-AASV. (Blackburn,)

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T The \Vestland Widgeon IlIA G-EBR~1 flown in the 1930 King's Cup Race by Capt R. G. Cazalet. (Photo from Gillian Cazaltt.)

two laps of which totallcd 108milcs. This was won at 128·5 mph by E. W. Percival fiymg the 105 hI' Cirrus Hermes I Hendy 302 low-wing cabin monoplane G-AAVT. During .1924 the B:itish Government had ordered two airShips for use on t?e projected Empire communications scheme incorporating an airship service to Canada and to I ndia. These passenger carriers were HMA R-JOO G-FAA V, to be built by the VickerssubsidiaryThe Airship Guarantee ComlOany Limited,and HMA R-IOJ G-FAAW to be constructed by the Royal AirshIp Works at Cardmgton. In charge of the design of the R-100 as chief cngmee.r was Barnes Neville "Vallis, and Nevil Shute Norway was engaged as chief calculator upon leaving de Havilland in the autumn of 1924. Initial design work on R-IOO was carried out at Vickers House in ~'Vestminster and then at Crayf~rd; after 18 months the design was btl:sleally complete so that constructIOn could begin at Howden in YorkshIre by the end of 1926. By the summer of 1929 the airship was nearly c~mJ?leted, \\:Ith a volume of 5,200,000 Cli ft of gas contained in 15 gasbags wlthu; a 16-slded polygon structure 709 ft in length and 130 ft in diameter. The SIX 700 hp Rolls-Royce Condor engines were housed in pairs in three external power cars slung beneath the silver envelope. R-I00's first flight too~ place on 16 Decemb~rl 1929, from Howden to Cardington with MaJ Ge?rge Herbert Scott m charge. T'he contract [or R-IOO stipulated that ~ flIght to. Canad~ was to be made to demonstrate its ability to undertake ll1tercontll1entalJourn~ys so that l after seven flights l the eighth was to be undertaken from Cardmgton to St Hubert, Montreal. At 3.48 a.m.

The impressive Vickers 172 Vellore HI G-AASW flown at an average speed of 126·8 mph in the 1930 King's Cup by FIg Off J. Summers. (Vickers.)

S~\'enth place in the King's Cup Race of 1930 was gained by Fit Lieut E. H. Fielden at 126·2 mph with the D.H.75A Hawk Moth G-AAUZ. (Rolls-Ro)'ce.)

on 29 July, 1.930, the airship slipped its moorings and rOse from the tower to 1,000 ft WIth Sqn Ldr R. S. Booth in command, accompanied by Capt G. ~. tVfeager as ~irst Officer, together with 42 others on board including MaJ G. H. Scott m charge of overall flying operations. After a voyage of 3,242 miles, taking about 79 hI' at an average speed of42 mph, the R-100 moored at St Hubert at 4 a.m. on I August. On 13 August, the R-I 00 left th.c Ivlontreal mast at 9.30 p.m. and at 10.35 a.m. on 16 August, after a tnp of over 57 hr, R-lOO was tethered to the mast at Cardington after the cOl~pletion of the ~rst airship flight from England to Canada and back. ThIS was the last flIght that R-JOO made before being broken up and sold as scrap. Lympne was the take-off point on 31 July, 1930, for C. D. Barnard flYlllg the D.H.80A Puss Moth G-AAXW; his destination was Malta with a return flight to foll.ow. Malta was reached in 13 hI', and Barnard flew G-AAX"V back agam on I August, landing at Croydon after a trip of 14t hr. The two solo nonstop flights had occupied a total Hying time of 27~ hI' [or the 2,800 miles covered at an average speed of 101·8 mph and were the first to be made nonstop between the United Kingdom and Malta. On 31 July, 1930, Andrew T. Cunningham set off solo from Sydney to England fiying the Genairco biplane VH-UOF, a 105 hp Hermes I vemon ofthe D.H.60 Moth bUIlt by the General Aircraft Company Ltd of Australia. vVyndham was left on 5 August, but a forced landing was made on the Island of Flores in the Netherlands East Indies. On 14 Septembe.r VH-UO}' alight~d in a swamp at Singapore, and on 3 October, the mach me was damaged 111 a crash near Kyaukpu on Ramree Island 2~0 m.iles northwest of Rangoon. Cunningham eventually resumed the flight 111 VH-UOF but gave up at Calcutta on 16 OclOber, 1930. C. D. Barnard set off once again from Lympne in the Puss wIoth G-AAX'" at 6 a.m. on 25 August, 1930, on a nonsLOp record attempt to Tangier, 1,240 miles away. He arrived 10 hr 30 min latcr at 4.30 p.m. and started back the following day at 7.30 a.m., to land at Croydon in 10 hr 55 min at 6.25 p.m. aftcr avcraging 110 mph. On 31 August, 1930, the Inter-city Air Race for teal11s from wlanchester and Liverpool was held. The course of 100 miles was from Hooton Park to \ Voodrord, Barton, Southport, Huyton and back to Hooton Pal-k for

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the finish. Out of sevcn starters, the win ncr was FIt Lieut J. B. Allen piloting the D.H.60X Moth G-AABA. On ~I August, 1930, an air race was held at the Air Fete staged at Cramhngton, Newcastle. Five aircraft took part, and the winner at 102 mph was Fig Off H. H. Leech flying the Desoutler 1 G-AAVO. !he :Master of Sempill set up a new record on 4 September, 1930, by flymg a seaplane 1,040 miles nonstop in 12 hr from the \Velsh Harp at Hendon to Stockholm for the Aero Show being held there. The machine was the third production D.H.BOA Puss i\lloth, G-AAVB mountcd on a pair of Short floats. The return flight was made on 22 September, and the same pilot then set out to fly G-AAVB on a tour of the coast around the United Kingdom. On 6 September, 1930, two of the main contests of the year were held at Ratcliffe Aerodrome, Leicester. The race for the SBAC Challenge Cup was run over 33 miles with only four entries, the winner being the London Aeroplane Club member Oliver John Tapper-chief assistant to Capt Ivor H. McClure, the head of the Automobile Association Aviatiorr Department-piloting the D.H.60G Gipsy Moth G-AAEX at 99·5 mph. The other event was for the Grosvenor Challenge Cup over 30 miles, and in this the winner at 95 mph was the Cirrus II D.H.60 Moth G-EBQV flO\~n by L. Turnbull of the Newcastle-upon-Tyne Aeroplane Club. SIX entrants took part in the 30 mile Nottingham Air Race at Tollerton on 13 September, 1930, consisting of three laps of 10 miles each. The winner at 102 mph was a new prototype biplane, the red 120 hp Gipsy II Spartan Three-seater I G-ABAZ Island Queen flown by Lieut-Col Louis Arbon Strange of the Isle of Wight Flying Club. On 14 September, 1930, Strange flew the Spartan Three-seater 1

The D.H.BOA Puss IIoth G-AAVB afloat on the ''''elsh Harp, before Col the Master of SempiU flew it 1,040 miles nonstop to Stockholm in 12 hours on 4 September, 1930. (Hawker Siddeley.)

The airship R-IOO G·FAAV tethered at the mast at St Hubert, ~Iontrea1 during its flight from England to Canada and back. (Canadian A1l1seum of Scient:; and Tet:hnolog)")

G-ABAZ into first place out of six entrants in the Yorkshire Air Race at Sherburn-in-Elmet at 98 mph. On 16 September, 1930, Capt F. R. Matthews, late C.F.I. of the London Aeroplane Club, set off solo from Croydon in the 120 hp Gipsy HI D.H.80A Puss Moth G-ABDW as the first to employ the Puss Moth for a record attempt to Australia. Matthews made good time until he crashed on 26 September l 1930, during a forced landing at Banmee, 100 miles north of Bangkok, but the repairs necessary were to cost him the record, and he reached Darwin on 18 October after taking 32 days to cover the 10,000 miles. The Hon Mrs Victor Bruce started her journey around the world at Heston on 25 September, 1930. She left just before 7 a.m. flying solo her blue and silver 120 hp Gipsy n Blackburn Bluebird IV G-ABDS Bluebird. She had relatively little flying experience, having received her A licence only two months earlier and accumulated about 40 hours solo time, but, after various adventures-during which onc of her dictaphone records was eaten by Baluchi tribesmen who mistook it for chocolate-she reached Tokyo on 24 November, having covered 10,330 miles in 61 elapsed days and 25 flying days. The flight was the first made to the Japanese capital by a British pilot, and the next stage across the Pacific to Vancouver was on board the liner Empress if Japan. Reassembled, the Bluebird was then nown across the United States by Mrs Bruce to New York and was put aboard the liner lle de France for the Atlantic crossing to Le Havre. The machine then flew to England, landing at Lympne on 19 February, 1931, before Aying on to a reception at Croydon at noon on 20 February after a total trip around the world of 19,000 miles. A South African pilot-Lieut Rheinhold Ferdinand Caspareuthuswas the next to fly the 8,000 mile route on a delivery by air from Croydon to Maitland Aerodromc, Cape Town. His take-off in the 120 hp Gipsy III D.H.80A Puss Moth ZS-ACD was on 5 October, 1930, and the journey ended eight and a half days latcr on 13 October after 78 hr flying time with a new record established. Setting off to fly the 10,000 miles separating England from Australia,

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215

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the 120 hp Gipsy III D.H.60G Gipsy Moth G-ABEN left Lympne on 5 October, piloted by FIt Lieut C. W. Hill. On 17 Oetober, the Moth crashed at Atomboea, Timor, on take-off for Port Darwin, but, after repairs, it left on 9 December, arriving at Darwin on 10 December after a trip which took 67 days. On 6 October, 1930, another Australia-bound aircraft left Croydon. The maehine-the D.H.80A Puss Moth G-ABE] flown by its owner FIg Off C.]. Chabot and Maj C. E. M. Pick thorne-made a forced landing in Persia, and the flight was abandoned at Karachi on 13 October. G-ABE] then returned to England. 'Vg Cdr Charles Kingsford Smith next turned to solo record breaking and set out at 5.25 a.m. [rom Heston on 9 October, 1930, in the 120 hp Gipsy II Avro 616 Sports Avian IVA G-ABCF Southern Cross Junior, equipped as a single-seater with special long-range tanks. All along the route the Australian made excellent time without incident, except for the minor damage to his undercarriage caused by landing down~wind inadvertently at Seletar. Fanny Bay, Port Darwin, was reached at 1.50 p.m. on 19 October after a flight of 10,070 miles in 9 days 21 hI' 40 min, which beat Hinkler's record by fivc days. G-ABCF was sold shortly afterwards to Guy Menzies. Another solo attempt to Australia started on 17 October, 1930, from Lympne. The pilot was a 27-year-old Scot, Oscar Garden, who had learned to fly during 1930 and was domiciled in New Zealand as a commereial pilot. Garden's aircraft was the D.H.60G Gipsy Moth G-AASA Kia Ora, lately owned by Gordon Selfridge, and he landed 18 days later at \tVyndham, \tVestern Australia, on 4 November but ,vithout setting up a Dew time for the route. Towards the end of 1930, W. L. Hope and FIt Lieut George Birkett made the fastest journey so far between Addis Ababa, Abyssinia, which they left on 2 November, and London, where they arrived on 7 November, covering the 5,050 miles in five days in a D.H.80A Puss Moth. Although a contemporary of the Puss Moth, the Desoutter II never achieved the popularity of the de Havilland product as a potential record breaker, but one-G-ABCU-was used at the close of 1930 in an attempt on the out-and-return England-to-Cape Town record. The monoplane, powered by a 120 hp Gipsy III, left Croydon at 7 a.m. on 3 December piloted by Miss Winifred Spooner and FIg Off E. C. T. Edwards. On the same day the machine made a forced landing at 11.20 p.m. in darkness in the sea off Calabria at Belmonte. It floated and was retrieved with only minor damage. A few days afterwards, in Italy, the flight was abandoned and the crew returned to England separately. The last five years had seen private flying in Great Britain progressing steadily towards firm consolidation. The club movement was thriving and "vas responsible for a stream of new pilots, many of whom turned to racing and record breaking using the excellent and rapidly \videning range of British aircraft which were on the market. These activities served both at home and abroad to emphasize the fine qualities of the machines, and to stimulate their sale and also the introduction of new designs with improved performance and reliability.

216

r The silver Vickers Type 146 Vivid G-EBPY which, with armament installation removed, was used by Capt T. N. Stack andJ. R. Chaplin during 1931 to establish several point-to-point records. (Vickers.)

Across Continent and Ocean

I

The economic depression at the beginning of the 1930s brought with it inevitable demands for reduction in expenditure on military and naval aircraft development, in spite of which it was a prolific period for the aircraft designer, with numerous interesting prototype and production Service aircraft making their appearance. Paradoxically, civil flying continued to thrive during the period of economy, and the first half of the decade proved to be remarkably productive in racing and record setting. On 1 January, 193], Amy Johnson started out alone once more, takingoff from Stag Lane in an attempt to fly to Peking by way of\tVarsaw and Siberia. The undertaking of such a Right in a lightplane during midwinter was viewed with strong disfavour by experienced Polish and Russian pilots accustomed to the dangerous weather conditions in their respective countries, but, undaunted, Amy Joh1150n left for the East in her red and white D.H.60G Gipsy Moth G-ABDV Jason III. Her advisers had been right and after several forced landings, the machine was damaged while landing in fog at Amelin, a Polish village 55 miles north of \'Varsaw, and the idea of reaching Peking was abandoned. \t\Thile Jason 111 was being repaired at \Varsaw, Amy Johnson visited 110scow and travelled there by train from the Polish capital on 10 January. After three days in Moscow she returned to 'Varsaw on 13 January and left a few days latcr on 18 January to Dy the wroth back to London, but interrupted the flight at Hanover for a week's winter sports in Switzerland. Jason IIf eventually arrived at Lympne on ] 1 February. 217

The Sports Avian IVA G-ABCF Southern Cross Junior, which Air Cdre Kingsford Smith Aew to Australia in record time had been sold and was to be used by an Australian pilot, 21-year-old Guy L. Menzies, on a flight from England to Japan, but his great ambition was to accomplish the first solo air crossing of the Tasman Sea. In such a small aircraft this was dangerous and, as it was doubtful if permission would be granted officially by the governments concerned, Menzies determined to make the crossing in secret. He took-off from Sydney just after midnight on 7 January, 193I, for New Zealand, 1,200 miles away across the stormy and perilous sea. After 12 hr 47 min the Avian came in to land but turned over in a swamp ncar Ross on the South Island of New Zealand, with its risky object accomplished and having flown 1,235 miles. Although, officially, his feat was looked upon with disapproval, no action was takcn against him and he was applauded. Only three months afterwards, the Southern Cross Junior was wrecked, on 12 April, 1931, in a fatal crash in Australia in which two were killed, but Menzies was not one of them. Another flight from Australia to England was planned early in 1931, by Capt F. R. Matthews who proposed originally to leave Port Darwin on 3 January flying the D.H.80A Puss Moth G-ABDW. Delays ensued and, after a second date of departure, 14 January, passed without action, the Directorate of Civil Aviation was informed on 31 January, 1931, that the Hight \vas postponed indefinitely, G~ABD"V was then sold in Australia to become VH- UQB and the Australia-to-England flight was cancelled. The England-to-South Africa record came under attack once again with the departure from Lympnc at dawn on 11 February, 1931, of FIt Lieut T. Rose the Anglo-American Oil Company pilot. His machine was the specially constructed red Sports Avian IV:NI G-ABIE High Test, equipped with an extra 87 gal tank in the front cockpit. The primary object of the flight was a survey of the route to Cape Town for his employers but, if a record flight appeared possible, the pilot had permission to carry out the survey on the return trip, All went well as far as Bulawayo where the landing had to be made on the racecourse as the aerodrome \vas not yet completed. On taking-off again in the afternoon, after a protracted run because of the elevation, the high temperature and a tired Hermes engine, the undercarriage struck a hidden obstacle in the long grass at the end of the finishing straight, shaking the light landing gear so badly that, ,,,,hen High Test alighted again 100 miles farther on at Palapye Road in Bechuanaland, the struts gave way on one side, The ensuing delay in repairs deprived Rose of any chance of reaching Cape Town in record time. The 120 hp Gipsy II Spartan Arrow G-ABHD, was next to attempt the England to Australia flight. Flown by G. P. Fairbairn and Kenneth Shenstone, the machine left Hanworth on 19 February, 1931, arriving at Danvin eight weeks later on 18 April without having set up any record for the route, On 21 February, 1931, a nevv time of 80 minutes from London to Paris was established for a commercial aircraft: by the white ""vith black trim Lockheed DL-I Special Vega G-ABGK-Iate G-ABFE-flown by 31year-old Lieut Cdr Glen Kidston and carrying three passengers between Croydon and Le Bourget.

During the spring of 1931 the rou te from Africa to England was Hown by a D.H.80A Puss Moth-VP-KAH-which, on 24· February, with the South African flyer Marthinus Christian Petrus Nlostert as pilot, left Zanzi~ bar for Nairobi \\,here Mrs F. K. "Vilson joined the flight which was by way of Gao, Bathurst and Las Palmas, along the west coast of Africa, with arrival at London on 12 April after 80 hr 40 min flying time for the 8,531 miles. Mostert flew back later to Nairobi by way of Egypt and the Sudan. \'''hile Mostcrt and Mrs'Vilson were flying northwards along the '''Test African coastal route, another flight was taking place in the opposite direction. The aircraft was the 120 hp Gipsy III Bluebird IV G-ABGF, carrying FIt Lieut 'V, G. Pudney and Miss Delphine Reynolds, who tookoff from Hanworth for Cape Town on I March, 1931, ·with the intention of exploring en route the "Vest African river courses to assess their suitability as air transport bases. The Bluebird's wheels were removed at Bathurst and replaced by a pair of floats, but the flight was abandoned in Sierra Leone on 10 April, 1931, when the machine was damaged by choppy water on take-off. Having flown his D.H.60G Gipsy Moth G-AAKK !vIme. Elijah from England to Australia, Francis Chichester looked for a new route to tackle and, following his return to New Zealand by ship, decided on a flight from Wellington to Sydney, but in stages via Norfolk Island and Lord Howe Island. vVithout aerodromes on which the Moth could land, his only solution was to replace the machine's wheels by a discarded pair of 15 ft long floats from a wrecked RNZAF Moth, and these were fitted. On 28 March, 1931, the Gipsy Moth, now re-registered as ZK-AKK, took-off from Auckland at 6.45 a.m. on the next stage of its owner's intended flight around the world. The Moth alighted at Parengarenga Harbour at 9.15 a.m. to refuel and then, at 11.50 a.m., set course for the tiny Norfolk Island 481 miles ahead in the Pacific. After flying for 5 hr 50 min, it alighted at 5.40 p.m. on 28 March in Cascade Bay. On attempting to take-oIT on 29 March a bracing wire snapped, and it was not until 10.50 a.m. on I April that ZK-AKK could leave for Lord Howe Island, 561 miles away. The actual distance flown was 575 miles which occupied 7 hI' 40 min the machine landing at 6.30 p.m. During a night of squalls, thc ]\'10th capsized and sank, but at low tide the Alme. Elijah was dismantled and salvaged: for the ensuing nine weeks the machine was repaired and rebuilt so that Francis Chichester ,was able to ~esume his flight at 9.30 a.m. on 10 June, 1931? to Sydney wh,ch was 480 mIles ahead. After weathering squalls and nursmg the aIrcraft along WIth a faltel"mg engine, an alighting was made alongside some warships in Jervis Bay about 6-! hI' later. On 2-9 IVfarch, 1931, an Australia-domiciled English pilot Harry Frank Broadbent took-off from Hanworth and set course for Australia, flying the 120 hp Gipsy II Bluebird IV G-ABJA City of Sydney. He made good progress as far as Istanbul, landing there on 1 April and taking-off next day for Aleppo, but was forced down in a swampy valley near Ismidt. The aircraft 'l-vas undamaged but inaccessible for rapid removal, so Broadbent gave up the flight and returned to Australia by sea. . Glen Kidston in his 41 ft span 420 hp Wasp CI DL-I Speeml Vega G-ABGK took~off from Netheravon at 6 a,m. on 31 March, 1931, bound for Cape Town. On board as co-pilot was Owen Cathcart-Jones-the

218

219

The white Lockheed DL-l Special Vega G-ABGK used by Lieut Cdr Glen Kidston to set a new England-to-South Nriea record in 1931. (Flight International.)

owner's personal pilot-and Tom A. Vallette from the IvIarconi \'Vireless Company made up the crew as wireless operaLOr as far as Cairo where his place was taken by a mechanic, G.\"'. Hills. On 6 April at Maitland Aerodrome, Cape Town, the Vega touched down at 5.5 p.m. as the new holder of the record with 7,500 miles covered at 131·8 mph average speed in 6 days 9 hr-57 hI' 10 min of which was flying time. The flight beat Caspareuthus's time by two days but, only a month afterwards, on 5 !vIay, Kidston was killed in the Drakensberg Mountains, Natal, when Puss !vloth ZS-ACC lost a v,"ing and crashed during a storm. "Vhile the Vega was making record time to the Cape, the England-toAustralia solo record was under attack by a 28-year-old English newcomer, Charles \'Villiam Anderson Scott. His journey started at 4.55 a.m. on I April, 1931, when the silver 120 hp Gipsy II D.H.60M Gipsy Moth G-ABHY left Lympne. By alighting at Port Darwin at 5.40 p.m. on 10 April, Scott found himself the new holder of the record with a time of 9 days 3 hI' 40 min for thc 10,358 miles, his flying time being 109 hI' 50 min at an average speed of nearly 100 mph. \IVednesday, 8 April, 1931, brought the start of a series of recOl-d attcmpts by the 550 hp Lion XIA powered Vickcrs 146 Vivid G-EBPY when the silver 45 ft 1 in span two-seat, general-purpose prototype biplane left Croydon in an attempt to fly to Berlin and back in one day. T. N. Stack and J. R. Chaplin were the crew for a trip which occupied two days, as the machine was delayed at Flushing on the return journey. Four days later the attempt was successful when, at 6.15 a.m. on 12 April, the Vivid left Heston with the same crew to reach Berlin at 11.23 a.m. in 5 hI' 8 min. The return journey took 5 hI' 22 min-14 min longer, as the Vivid left Berlin at 12.50 p.m., arriving at Heston at 6.12 p.m. All previous records for the route were beaten with 124 mph average speed over the 1,200 miles. Tommy Rose was unlucky once again when he tried to reach England in four and a half days on his return from Cape Town. Taking-off at 220

3 a.m. on I May, 1931, in the Avian IVM G·ABIE High Test, he was forced to land on 5 May at Esna, 30 miles south of Luxor, as sand in the engine and rockers had caused the Hermes to seize. The trouble cured, the Avian then fiew home in casy stages. Vickers Vivid G-EBPY's next record setting came on 2 :May, 1931, starting with its take-off from Lympne at 4.22 a.m. and its landing at 9 p.m. 1,660 miles away at Istanbul after a flight which included a stop of40 min at Vienna. Once again T. N. Stack and J. R. Chaplin formed the Vivid's crew, and they succeeded in covering the route in record time within one day after three abortive starts were made. The Lion proved temperamental, so the return flight to Heston did not take place until two days later on 4 May, occupying 14 hI' 45 min. At 'Voodley, Reading, on 16 May, 1931, the Ladies' Handicap for the Lord Torthesk Challenge Cup was held. The 20 mile course consisted of two triangular laps of 10 miles each and the nine competitors were Miss Grace Aitken, Miss Gabrielle Ruth Millicent Burr, Miss Fidelia ]. Crossley, Nliss Joanna E. Giles, Miss Pauline Mary de Pauley Gower, N[iss Amy Johnson, Miss Eleanor Isabella Slade, Miss \'Vinifred E. Spooner and Mrs Christina Mitchell Young, with first place going to Grace Aitken. Copenhagen was the next destination of Vivid G-EBPY and, flown again by Stack and Chaplin, the aircraft left Heston on 23 May, 1931, reaching Copenhagen-700 miles away-at mid-day on the same day.

T.

. Stack, left, and J. R. Chaplin before setting off in the Vickers Vivid G-EBPY on a record attempt in 1931.

221

By the same evening G-EBPY was back at Heston, having covered the 1,446 miles in II hI' 40 min at 124 mph average speed-another record. During 1930 Pit Off John Grierson of lhe RAF bought from Glen Kidslon a secondhand 100 hp Gipsy I D.H.60G Gipsy Moth G-AAJP, and flew it out to India in October of the same year. The nioth was painted in an unusual scheme with one half red and the other half black-resulting in its name Rouge et JVoir-and later made a record lightplane flight to England from India. Flown by John Grierson, G-AAJP look-off at 1.40 p.m. on 24 May, 1931, from Karachi and landed at Lympne at 7.40 p.m. on 28 May after taking 4 days 10 hI' 30 min to fly the 5,000 miles. A. Scott's flight from England to Australia in April 1931 was C. followed by a return flight. Registered VH- Q"-, his 120 hp Gipsy II D.H.60M Gipsy Moth took-off from Wyndham on 26 May, 1931, and arnvcd at Lympne at 7 p.m. on 5 June after a trip of 10,570 miles in 10 days 13 hI' 25 min, which beat Kingsford Smith's time by two days. Scott thus completed the first solo return flight between England and Australia, broke the Australia-to-England record, completed the first outand-back crossing of the Timor Sea and set up the fastest solo times each way bctwcen the United Kingdom and India. On Saturday, 30 Nlay, 1931, the London-to-~ewcastleRace was held between Heston and Cramlington, attracting 19 cntrants which included the Monoeoupe 90 G-ABBR. First at 120·5 mph was Capt D. 1. M. Kennard flying the black and white low-wing 90 hp Cirrus III Klemm L26a-III G-ABCT, second was E. W. Percival piloting the Hendy 302 G-AAVT, and third was Miss 'Ninifred Brown with the Avian G-ABED. Besides his second place in the race, Edgar Percival was awarded the prize for the fastest lime. The Hendy 302 was a very clean low-wing monoplane constructed by Parnall at Yate, fitted with a ncatly cO\vled 105 hp Cirrus Hermes I and having accommodation for two in tandem in the cabin. On 31 May, 1931, Percival, again flying the Hendy 302 G-AAVT, came second in the 30 mile race at Sherburn-in-Elmet for the Yorkshire Cup. In first place was the Schneider Trophy racing pilot Fit Lieut George Hedley Stainforth, flying the Simmonds Spartan G-AAGO. In the summer of 1931 the Cape Town-to-London route was flown by the D.H.80A Puss Moth ZS-ACH Thistle, owned and piloted by a British couple-40-year-old Capt Richard Humble and his wifc Constance-who had learned to fly in South Africa and had bought the monoplane to enable them to ny home to the British Isles. Leaving the Cape at 7.06 a.m. on I June thcir flight ended at Heston on 28 June after 18 flying days at an average speed of 105 mph. From Heston they Aew Thistle to Renfrew. On 20 June, 1931, there was the race for lhe SBAC Challenge Cup, a handicap of 105 miles from Heston to Bristol, which was won by the liS hp Hermes IT Avian II G-EBRR flown by R. F. Hall of the Lancashire Aero Club at 120 mph. On 24 June, 1931, at 4.20 a.m. the Vivid G-EBPY left Heston on another of its point-to-point record attempts, this time to 'Varsaw and back in a day. Once again the Vivid's crew were Stack and Chaplin who landed al Warsaw at 12.30 p.m. The Vivid took-off al 2.34 p.m. on the

return stage which was completed at Cl'Oydon at 9.45 p.m. The total of 2,000 miles had been flown in IS} hours at 130 mph average speed. On 29 June, 1931, the next of Vivid G-EBPY's record setting flights began when Stack and Chaplin left Lympne in an attempt to fly to India and back in six days. On I July they reached Baghdad, but the Lion's radiator developed a defect and the record attenlpt was given up. On 4 July the Vivid flew 1,100 miles to ISLanboul and then continued to Croydon, landing there on 6 July. Francis Chichester planned next to fly from Australia to England by an entirely different route from that followed so retr, as part of his worldencircling flight. His proposed west-to-east journey was to be by way of New Guinea,]apan, Alaska, Canada, Greenland and Iceland, and again his silver Gipsy Moth ZK-AKK Mme. Elijah, fitted with floats, was to be used, Chichester's departure was from Sydney all 3 July, 1931, but the flight ended on 17 July with his crash into seven steel telephone wires while taking-off for Tokyo from Kitsugura Bay at Katsuura in Japan. Chichester was injured when the lv/me. Elijah fell vertically to smash at the base of the harbour wall and the remains of the Moth were given to a local school. On 8July, 1931, the race from Hanworth to Stanley Park Aerodrome, Blackpool, was held. Out of 14 starters there were 13 finishers, with first place going to L. A. Strange flying the Sparlan Arrow G-AAWY, Edgar Percival was second in the Hendy 302 G-AAVT, and L. M. J. Balfour came third in the D.H.80A Puss Moth G-ABIY. Also on 8 July, 1931, fast flights were being made between several towns in Africa. Thirty-two-year-old Thomas Campbell Black set off in a Puss Mothjust after 2 a.m. from Nairobi to Z~mzibar and the capitals of Uganda and Tanganyika and to return to NLl.irobi-a total of 1,600 miles-in 24 hours. During the day's flying hl.ndings were made at Entebbe, Kisumu, Mombasa, Zanzibar and D,tr-cs-Salaam, with the final landing at Nairobi late the same evening. The River Medway at Rochester was the SCClle of the departure on 22 July, 1931, of Sir Alan Cobham and a crew of five on another longdistance flight, as far as Lake Kivu, using once again a product of Short Brothers-the S.11 Valella seaplane G-AAJY fitted with three 525 hp Bristol Jupiter XIFs. Sir Alan's previous flight through Africa by Singa-

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Afloat on the Nile, the Short S.11 Valetta G·AAJY flmvn ]2,300 miles from England to Central Africa and back in 128 hr flying time during 1931 by Sir 1\lan Cobham. (ColI,'eJY BOAC.)

pore had demonstrated the feasibility of using a marine aircraft across the continent, and the large Valetta monoplane, mounted on twin 1l0ats, was chosen for the new survey. The flight of 12,300 miles was completed in 128 hI' flying time, the Valetta returning to Southampton on 31 August, 1931, and flying on to Rochester the next day. New rules introduced for the 1931 King's Cup Race, stipulating 100 mph lowest handicap speed and amateur status only, resulted in a reduc~ tion of entries to 41 aircraft, 40 of which started and 21 finished. The course of 982·5 miles was divided into six stages with the start at Heston at 6 a.m. on 25 July. The route lay across country to Desford, Norwich, Tollerton, Brough, Sherburn-in-Elmet, Birmingham, \Voodford, Hooton Park, Heston, \"'hitchurch, Ramble, Shoreham, and back to Heston. The entrants consisted of:

J.

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Aircraft Widgeon III Bluebird IV Simmonds Spartan Simmonds Spartan Bluebird IV D.H.60G Gipsy Moth D.H.60G Gipsy Moth D.H.60G Gipsy Moth Bluebird IV D.H.60G Gipsy Moth Avian IV Simmonds Spartan D.H.60G Gipsy Moth D.H.60G Gipsy Moth Civilian C.A.C.l Coupe D.H.60G Gipsy Moth \'\Iidgeon III Simmonds Spartan D.H.bOG Gipsy Moth Widgeon III Avian IV Avian IV D.H.60G Gipsy Moth D.H.60G Gipsy Moth D.H.60G Gipsy Moth

Registration G·EllRO G·AATE G·AAGY G·AAGO G·AAUU G·AAKC G·AAEF G·AARU G·AAIR G·AAJP G·AAHK G-AAML G·AAFK G-AARI G·ABJ'j G·ABAG G·AADE G·AAHA G·AALE G·EBRQ G·AAHE G·EBWU G·ABCG G·ABHM G·AALK

Widgeun llf Southern Martlet Southel'Il tVlartlct Bluebird IV Bluebird IV Sports Avian D.H.60G Gipsy Moth C.L.A.7 Swift Curtiss-Reid Rambler 1 fI Avian IVM D.H.BOA Puss Moth D.H.BOA Puss Moth D.H.BOA Puss Moth D.H.BOA Puss Moth D.H.80A Puss Moth Arrow Active I

G-EBRN G·ABBN G·ABIF G-AAOC G·AACC G-ABED C·AAHP G·AAZF CF·ABZ G·AllME C·ABEH G·AllLS G·AAYA G·AllIY G-AAYE G·ABlX >I<

Pilot ]. G. Ormston Flt Licut]. Bradbury FIg Off]. F. X. McKenna Sqn Ldr D. V. Carnegie Sqn Ldr]. W. Woodhouse Miss F.]. Crossley T. W. Shipside F. S. Symondson FJg Off]. W. Gillan J. Grierson A. Franklyn Licut C. R. V. Pugh Fit Lieut W. L. Dawson L. O. Russell Fig Off V. S. Rowl ing T. C. Fawcett C. S. Napier Fit Lieut F. G. Gibbons G. N. Wilson Sqn Cell' H. M. Probyn * A. C. P. Johnstone Licut Caspar John F. Gough Miss D. C. Guest/Fig Off R. Nash Capt Rt Hon F. E. Guest/PIt Off A. D. Selway H. R. Law M. L. Bramson Fig Off H. H. Leech Fit Lieut D. F. W. Atcherley FIg Off E. C. T. Edwards l'vliss W. S. Brown Lord M. A. Douglas-Hamilton Sqn Ldr .J. M. Robb .T. C. Webster Flt Lieut E. A. Healy Licut G. Rodd/Miss Peggy Salam an A. C. S. Irwin Han Lady M. Bailey L. M . .J. Balfour A. C. M.]ackaman Fit Licut C. B. Wincott

Entered as]. vVellworth.

224

G. Ormston's mount in the 1931 King's Cup Race, the ·\rVestJand

Widgeon III G·EBRO. (Westland.)

The- Civilian Coupe II G-AB.FJ flown by FIg Off V. S. Bowling in the 1931 King's Cup Race. (FLight InternationaL.)

The race \-vas held in heavy rain and was won at 117·8 mph by Fig Off E. C. T. Edwards, second at 109·1 mph was FIt Lieut F. G. Gibbons, and third was the Puss Moth G-ABEH owned by NEss Peggy Salaman and piloted by Lieut Geoffrey Rodd-accompanied by Miss Sa1aman-which averaged 127·5 mph to set up the fastest time over the course. Peggy Sa1aman had gained her A licence during the previous month. The amateur ruling had had a very significant effect on the type of aircraft entered; military, naval and specialized commercial aeroplanes were absent and the field was confined to machines produced for-and operated by-the private owner. The most unusual and least known among the aircraft \vas the Curtiss-Reid Rambler III from Canada which came thirteenth after averaging 114·2 mph. Its pilot, John C. vVebster of Shediac, New Brunswick, on his return home crashed at St Hubert, Montreal, and was killed during August, 1931. The Siddeley Trophy was awarded to A. C. M.Jackaman of the London Aeroplane Club after averaging 123·9 mph in the race. Amy Johnson set off once again for the Orient in the summer in better weather conditions. Flying her 120 hp Gipsy III Puss Moth G·AAZV Jason II equipped with a Fairey-Reed metal propeller) and accompanied by C. H. G. S. Humphreys~late ground engineer of the London Aeroplane Club-she took-ofT from Lympne at 1.27 a.m. on 28 July, 1931, ]I

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A. Mollison arrives at Croydon Airport on 6 August, 1931, in the black D.H.GOG Gipsy 1\1oth VH-UFT, having sct a new record for the flight from Australia to England.

with the object of reaching Tokyo in the record time of seven days. The elapsed time for the flight of 7,000 miles was 8 days 22 hI' 35 min, arrival at Tokyo being on 6 August after 79 flying hr. Jason 11 took-off on 24 August for the return journey but returned to Osaka because of bad weather. On 28 August, the monoplane left again and reached Lympne on 9 September after 17 days, the delay being caused by bad ·weather. vVhile Amy Johnson was on her way to Tokyo, a 26-year-old Scotsman named James Allan Mollison was flying from Australia to England in an attempt to break Charles Scott's record. Mollison started out from Sydney on 25 July and left Wyndham at 1 a.m. on 29 July, 1931, flying the black D.H.60G Gipsy Moth VH-UFT-previously G-AUFT-originally assembled in Australia as the first Cirrus Moth but rebuilt as a Gipsy-powered single-seater ostensibly for Scott's attempt. The flight was Mollison's second try at the record, for he had crashed during] une I 931 while takingoff from Batavia, but when this time he landed on the beach at Pevensey, Sussex, he had succeeded in lowering thc flight time from Scott's 10 days 23 hr to a ne"" record of 8 days 19 hr 25 min. On his first day out from Wyndham, Mollison reached Batavia-I,730 miles [rom Wyndhammaking the longest night in a single day so far flown by a light aircraft. The following day he was at Singapore and by 2 August had flmvn into Karachi; four days later, on 6 August he reached England-having set the fastest time [or the route in either direction. After the King's Cup the seventh Compel' Swift G-AAZF-powercd by the 75 hp Pobjoy R and piloted by Fit Licut N. Comper-took-off from Croydon and made a flight of2,600 miles to Italy and back in 26 hr flying time at an average speed of 100 mph. 226

At"Venvoc, Cardiff, on 1 August, 1931, two races were held: onc was of 11 miles and the other of 33 miles, both of which were won by Hugh Buckingham flying the D.H.80A Puss Moth G-ABOF. On 2 August, 1931, racing took place at Blue Barns Aerodrome, Colchester, seven entries being received. The Handicap was won by FIg OffJ. W. Gillan, piloting the 90 hp Cirrus III Bluebird IV G-AAIR. Six starters-flying Avians, Cirrus and Gipsy Moths and a Puss Mothtook-off on 15 August, 1931, at 3.30 p.m. in the Inter-city Handicap between Manchester and Liverpool. Thc course was from Barton to Hooton Park at Livcrpool-where there was a stop o[ one hour-and back to Barton. First place went to '!\,Tinifred Brown flying her Sports Avian G-ABED, but her disqualification brought R. F. Hall forward as the winner at 114 mph with Avian IVM G-AAWL On the same day the Open Handicap Race was flown from Baldonne1, Dublin, with a course over the neighbouring hills. Thc winner of the two-lap event was Capt R. G. Cazalet, piloting the D.H.80A Puss Moth G-ABDL. After two successive wins by Great Britain of the Schneider Trophy it was fully expected that-with only onc extra win needed to give pennanent possession after the efforts of 1927 and 1929-a team would be f:ntered in 1931. The organization of the contest lay in the hands of the resolute and businesslike committee of the Royal Aero Club, and an appeal for the £80,000 necessary to promote the 1931 contest brought an offer of £ 100,000 from Lady Houston, which enabled plans to go ahead without delay. From the end of 1930, until being enlarged into the Schneider Trophy team early in the summer of 1931, the High Speed Flight was commanded by Fit Lieut J. N. Boothman who then passed it into the charge of Sqn Ldr A. H. Orlcbar as the captain of the team. The High Speed Flight for 1931 consisted of Sqn Ldr Orlebar, FIt Lieut Boothman, FIt Lieut W. Dry, FIt Lieut E. J. L. Hope, FIt Lieut F. W. Long, Fit Lieut G. H. Stainforth and FIg Off L. S. Snaith, together with Licut G. L. Brinton of the Royal Navy. The Navy, however, was to be deprived of a chance of providing the winning pilot for, at 8 p.m. on 18 August, 1931, Brinton was killed when, taking-off in the Supermarinc S.6A N247 for practice

R. G. Cazalet's D.H.80A Puss :Moth G~ABDL with which he won the Open Handicap Race at BaJdonnei on ]:1 August, 19~1. (Phn{ofrom Gillian Cazaiel.)

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at Calshot, the machine pOl'poised on its run across the water and dived under the surface on the third bounce. On 18 July, 1931, the first Thanet Air Race for the Isle of Thanet Silver Cup was held at IVlanston, with three laps of24 miles each, the winner of which was Capt G. A. Pennington flying a Puss 1vloth against five other pilots. The race for the Grosvenor Challenge Cup was held at Cramlington on 22 August, 1931, over t,,·o laps ofa triangular course for a total distance of 53·5 miles. First place wem to Sqn Ldr J. \V. \Voodhouse piloting the 100 hI' Gipsy I Bluebird IV G-AAUU at 102·5 mph, and the fastest time of the race-I 29 mph-was set up by the Arrow Active I G·ABIX Down by Fit Lieut C. B. \ Vincott. On 22 August, 1931, the Camper Swift G-AB1\H-powered by an 85 hp Pobjoy R-Ieft Heston on a record attempt to South Africa which just failed. An extra fuel tank holding 10 gal conferred a range of 600 miles on the Swift which the pilot, Lieut C. \ V. Byas of the Royal Navywho also held the rank of Flying Officer in the RAF-had bought to fly home to the Cape. The sector from Heston to Vienna was completed on 22 August, Vienna to lstanboul on 23 August, Istanboul to Ramleh on 24 August, and the Swift landed at Pietersburg, nonh of Johannesburg, on I September after covering 7,320 miles in 73 hr flying at 100·25 mph average speed in under 10 days, not quite fast enough to beat the record. The Swift became a favourite racing aircraft and was the outcome of Comper's earlier Cranwell designs, being embarked upon after he left the RAP and set up his own firm) the Camper Aircraft Company Ltd, at Hooton Park, Cheshire. The 24 ft span C.L.A.7 Swift perpetuated the original C.L.A. designations) and the prototype G-AARX-fitted with the 35 hI' A.B.C. Scorpion-appeared during the spring of 1930. Occasionally, there was a surprise win by an outmoded design. On 5 September) 1931, at the Teignmouth Flying Meeting) the Handicap Race over a 25 mile circuit was \Non by Fig Off H. R. A. Edwards piloting Hinkler's old Avro 543 Baby G-EAUM, now fitted with a 60 hI' Cirrus I in place of the ancient Green. Once the finance was assured for Great Britain's entry in the 1931 Schneider Trophy contest, volOrk began in earnest to produce the required aircraft and to train the pilots. At the speeds now demanded-and attained by the 8.6s-the Lion was unable to compete with the developed Rolls-Royce R units which) for the 1931 event, offered an increase of 21 per cent in power for a weight increase of only 7 per cent or 100 lb. By remarkably clever engineering and fuel development another 400 hp was produced for the R to be rated at 2,300 hI' at 3,200 rpm. Consequently, the two Gloster VIs) 1\249 and 1\250) were used as trainers by the 1931 team, and during 1930 and 1931 were in a new colour scheme in which the fuselage, fin and struts were light blue) the wings) tailplane and elevators old gold, the top surfaces of the floats white and the external surface radiators wcre polished brass. Of the three Gloster biplane racers, the Gloster IV 1\224 had been sold during 1930 and sent to Croydon; the Gloster IVA N222 and IVB 1\223 were used for High Speed Flight practice sincc 1929) but N223 was wrecked when its fuselage broke in two during a landing in fog at FelixsLOwe on 19 December) 1930) while being flown by FIt Lieut Boothman.

As the Gloster racers with their less powerful Lion engines were out of the 1931 contest, two new examples of the S.6 design were ordered from Supcrmarine as S.6Bs and the two S.6s of 1929-N247 and ~248-were modified early in 1931 as S.6As to the standard of the pair of new 8.6Bs. f\S the decision to go ahead with entrants for the 1931 contest had been taken so lalc) Supennarine had only six months in \\·hich to produce the aircraft needed) and Reginald lvlitchell lOok the most sensible course of improving the e:xisting successful 8.6 design) confident in the knowledge that Rolls-Royce had promised a further 400 hp from the R engine and

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The blue and silver Supermarine S.6B SI596 which was flown by Fit Lieut G, H. Stainforth at 379·05 mph on 13 September, 1931) toseta new world speed record. ( Vickers.)

The Supcrmarine S.6B 51595, flown at 340·08 mph on 13 September, 1931, by Fit LieutJ. N. Boothman to win the Schneider Trophy outright fOI· Creat Britain. On 29 September, 1931, 51595 flew at 407·5 mph to set a new world speed record. (Vickers.)

had intimated that even more power might well be forthcoming. 'The S.6A N247 was completed in Nlay, 1931, and then lost in the crash on 18 August which killed Lieut Brinton. Flying the 5.6A N248 during June 1931 Fit Lieut E. J. L. Hope had to alight quickly when a portion of the cowling became detached, and the machine capsized and sank, but the pilot survived. The aircraft was salvaged, and N248-racing number 2-took its place in the team as the second reserve for FIg Off L. 5. 5naith. Both S.6As were given new, larger floats of22 ft length to improve their behaviour on the water and to provide extra fuel capacity, as the Schneider niles now required seaworthiness tests to be carried out immediately before the nying contest. At the same time the engine cooling area was increased by using the upper surfaces of the floats, and mass balances were added to the rudder and to the tops of the ailerons to eliminate the Hutter experienced previously. The floats fitted to the S.6Bs S 1595 (I) and S 1596 (7) were 24 ft in length and, to reduce to the minimum the amount of mass balancing required, the trailing portion of the rudder farthest from the hinge line was covered with fabric. To relieve the pilots of any control loads in normal flight, duralumin strips about one inch wide were built into the trailing edges of the control surfaces. Under air loads these strips were stiff enough but could be bent on the ground for adjustment. The radiators had to dissipate heat from 1,000 hp by waleI' cooling, and louvres were fitted to the wings to allow air to pass inside them over the inner surfaces of the radiators. On 29 July, 1931, the S.6B SI595 made its first flight just six weeks before the con lest was due to take place. Some trouble was experienced, on take-off, with the smaller 8 ft 3 in diameter propeller fitted, but replacement with the larger type of 9 ft 1·5 in diameter effected a cure. The S.6Bs were finished in

Preparing a 1931 Schneider Trophy contender, the Supermarinc 8.6B 51596. (Vickers.)

The High Speed Flight of 1931 in front of the Supermarinc S.6B S1596. Left 10 ri~ht; Fit Lieut E. J. L. Hopc, Lieut G. L. Brinton, FIt Lieut1o'. \'\T. Long, Fit Lleut G. H. Stainforth, Sqn Ldr A. H. Orlebar, Fit Licut]_ r . Boothman, Fig Off L. S. Snaith and FIt Licut ' ' T. Dry. (Vickers.)

the same blue and silver scheme as that used on the 5.65 in 1929, but, since during j 930 the order of the colours of the rudder stripes of RAF and Fleet Air Arm aircraft had been reversed, the seaplanes now bore the red stripe foremost. On 3 September, 1931, the following statement was issued by Lady Houston prior to the Schneider event: 'To show that I am not downhearted if our airmen win by default or walkover, T challenge the airmen of the whole \vorld to another race, to be called the Houston Trophy, and besides giving the trophy I will award the winner £1)000 in money.' The twelfth Schneider Trophy contest was scheduled to be held on 12 September, 1931, at Spithead, the course consisting of seven laps to give a total distance of 21 7-4 miles. The final British team consisted of the main contender Fit LieutJ. N. Boothman piloting the S.6B SI595 (I), with Fit Lieut F. W. Long and the S.6B S 1596 (7) as No.1 reserve and Fig Off L. S. Snaith with the S.6A N248 (4) as No.2 reserve. The expected French and llalian teams did not arrive and) as the weather was bad, the contest was postponed until 13 September when, at I p.m., Boothman took-off in 51595, completed the seaworthiness tests, and proceeded around the course in fine weather at an average speed of 340·08 mph to win the Trophy outright for Great Britain and at the same time to set up a new 100 km closed-circuit record of 342·87 mph. Later in the afternoon of 13 September, 1931, l~lt Lieut G. H. Stainfonh took·off in the S.6B S 1596 and flew over the official 3 km course to set up a fresh world speed record of 379·05 mph, but, three days later, on 16

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The D.I-LaOA Puss i\loth CF-APK Karohi flown by H . .J. L. Hinkler in 1931 from Canada to England by way of South America. (Canadian JHuseum oj Science and Technology.)

September, while testing a new }7 aircy-Reed metal propeller on S 1596, the machine capsized on landing and the pilot received a cut nose. The seaplane sank on tow to Calshot but was salvaged on 17 September. The great stimulating Schneider contests were now over, but their influence on the development of airframes and engines for high-speed flight was profound, and ultimately had a direct bearing upon the United Kingdom's survival less than a decade later. The final sector of a cruise of 8,324 miles was used on 16 September, 1931, to establish the first nonstop Hight between Gibraltar and Plymouth when the distance of 1,230 miles was flown by Lieut C. H. Cahill and a crew of six aboard the Saunders-Roe A.7 Severn N24·0, an all-metal biplane Hying-boat powered by three 485 lop Bristol Jupiter IXs. At Sywell Aerodrome, Northampton, on 19 September, 1931, the First United Kingdom All-\IVomen's Flying Meeting was held. There were six starters in the 45 mile Ladies' Race over two laps of 22·5 miles, and this was won by Miss E. 1. Slade at 97·25 mph Hying the D.H.60G Gipsy Moth G-AAIW. Air Cdre Charles Kingsford Smith left :t\1elbourne on 21 September, 1931, on an attempt to set up a new record night from Australia to England and back in 13 days. His aircraft was the long-range, single-seat 120 lop Gipsy II Avian V VH-UQG Southern Cross klillor, with 28 ft span wings fitted to an Avian IV:t\II fuselage. He left vVyndham early in the morning on 24 September, but became ill and landed ncar Smyrna on 30 September. His illness, combined with other problems 1 delayed his arrival at Heston until 5.40 p.m. on 7 October, and the disappointed pilot left for Australia by ship on 10 October, leaving the Avian at Heston. Fit Lieut Stainforth's world speed record of 379·05 mph, set up on 13 September 1 was still short of400 mph, and at 5.50 p.m. on 29 September, 232

1931., h? took-off in the Schneider Trophy winning S.6B SI595 to fly SIX urnes across the course between Hill Head and Lee-on-Solent. The attempt succeeded and 51595 achieved an average speed of 407-5 mph over four runs, its pilot the first to ny at over 400 mph. On 3 October 1 J931, Hinkler's old Avro Baby G-EAUM won the Heston-to-Cardiff Race when FIg Off I-l. R. A. Edwards landed at Splott Aerodrome after averaging 81·5 mph. On the same day another race was run from SplOtl to )Jewport, and in this :t\1iss \Vinifred Brown was the winner in Sports Avian G-ABED. On 15 October, 1930, :t\IIiss 11. A. Barton was awarded pilot's licence :\To.199, becoming the eighth ::\few Zealand woman to hold one, and on 19 October, 1931, at the age of nineteen, she took-off from Heston in a D.H.60G Gipsy :t\10th, accompanied by Frank Richards, with the intention of flying to Australia and then shipping the foth home to New Zealand. After a week, they had reached Istanboul. . In the autumn of 1931 Sqn Ldr H. J. L. Hinkler made an outstanding night from Canada to England by way of South America. His machine was the 120 lop Gipsy HI silver and red D.H.80A Puss Moth CF-APK Karohi, constructed by de Havilland Aircraft of Canada Ltd in Toronto and ordered from the firm eight months previously. Leaving Toronto on 20 October without any publicity, the first long stage started on 27 O.etober, 1931, with a nonstop flight of 1,472 miles from North Beach Airport, New York, to Kingston, Jamaica, where CF-APK landed at 8 a.m. o.n 28 October after I~! hours in the air. Hinkler was airborne again on 9 November for a 700 mIle sector through rain squalls across the Caribbean to Maracaibo, Venezuela. On 10 November Port of Spain was reached and with stops at Georgetown, Cayenne and Para, Karohi arrived at Port Natal on 24 November. Departing at 11.05 a.m. on 25 November, the monoplane flew over the 1,760 miles stretch of South Atlantic in very bad weather for 22 hI' at 80 mph average speed to reach Bathurst; it was the first light aircraft to have crossed the Atlantic Ocean, the first aeroplane to have crossed the South Atlantic from west to cast and had made the longest nonstop flight by a light aeroplane. On 26 November Hinkler took-off again and landed next at St Louis. His next stops were at Port Etienne and Casablanca, and Madrid was reached on I December. On 2 December Karohi arrived at Paris, Tours was reached on 5 December and on 7 December, 1931, HinkleI' landed during the afternoon at Hanworth. . Despite the loss of the Fairey Long-range Monoplane Mk.I J9479 and Its crew, a Ilew version of the original aircraft was ordered from Fairey to Specification 14/30. The Long-range Monoplane Mk.Il KI991 was powered by the 570 ~lP Lion XIA, and the fine lines of the design were enhanced by the additIOn of spats over the main wheels. Other modifiea~ions included the pr~:)Vision of an automatic pilot, a metal fuselage and mcr~ased fuel capacity. The crew selected and trained to fly KI991 conSisted of 38-year-old Sqn Ldr Oswald Robert Gayford as pilot and FIt Lieut D. L. G. Bett as navigator. The attempt on the e.xisting record was scheduled to be made in September 1931, but lack of suitable ground facilities in the United Kin.gdom-denied to the RAF, as .usual, on the dangerous grounds of illadVised economy-compelled contlJ1ual postponement. As a preliminary ~33

Peggy Salaman with her two lion eubs,Juba and Joker, which flew in the Good Hope from ]uba to Kimberley during the record flight to Cape Town. (Photo from Mrs Peggy Bell.)

G-AllRE, piloted by Birmingham-born but Australia-domicilcd C. left Lympne for Australia. The Swift was a long-range vcrSlOn takll1g-off at an all-up weight of 1,160 Ib, and it arrived at Darwin at 4.23 p.m. on 8 November, having taken 9 days 2 hI' 29 min to cover 10,425 miles and beaten C. '¥. A. Scott's time by 102 minutes. G-ABRE was latcr shipped back to England and sold to Victor Smith for use on his England-to-Cape Town attempt of December, 1932. J. A. Mollison retained the black Gipsy Moth VH-UFT for his attempt on the England-to-South Africa record which started from Lympne on 6 :\fovember, ]931, but which was stopped by fog which forced him to return. Mollison set off again from Lympne at 3 a.m. on 13 November but could only reach Egypt before a faulty fuel pump made it imperative to land, but the 1\lloth was badly damaged when-after engine failure-he crashed and overturned on landing in the dark at 1inieh, 150 miles from Cairo. Mollison was unhurt but his flight was finished. On 6 J ovember, 1931, the 120 hp Gipsy III D.H.80A Puss Moth G-ABJO, fiown by the Hon Mrs Richard Westenra and R. H. McIntosh, left Croydon to fly to the Cape. The journey out was by the airline route but, on coming back from Cape Town, from Broken Hill the monoplane flew across the Belgian Congo towal'ds Lake Chad and then set course across the Sahara Desert at the very low altitude of about 20 ft, so that the car track could be followed. The journey ovcr cxtremely dangerous country was completed safety and G-ABJO returned to Croydon on 16 January, 1932, having taken a total of72 days for the overall journey, the actual fiying time being 235 hr for the 23,000 miles at an average speed of just under 100 mph. Charles Kingsford Smith's next long-distancc flight-between Australia and England-carried Christmas air mail but came about through a mishap. On 20 November, 1931, the Avro 618 Ten VH-UNA Southern Sun, used on serv.ices by Australian National Ainvays, left Sydney loaded with 45,288 letters and other postal packets piloted by G. U. Allen but crashed on take-off during the morning of 26 November at Alar Star, which was saturated after heavy rain. During the afternoon of the same day the news reached Sydney, and on 30 November Kingsford Smith and W. I-I. Hewett-ANNs chief engineer-left Mascot for Alor Star in anoth~r of the company's Avro Tens, VH-UMG Southern Star. Landing at DarwlI1, the machll1e struck a telegraph pole and 'was damaged, so that its take-off was delayed until 3 December. On 5 December VHUMG was at Alor Star, picked up the mail from the Southern Sun and tookoff for England. Bangkok was the next stop, followed by Calcutta, Karachi and Aleppo, with Lyons being reached on 13 December. Dense fog forced the aircraft down on the beach at Le Touquet but on 16 December, after l3~ days from Port Darwin, the Southern Star landed at Croydon in record time from Australia, despite delays, fog and snow en route. In preparation fo.r the return flight-also with mail-the aircraft was flown to Hamble for overhaul. At 5.25 a.m. on 29 December, 1931, Fit Lieut Edward Hedley Fielden took-off from the Fairey Aviation Company's aerodrome at Hayes Middlesex, in a 120 hp Gipsy III D.H.80A Puss Moth on a solo nonstop flight to Algiers and the journey of 1,080 miles was completed in II hr 40 min at an average speed of just under 100 mph.

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to the attempt a nonstop Hight to Egypt was decided upon, and at 7 a.m. on 27 October, 1931, the silver machine took-off from Cran·..·ell and set course for the Mediterranean. On 28 October at 2.15 p.m., after 31! hours in the air, Kl991 landed 2,857 miles away at Abu Sueir, to complete the first nonstop flight between England and Egypt. Six weeks passed before the machine returned, the outcome being a forced landing on 15 December in fog at Saffron Walden, Essex, and, at the end of ilS run, K1991 tipped on to its nose and broke the propeller and damaged the wings, but the machine was repaired on the spot. On 27 October, 1931, two brothers, Fit Lieut L. S. Hamilton and Kenneth A. Hamilton, left Lympne at 12.30 a.m. in the hope ofsetting a new record for the England-Australia flight. Their aircraft was the 120 hp Gipsy III engined Puss Moth G-AAXW which C. D. Barnard had used for his record flight to 1\1alta in the previous year. The I-1amiltons' flight ended with a forced landing in fog at Tullin, near Vienna, after which the aircraft was brought back to England for a later attempt. Yet another attempt on the England-Cape Town recol-d began on 30 October, 1931, when at 11 p.m. 21-year-old Miss Peggy Salaman tookoff from Lympne in her 120 hp Gipsy III powered navy-blue Puss Moth G-ABEl-I Good Hope. She was accompanied by 25-year-old A. Gordon Store who was born in Kimberley and was assistant instructor at the London Aeroplane Club during 1930 and 1931. Apart from a forced landing in the bush between Abercorn and Kimberley, the flight went as planned and with the Good Hope's an-ivai at 5.40 a.m. on 5 November at Maitland Aerodrome, Cape Town, after 5 days 6 hI' 40 min on the journey of 7,050 miles which occupied 64 hI' flying time, a new record had been set up. At 5.17 a.m. on 31 October, 1931, the 75 hp Pobjoy R Com per Swift

Al't~ur Bu~ler,

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Competitors prepa,-ing for the start of a race from Heston in 1932. In lhc foreground is A. C. M. Jackaman's ~.,JIonospar ST~4 G~ABVP Peridot V.

After spending Christmas in England and being delayed by gales, the Southern Star's crew-now consisting of Kingsford Smith, joined in England by G. U. Allen and P. G. Taylor-boarded the machine at Hamble and took~off again on 8 January, 1932, carrying a 700 lb load of mail home. Darwin was reached 11 days aflerwards on 19 January at 1·46 p.m., after the fastest flight to date in either direction carrying mail or other useful load. By February, 1932, all was ready for Sqn Ldr O. R. Gayford and FIt Licut D. L. G. Bett to set off in the Fairey Long-range Monoplane K 1991 with a new distance record as their object. The machine was now equipped vvith three altimeters, an auto-pilot tested by several RAF units-particularly No.7 Squadron, roller bearings on the wheels to assist the take-off at 17,000 Ib all-up weight and wing petrol tanks holding 1,000 gal. Although the flight was scheduled for February, unfavourable weather conditions forced its postponement. After a break of nearly four months Fit Lieut L. S. Hamilton prepared the Puss Moth G-AAX'V once again for the England~to-Australia attempt but, this time, Fig Off R. K. Coupland was to accompany him in place of his brother K. A. Hamilton. The take-off was from Lympne on 18 February, 1932, but the flight came to an end when, on 19 Februal-y, G-AAX\V crashed in fog into a hillside at Ruvodi Puglia, Apulia, in Italy, both occupants being injured slightly. On 5 M:arch, 1932, another England-to~Austl-alia attempt started at Lympne when Lady J. Chaytor of\Vitton Castle and R. T. Richards set off in the D.H.60G Gipsy Moth G-ABSD but this Dight also was abandoned. 236

At 7.20 a.lll. on 9 March, 1932, the second C.L.A.7 Swift G-AAZApowered by the 75 hp Pobjoy R-took~olTfrom LasJamarindas, Nlendoza, Argentina, piloted by C. H. A. Taylor, the Compel' Swift representative in Buenos Aires, from where he had flown the machine on 6 l'v1arch. Conditions were calm on his route which lay across the Andes and I hI' 50 min later he landed at ::."Jogales, Valparaiso, Chile, after having completed the crossing by the lightest aircraft so far to accomplish it. The Swift reached a height of 18,000 ft during the trip, which was made without oxygen as the cockpit was too small to accommodate the equip~ ment. Taylor took-off again in G~AAZA on 23 1\larch and recrossed the Andes at 16,000 ft in the shorter time of I hI' 40 min from )logales to Mendoza. After the failure of his Kovember 1931 attempt on the England-toSouth Africa record, Mollison replaced his shattered Gipsy Moth with the long-range 120 hp Gipsy III Puss Moth G-AllKG and set off at l.05 a.m. on 241\I1arch, 1932, from Lympne, to follow the 'Vest Coast routc to the Cape. His landing at Cape Town at 8.35 p.m. on 28 1\I1arch, after 4 days 17 hI' 30 min, was on the beach at Milncnon, three miles away fmm his objective, and G~ABKG was damaged. l\10Ilison's distance flown "vas 6,355 miles over a shorter route than that flown by Peggy Salaman and A. Gordon Store whose record he had beaten. In the spring of 1932 C. W. A. Scott prepared to regain the England-toAustralia record with the 120 hp Gipsy II D. H.60M Gipsy Moth VHUQA-originally G-ACOA in the United Kingdom-and he left Lympne

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.lim

~Iollison walchcs

C~ABKG

as the oil is drained from the Gipsy engine of his Puss i'.Ioth al Lympnc. prior to his attempt in 1932 on the record f!'Om England to the Cape.

237

at 5.05 a.m. on 19 April, 1932, By 21 April he had reached Balira, on 25 April had arrived at Singapore and on 26 April landed at Sourabaya. Scott reached Port Darwin at 10.22 a.m. on 28 April, to find that he had beaten Butler's record by 5 hr 42 min with a time of8 days 20 hr 47 min [or the 10,000 miles. Still a novelty in air racing, an aurogyro-thc Cierva C.19 Mk.III G-AA yp flown by R. A. C. Brie-appeared on the list of competitors for the 45 mile race on 15 "Nlay, 1932, at Skegness. Out of nine entrants, G-AAYP came second at 93 mph, first place going to Capt A. G. Store fiying the Spartan Three-seater I G-ABTT, while C. S. Napier came in third with the \Vidgeon TIT G-AADE. Competing also was the Arrow Active I G-ABTX-a single-seat biplane design of Arthur Cecil Thornton -piloted by Fig Off H. H. Leech. Thirty aircraft faced the starters in the N[oming Post Race on 21 May, 1932. The cross-country course lay from Heston to Market Harborough, thence to Norwich and back to Heston. Among the participating aircraft-out of which 17 finished-were Moths, Swifts, Hawker Tomtits, Robinson Redwing, Puss Moth, Spartan Three-seater I G-ABTT and Bristol F.2B G-EBIO. The Spartan crashed during the race and killed its pilot Fit Lieut F. G. Gibbons. Fit Lieut D. V. Ivins came tenth at 85 mph in his F.2B, and the race was won by F. R. \,Valker piloting the Puss Moth G·ABWA at 108·5 mph. The race for the Air League ChaUenge Cup, held at "Vhitchurch, Bristol, on 4 June, 1932, over a triangular course of 26 miles, had only three starters. These were the Desoutter II G-AAVO, a Parnall Elf and a D.H. Moth, out o[ which the Desoutter-piloted by S. B. Cliff-came first at 100 mph. Air racing took place in the Isle of1\,'1an on 18June, 1932, when a contest of 104 miles around the island was held, consisting of two laps of a 52 mile course. The start was at Ronaldsway Aerodrome, Castletown, and attracted nine competitors. First place went to J. R. Ashwell-Cooke at 102·5 mph nying the D.I-I.60X Moth G-EBZZ-which had been Rown by

The shapely yellow Avro 627 Mailplane G~A~J~,r flown in the 1932 King's Cup Race by Capl H. A. Brown. (Fli.t!ht International.)

Capt Rattray on his Right to the Gold Coast in 1928-29-and second place at 126 mph went to G. Clapham piloting the Swift G-AAZC. Among the starters was the 125 hp ',Varner Scarab "NIonocoupe 90 G·ABBR flown by Fit Lieut George Birkett. Birkett was one of eight starters on 2 July, 1932, in the Portsmouth Challenge Cup Race and again flew the Monocoupe 90 G·ABBR· this time he came first at 116 mph. ' . At the same meeting at Portsmouth on 2 July there were two other Important events-the races [or the SBAC Challenge Cup over 34 miles and for the Grosvenor Challenge Cup over 50 miles. The SBAC contest had five starters and was won by FIt Lieut 'A'. E. P.Johnson ofthe London Aeroplane Club piloting the D.H.60G Gipsy Moth G·AAJJ at 94·25 mph. FIrst place for the Grosvenor Cup, out of six starters went to Carill S. Napier at 98 mph in the 100 hp Gipsy I Widgeon JlI' G·AADE. The ~Ilnual I~acc for thc King's Cup was held on 8-9 July, 1932, in two parts WIth SectIOn One on the first day and Section Two on the second. The total distance was 1,223 miles, with the start at Brooklands for a circuit of England whi.ch ~ed to Northampton, Ipswich, Desford, \'Voodfor~, Hooton Park, Blrmll1gham, \Vhitchurch, Portsmouth, Shoreham, Abmgdon and back to Brooklands for the finish. Ou t of the list of 46 entrants, the 42 starters were: Aircraft

59+8 Avian lIlA Avian IV!.,,1 Spartan Three·seater D.H.GOG Gipsy i\lo1h D.H.83 Fox 1l.loth Blackburn B~2 Sports Avian D.H.GOG Gipsy Moth D.H.60G Gipsy Molh

The Cierva C.19 ?\lk.III G-AAYP with which R. A. C. Brie came in second at 93 mph in the Skegncss Air Race on 15 May, 1932. (Flight international.)

238

Registration G-ABPU G·AATL G-ABTR G~AAYL

G·ABUT G-ABUW G·ABlB G-AA]P* G-AB]L • Named

Pilot

.J. F.

Legard

G. H. Keat Fig Off S. A. Thorn ~-1iss W. E. Spooner Capt W. L. Hope FIg Off]. W. Gillan .J. C. Ormslon

J.

Grierson Hon R. Westenr:l.

ROll.'!!!t

239

.Yo;,.

Aircraft BIUl::bird IV Blackburn B·2 D.H.GOG Gipsy :\loth Spons Avian Sports Avian Tomtit SOUlhern :l\lartlel C.L.A.7 Swifl C.L.A.7 Swift C.L.A.7 Swift Avro G31 Cadet Tomtit D.I-LBO:-\. Puss ~doth D.H.BOA Puss r..loth D.H.aOA Puss 1\10th D.H.BOA Puss Moth D.H.BOA Puss },Ioth C.L.A.7 Swift D.H.BOA Puss Moth Avro 625 Avian Monoplane D.H.BOA Puss :Moth D.H.60GIII t\[oth C.L.A.7 Swift n.H.BOA Puss t\loth C.L.A.7 Swift Avian IVt\1 Active I

Active 2 Saro-Scgrave t\[etcor [ Gull Foul' C.L.A.7 Swift C. L.A. 7 Swift Avro 627 Mailplane

Registration G-AACC G-ABWI G-AAHP G·ABDN G-ABED G-AALL G-AAYZ G-ABJR G-ABUU G-ABTC G-AB\'U G-AJ3II G-ABLG G-AAYA G-ABLS G-ABGT G-ABGX G-AAZD G-AAYB G-AAY\'\' G-ABDF G-ABVW G-AAZC G-AAX:l\I G-AAZF G-ABME G-ABIX G-ABVE G-AAXP G-ABUR G-ABWH G-ABWW G-ABJM

Pilot R. T. 1\'1. Clayton FIg Off P. E. G. Saycr Lord 1\1. A. Douglas Hamilton Lieul C. R. V. Pugh 1\liss W. S. Brown Air Cdre Hon F. E. Guesl Fig OffH. R. A. Edwards H. C. .t\laycrs :\1. A. Lacayo G. E. Lowdell Sqn Ldr J. W. Woodhouse Sqn Ldr W. Helmore W. L. Runciman A. C. S. Irwin C. L. Pashley G. R. de Havilland Fit Lieut H. l\1. Mellor Fit Lieut X Compel' Lieut·Cdr G. Radd Lieut Caspar John Fit Lieut A. P. K. Hattel'sley Capt H. S. Broad F. R. Walker Fit Lieut W. E. P. Johnson Wg Cd, J. ~L Robb Fit Licut E. A. Healy Fig Off E. C. T. Edwards Fig Off 1-1. H. Leech Fit LieutJ. G. D. Armour Capt E. W. Percival A. .1. Styran Fit Lieut E. H. Fielden Capt H. A. Brown

First place went to W. L. Hope at 124·25 mph-his third King's Cup win, second was E. H. Fielden at 156 mph, and third was "V. L. Runciman at 130 mph. The fastest time in the race was sel up by Harry Albert Brown in the yellow Avro 627 Mai1plane G-ABJM at 176 mph. The Siddcley 'I'rophy for 1932 went to \'V. L. Runciman, representing the Newcastle-upon-Tyne Aeroplane Club, for third place in the King's Cup at 130 mph. Two British military designs did well in their respective classes in the International Circuit of the Alps at Zurich, on 26 July, 1932. The course was a triangular one of 228 miles and in the two-scat class Capt van del' Linden of the Belgian Air Force came first at 160 mph flying a Fairey Fox; in the single-seat class Capt Silltic of the Yugoslav Air Force was first at 201 mph in a Hawker Yugoslav Fury, onc ofsix supplied during 1931. A double win occurred on 31 July, 1932, when, at Skcgness, both races were won by the Spartan Three-seater II G·ABTR. In each case L. A. Strange was the pilot to come first out of six starters at 100·25 mph in the 27 mile handicap over three laps of a nine-milc coursc, and first in the 120 milc handicap from Skegness to Tollerton and back, which had four starters. On I August, 1932, an endurance flight refuelled in the air began over the Solent from Clarence Pier, Southsea, with the Sara A.21 \VindhO\'er 240

A King's Cup entry of 1932, the Blackburn B·2 prototype G~ABU'V which was flown by FIg OffJ. \V. Gillan. (Blackburn.)

Fll Licut.J. G. D. Armour's aircraft in lhe 1932 King's Cup Race, the red Sal'o-Segrave l'v[eteor I G·AAXP. (Blackburn.)

G·ABUT. lhe black and gold D.H.83 Fox l\Ioth with which the King's Cup was won at 124·5 mph on 9 July, 1932, by \\T. L. Hope for his third win of the event. (de Havilland.)

241

The Sara A.21 \Vindhover G-ABJP City ofPortsmouth nown during August 1932, by the Han i\1[rs Victor Bruce in attempts on the world air-refuelled cndurance record. (Saunders.Roe.)

Fit Licut E. H. Fielden with the Comper G.L.A.7 Swifl G-AB''''\'V which he flew in the 1932 King's Cup Race.

G-ABJP Ciry if Portsmouth, designed by Henry Knowler, powered by three 120 hp Gipsy lIs and modified by the removal of its wheels and by the fitting of a special auxiliary aerofoil on struts above the engines. The \Vindhover's crew were the Hon Mrs Victor Bruce, her husband the Hon Victor Bruce and Fig Off J. B. W. Pugh. A Bristol Type 96A Fighter Mk.IV G-ABXA was the tanker, flown by Sydney William Sparkes. The \IVindhover took-off but came down after only two hours as various adjustments were found to be necessary. At 2.12 p.m. on 5 August, GABJP took-off on its second attempt, and this time Fit Sgt W. R. McCleery replaced Victor Bruce who was now aboard the refuelling F.2B. Once again, the attempt came to a premature end after] 5 hI' 40 min as fog prevented contact with the tanker aircraft. G-ABJP was airborne again on 9 August on its third attempt, with refuelling taking place over Suffolk to avoid the fog, but above-normal oil temperature forced the CilJ' of Portsmouth to alight after 54 hI' 13 min. On 3 August, 1932, Richard Allen left Heston on a solo flight attempt to Australia in the D.H.60G Gipsy Moth G-MUS with a 100 hp Gipsy I engine. He reached his destination in 6 weeks 5 days with arrival at \ Vyndham on 19 September, but not in record time. Bad weather with low cloud south of Cramlington was responsible for the postponement of the London-to-Newcastle Race from 28 lv[ay, 1932, unlil 18 June. Once again the date was altered, so that the event started on 6 August from Brooklands with eight aircraft setling out to fly the 264 242

miles to Cramlington. First place went to the Han Richard "'estenra piloting the D.H.60G Gipsy Moth G-ABJL at 118·75 mph, second came Walter Leslie Runciman on the Puss Moth G·ABLG, and Miss F. J. Crossley averaged 124 mph in the Swift G-ABUA to finish eleventh. Among the starters was the de Havilland-constructed Cierva C.24 autogyro G-ABLM-modified as the G26 with a two-blade rotor-with which R.A.C. Brie averaged 103·5 mph. At Cramlington on the same day, a local race of 25 miles was won by C. W. Duffie at 97·5 mph piloting the Gipsy Moth G-ABRD. Lieut-Cdr G. A. Hall took-off all 8 August, 1932, fi·0111 Croydon in the I 15 hp Hermes II Bluebird IV G-AAVG bound for Australia. He arrivcd at \'\lyndham on 1 September aftcr a night occupying 3 weeks 3

The Cierva C.24 G-ABLi\I-filted with a two-blade rotor and redesignated C.26-was flown in the London-to-Newcastle Race on 6 August, 1932, at 103·5 mph by R. A. C. Brie. (FI(e,ht International.)

243

days, and did not seL up a record for the route. The machine later became VH-UQZ. During her stay in Australia in 1930 Amy Johnson met James Allan Nlollison, and on 29 July, 1932, they were man-ied in London. At 10.35 a.m. on 18 August, 1932, Jim Mollison set off in the D.H.80A Puss Moth G-ABXY The Hearts Conlenl from Portmarnock Strand, north of Dublin. Named after a village in Newfoundland, the silver monoplane was equipped with a 160 gal fuel tank in the cabin to give a range of 3,600 miles, which necessitated moving the seat to the rear and the provision of a special door. The heavily-laden Puss iVloth rose from the stretch of sand and headed west across the Atlantic on the first east-to-west solo crossing of the Ocean. After covering 2,600 miles in 22~ hours Mollison brought G-ABXY to a landfall at Harbour Grace, Newfoundland, but flew on to Pennficld Ridge, New Brunswick, Lo land at 5.45 p.m. on 19 August after 31 hr 20 min in the air. Apart from being the firstlightplanc crossing of the North Atlantic, the flight was also the longest made nonstop by a light airel·ali. Twenty entries were received on 25 August, 1932, for the Folkestone Trophy Race, held at Lympne and won by the J20 hp Gipsy JJ I C.L.A.7 Swift G-AB\VH of the British Air Navigation Company of Heston, flown at J41 mph by A. J. Styran.

r On 16 September, 1932, C. F. Uwins piloted the silver Vickers Type 210 Vespa Mk. VIIG-ABIL Lo a new world altitude record of 43,976 ft. (Bristol Siddelcy.)

Amy .Mollison watches as her husband Jim prepares to lake-off in the Puss J\Joth G-ABXY The Hearts COil tent from Porlmarnock Strand, Dublin, on 18 August, 1932, for his solo flight across the Norlh Atlantic.

The Swift's designer, N. Compel', came in first at 149·75 mph on 3 September, 1932, in the 100 mile Inter-city Race beL\veen ~ifanchester and Liverpool. Fifteen entries were received and the winning 130 hp Gipsy ~1ajor C.L.A.7 Swift G-AB""V was finished in a Guards' colour scheme of red and blue. On 4 September, 1932, Sqn Ldr G. M. Buxton in a Slingsby Falcon I set a new British National Distance record for gliders by flying from Askam-in-Furness to Coniston, 13 miles away. At 1 p.m. on 16 September, 1932, a British attack on the Class C.I altitude record started at Filton. The aircraft was the Vickers Type 210 Vespa VII G-ABIL 0-5, powered by the 550 hp Bristol Pegasus S.3, and the pilot was C. F. Uwins, who took the silver biplane up to 43,976 ft to a new world record; the landing was just after 3 p.m. at Evesham. There were six starters on 18 September, 1932, in the Thanet Air Race at Ramsgate, for a total distance of 72 miles made up of three laps of a 24 mile triangular course. The Thanet Air Trophy went to the winner, and Louis Arbon Strange fiew the prototype Spartan Three-Seater II G-ABTR into first place at 96·5 mph, second place going to E. ,,yo Percival wiLh another new prototype, the silver 130 hp Cirrus Hermes IV Percival Gull Four G-ABUR. Both de Havilland and Percival did well on 24 September, 1932, in the Hillman Trophy Race. The course was from Maylands Aerodrome, Romford, to Clactol1, thence to Blue Barns and back to Romford. Out of seven starters, Hugh Buckingham came first for de Havilland piloting the D.H.83 Fox Moth G-ABYR at 110·75 mph and Edgar Percival flew the Gull Four G-ABUR into second place. The rest of the field included A. J. Pegg piloting a 504K, two S,\-ifts and a Desoutter monoplane. On 25 September, 1932, the Yorkshire Trophy Race over a total of 175·5 miles was run at Sherburn-in-Elmet, and Percival, flying the Gull Four G-ABUR, came in first at 136·5 mph, beating eight other machines. On the same day at Sherburn-in-Elmet the Short Handicap of 19 miles was run, the winner being "Nliss Constance Ruth Leathart in a D.H.60 Moth. Heston 011 12 October, 1932, was the starting point of another solo

244

2'15

,

England~to-Australia

attempt. The pilot was a Canadian, Jacques R. Hebert, and his machine a D.H.60M Moth CF-ADC, which landed at Darwin on 6 December after six weeks and six days, well outside of a record time. CF-ADC was subsequently sold in Australia and became VH-UQV. The London-to-Cardiff Race was run on 15 October, 1932, over the 120 miles between Heston and Splott Aerodromes, with nine starters which included four Swifts, the Gull Four G-ABUR, the Monospar S1'-4 G-ABVP and Puss Moth G-ABOF. The winner at 116·75 mph was M. D. L. Scott piloting the Puss Moth G-ABOF, and A. C. M. Jackaman flew the ST-4 G-ABVP to fifth place. The South Africa-to-England record was attacked when Victor C. Smith, a 19-year-old South African pilot, left Cape Town at midnight on 12-13 November, 1932, flying the D.H.60G Gipsy Moth G-ACBU. He landed at Croydon on 24 November, but the time of over II days was outside a new record. Mrs J. A. i\1011ison left Lympnc at 6.37 a.m, on 14 November, 1932, piloting the 130 hp Gipsy Major D.H.80A Puss Moth G-ACAB Desert Cloud and arrived at Cape Town at 3.31 p.m. on 18 November after 4 days 6 hr 54 min, having covered 6,200 miles and beaten her husband's time by ]0 hr 28 min. \t\Tith one new record to her credit, Mrs Mollison set off from Cape Town at 7 a,m. on 11 December, 1932, in the Desert Cloud with the intention of beating the record in the opposite direction. After encountering bad weather on the journey, she landed at Croydon at 12.5 p.m. on 18 December, with a new time of 7 days 7 hr 5 min for the route. Only a month after Mrs i\1011ison had set up her new record from England to South Africa, it was under attack from Victor Smith who discarded his Gipsy Moth G-ACBU in favour of the faster 75 hp Pobjoy R Swift G-ABRE, which had belonged to C. A. Butler. Smith left Croydon at 4 p.m. on 15 December, 1932, but crashed at St Malo and gave up the attempt. Immediately after Christmas, the London Air Park, Hanworth, was the scene of some unusual air racing on 27 December, 1932. A pylon race was held using one class of aeroplane, the first four Drones-Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 4-designed by C. H. Lowe Wylde and built by B.A.C. at i\1aidstone during 1932. The machines ·were single-seat, ultra-light, pusher monoplanes, powered by the 600 cc Douglas flat-twin. The racing motorist Kaye Don competed against Fit Lieut G. H. Stainforth who beat him, and Kaye Don thcn flew against C. \'V. A. Scott \-vho also beat him. Others who raced in the Drones included C. I-I. Lowe \/VyIde, C. J. Longmore, FIt Lieut H. H. Leech, FIt Lieut E. D. Ayre, W. H. Andrews, :~\i1rs Victor Bruce and vVg Cdr H. l\if. Probyn. A race was rUll between the horse Ebo1' ridden by the Master of Scmpill and C. \IV. A. Scott on a Drone; Ebor was given haIfa lap start over the Drone and won. A second race run between the horse, again \vith the i\1aster of Scmpill in the saddle, and FIt Lieut Stainforth on a Drone, \"las won by the aircraft. During 1932, the prototype Handley Page H.P.34 Hare J8622-a twoseat, high-altitude, day bomber built to Specification 23J25-was sold to J. N. Addinsell and registered as G-ACEL for a projected long-distance flight, which did not take place.

f

I

At 3.10 a.m. all 7 January, 1933, at the Fairey A.erodromc at Hayes a Puss Moth took-off on a solo long-distance attempt. The machine was CF-APK with H. J. L. Hinkler, setting off to try to beat Scott's record to Australia. Those on the airfield were the last to see him alive, for Ka1'ohi crashed on 7 April and was not found until 28 April wrecked in the Appenines near Pratomagno in Italy. The next attack on Mrs Mollison's England-to-South Africa record was by Lady Bailey who set off at 2.35 a.m. on 15 January, 1933, from Croydon, in the silver D.H.80A Puss Moth G-AAYA. She was reported missing, but was found on 19 January 12 miles southwest of Babau, 300 miles to the west of the River Niger, having landed there after drifting to the east of her course. Lady Bailey abandoned her attempt on the record and started back for England on 21 January, landing at Lympne on 14 February, 1933. At 7.15 a.m. on 6 February, 1933, the Fairey Long-range l\10noplane Mk.Il KI991 took-off from Cranwell for Africa, piloted by Sqn Ldr O. R. Gayford, accompanied by FIt Lieut G. E. Nicholetts-replacing Fit Lieut D. L. G. Bett who had died on 17 January, 1933. After 57 hr 25 min the machine landed at 4.40 p.m. on 8 February at \t\'alvis Bay. The distance flown nonstop of 5,309'24 miles, at an average speed of nearly 93 mph, set a new world record. On 12 February K1991 flew on to Cape Town, taking seven hours, and was then overhauled at Roberts Heights, Pretoria. A new Lion was installed, the starting magneto and wheel brakes were put back into place, and K1991 then flew back to England to land at Farnborough on 2 May, 1933. At 8.12 a.m. on 6 February, 1933,J. A. Mollison took-off from Lympne in the Puss Moth G-ABXY The fJearts Content with Port Natal, Brazil, as his destination. Reaching Dakar he left the airfield at Thies, and 3 days 10 hr 8 min after leaving Lympnc, The I-fearts Content landed at 6.20 a.m. on 9 February, after a total flight of 4,600 miles. Mollison had now made the first solo Alght to South America, was the first pilot to have flown solo across both the North and South Atlantic and had completed the first solo

The silver Faircy

Long~rangc IVfonoplane lvlk. II Kl991 which, flown by Sqn Ldr O. R. Gayford and Flt Lieut G. E. Nicholetts, on 6-8 Fcbruary, 1933, set up a new nonstop world long-distance l'ecord of 5,309'24 miles from England to South Africa. (Fail"{!)")

247

-r~"" The Puss 1\loth G-ABXY The Hearts CQntent at Port KataL Brazil, on 9 February, 1933, after Jim ?\lo11ison's flight across the South Atlanlic in 17 hl" 110 min.

ve."""

00

"0' "'0',

,,~.

"mod W ,,,,, " 'moo," passed while the ail'craft was repaired. The next take-off on the flight to England was from Dum Dum, Calcutta, on 23 May, and the wIoth arrived at Croydon on 21 June, to complete the first Hight by a woman from I\ustralia to England. Capt \V. N. Lancaster was the ne-xt pilollO try to reduce Amy i\10Ilison's lime from England to the Cape, selling off from Lympne at 5.38 a.m. on II April, 1933, in the Avian V G-ABLK which had been Kingsford Smith's VH-UQG but which retained the name Southern Cross IMinor on the fuselage. Lancaster reached Oran at9 p.m. on the same day, and on 12 April he took-off f!"Om Adrar for Gao. Later on 12 April he landed at Aoulef to verify his direction and then, at Reggan, departed and disappeared. The end of G-ABLK remained a mystery for nearly 29 years until, in February 1962, a French Army motorized Sahara patrol came

flight across the South Atlantic from east to we::it. His cros::iing of the South Atlantic was made in the record time of 17 hr 40 min. Victor Smith set off again for Cape Town in the C.L.A.7 Swift G-ABRE from Southampton in the morning of 7 February, 1933, but his second attempt ended on 8 February at Oran when the SwirL crashed in the dark, with slight injuries to the pilot and substantial damage to his aircraft. G-ABRE was repaired within a month, and at 2 a.m. on 9 March, 1933, the Swift took-off from Lympne all Smith's third attempt to the Cape. The flight went smoothly in excellent timc, until G-ABRE was forced by shortage of petrol to land at Vanrhynsdorp in South Africa after 3 days 21 hr. Smith was only 130 miles away from Cape Town but was unable to obtain petrol in time to enable him to complete the flight in record time. For somc months before the spring of 1933, preparations were made for the first flight over the 29,028 ft high peak of Mount Everest. This was made on 3 April, and the two aircraft involved were both \IVestland biplanes-the 525 hp Pegasus IS3 P.V.3 G-ACAZ, piloted by Sqn Ldr the Marquis of Douglas and Clydesdale accompanied by L. V. S. Blacker as cinematographer and the 655 hp Pegasus IV P.V.6 G·ACBR, with FIt Lieut D. F. :NIcIntyre as pilot and S. R. Bonnet as cinematographer. In 1933 Miss]ean Batten, a 23·year-old New Zealander, came into the news as a long-distance record aspirant. She had learned to ny in England in 1929 at the London Aeroplane Club at Stag Lane for her A licence, had taken her B licence there in 1931 and set off on 9 April, 1933, from Lympne, flying her secondhand D.H.60M Gipsy !vIoth G-AALG--owned originally by HRH the P"ince of \ Vales-with the intcntion of reaching New Zealand. In eight days she had reached India but crashed three miles from Karachi on 16 April while making a forced landing after the breakage of a connecting-rod. She was injured slightly and the flight was abandoned. An Australian pilot, :NIl'S HalTY B. Bonney, piloting the D.H.GOG Gipsy Moth which Fit Lieut C. \1'. Hill had Oo\\'n to Australia as G-ABE"i at the end of 1930 and whieh was now registered VH-UPV, left Brisbane for England on 10 April, 1933. She departed from the Australian mainland on 15 April, leaving from Darwin, but, anCI" taking-off from Alor

First over fvlounl Everest, the \Vestland P.V.3 G-ACAZ flown above lhesummit on 3 April, 1933, by Sqn Ldr the l\1arquis ofDol.lglas and Clydesdale. (JVestland.)

~411

249

The \¥estland P.V.6 G-ACBR with \vhich Fit Licl.lt D. F. l'vfcIntyre flew over Mount Everest on 3 April, 1933.

r

Amy and Jim i\lollison in front of the special Dragon G-ACCV Seafarer, before the abortive take-off from Croydon on 8June, 1933, on their transatlantic attempt.

across the wrecked aircraft and ils pilot's remains 170 miles south of Reggan in Algeria. On 20 May, 1933, at Brooklands, a Vertical Interception Race was held. The 'finishing line' consisted of R. A. C. Brie hovering at 3,000 ft in an autogyro, and the competitors had to climb up to him on a handicap basis, the first to pass the autogyro being the winner. The winner was Laurance Lipton piloting the racing D.H.60G III Moth Major G-ABVW, powered by a 120 hp Gipsy III and which was previously Amy Mollison's]asol! 4. The President's Cup was awarded to the winner of the Ladies' Race at "'oodley, Reading, on 28 May, 1933. Only two entries were received, and the winner on a ~vroth at 95 mph was NIiss J. E. Giles after her competitor, Mrs Elise Battye in her Moth G-AAYL, had been disqualified for missing a turn on the triangular course. On 28 May, the race for the Coupe Deutsch de la Meurthe was to have been held in France, but it was postponed until 29 May, 1933. The course from La Beaucc, southeast of Paris, layover two laps, each of 386·4 miles. Britain was represented by N. Compel' with the 130 hp Gipsy Major C.L.A.7 Swift G-ABWW, the engine of which had been boosted. George Aversing won and the Swift was third at 141·5 mph in 8 hI' 46 min 23 sec. One of the new airliners entering service wilh Imperial Airways was the Armstrong ',Vhitworth A."V.XV Atalanta class of monoplane, and on 29 May, 1933, G-ABTL Astra,a, piloted by Capt ]. V. Prendergast, left Croydon for Australia on a survey flight with Maj H. G. Braekley in charge. Darwin was reached on 20 June and Melbourne on 29 June. The return journey, which started from Melbourne on 2 July and from Darwin on I July, 1933, was made in two-thirds of the time, the Astraea ~anding at Croydon on 24 July without having set up any record for the Journey. Eighteen entries were received for the lVIomillg Post Race which was run on 5 June, 1933, over a 500 mile total distance with a three-lap course of which the start and finish were at Heston. The event was won by a Puss Moth-G-ABWA flown by F. R. Walker at 122·5 mph-and among the competitors was an autogyro, which R. A. C. Brie flew into twelfth place A Swift was the winner of the two-lap race at Sy\Vell on 5 June, 1933, when-out of five entries-A. H. Cook flew G-AB"VW into first place, second place going to C. B. Thompson with the Parnall Pixie III mono~ plane G-EB]G. Having for some time flown individually on their record breaking Aights,Jim and Amy Mollison teamed up for an attack on the world longdistance record with the start scheduled from New York. Their aircraft was a de Havilland D.H.84 Dragon I powered by a pair of 130 hp Gipsy Major Is, and the all-black G-ACCV Seafarer was fitted with an additional fuel tank in the cabin and a strengthened undercarriage. Before the main attempt, Seafarer was to make a nonstop flight across the Atlantic from east to west, starting from Croydon on 8 June, 1933, but the take~off was never made as the landing gear collapsed while taxi-ing out. The vertical style of race was repeated at Heston on 10]une, 1933, and was won by A. J. Styran on the Percival Gull G-ACAL, which was first to reach the hovering autogyro. 1\n Avro 631 Cadet was the winner on 10 June, 1933, when Charles

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251

Jim l'vIollison runs up the Gipsy :rvIajor engines of the Dragon Seafarer.

°

ora new landing gear stopped \\foods from leaving Bandal' Abbas until 11 August, and he arrived at Croydon on 17 August. Hatfield was the starting point for the 1933 King's Cup Race, run on 8 July over a course which included Henlo\\' and Upp~r Heyfor?, finishing at Hatfield. This veal' the event had been altered 1I1to a senes of three short-course races ~f approximately 224, 207 and 195 miles respectively, with a final fourth race of 206 miles for eight finalists. 'The 35 entrants consisted of:

The unique Spartan Clipper G·ACEG piloled by Lieut-Col. L. A. Strange, right, in the 1933 King's Cup Race. (Flighlllliemalional.)

"

Aircraft

Registration

Pilo[

D.H.BOA Puss ~Ioth D.H.BOA Puss i\Ioth D.H.BOA Puss :\loth D.H.BOA Puss ?loth Active 2 C.L.A.7 Swift Southern t>.lartlet Tomtit Tomtil Tomtit Gull Six Spartan Clipper Miles r\'1.2 Hawk D.H.60GlJl Moth D.H.aOA Puss i\lolh Cull Four Active I Hendy 302 l'vlonospar ST-6 C.L.A.7 Swife D.H.84 Dragon 1 D.H.B5 Lcopal'd l'vloth D.H.85 Leopard Moth C.L.A.7 Swift C. L.A. 7 Swift C.L.A.7 Swift Gull Foul' D. H.85 J .copard Moth D.H.BOA Puss Moth D.H.fiOGI I 1 Moth J)csou ttcr r C.L.A.7 Swift C.L.A.7 Swift Gull Four D.H.BOA Puss Moth

G-.-\.-\ '{A

Han Lady l\L Bailey Fit Licut A. P. K. Hancrslcy A. C. S. Irwin A. ~1. Diamant FIg Off H. H. Leech A. Henshaw T. C. Sanders FIg Off P. E. C. Sayer Fit Licul P. W. S. Bulman G. E. Lowdcll Capl E. W. Percival Lieut-Col I.. A. Strange Wg Ccl!' H. M. Prob)'l1 L. Lipton W. L. Runciman G. R. A. Elsmie Fit Lieul E. A. Healy C. S. Napicr . Fil Lieut H. M. Schofield Capl W. L. Hope Capt H. S. Broad Capt G. de Havilland Mrs A. S. Butlel' Fil Lieu! Eo C. T. Edwards F. R. Walker FIt Lieut G. H. Stainforlh AVM A. E. Borton A. J. Slyran

G-ABDF G-ABLS G-AB,W G-ABVE G-ACGL G-ABIF G-ABOD G-ABAX G-AASI G-ACHA G-ACEC G-ACH] C-ABVW G-ABLG C-ACGR C-ABIX

Exton Gardner came first in G-ABYC out of seven entries in the 30 mile race at Grimsby. The race for the SHAC Challenge Cup for 1933 was held on 17 June, over a course of 108 miles from Shoreham to Bristol. The entry list of eight comprised seven :iv[oths and one Swift-G-ABZZ-out of which the 85 hp A.D.C. Cirrus II D.H.60 Moth G-EBMQ, piloted by R. F. Hall, came first at 75 mph. On 17 June, 1933, the 26 mile Open Handicap Race was held between Leeds and Bradford Municipal Aerodromes and was won by FIg Off S. A. Thorn on a Gipsy Moth. On 21 June, 1933, the Avro Ten VH-UXX Faith ill Allstralia left Sydney for England in an attempt to set up a new record. !)owered by three 330 hp Wright Whirlwind J6-7s, the monoplane was originally VH-UMI Southern ,Moon of Australian National Ainvays, and its crew consisted of C. T. P. Ulm, P. G. Taylor and G. U. Allen. Take-oIl' point from the Australian mainland was Derby on 23]une, but a forced landing was made atJask in Persia, where a broken piston caused some delay and deprived the Faith ill Australia of any chance of setting up a new record. Eventually, VH-UXX arrived at Heston on 10 July, having taken 17 days from Derby. The 1933 RAP Display was held at Hendon on 24 June, and the 28 mile Headquarters Race was over two laps of 14 miles each. Out of nine entrants, FIt Lieut S. N. ''''ebster came first piloting a Hawker Hart at 149 mph. Flying in civil markings was the 300 hp Hispano-Suiza Bristol Type 17A J'.2B Fighter G-EBIO, and on I July, 1933, it came first out of 13 entries in the race from Speke Aerodrome, Liverpool, to Blackpool and back. The Fighter's pilot was FIt Lieut D. V. Ivins, who won by four seconds at 114·25 mph. Another attack on the Australia-to-England record started at I a.m. on 7 July, 1933, when the D.H.60G Gipsy 1\'[oth VH-UPD Spirit if Western Australia Jeft Broome, \\'estern Australia, piloted by James "'oods. Throughout the flight troubles included forced landings, mechanical failurcs and delays caused by bad weather, and the collapse of the undercarriage on the take-off from BandaI' Abbas on 27 July. An installation

Geoffrey de Havilland's win at 139·51 mph was in the blaek and gold prototype D.H.85 Leopard Moth G-ACHD which had made iLs first flight at Stag Lane on 27 May, also piloLed by de Havilland. Second place went to Fit Licut E. C. T. Edwards at 127 mph, and A. J. Styran was third at 139 mph. Among the new designs, the Spartan Clippcr G-ACEG was an elegant 34 ft span low-wing cabin monoplanc, deSigned by Harry Edgar Bmadsmith, and powered by a 75 hp Pobjoy R; it averaged 93'2~ mph in the race. The IVliles :1\11.2 Hawk G-ACHJ was the first production example, and the Nlonospar 81'-6 G-ACGl was a version or the ST-4, equipped with a retractable undercarriage and with modified nose profile to improve accommodation.

252

253

G·AAVT

C-ACGl C-ABWH G·ACFG C-ACHD G-ACI-IB G-ABUU C-ACBY G-ABWW G-ACGP C-ACHC G-ABOF C-ACCW C-AAPZ G-ABWE C-AB]R G-ABUR G-ABYW

M. D. L. St:Ott

Hon R. \'\'eslenra Fit Lieut E. D. Ayl'c Capl T. N. Slack R. Bannister Fit Lieut J. G. D. Armour T. Campbell Black

.

from Pendine Sands nonstop to Bridgeport, Connecticut, in 39 h1' on 22-24 July, 1933.

The lVIollisons' Seafarer was repaired within four weeks after its accident at Croydon on 8 June, but it was decided that the 1,200 yards available at Croydon for take-off did not offer a sufficient margin of safety, and Pendine Sandsin "Vales became the point ofdeparture for a second attempt on the Atlantic flight which was planned forabout 7july, 1933. Bad weather over the ocean brought about postponement until 22July, 1933, when-at noon-G-ACCV took-off in 47 seconds with a run of938 yards. Twentyfour hours later land was sighted, but the ~ifollisons' object was to complete the night to ::\Tew York with a further 1,100 miles to cover. Owing to headwinds their petrol was lower than planned, and after 39 hI' in the air a landing was made at Bridgeport, Connecticut, on 24 July but downwind in error, and the Dragon turned over twice, both Jim and Amy NIoIlison being injured. Seafarer was wreckcd and-after souvenir hunters had stripped it of cverything removable-beyond repair, but Lord \ Vakefield agreed to provide £4,000 for a new Dragon to be built quickly to enable the Nfollisons to leave New York on their attempt to set up a new world long-distance record by flying to Baghdad. Wg Cdr H. M. Probyn flew the first production Miles M.2 Hawk G-ACl-IJ, in the Wakefield Cup Race-held during the Lympnc International Air Rally of 22-23 July, 1933 and, out of 10 starters, came in first at 115·5 mph. I nternational Air Races were proposed for Portsmouth on 4, 5 and 7 August, 1933. The contests were to be pylon events around a circular course of I 0 miles with three sections, consisting of Class A for aircraft with unlimited engine capacity and a minimum top speed of 170 mph, Class B for aircraft with engines of up to 8· 75 litres and a minimum top speed of 160 mph, and Class C for aircraft with engines of up to 6 litres and a minimum top speed of 150 mph. The idea was abandoned, but, in expectation of the holding of the Portsmouth International Air Races, Basi! B. Henderson prepared the layout for the Hendy 3303, a low-wing wooden cabin monoplane seating two in tandem, powered by a Napier Javelin engine and with a fixed undercarriage-retractable in an alternative design-which was expected to have a maximum speed of over 200 mph and a landing speed of 60 mph. Two events were held at Ganton, Scarbol'Ough, on 7 August, 1933, the first of which had seven entrants and was the 127 mile Around-theRidings Race. First was C. H. Tutt flying a Moth at 102 mph, and the winner of the 36 mile Around-the-Houses Race-three laps of 12 miles each-was Alex Henshaw at 127·5 mph in the Swift G-ACGL, beating five others. Rochester Regatta, held on the Medway on 12 August, 1933, included an unusual race between John Lankester Parker in the Short Mussel II G-AAFZ, equipped with a single central float, and Arthur Bray in a Chriscraft speedboat; the same contest was repeated off Sheerness on 6 September. The 1933 London-to-Newcastle Race "'as run on 12 August, starting at Brooklands and finishing at Cramlington. First at 125·25 mph was Richard Westenra piloting the single-seat 130 hp Gipsy Major D.H.60GIII Moth G·ACCW, and G. H. Stainforth in Ihe Swift G-ABUU came third. On 19 August, 1933, G. E. Collins set up a British National Gain of Height record of 1,750 ft at Dunstable, piloting a Professor glider and on 22

254

255

The black and gold D.H.85 Leopard Moth G-ACHD which Capt Geoffrey de Havilland Aew into first place in the King's Cup Race at 139·51 mph on B .lui}', 1933. (de Havilland.)

The Sidde1ey Challenge Trophy, awarded on 8 July in conjunction with the King's Cup Race, was won by Alex Henshaw; over the 830·8 miles he averaged 127·78 mph. The Yorkshire Trophy Race was run on 16july, 1933, at Sherburn-inElmet; first was C. E. Gardner piloting the Avro 631 Cadet G-ABYC at 112·5 mph. Three laps of six miles each for the 18 miles of the Sherburn Short Handicap were covered at 94·25 mph by L. A. Strange in the Spartan Clipper G-ACEG for first place. A Leopard Moth won the London-to-Cardiff Race on 22 july. The pilot was A. J. Styran, flying G-ACHC, and he averaged 136·75 mph out of the ninf' entrants who started from Heston.

Seafarer, the black D.H.84 Dragon G-ACCV flown by Amy and Jim l\Iollison

August, Collins new the Professor from Dunstable to South IVlimms to establish a British National Distance record of 19 miles. Seventeen entries-six Swifts, FIt Lieut D. V. Ivins's Bristol 1".2B Fighter G-£1310, a Gull, Moths, Avian, Cadet and Puss ~10th-competed on 26 August, 1933, for the Folkestone Aero Trophy Race at Lympne, won by K. H. F. Waller at 103 mph piloting the D.H.60G Gipsy Moth G·ABOG. The Around-the-Tsle of \Vight Race on 6 September, 1933, had eight entrants but only five started on the 108 mile circuit, the winner-at 102·25 mph-being Sir Charles Rose in a 100 hp Gipsy I D.H.60G Gipsy ~Iroth.

The .Nlollisons' new Dragon I G-AC],NI, named Seafarer /1 and again painted black but with a green and orange fuselage trimming line, was shipped across the Atlantic in September 1933, but its take-off point on the world long-distance record attempt to Baghdad was changed again from l\ew York to \Vasaga Beach, Georgian Bay, on Lake Huron, Ontario. On 3 October, 1933, the Dragon, with 608 gal of fuel aboard, made two runs of nearly three miles each along the beach but failed to lake·olT. On its third attempt, Seafarer 11 rose a few feet only and the l\1011isons then gave up trying to take-off in the prevailing slight cross-wind and abandoned the Right. At 5.28 a.m. on 4 October, 1933, Sir Charles Kingsford Smith left Lympne on a solo Aight to Australia in the 130 hI' Gipsy Major Percival Gull Four G·ACJV Miss Southern Cross and, at 5.12 p.m. on II Octobe,', after 7 days 4 hr 44 min, G·ACJV landed at Wyndham 10,000 miles away, the holder of a new record for the route. Lcaving Heston on 9 October, 1933, the Spartan Air Lines Spartan Cruiser 1I G·ACDW Faithful Ciry took·olT for Australia from Lympne on 10 October. On board the monoplane, powered by three 130 hp Gipsy Majors, wcre the pilot P. W. Lynch-Blosse-the chief pilot of Spartan Air Lines, Lord Apsley, Capt "Y\!, P, Crawford Green and a mechanic, setting out on the longest charter flight so far. The Australian mainland was reached on 27 October, with a landing at vVyndham, and G-ACD\t\T flew on to reach Sydney on 30 October. On the return night the Faitliful Cif)' left \tVyndham on 21 November and Derby on 3 December, arriving at St Osyth, Clacton, Essex, on 26 December, having covered 32,000 miles in 7 ,..,reeks. At 10.30 p.m. on 12 October, 1933, from the Faircy Great \IVest Aerodrome at Hayes the Avro T'en VH-UXX Faith £n Australia Look-off for Australia with its crew ofC. T. P. VIm, P. G. Taylor, G. U. Allen and]. Edwards. Covering 10,000 miles in 6 days 17 hr 45 min, lo land al 4.15 p.m. on 19 October at Derby, Western Australia} it was a record flight which took I 15 hI' flying time. The intention had been to make a flight around the world but, after reaching Portmarnock Strand to prepare for the flight across the North Atlantic, on 27 July the aircraft was damaged when the undercarriage collapsed while taxi-ing away from the incoming tide. By the time that the Faith in Australia was repaired, weather conditions had deteriorated and the crew decided to return to Australia. In an attempt on the solo record to Austl-alia, Capt Henry Shaw took-off from Croydon in the twin 85 hp Pobjoy R
of the Asiatic Petroleum Company on 23 OClober, 1933. The attempt ended at Shaibah, Iraq, where the machine was damaged; it was then shipped back to England. At 4.25 a.l11. on 20 january, 1934, the Indian pilot rvlan l\10han Singh left Croydon for Cape Town in an attempt on the record. His aircraft was the Miles M.2B Hawk, lately G-ACKW and rc·rcgistered as VT·AES, which had been converted into a long-range single-seater, complete with a sliding coupe top taken from a Fox Moth. VT-AES's engine was a 120 hp A.D.C. Cirrus Hermes IV mounted inverted, but the need to retain the same thrust-line resulted in an awkward and ugly upper cowling profile. The flight ended when the Hawk crashed and was badly damaged during a forced landing near Carcomb, Vaucluse, south of Paris, one of the pilot's legs being fractured in two places. On 18 March, 1934, at Dunstable Downs, two records were set up by Philip Aubrey Wills nying a Professor glider. The British National Gain of Height was increased to 3,800 ft} and the British National Distance record became 56 miles with a night to Latchingdon, Essex. The route from England to Australia was selected as the course for the air race Lo celebrate the Centenary of the State of Victoria, sponsored by lhe Australian chocolate millionaire Sir MacPherson Robertson with a £500 gold cup and five cash prizes totalling £15,000. As a preliminary to their entry in the Mac.Robertson Race-as it became known-Bernard Rubin and K. H. F. \Valler set off from Lympne on 22 !vlarch, )934, on a survey flight of the route using the 130 hI' Gipsy :Major D.H.85 Leopard ~10th G-ACLX, with which they rcached Darwin on 6 April after 15 days on the trip. Rubin and \Valler set off in G-ACLX on the 10,000 mile return Aight from Darwin on 23 April, arriving at Lympne on I :May in the record time of 8 days 12 hr. On 28 iVlarch, 1934, at dawn, I-I. L. Brook left Lympne in the Puss ?l.1oth G-ABXY, which had been Jim t\101lison's The 11earts COl/tent, in an attempt on the record to Australia. A few hours later, ice forming on the wings at 12,000 ft caused him to crash in fog and deep snow on l\10unt Loziere, near Genholac in the Cevennes, and the flight was abandoned. On 22 April, 1934,]ean Batten took-off from Lympne 011 her second

256

257

The Avro Ten VH-UXX Faith ill AIlstralia which flew from England to Australia in record time during OClober 1933. (Qalllas.)

attempt on the Englandwto-Australia record, rlying the 100 hp Gipsy I D. H.60M Moth G-AARB. Owing to lack of petrol, she had to make a forced landing in a small field at Rome. Slight damage to the Moth ended the flight and the silver G-AARB was flown back to England, to be rea.dy for her to leave Lympne two days later on 8 .May, 1934, for her thud attempt. Although monsoon weather was encountered on the stage from

'''learing a pith helmec,]ean Batten takes-oIT from Darwin on 24 t../fay, 1934, for Sydney at the end of her flight from England to Australia in the D. H.601Vl Gipsy

Moth G-AARB.

Rangoon, G-AARB landed at Darwin on 23 May, after taking 14 days 22 hr 30 min for the 10,000 miles and having beaten Amy 1vlollison's time by over four clays. On 27 :NIay, 1934, the race for the Coupe Deutsch de la Meurthe was run over the course from Etampes to :NIendesir. The total of 1,242 miles was made up of two sections of 621·37 miles each over the triangular route of 63·12 miles, with a break of one hour between each section. There was one British competitor-the high-compression 146 hp Gipsy Major Compel' Streak G-ACNe, a new single-seat, low-wing racing monoplane designed specially for the event by N. Compel', who took the machine for its first flight at Heston on 12 April, 1934. The Streak was of wooden construction, was equipped with a retractable undercarriage folding rearwards into the 23 ft 6 in span wings and was capable of a top speed of well over 170 mph. Comper completed the first section in the morning by flying 10 laps at 172·7 mph with the undercarriage retracted, but, in the afternoon, while competing in the second section, the wheels would not stay folded away and the Streak retired after six laps. After Sir Charles Kingsford Smith's record flight of October 1933, the Gull Four G-ACJV ll1iss Southern Cross stayed in Australia and, from 8 December, 1933, became VH-CKS, using its owner's initials in the new registration. One of his associates, P. G. Taylor, used VH-CKS on a record solo flight from Sydney to Batavia and back. Leaving Sydney on 14 June, 1934, he took-off from Wyndham onl7 June-instead of 16June as planned-and flew on to Koepang and Sourabaya, to arrive at Batavia on 18June. Taylor collected photographs of the First Test Match, which had been flown there from England by KLM on 21 June, and the Gull left on the same day to return to Sydney. At 5.05 p.m. on 22 June, Taylor landed at Wyndham and then flew on to Sydney, so that the photographs were published on 25 June. The ten single-seat and two-seat types taking part in the Headquarters Race at the RAF Display on 30 June, 1934, included a Hawker Nimrod, Osprey, Hart, Fury Mk.I, Audax, Bristol Bulldog and Siskin IlIA. The 28 mile COHrse from Hendon consisted of two laps of 14 miles each and the winner was Sqn Ldr Arthur Mostyn \IVray piloting the Nimrod. The King's Cup Race for 1934 was held at Hatfield on 13-14 July. The course was 798 miles, and the first day's racing-in very poor weathcrconsisted of the two eliminating rounds. From the six heats of the first round, 24 aircraft went into the four heats of the second round. From these, 14 machines passed into the two heats of the semi-final run on 14 July, and 10 of these raced in the single heat final later in the same day. The list of 41 aircraft consisted of: Aircraft D.H.GOGIII

Jean Batten attends to the Gipsy engine of her i\foth GwAARB at Darwin before leaving for Sydney on 24 i\lay, 1934-.

258

~Ioth

1\Iajor

D.H. T.K.I C.L.A.7 Swift D.H.85 Leopard Moth Tomtit Tomtit Tomtit Compel' Kite D.1-I.83 Fox i\foth D.H.aS Leopard t>.foth

Registration G-ACPH G-ACTK G-ABWv\' G-ACLO C-AASI G-ABAX G-ABOD C-AC~IE

G-ACSIV G-ACHC

259

PUot T. A. K. Aga G. R. de Havilland A. H. Cook

A. Henshaw W. H. Sutcliffe Wg Cdr J. 'y\,. Woodhouse G. E. Lowdell FIt Lieut E. A. Healy H. F. Broadbent T. W. i\forlon

The Airspeed AS.5C Courier G-AC~Z, fitted with a 325 hp Tapier Rapier IV engine, flown in the 1934 King's Cup event by Air Viee-nlarshal A. E. Borton. (Flight International.)

One of the three ne\~' Compel' designs in the 1934 King's Cup Race, the 1\louse .G-ACIX flown by E. H. :\"cwman. (Flight International.)

A 1934 King's Cup entry, the Camper Kite G-ACME flown by FIt LicHt E. A. Healy. (Fli.~hl Illtemotional.)

On the South Strand, Tenby, Robin Cazalct's Monospar ST-4 G-ACHU which he flew in the 1934 King's Cup Race. (Photo from Gillian Ca;:alet.)

Fit Lieul i\". Compel' in the Compel' Streak C-ACNC. his mount in the 1934 King's Cup Race. (Flight 11lIemalion(JI.)

The first product of the de Havilland Technical School, the T.K.l G-ACTK, which G. R. de Havilland flew into fifth place in lhe King's Cup Race of 1934. (Hawker Sidd,/ry.)

260

261

The King's Cup Race introduced the de H}lvillan~ D.H.87 )Hornct Moth prototype G-AC'TA and the D. H.89 Dr>,gO:' SIX G-ACI M, the second to be built. A third de HaVilland machlO e \\as the T~K.I blpl~ne G-ACTK, the first original design constructed by the firm s ~echmcal School at Stag Lane and which was fifth at 124'21 mph. ~Vl~ three Swifts in the King's Cup were three new Compel' eSlgns..1.. omper flew the Streak but was forced to land at Witter' n g af~r ~~el:gll~. 175·5 mph, the two-seat Kite G-ACME eqUIpped vV lt h t. e p lagara sy Major Mouse averaged 143,5 mph, and the three-seat 130 liP G-ACIX averaged 132·75 mph. The prototype Pelelval Me\~ Gull E.I G-ACND in the race was the first of six exarflples to be bUlIt. In Its "" . first flO . h 1934 at Gravesend the ongmal state for Its - 19h t on 22 i\' 1 '~alC, ] 6; h N . - J ' r white 24 ft span ~1cw Gull ,,'as pow~red by thC bPI 2a6~c~ ~~ In lA but for the King's Cup the Javelm was replacle ya. .Ph 'psy . ' and the undercarriage "b StX, ecame a' simpI'· e.l, c eaner .umt Wit spats abbreviated at the rear end and with a single br03:d-chold. strut for each unit mounted beneath revised sharply-tapered \~lI1lgs of 1l1c reas'ed root chord and decreased tip chord. In the race, PetClflva avreraged l 9I 1 mdph. E During the summer of 1934 John GriersoJ' ~w h r~mAciit~ b to Canada by the Arctic route in the D.H.83 Fo" f not - d b ShO ert .h . 0 - oats rna e y art Bruce; the yellow biplane was fi"ltte d WIt a paIr 20 JIG" fl Brothers. Leaving the Medway at Rochester OJl r u y, k.l1c:kson h.ew · on 23 J t I IY ,or. R ey Jav,. 'w. lch nonstop to Londonderry before Ieavmg h . h d 10 h' 1 t . 0 taking off a few daYS latel, one of the wmgs e leac e 1 a el. n ' " t, There was a delay of and a float were damaged by contact WIth a bo~ . some three weeks while Grierson returned to J~...Jlgland2tlo Aobtam ha nlc\C" . d fl . d but on ugust e e t wmg .and. to have the puncture oat reparre , f G reen Ian d h e b ecame ., Reykjavik for Greenland. A rnvmg at t h e coast 0 .' . lost and had to ali ht in Agerderdussag Fjord, some 20 mIles from hIS " g I'k r ,d d eslmalton of Angmagssa t -. G"·· tiel son was lOW 1 after a search b k and . set off again twice-on 23 and 24 August-but hu L to turn ac o\V1l1g to

?"I.p

The King's Cup winner of 1934, the .Monospar S1'-10 G-ACTS flown by Fit Licut H. ~1. Schofield at 134·16 mph. (Flight JlllernatiolllJl.) Aircraft D.H.BS Leop'lrd Moth Southern Martlet Monospar ST-4 Monospal' ST-I 0 D.H.85 Leopard rdOlh

Blaekbum B-2 C.L.A.7 Swift Percival Mew Gull l\1iles lvl.2E Gipsy Six Hawk

Desoutter

I

Compel' Mouse D.H.a2A Tiger Moth D.H.aOA Puss Moth Gull Four Hendy 281 Hobo D.H.aS Leopard ~'Ioth Gull Six D.H.a? Hornet Moth Monospar ST-6 D. H.60G Gipsy Moth Cull Six

D.H.60GHI Moth C.L.A.7 Swift Compel' Streak Airspeed A.S.SC Courier Monospar ST-4 British Klemm B.K.! Eagle Hendy 302 ~'!iles 1Vl.2 Hawk Miles M.2F Hawk r-.Iajor D.H.89 Dmgon Six

Registration

G-ACOO G-AAYZ G-ABVP* G-AC1'S G·ACPK G-ACAH G·ACML G-ACND G-ACTE G-AAPZ G-ACIX G·ACjA G-ABLS G-ACGR G·AAIG G-ACKN G-ACUP G-ACTA G-ACTC G-AAZE G-ACPA G-ABVW G-ABZZ G-ACNC G-ACNZ C-ACHU G-ACPU G-AAVf G-ACIZ G-ACTD G-ACPM

* Named

Pilot FIg Off J. Beaumont FIg Off H. R. A. Edwards A. C. M. Jackaman Fit Lieut H. M. Schofield V. G. Parker Flt Lieul H. M. David Flt Lieul R. P. P. Pope Capt E. W. Percival Sir Charles Rose Fh Lieut J. B. ''''ilson E. H. Newman P. J. de Havilland Lieut O. Cathcart-Jones J. D. Kirwan A. L. T. Naish S. W. Sparkes Fit Lieut H. H. Leech Capt G. de Havilland C. E. Gardner D. Shields Capt W. L. Hope L. Lipton S. P. Symington f'lt Lieut N. Camper AVM A. E. Borton Capt R. G. Cazalet A. C. S. Irwin C. S. Napier r-.lrs G. Patterson Fit Licut T. Rose Capl H. S. Broad

J

Peridot V.

'T'he six laps of the final were flown over a course from Hatfield to \IValton-at-Stone Hoo End and back to Hatfield, and the winner was General Aircraft's general manager, Flt Lieut H. M. Schofield, at 134·16 mph. Second was FIt Lieut T. Rose at 147·78 mph, and Laurance Lipton came third at 124·18 mph. As a member of the London Aeroplane Club, Lipton's King's Cup performance over the 798 miles at 124·18 mph in the light and dark green D.H.60GIII Moth G-ABVW won him the Siddeley Trophy for 1934. J

262

. ." h ." 1 .,pc Percival Capt E. \V. PerCival pdotlng t e ollgma protot] . I) nlew Gull

G.AC D in lVlat'ch 1934. (Flight b,lrmallOlllJ.

263

thick cloud, and it was not until 25 August that he was able to take-ofl' again to become the first pilot to have flown solo over the Greenland icecap when he landed at Godthaab on the west coast. The Robert Bruce left on 27 August for Lake Harbour and then flew to Povungnituk, which was reached on 28 August. On 29 August Grierson flew on to Eastmain which he left on 30 August for Ottawa, landing on the Ottawa River, where the floats were replaced by wheels so that G-ACRK could fly on to New York. On 10 Septernberjohn Grierson left Ottawa and reached I\ew York later in the same day; both he and the aircraft returned some time afterwards to England by ship after becoming the first to fly from cast to west by the Northern Route across the Atlantic. On 21 july, 1934, the Portsmouth Trophy Race consisted of two laps of a short course from Portsdown Hill to Hayling Island and was won at 101·5 mph by Fit Lieut F. L. Luxmore in the D.H.60G Gipsy Moth GAAK i. The Around-the-Isle of\Vight Race was for two laps around the island, followed by one lap of the short course between Portsdown Hill and Hayling Island, and in this Fit Lieut R. P. P. Pope was first in the Swift G-ACNIL at 127·5 mph. Among the other competitors were the Leopard Moth G-ACHC, Moth Ylajor G-ACSA, M.2 Hawk G-ACTO, M.2E Gipsy Six Hawk G-ACTE, D. H.60G Gipsy Moth G-AAZE, M.2A Hawk G-ACLl, Swift G-ABWW, M,2 Hawk G-ACMH, Avian IVM G-ABME, Leopal'd Moth G-ACOO, Puss Moth G-ABIY, Avian IVM G-ABKB, IvI.2F Hawk Nlajor G-ACTD flown by Charles Owen Powis, and the Mew Gull G-ACND flown by E. W. Percival. On 25 July, 1934, Fit Lieut G. A. V. Tyson celebrated the twenty-fifth anniversary of Bleriot's crossing of the English Channel by making an inverted flight in the D.l-l.82A Tiger Moth G-ABUL from Dover to Calais. On 26July, 1934, Victor C. Smith left Cape Town in hisSwift G-ABRE intending to break Amy Mollison's record to England. His progress was slow and he made a forced landing in the desert, so that he failed to set up a new time for the route but flew on to reach England in August. 'I'here was a tempestuous wind at \tVhitchurch on 28 July, 1934, when

10 c<;H11pctitors flew in the race for the SBAC Challenge Cup. The course consisted of three laps of 45 miles each, with two heats and a final in which R. F. Hall of the Lancashire Aero Club was lirst, piloting the 135 hp Genet Major 1 Avro 631 Cadet G-ACMG at 116 mph. On 5 August, 1934, at Sutton Bank, P. A. \Vills set up a new record of 4,51 ft for British Kational Gain of Height in a Baynes Scud II, and G. E. C_ollll~s flew a Rhonadler from Dunstable to Holkham Bay-a distance of 9::> miles-for a new British l'\ational Distance for gliders. Following the cancellation of the ::NIollisons' long-distance record attempt from \ Vasaga Beach in October 1933, the black biplane Seq/am 11 was dismantled and stored at the de Havilland factory in Toronto, but,

7

J.

R. Ayling and Capt 1.. G. Reid in front ofthc D.H.84 Dragon G-ACJ 1\1 Trail taking-~ff on 8 August, 19~4, from Wasaga ileach, Ontario, to make the first nonstop fhg~t by aeropl.ane fron~ C~nada to England. Being rcmoved arc the rags stuffed mto the cng1l1C cowllllg IIltakcs to prevent ingl'ess of sand. (de Havilland.)

of the Caribou before

John Grierson ta.'Xi-ing the D.H.83 Fox ~Ioth G-ACRK Robert Bruce on the t-.ledwa)' before accomplishing in the summer of J934 the first flight to forth America by the Northern Route.

dUl:ing 1934, it ~vas bought by james R. Ayling and Capt Leonard G. ReId who also mtended to set up a new world long-distance record. Altl~ough renamed Trail if the Caribou, the registration G-1\Cj:t\1 was retall1ed, and the Dragon was flown to 'Vasaga Beach from Toronto to prepare for the nonstop flight to Baghdad. After a long and difficult take-off at 5.10 a.m. on 8 August, 1934, the machine flew across the Atlantic, but a damaged throttle control caused the engines to run at higher revolutions than required, and to consume fuel at too high a rate. Bad weather and shortage of petrol made it imperative to land and, after a flight of 3, 700 miles in 30 hr 55 min, Trail oJ the Caribou reached Heston at 6 p.m. on 9 August, its crew the first to fly nonstop by aeroplane from Canada to England. A statement was made that they hoped to make a new

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265

..-S:-e -:-.

r.I'..

,.;

_.

.-

..~~~~'i$'~~ -,-" '

, -

-'--

£,

machine being the silver and red prototype Airspeed A.S.5 Courier GABXN carrying Sir Alan and Sqn Ldr \'Villiam Helmore as crew. Takeoff of G-ABXN was at 5·30 a.m. on 22 September, 1934, after postponement from 21 September owing to bad weather. The first refuelling took place during the morning of22 September, the tanker being the Handley Page \V. I 0 G-EBMM Yauth '!f New Zealalld, but during the afternoon of the same day, the tanker crashed, killing the four on board. The second refuelling took place later on 22 September over Malta with another "'.10 G-EBi\1R, acting as tanker, but, during the operation, the throttle connection to the Courier's 240 hp Lynx IVC engine broke, and G-ABXI'\ landed with its wheels rctracted on Hal }"ar Aerodrome, 1vIalta. The flight to India was cancelled and the Courier sent back to England by boat. 1iss Freda Thompson, a 22-year-old Australian, took-ofT from Lympnc on 28 September, 1934, to fly to Melbourne in the 120 hp Gipsy Major D.H.60Glll 10th Majo,' G-ACUC. After reaching Greece she made a forced landing at :Nlegara, 20 miles from Athens, and damaged the Moth but was. uninjured. ~\fter repail-s, ~1iss Thompson resumed her flight and arrived at DarwlIl on 10 November, 1934, 44 days after leaving England.

attempt on the distance record during the summer of 1935, but nothing came of the project. On II August, 1934, the London-to-Newcastle Race was run between Brooklands and Cramlington with 14 entrants, handicapped by Capt 'Vilfrid Dancy and F. Rowarth over the distance of 264 miles. The winner was L. Lipton, piloting his light and dark green D.H.60GIII Moth G-ABVW, streamlined and faired at all points, at 12+02 mph. On 12 August, Lipton won the Cramlington-to-Leeming Bar Race--open to 10 pilots of the previous day's event-in G-ABV\V, the finish being so close that the first six home crossed the line within 38 secs of each other. Another cross-country event was held on 29 August, 1934, for the Yorkshire Trophy. This was the Heston-to-Sherburn-in-Elmet Rac: which was won by J. Micklcthwait in the D.H.60G Gipsy Moth G-ABHN at 104·25 mph and was followed on the same day by the Sherburn Short Handicap run in three heats, won by C. E. Gardner at 113 mph 111 the Avro 631 Cadet G-ABYC. In August 1934 E. "V. Percival flew a Gull Four from Gravesend to Copenhagen-a distance of 640 miles-in four hours. At Lympne on 1-2 September, 1934, when the race for the Folkestone Aero Trophy was held over three laps totalling 50 miles, among 10 finalists J. G. Brown came in first at 101·25 mph with the 85 hp Cirrus II D.H.60 Moth G-AAMU. The same course of 50 miles in three laps was used for the Cinque Ports "Vakefield Cup Race and, out of seven fmalists, the Moth G-AAMU won again at 100·5 mph, piloted by G. B. Fellowes. The other machines competing included the Leopard Moth G-ACOO, Hendy 302A G-AAVT, Swift G-ABWW flown by Alex Henshaw, M.2 Hawks G-ACIZ and G-ACTO and the British Klemm B.K.l Eagle G-ACRG. On 4 September, 1934, the British National Gain of Height :ec<;>rd was raised to 8,323 ft at Sutton Bank by Sqn Ldr G. M. Buxton pI10tmg a Baynes Scud II glider. T. N, Stack started a series of point-to-point flights with a Miles M.2F Hawk Major on B September, 1934, with Heston-Copenhagen-Heston, I 400 miles in a record 10 hI' 50 min, including a break of 45 mm at Copenhagen, This v..'as follovo/ed, in September, by a record ~ight from Heston to Naples-via Marseilles and Rome-in 9 hI' 50 mm and the return to Heston the following day in 10 hr. The final attempt of the series began on 16 September, 1934, \",,'hen Stack left Hcston for Praguc, but storms on thc rcturn flight made him give up at Brussels. A young Australian pilot, 21-year-old C. Jamcs Melrose, left Darwin at 6.30 a.m. for England on 20 September, 1934, flying the D.H.BOA Puss Moth VH-UQO My Hildegarde. Entered for the Mae.Robertson Race, the machine was fitted with a 130 hp Gipsy Major driving a Fairey-Reed propeller, stub exhausts, an extra fuel tank and spats. By arriving at Croy?on at 7 a.m. on 28 September after 8 days 9 hI', Melrosc set up the fastest tlme from Australia to England but could not claim it as a record as the flight had not been observed officially. For some time past, Sir Alan Cobham had been conducting experiments with inflight refuelling as a means of increasing an aircraft's range. Pr~­ parations were made for a nonstop flight from. Portsmouth to K,:uachl, with four transfers of fuel en route by tanker aIrcraft, thc long-dIstance

The Airspeed Courier G-ABXN, which in 1934 Sir Alan Cobham attempted to fly nonstop to India, seen taking on fuel from the Handle)' Page "V. 10 G-EBMR. (Flight Refuelliug.)

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There was poor wcather with low cloud for the 15 starters from Hatfield on 6 October) 1934, in the London-ta-Cardiff Race. Twelve completed the course to Splott, and the winner at 1254 mph was FIt Lieut R. Duncanson with the single-scat 90 hp Pobjo)' Cataract Hendy 281 Hobo G-AAIG. On 18 October, 193.....) another attempt on the England-to-Austmlia rccord started at Croydon when Sidney P. Jackson set oA" in the 115 hp Hermes 11 Avian IV1I G-ABIE-used in 1931 by Tommy Rose as High Test for his night to South Africa and back-but the night ended in I tal)' when the Avian crashed without injury to its pilot. Fourth place in the Handicap Section of the 1934 ~rac.Robertson Race was secured by the Airspeed A.S.5A Courier G.ACJL, finished in light and dark blue and flown by Sqn Ldr D. E. Stodart and K. G. Stodart. (Hawker Siddeley.)

The B.K.l Eagle G-ACVU The Spirito! Wm Shaw & Co Ltd flown in the 1934 England-to-Australia Air Race by Fit Lieut Shaw. (Flight International.) Forced to retire at Cyprus during the 1934 England-la-Australia Air Race, the silver Fairey IIIF G-AABY flown by FIg 01l' C. G. Davies and Lieut-Cdr C. N. Hill. (Fai"y.)

Entrants in the 1934 ~·rac.Robertson Air Race-the ~lo11isons' black Comet G·ACS}) Black A1agic, the green Comet G-ACSR of Lieut O. CathcartJones and K. H. F. \Valler and the green Granville, ~!iller and de Lackner R-6H Q.E.D. flown by 1!iss J. Cochran and \V. Smith. (Hawker Siddeley.)

I"rom the moment of the announcement of the 11,333 mile air race from London to :NIelboul'ne, intending competitors announced their entries and commenced planning and the preparation of their aircraft for the start at 6.30 a.m. on 20 October, 1934-, from Mildenhall, Suffolk. With three exceptions, the 20 starters consisted of standard civil and military designs) but de Havilland produced for the event three examples of the D.H.88 Comet, a two~seat low-wing monoplane with its crew housed in tandem beneath a long canopy. The two 230 hp Gipsy Six R engines drove two-position Ratier propellers, the action of which was by means of an 80 lb/sq in air reservoir aspirated on the ground by a bicycle pump but, once off the aerodrome in fine pitch and changing subsequently to coarse pitch at 150 mph for cruising, the blades' angle could not be altered. Flaps were fitted, and the Comet was the firm's first experience of retractable undercarriage application. Design and construction of the three Comets took place in the strictest secrecy and in the short time available of some eight months before the start of the race. The aircraft were G-ACS P Black Nlagic for Jim and Amy rvIollison) in black with gold rnarkings, G-ACSR for Bernard Rubin and Ken \Valler, in green with white markings and black race number in silver rudder oval) and G-ACSS Grosvenor House for Charles Scott and Tom Campbell Black, in red with white markings and black race number on silver rudder oval. In each

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case the spinners, tailskids and mass balances were silver. G-ACSS was sponsored by A. O. Edwards, managing director of the Grosvenor House Hotel in Park Lanc, but Bernard Rubin was unable to compete in G-ACSR, and Owen Cathcart-Jones acted as co-pilot to Ken 'ValIer. G-ACSR-in Class B markings E.I-was the first in the air at Hatfield when Hubert Broad made its initial flight on 8 September, 1934. There was little time for the crews to become accustomed to their Comets, but G-ACSP, G-ACSR and G-ACSS arrived at Mildcnhall on 14 October. G-ACSR was damaged on landing on 18 October when its undercarriage gave way, but was ready for the start after nonstop repair work was carried out during the few hours left. The race, in which each machine was allowed 16 days to reach lVlelbournc, contained two main c1assesspeed and handicap-and the original list of 64 entrants by the first week ofJune was reduced to 20 starters, which were. Remarks

G-ABGK

Pilot i\Ir/Mrs J. A. :Mollison Col Roscoe Turner/Clyde Pangborn K. H. F. Waller/O. C.'uhcart· Jones D. L. Asjes/G . .1. Geysendorfer T. N. Stack/So L. Turner C. W. A. Scott/To C.1.mpbell Black K. D. ParmentierlJ.J. iVlolI Miss). CochranJW. Smith J. H. Wl'ightJJ. Polanclo Fig Off C. G. Davies/Licut-Cdr C. N. Hill ]. K. C. Baines/Fig Off H. D. Gilman J. Woods/D. C. T. Bennett

ZK~ACO

J. D. Hewett/FIg OfTC. E. Kay

Tail/IIi

C-ACXO O¥·DOD C-ACTM ZK-ADJ

R.]."P. Parer/G. E. Hemswol'th Lieut M. Hansenl.1ensen H. L. Brook Sqn Ldr M. McGregor/H. Walker Fit Licut G. Shaw

Aircraft

Registration

D.H.as Comet Boeing 2+7D

G-ACSP NR257Y

D.H.aa Cornel

G-AGSR

Pander S.'~ Airspeed A.S.8 Viceroy D.H.88 Comet

J}H~OST

Douglas DC2 Granville R-6H Q.E.D. Lambert Monocoupc Fairey 1I1F

PH-AJU NR14307 NRlOSW G-AABY

Fairey Fox Mk. I

G-ACXX

Lockheed D1.·I Special Vega D.H.89 Dragol1 R.1pide Fairey Fox Mk.J DesQultel'11 Miles M.3 Falcon Miles l'vf,2F H.1wk i\{ajor

G-AC~'1U

G-ACSS

British Klemm B.K.\ G·ACVU Eagle Airspeed A.S.5A Courier G-ACJL

D.H.80A Puss 110th

VH-UQO

Sqn Ldl' D. E. Stodnrl/K. G. Stodart C.J.l\lelrose

Black Magic

CTOSUlIOT

HO/lse Viva

The Airspeed A.S.B Viceroy G-ACMU flown in the 1934 Mac.Robertson Race by T. N. Stack and S. L. Turner. (Flight Internaticml.)

Puck

The Spirit of lVmShaw & Co. Ltd. My Hildegarde

The race began at 6.30 a.m. on 20 October, the Mollisons being the first away in their Comet Black iV/agic. The official starter was A. G. Reynolds and the handicappers were that well known pair F. Rowarth and Dancy. Ten entrants were competing in the speed and handicap classes-four of which reached Melbourne-and of the seven entered for the handicap only four arrived within the stipulated 16 days and one afterwards. 1 ine arrived at Melbourne within the time limit, plus the

"T.

270

Boeing 247D which was competing for speed only; the tcn which retired were the Viceroy in France, the Granville R~6H at Bucharest the Comet G-ACSP at Allahabad, the Pander S.4 at Allahabad, thc Vcg~ at Aleppo, the Eagle at B~shll'e, the lIlF 111 Cyprus, the :rvlonocoupe at Karachi, and the ~alcon '.vhlc~ ,,:as damaged at Rome but which eventually flew on outside the tunc hmIt to lVlelbourne. The Fox Mk.I G-ACXX crashed in I lal)' killing bOlh of the crew. The speed race for the £500 gold cup and £10,000 w~s won by C: 'V. A. Scott and T. Campbell Black, who arrived over the lme at Flemmgmn Racecourse 11,333 miles from Mildenhall at 5.34 a.m. on 23 October in 70 hI' 54 min l8 sec after averaging 158·9

Among the most famous of all racing aircraft, the D.H.BS Cornet G-ACSS GroSl'etlfJr House flown into first place in the 1934 England-lo-Australia Ail' Race by C. \V. A. Scott and T. Campbell Black. (de Hm'illa1/d.) 271

.

mph for a new Class C.I point-to-point record, also, second were Parmentier and ~IIoll, and third came Turner and Pangborn. In the Handicap Race Grosvenor }/ouse \,"as first, the DC-2 was second, and C. J. l\Ilelrose third. Among the times established by lhc Comets during the race were G-ACSS-~Iildcnhal1 to Darwin in 2 days 4 hr 33 min, Singapore to Darwin in 111' hr at over 199 mph, ~/lildenhall to Singapore in 39 hI' 56 min, l\Ilildenhali to Allahabad in 27 h1' 13 min and Allahabad to Singapore 2,210 miles in 12 hr at 184 mph; G-ACSP-lVIildenhall to Baghdad 2,330 miles nonstop in 12~ hI' at 186 mph and l\Ilildenhall to Karachi in 22 hI' 13 min. The Comet G-ACSR-which Owen Cathcart-Jones and Ken \ Valier had flown into fourth place in the IVfac.Robertson Race in 108 hI' 13 min 30 sec-took-off from Melbourne on 26 October, 1934, to set a record for the out-and-back flight by arriving at Lympne at 1.15 p.m. on 2 I\-ovembel', having taken 5 days 6 hr 43 min for the return trip, which made a total of 13 days 6 hr 43 min for the journey from England to Australia and back. Air Cdre Sir Charles Kingsford Smith, with Capt P. G. Taylor, had been among the intending original competitors in the 1vlac. Robertson Racc, but was bedevilled with official obstruction and castigated for his choice of an American aeroplane-which he used between July and September 1934, to establish the six new records Sydney-Melbourne in 2 hI' 23 min, Melbourne-Sydney in 2 hI' 11 min, :NIelbourne-Perth in 10 hI' 22 min, Perth-Sydney in 10 hI', Perth-Sydney in 9 hr 32 min and Sydney-Brisbane in 2 hr 35 min-forced upon him, despite his efforts otherwise, owing to the unavailability of a suitable British aircraft. \ Vhen Kingsford Smith in his Lockheed Altair VH- SB, Lady Southern Cross, set out for England on 29 September to compete, trouble with the 550 hp Wasp S.E.T. engine's cowling brought about his withdrawal from the race. The decision was then made to fly the machine to the United States and to sell it there, so at 4.03 a.m. on 20 October, 1934, accompanied by P. G. Taylor, Kingsford Smith took-off from Archerfield, Brisbane, in this blue and silver Altair (formerly X-118W Anzac) to make the Pacific crossing to the USA. Flying by way of Fiji and Hawaii, after averaging 128 mph for the 7,350 miles, they landed at Oakland Airport, California, at 7.40 a.lll. on ll· November. Having finished fifth in the NIac.Robertson Race in 13 days 18 hr 51 min, the D.H.89 Dragon Rapide ZK-ACO Tainui set off on 14 November, 1934, to cross the Tasman Sea to! cw Zealand. Piloted by J. D. Hewett and FIg Off C. E. Kay, the biplane left Sydney and 12~ hours later arrived at Palmerston, ~orth Island, sustaining slight damage during its landing through colliding with a fence. At 7.50 a.m. on 25 November, 1934, Mrs Victor Bruce took-off from Lympne in the Avro-built Cierva C.30A autogyro G-ACVX, powered by the 140 hp Genet Major lA, for Cape Town on the longest autogyro flight attempted so far. G-ACVX was damaged in France and returned to England for repair, in anticipation of a second attempt on the flight to the Cape. As 1934 ended, preparations were completed by Charles Thomas Philippe Vim for a flight across the Pacific before starting a regular passenger and air mail service between Australia and America. The

machine was the Airspeed A.S.6 Envoy II G-ACYJ-powered by a pair of 215 hp Lyn.x. IVC engines-which was re-registered VH-UXY and christened Stella Auslralis; the two other members of the crew were the copilot G" ~/f. Littlejohn and J. Leon Skilling as navigator and wireless operator. The monoplane was shipped from Portsmouth to Canada and tested on several cross-count,"y flighls before leaving Oakland Airport on 3 December, 1934, for Honolulu, 2,400 miles away. On 4 December, radio messages indicated that the Envoy was lost and, owing to shortage of fuel, was landing in the sea. Despite an extensive search, no trace of aircraft or crew was found.

The D.H.88 Comet G-ACSR-now named Reille As/rid-left Evere, Brussels, at 10.45 a.m. on 20 December, 1934, to carry 300 Ib of Christmas mail to the Belgian Congo. The crew were K. H. F. "Valier and Capt Maurice Franchomme and at 2.50 p.m. on 22 December the green racer landed at Leopoldville after 22 hr 35 min flying time. The return flight from Leopoldville started at 4 a.m. on 26 December, and G-ACSR landed at Evere at 12.14 p.m. on 28 December, having flown back with 4,000 letters and a silk flag as cargo in 21 hI' 54 min flying time. The out-andback journey of 8,882 miles had been completed in 44 hI' 29 min flying time. During December, 1934, there were reports that the 1vlollisons' Comet G-ACSP Black Nfagic had been bought by two Portuguese pilots, Senhor Carlos Bleck and Licut Costa 1vlaccdo, and that new engines were to be fitted lor a flight from Lisbon to Rio de Janeiro. The Mollisons denied the report, but the machine was for sale and was bought by the Portuguese Government, re-registered CS-i\AJ and named Salazar, but retained its black colour scheme and had its wingtips painted white. At 10.20 a.m. on 26 February, 1935, Salazar-flown by Bleck and Macedo-left Hatfield for Lisbon, 1,010 miles away, which it reached nonstop in 6 hr 5 min. After reaching Auslralia in the :rvlac.Robertson Race, H. L. Brook had increased tankage fitted to his wL3 Falcon G-ACTM to attempt to fly home in record solo time. Still using the Gipsy Major salvaged from The Hearts COlllenl, the Falcon left Darwin at 5.30 a.m. on 24l\rIarch, 1935,

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The D.H.88 Comet CS-AAJ Salazar-previously G-ACSP Black A1aglc of the nrollisons-aflel It<; sale III 1935 to the POIluguese GovclOment. (Coso de Portugal.)

H. L. Brook taxies in at Lympnc in lVfarch 1935 in the rvliles 111.3 Falcon G-ACTM aftcr setting a new solo record [rom Darwin in 7 days 19 hI' 50 min. and landed at Lympne 7 days 19 hr 50 min later at 3.55 p.m., on 31 March, the new holder o[ the solo record. At 6.40 a.m. on 12 April, 1935, Jean Batten left again for England from Danvin in her D.H.60r.1 Moth G-AARB in an attempt to beat her outward time of 14 days 23 hr 25 min. She arrived at Croydon on 29 April, having taken 17 days 15 hI' 15 min and therefore failed to improve her previous time. On its return from Leopoldville at the end of December 1934 the Comet G-ACSR was sold to the French Government and underwent overhaul and repainting at the Hatfield factory to become F-ANPY, in an all-red colour scheme with white registration. The record for the flight between LO~ldon and Paris was 67 minutes by the Dewoitine D.332 F-AMMY Emeraude of Air France, but , on its delivery flight from Croydon to Le Bourget, F-ANPY became the new holder when, piloted by Hugh Buckingham and with C. l\1artin Sharp as passenger, it took-off at 12.03 p.m. on 11 April, 1935, and landed after 56 min flying. One of G. H. Handasyde's designs was used by a Japanese pilot, Katsutaro Ana, for a record attempt from London to Tokyo. The aircraft was the 130 hp Gipsy Major B.A. Eagle 2 G-ADFB Sekai or Blue Seas which left Hanworth on 12 May, 1935, but there were various delays at Brussels and other points, the undercarriage and propeller were damaged on 30 Nlay in landing at Tavoy, and the monoplane was subsequently taken to Rangoon for repairs. Eventually, it flew on to Tokyo, arriving in September. At 12.25 a.m. on 15 May, 1935, the Fokkcr F.VIIb-3m VH-USU Southern Cross took-off from Mascot Aerodrome, Sydney, for New Zealand, to deliver the Jubilee air mail on the machine's last ocean flight. Charles Kingsford Smith was accompanied on the journey by P. G. Taylor and J. S. vv. Stannage, but at 7 a.m. the starboard engine lost its propeller and they turned back. Later, most of the cargo was dumped, and just after mid-day Taylor made the first of six transfers of oil in a flask from the dead starboard to the straining, overloaded port engine. The machine 274

.\

just managed to stay airborne and landed at :Nlascot at a few minutes after 4 p,m. A B.A. Eagle 2 was used by a 21-year-old Spanish pilot, Don Juan Igna<;io Pombo, who left Bathurst, British \'Vest Africa, on 20 May, 1934, to fly the Costa Esmeralda across the South Atlantic to Brazil. On 21 May he landed 2,000 miles away at Port Natal after 16 hr 42 min in the air at an average speed of 121 mph, having accomplished the second solo crossing of the South Atlantic from east to west. Handicap racing in two categories took place at Hanworth on I June, 1935, that for A licence pilots being won by C. F. I-Iughesdon piloting a Cirrus III Moth, while the event for B licence holders with a minimum of 300 hours \vas won by R. Duncanson with the Parnall Heck G-ACTC. The race [or the SBAC Challenge Cup was run from \t\Thitchurch, Bristol, on 15 June, 1935, in poor weather and rain over a triangular course of 139 miles. Out of six competitors Lord \IVilloughby de Broke came first at 133 mph with the 130 hp Gipsy Major scarlet-painted B.A. Eagle 2 G-ADES. Edgar Percival flew the 200 hp Gipsy Six Gull Six G-ADEP on 17 June ]935, when he left Gravesend at 1.30 a.m. and reached Oran, Algeria, at 8.40 a.m., having averaged 160 mph for the trip. Before taking-off at 11 a.m. for the return journey, he negotiated an order for a Gull and, after averaging 156 mph, landed at Croydon at 6.20 p.m., having been away for 16 hI' 50 min. To complement the D.H.88 Comet F-ANPY, the French Government ordered a second example~F-ANPZ-\'vhich was equipped with de Havilland-Hamilton variable-pitch propellers and a mail hold in the nose, from which the landing-light was deleted. The aircraft was delivered on 5 July, 1935, from Croydon by H. S. Broad, who flew it to Le Bourget in the record time of 50 min, beating F-ANPY's time. Eleven entries were received for the Grosvenor Challenge Cup Race at Desford on 13 July, 1935, "vhich was open only to British pilots and aircraft. The triangular course of 84 miles was made up of two laps of 42 miles each and the British Klemm L-25C IA Swallow G-ACMZ, Monospar

Flown in the 1934 Mac.Robertson Air Race to set a new out-and-back record [rom England to Australia by O. CathcartJoncs and K. H. F. "Valler, the D.H.SS Comet G-ACSR was sold to France in 193.11 to become F-ANPY. (Hawker Siddeley.)

27'>

ST-4 G-ACJF, Active I G-ABIX, Hendy 302A G-AAVT, Eagle 2 G-ADES, M.2F Hawk Major G-AC\ VV, M.2L Hawk Speed Six G-ADGP, Gull Six G-ADFA and two IVloths competed. The winner was Lieut-Cdr C. W. Phillips at 109·25 mph in the 120 hI' Gipsy III D.H.60GllI Moth G-ACBX, second was the Hawk Speed Six G-ADGP flown by Luis Fontes at 171 mph, and third C. S. Napier with the Hendy 302A G-AAVT at 132 mph. After the J 934 racing season the Percival l\rIew Gull G-ACND was redesigned and a new version built, to which the registration G-ACND was transferred. The 24 ft span sharply-tapered wings were retained but were mounted now on a new design of fuselage so that the total length of G-ACND was 20 ft 3 in. Instead of being raked forwards, the single-strut leg of the undercarriage was set vertically and was increased in chord. At the same time the fin and rudder were revised entirely to be given a new profile, and the previous parallel-chord tail plane and elevator outlines received sharp taper to match the wings. A slightly curved windshield replaced the previous flat glazed panels, and the machine appeared in the same overall white finish. The Mew Gull G-ACND competed in the race for the Coupe Armand Esders run on 20 July, 1935, over a 1,046·25 mile course from Deauville LO Cannes and back to Deauville. To meet the ·requirement Lhat the powerplant should not exceed eight Jitres in capacity, the machine was fitted with a French Regnier engine of 180 hp. 'The Comtc de Chateaubrun, Percival representative in France, was the pilot for the race, which G-ACND won at an average speed of J 88 mph. Immediately afterwards, the 200 hI' Gipsy Six SeLl was put back, driving a two-blade metal propeller. On 20 July, 1935, the COlltact Handicap of 170 miles was held at Castle Bromwich, with nine entrants-a 1vIoth, Martlet, Hawk, Cadet, Monospar ST-4, I-lobo, Puss Moth, Active and Hawk Major. There were four retirements and the blue Hendy Hobo G-AATG, piloted by FIt Lieut R. Duncanson, came first at 98·75 mph.

Fifth and last of the sleek D.H.88 Comet racers, the blue and silver G-ADEF Boomerang set up a new record from London to Cairo and return in August 1935. (Hawker Siddeley.)

E. W. Percival running up the Gipsy Six engine of the revised prototype Pel'cival ~lew Gull G-AC. D. (Flight Illtemational.)

Flown by Sqn Ld,. \Y. X Plenderleith, on 23 July, 1935, the Short Singapore Mk.llI K458 I took-off from Mount Batten, Plymouth, for Gibraltar. After a nonstop flight of 14 hI' 15 min, the flying-boat arrived in record time. During July 1935 H. L. Brook set off on a new record attempt from England to Cape Town, piloting the M.3 Falcon G-ACTM, but gave up at Mersa IvIatruh, when the machine was damaged during a night landing. The London-to-Newcastle Race was run from Brooklands to \'Voolsington on 27 July, 1935, with 12 entrants, out of which 11 aircraft took-off. ..The winner was Flt Lieut J. B. "Vilson, chief test pilot of the British Aircraft :Nlanufacturing Company, at 141·5 mph with the prototype B.K.I Eagle G-ACRG. On 28July, at vVoolsington, a race was run to Yeadon with four participants; the 'winner was Fig OffV. J. "Vheeler, piloting the silver A.S.6 Envoy II G-ADAZ with two 277 hI' Cheetah Vs at 173·96 mph. Following its acquisition by France, the Comet F-ANPY set off on I August, 1935, with Jean Mermoz as pilot, accompanied by Gimie, and Aevv the 1,420 miles from Paris to Casablanca in 7 hr 22 min, and on 2 August flew 1,570 miles from Casablanca to Dakar at ]93 mph in 8 hI' 19 min. Returning on 29-30 August, F-ANPY averaged 208·5 mph. Mermoz and Gimie took-off on 6 September in F-ANPY and flew from Paris to Algiers and back during the day, at 201·3 mph in 8 hI' 38 min Oying time. The success of the D.H.88 Comet in the :NIac.Robertson Race encouraged Cyril ::'Jicholson, a Sheffield stockbroker, LO provide about £10,000 for a new Comet, to be flown by Tom Campbell Black on a series of longdistance flights. This fifth and last example of the two-seat racer emerged from the workshops in July 1935 for its first flight in the same month, in a colour scheme consisting of peacock bluc, ultramarine and silver. It was registered G-ADEF and named Boomerang at Hatfield on 8 August, 1935. The intended successive flights of the Boomerang were from England to Cape Town and back in five days, England to I-long Kong and back in, five days and England to Canada and back in one weekend,

276

277

..

At just after 5.30 p.m. on 8 August, 1935, Campbell Black and his co-pilot and wireless operator J. H. G. rvIeArthur took-off from Hatfield on the record attempt to Cape Town 7,300 miles away. It was hoped that the machine's cruising speed of 220 mph and range of 3,000 miles would enable it to reach the Cape in three stages with stops at Cairo and Kisumu only, so that 36 hr should be sufficient to reach Cape Town. A quick turnaround was anticipated, with the same time for the return journey. Almaza, Cairo, 2,240 miles away, was reached just after dawn in 11 hI' 18 rpin, but the attempt to the Cape ended there as the Gipsy Sixes had almost seized up owing to shortage of oil-lhe tanks not having been filled sufficiently. The flight to G.airo had been made in record time and, after temporary repairs, the Boomerang flew back to Hatfield on 11 August in 13 hI' 6 min-another record. Latel: in August the announcement was made that, in place of another Cape attempt, the Boomerang would tly in September 1935 from Baldonnel to Harbour Grace-a distance of 2,160 miles-with Oranmore as an alternative departure point, but this was cancelled in favour of the original Cape Town destination. G-ABUR, the prototype Percival Gull Four fitted with thc 160 hp Napier Javelin Ill, was written off arter its crash on 26 August, J 935, at Luwinga, Nonhern Rhodesia, during an attempt on the England-toCape Town record by Man Mohan Singh. On 28 August, 1935, the Wakefield Clip Race was run at Lympne with three laps around the course to total 50 miles. There were 10 entrants and Guy Hansez of Belgium came first at 177·5 mph flying the Renault Six Caudron Simoun F-ANCE, FIg Off A. E. Clouston was second at 113 mph with the Desoutter I G-ABMW, and Fit Lieut R. Duncanson was third at 130·5 mph in the Hendy 281 Hobo G-AAIG. Other aircraft competing ineludcd the 275 hp Falcon III Bristol Type 96A Fighter Mk.lV G-ADJR, belonging to London Film Productions and flown by Nigel Tangye, the Hendy 302A G-AAVT and B.A. Eagle 2 G-ADJO. The race for the Helene Boucher Cup was run on 31 August, 1935, over a course of 431 miles from Buc to Cannes, Two British women pilots:NIrs Beatrice MacDonald and Mrs Elise Battye-took part, Hying the Miles M.2H Hawk Major G-ADLA to come third at 132·5 mph. The fourteenth King's Cup Race was held at Hatfield on 6-7 September, 1935, over 1,303 miles, and consisted of an eliminating race around Great Britain from Hatfield to Ne\vcastle, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Belfast, Dalbeattie, Blackpool, Cardiff and back to Hatfield. This was followed by :->ix laps of a course from Hatfield to Broxbourne, Henlow and back to Hatfield. Thirty-six entries were received, consisting of: Aircraft D.H.88 Comet Mew Gull Parnall Heck D.H.90 Dragonfly 11.'Iiles M.2E Hawk Speed Six Miles M.2L Hawk Speed Six Miles "?o.'I.2U Hawk Speed Six Compel' Streak Miles M.S Sparrowhawk

Registration G-ADEF· G-ACND G·ACTG G-ADNA G-ACTE G-ADGP G-ADOD G-AGNG

Pilot

T. Campbell Blackt Capl E. W. Percival Fit Lieut R. Duncanson G. R. de Havilland/P.J. de Havilland W. Humble Luis Fontes Miss Ruth Fontes P. de W. Avery ]0'. G. Miles

G-ADNL

'" Named

BoOmerml,lf.

278

t

Withdrew

Aircraft Gull Six Gull Six Gull Six Gull Six Gull Si..... Miles M.3C Falcon Six ~Iiles ~I.3B Falcon Six ::\Ionospar ST-12 D.H. T.K.2 Airspeed A.S.5A Courier C.L.A.7 Swift C.L.A.7 Swift ,Miles :~d.2H Hawk Major l\'liles M.2T Hawk Major Miles M.2T Hawk Major B.A.3 Cupid Gull Four B.A. Eaglc 2 Miles M.2H Hawk Major Miles M.2H Hawk Major B,A. Eagle 2 Gull Four Miles M.2H Hawk Major Miles M.2R Hawk Major D.H.aS Leopard Moth D.H.aS Leopard Moth Avian IV~1

Registration G-ADFA G-ADEP G-AD~H

G-ACUP G-ACPA G-ADLS G-ADLC G·ADLL G-AD~O

G-ACLT G-ABWH G-ABW\<\' G-ADGE G-ADNK C·ADNJ G-ADLR

G-ADOE G-ACRG C·ADMW G-ADLA G·ACPU VH-UVH G-ADLB G-ADLN G-ACHC G-ACUO G-AB1fE

Pilot C. E. Gardner K. H. F. Wallcr S. W. Sparkes T. W. ::\Iorton S. L. Turncr L. Lipton/S. Harris Fit Lieut T. Rose O. G. E. Robcrts Capt H. S. Broad Sir Charles Rosc Capt '!N. L. Hopc R. O. Shuttleworth A. H. Cook F. D. Bradbrookc A. Henshaw Flt LieulJ. G. D. Armour' Plt Lieut E, C. T. Edwards Flt Licul J. B. \Vilson A. C. y.,'. Norman Mrs Elise Battye A. C. S. Irwin C. J. l\'Ielrose Licut O. Cathcart-Jones l:lg Off H. R. A. Edwards Sir Derwent Hall-Caine J. Barbour{W. Gairdner A. H. Tweddle

First place went to Tommy Rose at 176·28 mph, second was H. R. A. Edwards at 158 mph, and third came Cathcart-Jones at 158 mph. Charles Exton Gardner was the winner of the SiddeIey Trophy, as a member orthe Redhill Flying Club, at 170·08 mph. The 1935 King's Cup event was notable as 34 out of the 36 entrants were monoplanes. The Miles types entered-II Hawks of varying models and two Falcons-took four out of the first five places in the final. The T.K.2 was the next design to be built after thc de Havilland Technical School's T.K.l biplane. The new aircraft-conceived again under the direction of Marcus Langley, the School's instructor in design since 1932-\\'as an all-wood, two-seat low-wing monoplane which made its first.,!light at Hatfield on 16 August, 1935, piloted by H. S. B.-oad. Registered G-ADNO, the T.K.2 was powered by a high-compression 147 hp Gipsy Major IC. Although Oo\\'n initially as a two-seater, the passenger's position was then occupied by an extra fuel tank Lo increase the T.K.2's range for racing purposes; in the 1935 King's Cup it was fourth at 165·88 mph. The B.A.3 Cupid, one of the lesser-known of George Handasyde's designs, was basically a smaller version of the Eagle, seating two side-byside behind the 130 hp Gipsy Major. The undercarriage was not retractable and this reduced the Cupid's top speed which was 135 mph, some 13 mph slower than the larger Eagle on the same power. The three Speed Sixes were special racing versions of the Hawk Major, and varied in detail from one to another, but were fitted with the more powerful 200 hp Gipsy Six IF, apart from the lvl.2U G-ADOD which had the high-compression 200 hp Gipsy Six R. The Folkestone Aero Trophy was run over three laps at Lympne on 14 279

September,1935. L. Lipton won at 112 mph with his D.H.60GllI rvIoth G-ABV"V, and in second place was J. B. "Vilson in the prototype B.K.l Eagle G-ACRG at 139·75 mph. G-ACRG had by now been brought up to the standard of the production B.A. Eagle 2, this work having been done in time for the 1935 King's Cup. By the end of the summer of 1935, the Comet G-ADEF Boomerang was ready to resume its proposed series of long-distance record attempts, with the Cape as its destination for the first flight. Tom Campbell Black andJ. H. G. McArthur took-off from Hatfield at 4 p.m. on 21 September, 1935, and landed at Cairo after 11 hr 9 min at 3.20 a.m. on 22 September. Having completed 2,240 miles, the next stage of2,097 miles was to Kisumu, and the Comet left Cairo at 4.30 a.m. on 22 September after 70 minutes on the ground, hoping to reach Kisumu in 11 hours. Over the Sudan, trouble \vas experienced v·,Iith the propellers, and the crew abandoned the aircraft by parachute, leaving the Comet to crash in the desert. After some hours, Campbell Black and A1cArthur rode into Kubushia, near Khartoum, at 2 p.m. on 23 September on two camels. F. Rowarth and ''''. Dancy were the handicappers [or the London-toCardiff race on 21 September, 1935, the ten starters [rom Heston being the Mew Gull G-ACND, Eagle 2 G-ACRG, T.K.2 G-ADNO, M.2W Hawk Trainer, two Puss Moths, Hawk lvlajor, rvlonospar ST-25, B.A. Swallow and the Hendy 281 Hobo G-AAIG. The race over 120 miles was won at 2 18 mph by Percival in the \vhite'Mew Gull G-ACND, and second came J. B. Wilson at 152·5 mph in the Eagle G-ACRG. All 10 competitors were home v..rithin three minutes, the first five arriving witj)in 50 sec.

''''hitney Straight commissioned Basil B. Henderson to design a twoseat, all-wood, low-wing cabin monoplane with a high cruising speed and low landing speed. This was the 200 hp Gipsy Six Hendy 3303 Heck which seated two in tandem in a slim but relatively deep fuselage and had slots and flaps, and a retractable undercarriage. Registered G-ACTC this aircraft was finished in black with gold trim and had a speed range of 44·8-170 mph. The prototype was constructed at Yeovil by \IVestland but, with the combination ofParnall, Nash and Thompson and Hendy in

one company during May 1935, G-ACTC became the Parnall Heck. vVhitney Straight did not take the Heck and on 8 October, 1935, with FIg Off David Llewellyn and Mrs Jill Wyndham on board, the machine left Hanworth for Cape Town in an attempt on the record to South Africa and back-a distance of 16,000 miles-but, after reaching Marseilles, G-ACTC returned to Hanworth. On I j October the Heck left Hanworth with the same crew but made a forced landing between Aboukir and Cairo, carrying on afterwards to Cape Town \vhich was reached on 29 October. The outward record was lost, but on 4 November G-ACTC took-off from Cape Town on the return flight and landed on 11 November at Lympne 6 days 12 hI' 17 min later, the new holder of the Cape Town-to-England record by 18 hI' 48 min. During the morning of 10 October, 1935, a new attempt started on the solo record between Australia and England, when H. F. Broadbent set off from Darwin in the D.H.80A Puss Moth VH-UQO which had been flown over the same route during September 1934 as lvly Hildegarde by C. J. 1.1elrose. VH-UQO crashed at Basra during a forced landing on 14 October, and Broadbent gave up the flight, disposing of the aircraft at Shaibah. Harrv Broadbent and C. J. Melrose set ofT [rom Croydon at 7 a.m. on 2 Nove~ber, 1935, Dying separate aircraft in individual attempts on the England~to-Australia record. Broadbent had flown to England from Baghdad by the commercial air service and then left for Australia, flying the 200 hp Gipsy Six Gull Six VH- UVA: Melrose was piloting the 130 hp Gipsy Major Gull Four VH-UVH. On reaching Singapore, Melrose abandoned his record attempt to join the search for Charles Kingsford Smith, who by then had been reported missing on his own attempt on the England-to-Australia record. Broadbent, however, flew on to Darwin, which he reached on 9 November, the new holder of the record with a time of6 days 21 hI' 19 min, having beaten the previous solo figure by 7 hours. r n 1935 Kingsford Smith was 38 years old and determined to accomplish one last record breaking flight if possible, to beat the time from England to Australia of the winning Comet Grosvenor House in the Mac.Robertson Race. The aircraft for the Dight was to be the blue and silver Lockheed 3D Altair Lady Southern Cross, lately VH- USB but now G-ADUS, of 450 hp and fitted with the ,",Vasp modified to SCI; accompanying Kingsford Smith was his 28-year-old co-pilot and engineer John Thompson Pethybridge. At8 p.m. on 20 October, 1935, they took-off from Croydon but, a few hours later, formation of ice on the wings and consequent damage made them land at Brindisi, where G-ADUS was repaired sufficiently [or itto be flown back to Croydon two days later. At 6.28 a.m. 0116 November the Lad)! Southern Cross left Lympne for Melbourne. Allahabad was reached in 29 hr 28 min, but, following its take-off on 8 November on the next stage to Singapore, the monoplane disappeared and was presumed lost between Akyab and Victoria Point, 750 miles south on the lvIalavan Peninsula. C. J. rvlelrose reported seeing the Altair's exhaust as it passed him overhead in the dark over the Gulf of Mataban, and it was not until nearly two years later that part of the undercarriage was identified, on being washed up near Aye Island off Burma on 1 June, 1937.

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281

The Parnall Heck G-ACTC, finished in black and gold and used by Fig OfT D. Llewellyn and MrsJill "Vyndham in November 1935 on lheir record flight from South Africa to England. (Flight International.)

.

Jean Batten replaced her Moth with the 200 hI' Gipsy Six Percival Gull Six G-ADPR Jean and prepared to set up a new time from England to South America. At 6.30 a.m. on 11 November, 1935, the silver monoplane left Lympne on the first stage of its 5,000 mile journey. Casablanca, 1,350 miles distant, was reached nonstop at 4.15 p.m. in 9 hI' 45 min. Villa Cisneros was the next landing place, from which Thies was another 680 miles. Thirty-six hours after leaving Lympne, G-ADPR landed at Thies, but its pilot found that her fuel supplies had been sent in error to Dakar. The necessary fuel was taken quickly to Thies, and Jean Batten took-off in the dark and headed across the South Atlantic for Brazil, a distance 0[2,000 miles. After 12! hours in the air, during which it Oew through a heavy storm, the Gull made its landfall at Cape San Roque and then turned towards Port Natal, where it landed on 13 November after 13 hr 15 min flying. The total timefrom Lympne was 2 days 13 hr 15 min, which was nearly 24 hr shorter than the previous best solo time for the route by Jim Mollison; the time across the South Atlantic set a new record for the passage andJean Batten was also the first woman pilot to make the crossing.

R.

J.

\'Vaight in the cockpit of the de Havilland Technical School's diminutive red and white T.K.4 G-AETK-fasLt'st of the School's series of racers.

End of an Epoch

Jean Batten piloting the silver Percival Gull Six G-ADPR, which she flew from England lo South America during November 1935.

The last five years had seen a great deal of racing and record breaking laking place, both activities being in the hands of many notable piloLs, the majority of them private flyers. After 1931, the stimulus of the Schneider Trophy was gone, and the racing seaplane became-in Great Britain, at least-a class of aircraft of which design and production had ceased. Since the wide acceptance of the cantilever low-wing monoplane, there had been a relatively small amount ofacLiviL)' in original design for racing aircraft, fnost of it being by de Havilland, :Miles and Percival, and this was a position which was hardly to change for the period until the start of the Second World War at the end of the summer of 1939.

282

By the middle 1930s, both air racing in Great Britain and record breaking from and to the United Kingdom had settled down to quite a steady, predictable pattern. Internal racing consisted-to a great degree-of numerous annual events for various challenge cups and trophies ·with, each year, newer and more advanced types of aircraft appearing to replace the oleler, obsolescent designs. In the main, any specializcd racing aircraft which became available for private owners were the products of the smaller companics, while the bigger concerns concentrated their resources on meeting the demand at home and abroad for the greater quantities required by military and naval armed Services and by civilian operators in the expanding field of air transport. For long-distance record breaking, the pilots relied mainly on the small and increasingly fast private owner aircraft which continued to appear. The primary alteration required to these machines was the provision of greater tankage for sufficient range. The Depression of the last few years appeared to have very little tangible effect on the amount of racing and record breaking which, on the contrary, continued to expand steadily. The few isolated projects for the revival of pylon racing had not taken place, and any short course events were arranged around a local circuit, normally triangular or quadrilateral. Cross-country handicaps from point to point between various cities provided several of the yearly events, and the King's Cup-as the major race-continued to attract a steady entry. At the beginning of 1936, the 1935 King's Cup winner-the M.3B 283

Falcon Six G-ADLC-was prepared for an attempt on the England-toSouth Arrica ::;010 record. Early on 7 January, Tommy Rose took-off from Lympne in the cream and red monoplane, but ice forming on the aircraft forced it down at Abbeville in France, with damage being caused by the emergency landing in the dark. G-ADLC \\'as able to take-off again from Lympne at 12.25 a.m. on 6 February, 1936, on Rose's second attempt on the Cape record, and the Falcon landed at Cape Town at 6.03 p.m. on 9 February after 3 days 17 h1' 37 min, the new record holdcr for the 7,300 mile route. The return flight started at 6.08 a.m. on 3 !\1arch, 1936, from Cape To\\'n and covered 7,863 miles which took 6 days 6 hI' 57 min, G-ADLC landing at Croydon at 11.05 a.m. on 9 1\/larch, having set another rccord by 5 hI' 20 min. FIg Off Llewellyn's next flight to South Africa was in the 40 hp J.A.P. Aeronca C-3 G-AEAC, leaving Lympnc on 7 February, 1936, to arrive at Johannesburg 23 days later on 1 1\1arch. On 2 April, J936, the Master of Sempill took-off from Croydon in the 19 hp Douglas Sprite B.A.C. Drone G-ADUA to fly to Berlin and, by covering the 570 miles in II hours at an average speed of 54·5 mph, set up a new Class 4 record for straight-line distance nonstop by single-seat aircraft weighing less than 440 lb. G-ADUA's return flight was on 4 April to Croydon in 9 hours, the total cost of the petrol used being 25s. At 5.30 a.m. on 3 April, 1936, Amy Mollison took-off from Gravesend flying the pale blue Gull Six G-ADZO in an attcmpt to break the Englandto-South Africa record. By the afternoon or 3 April she had reached Colomb Bechar nonstop but, in taking-off on the next stage, the Gull's undercarriage was damaged when it ran into soft sand and the flight was abandoned. Following repairs Amy Mollison flew the Gull home, and at 9.05 a.m. on 4 May, 1936, G-ADZO left Gravesend again to follow the 6,400 mile "Vest Coast route to Cape Town, reached at 3.31 p.m. on 7 May when G-ADZO landed at Wingfield Aerodrome after 3 days 6 hI' 26 min, or which 54 hr 37 min had been flying time. This beat Tommy Rose's time by I I hr 9 min. The Gull took-off from Wingfield at 9.19 p.m. on 10 May to fly along the orthodox route for England and arrived at Croydon on 15 May at 1.36 p.m. having taken 4 days 16 hr ] 7 min to cover 7,863 miles. Amy Mollison was now the holder of the record to and from the Cape and had flown there and back in 7 days 22 hI' 43 min, with a total distance of 14,263 miles covered in 12 days. H. L. Brook left Lympne on 6 May, 1936, in the 36 hp Praga B Praga Baby G-ADXL, with Cape Town as his destination. The 36 ft span, yellow monoplane reached Cape Town in 16 days 4 hr 30 min at an average speed of 70 mph, landing on 22 wIay after 135 hr in the air. On 30 IVlay, 1936, the London-to-Isle of ~1an Race was run from Hanworth to Ronaldsway with nine starters under handicap. First place wcnl to Alex Henshaw at 126·75 mph, flying the D.H.85 Leopard Moth G-ACLO against, among others, the M.2E Hawk Speed Six G-ACTE with which Humble came third at 152 mph to set up the fastest time in thc racc, the four-engine D.H.86A G-ADV] which was fourth and the Cessna C-34 Airmaster G-AEAI which came in eighth. On I June, the wIanx Air Derby Handicap over three laps was held in the Isle of Man, with 18 entrants; R. F. Hall-piloting the first Britishbuilt Praga Baby, G-AEEU, constructed by F. Hills and Sons Ltd as the

Hillson Praga-came first at 89·5 mph. Eighteenth-and last-were the sisters Mabel and Sheila Glass, piloting their D.H.60G Gipsy Moth GABOE Offero. At 7.35 a.m. on 30 lVIay, 1936, Sqn Ldr E. G. Hilton took-ofl'from Cape Town in the Airspeed A.S.6 Envoy SeLl G-ACVI J'vliss flVolselVJ, powered by a pair of 185 hp 'Volseley A.R.9s, with Croydon as his destination in an attack on the South Africa-to-England record. He was delayed at Athens and lost the possibility of arriving in England in record time. On 5 July, 1936, P. A. 'VilIs sel up a new British Kational Distance record ror gliders, using the Slingsby Hjordis G-GAAA; his flight of 10+ miles was from Dunsrable to Pakefield, Suffolk. The 1936 King's Cup Race, for a eup presented by I-IM King Edward VITI, was held on 10-11 July from Hatfield and had 26 starte,·s. The course of 1,380 miles consisted of an eliminating round of 1,224 miles made up of two laps of the 612 mile circuit from Hatfield to Norwich, . ottingham, Bristol, Salisbury, Shoreham, Coventry and back to Hatfield, followed by a final of six laps of the 26 mile circuit from Hatfield to Sacombe Farm, Hoo End and back to Hatfield. Entered were:

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285

Aircraft

Registration

Pilot

D.H.BS Leopard ~'Ioth M.2H Hawk i\'lajor M.3A Falcon Major B.A.Eagle 2 D.H.90 Dragonfly M.2H Hawk Major C.L.A.7 Swift M.2H Hawk Major C.L.A. 7 Swift

G-ACLO G-AEGR G-AEFB G-ACRG G·ADNA G-ADLA

A. Henshaw Fit Lieul D. F. W. Bonham-Carter Fig Off A. E. Clouston Mrs J. A. Mollison G. R. de Havilland J. H. l\lalhew T. H. O. Richardson C. F. Hughesdon H.]. Wilson

G-ABWW G-ACYO G-AB\<\'I-I

"T.

Two well-known racing pilot sisters of the 1930s-2\label and Sheila Glass in their D.H.6De Gipsy 1'10lh G-ABOE O.!frro.

.

The Miles M.5 Sparrowhawk G-AD\V\V. flown by J. H. G. :l\CcArthur in the 1936 King's Cup Race, was sold later in the USA to become NCI91 ~l.

Aircraft

Registration

Vega Gull Vega Gull Vega Gull Gull Six RAJ V Double Eagle Parnall Heck Gull Six M.5 Sparrowhawk ~1.5 Sparrowhawk D.H. T.K.2 :1\1.38 Falcon Six :l\1.2L Hawk Speed Six :l\1.2E Hawk Speed Six B.A.IV Double Eagle M.2U Hawk Speed Six Mew Gull Vega Gull

G-AEKE G-AEAB G-AELE G-ADMI G-ADVV G-ACTC G-ADZO G-AOWW G-ADNL G-ADNO G-ADLG G-ADGP G-ACTE G-AEIN G-ADOD G-AEF~L

G-AEKD

Pilot

C. E. Gardner Lieut D. Misri Chand P. Q. Reiss S. W. Sparkes Capt \'\'. L. Hope J. D. Kirwan R. J. Falk J. H. G. McArthur P. H. :l\laxwell R. J. Waight C. W. A. Scott Fit Lieut R. E. ?o1. B. Milne W. Humble Fit Lieut J. B. Wilson Fit Lieut T. Rose Capt E. W. Perci\-al Lieut P. Randolph

The pale blue and silver prototype Percival Vega Gull G-AEAB-bearing incorrect registration-which was flown by Lieut D. 1\fisri Chand in the 1936 King's Cup Race.

The event was won by Charles Gardner at 164·47 mph, second was Rose at 185 mph, and third came J. B. Wilson at 181 mph. In fourth place at 206·12 mph was Edgar Percival, piloting the white Mew Gull E.2H G-AEKL which was constructed on the same lines as the revised G-ACND and fitted with a 200 hp Gipsy Six driving a variable-pitch propeller with an exposed hub to which a spinner was filled later. Performance had been increased, so that G-AEKL was capable of a top speed or 225 mph, cruising at 190 mph with a range of 575 miles. The B.A.IV Double Eagle G-AEIN was the second orthe pair built and was fitled with two 200 hp Gipsy Six engines; G-ADVV utilized 130 hp Gipsy Majors. In both cases the powerplants were mounted beneath the shoulder wings with the undercarriage retracting rearwards into the nacelles. The Siddeley Challenge Trophy was awarded on I I July, 1936, to Charles Gardner as a member of the Redhill Flying Club for his King's Cup win in the Vega Gull G-AEKE at 164·47 mph. A race announced for 16 July, 1936, was the Cotswold Handicap to be held at Cheltenham and Gloucester Aerodrome. The Peters Challenge Cup was the main award on 18 July, 1936, for the Portsmouth-Shoreham-Portsmouth Race, whieh was held in place of the scheduled Isle of \'\light Race cancelled owing to gusty weather. The distance was 65 miles and, out of seven entrants, the winner was S. T. Lowe in the C.L.A.7 Swift G-ABWW at 125·5 mph. A local triangular course of 33·5 miles for the Portsmouth Air Trophy on the same day was flown by eight competitors, the winner at 69 mph being the yellow Taylor Cub J-2 G-AEIK piloted by P. J. Field-Richards. The three-lap race for the Folkestone Trophy was run in poor weather at Lympne on I August, 1936, each lap consisting of 58 miles. There were 10 finalists and the winner was R. R. Grubb at 84·75 mph piloting the Aeronea C-3 G-ADYR. Others competing included P. J. Field-Richards, who flew the Taylor Cub J-2 G-AEIK into third plaee at 76·75 mph, E. 'V. Percival who was seventh in the :NIew Gull G-AEKL, Lord Patrick Crichton-Stuart flying the Hobo G-AAIG, and R. F. Hall with the Hillson Praga G-AEEU. 1 umerous examples of Henri Mignet's home-built Pou du Ciel (Flying Flea) design were constructed and at 4 p.m. on 3 August, 1936, the First

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287

The Miles !vf.3A Falcon G-AEFB piloted in the 1936 King's Cup Race by Fig Off A. E. Clouston.

.

I nternational Flying Flea Challenge Tl'Ophy Race-open to pilots and aircraft of any nationality-was run at Ramsgate Airport, with seven starters which included three French Poux. The course consisted of four laps of a seven-mile triangular circuit from Ramsgate to ntIanston, thence to the Margate Dust Destructor and back, with handicapping by Rowarth and Dancy. First place for the Trophy and £ I 00 went to Edouard Bret of France at 56· 75 mph with a POll du Ciel powered by a four-cylinder two-stroke Ava, second for a Trophy and £60 was S. V. Appleby at 59·5 mph-the fastest average speed in the event-with his 33 hp Carden~ Ford }'Ica G-AD:NIH modified to his own design, third for a Trophy and £40 was F. Robineau at 50 mph in the 17 hp two-stroke Aubicr et Dunne Pou du Ciel, fourth came Claude Oscroft in the 33 hp Carden-Ford Abbott-Baynes Cantilever Pou du Ciel G-AEJC, fifth was Colli in the 33 hp Carden-Ford Abbott-Baynes Cantilever Pou du Ciel G-AEJD, and sixth came Lane of the United Kingdom with the 25 hp Poinsard Pou. Fig Off A. E. Clouston, piloting the 35 hp A.B.C. Scorpion Pou, was forced to retire as he was covered in escaping oil. The London·to-~ewcastle Race over 263 miles had ten starters at Brooklands on 8 August, 1936. Dr J. M. Bickerton and E. F. Walter, who arrived in first and second places respectively, were disqualified for failing to pass the Yeadon control point correctly, and the winner was 'V. Humble, who covered the course to 'Voolsington in the iV1.2E Hawk Speed Six G-ACTE at 183·75 mph. On 9 August, eight machines competed in thc Handicap Raee from \'Voolsington to York, and in this event H. C. MacPhail, piloting the Monospar ST-25, lost his first place through disqualification, the winners being E. F. \'Valter and Miss Dorothy Kay in a Hawk Major. Fourteen aircraft took part at Castle Bromwich on 22 August, 1936, in the Contact Air Race over a cross-country course, won by Alex Henshaw at 118 mph with the Leopard Moth G-ACLO, in second place was K. G. Seth-Smith with a Monospar ST-4 and C. S. Napier in the Cirrus 11ajor Gull Four G-ADOE came third. The \'\Takefield Trophy Race was run at Lympnc on 29-30 August, 1936. Eleven finalists took part on the second day over the 18 mile triangular course; in first place was the American racing pilot James Haizlip at 145 mph flying a Cessna C-34 Airmaster. Others competing included R. J. vVaight in the T.K.2 G-ADNO, with which he averaged 170 mph for sixth place, and Lord Patrick Crichton-Stuart who flew the Hobo G-AAIG into eighth place. The T.K.2, modified for the 1936 racing season, had shortened exhaust stubs, spats of increased length, a new curved windshield and was now painted green trimmed with white. In its new form, the loaded weight was increased slightly to 1,630 lb. John E. Carberry's entry in the forthcoming Schlesinger Air Race from England to South Africa was to be the Percival Vega Gull VP-KCC, but, before the race, it was named The Messenger at Gravesend Airport on I September, 1936, for NIrs Beryl Markham, a 31-year-old pilot from South Africa, to fly on an east-to-west solo transatlantic attempt. The machine was equipped with a 200 hp Gipsy Six driving a Ratier propeller and took-off from Abingdon at 6.50 p.m. on 4 September, 1936. After 21 hI' 35 min the monoplane landed on 5 September at Baleine 288

Cove, Cape Breton Island, 2,612 miles from its starting point. Mrs i\lIarkham was the first woman pilot to complete the solo Aight across the :."1orth Atlantic, but shortage of fuel forced her to land in a mud-flat and The Nfessenger tipped up on to its nose, burying it in a layer of mud six feet deep. The 90 mile Three Counties Air Race at Hereford was scheduled originally for 19 September, ]936, but was held a day earlier on 18 September to avoid clashing with the London-to-Cardiff racc. Some 20 entrants look-off to fly threc laps of the 30 mile course; the winner was R. F. Hall piloting an Avro 643 Cadet and the sisters Mabel and Sheila Glass were second with their Gipsy Nloth G-ABOE Offero. Others competing included a D.H.90 Dragonfly with S. F. Woods piloting, the M.2E Hawk Speed Six G-ACTE flown by William Humble, a Monospar ST-25 piloted by K. G. Seth-Smith, the C.L.A.7 Swift G-ABWW flown by S. T. Lowe, and Puss Moths, Tiger Moth, Gipsy Moth, Cadet and other types. On 19 September, 1936, the London-to-Cardiff Race over 120 miles between Heston and Splott had only five starters, but the first four arrived within 38 sec of each other. The event was won by R. J. "Vaight at 189·72 mph with the T.K.2 G-ADNO, second was C. S. Napier with the Cirrus Major Gull Four G-ADOE, third L. J. C. Mitchell flying R. Cadman's Puss Moth, fourth W. Humble with the M.2E Hawk Speed Six G-ACTE, and fifth P. Randolph with the Vega Gull G-AEKD. On 28 September, 1936, Sqn Ldr F. R. D. Swain took-off from Farnborough in the specially constructed Hristol Type 138A K4879 and climbed to 49,967 ft, a ncw altitude record. The silver and black

1\11'5 Beryl i\farkham before her take-off in the Percival Vega GuB VP-KCC The j\[esseJl,!!er, to fly solo from east to west across the North Atlantic in September 1936. K

289

low-wing monoplane, of66 ft span, was evolved Ii'om the Bristol Type 138 high-altitude research monoplane and was designed by F. S. Barnwell with detail design by C. \,V. Tinson. Of all-wood construction to Specification 2/34, the machine was fitted with a special 500 hp Bristol Pegasus P.E.5S, and, to enable it to be flown to high altitudes, the pilot was provided with a specially developed oxygen helmet and pressure suit to wear inside the cabin. The Schlesinger Air Race was to commemorate the Empire Exhibition being held in Johannesburg, the total prize Jist provided by the South African industrialist J. "'. Schlesinger amounting to £JO,OOO. The short time between the announcement of the race in June, 1936, and its start was responsible for the proviso that entry was confined to aircraft and pilots from the British Empire. The start-at one minute intervals-was at 6.30 a.l11. on 29 September, 1936, from Portsmouth with the finish 6,150 miles away at the Rand Airport, Germiston, Johannesburg. The fourteen entries received consisted originally of: Aircraft

Registration

}..'[ew Gull

ZS-AHM

Mew Cull

ZS-AHO

M.5 Sparrowhawk B.A.l V Double Eagle Vega Gull

G-AELT G-AEIN G-AEKD

Vega Gull

G-AEKE

Vega Gull

G-AEAB

M.2U Hawk Speed Six D.H.92 Dolphin B.A. Eagle 2

G-ADOD G-AEMX G-AOIO

Miles 1'\'1.8 Peregrine

G-AEOE

Vega Gull A.S.G] Envoy I II

VP-KGG G-AENA

l\rew Gull

G-AEKL

Pilot Maj A. i\L Miller

Capt S. S. Halse

Victor C. Smith Flt Lieut T. Rosel.J. Bligshaw Lieut D. Misri Chand/Lieut P. Randolph C. VV. A. Scott/Giles Guthrie

ReDl.arks The Colden City/Die Coudstad,

Titanine Satin white/gold lettering and tips to wings and tailplane Baragwanath Originally G-AEMO, Titanine pillar-box red/gold lettering Dark blue Red/silver Pale blue/ silver Pale blue/ silver Pale blue! silver Cream/red

FIg Off D. Llewellyn/C. F. Hughesdon FIg Off A. E. Clouston Hugh Buckingham C. G. M. Alington/Lieut P. Frobisher, dark blue/silver A. Booth/Paymaster Lieut R. H. Alington Fit Lieut H. R. A. Edwards/ Sqn Ldr B. S. Thynne J. E. Carberry Gabrielle, Capt M. H. Findlay/K. H. silver F. Waller/A. H. j\'[organ/ C. D. Peachey A1iss T. Campbell Black Liverpool J, white/black

290

The silver Airspeed A.S.6J Em'oy G-AENA Gabrielle, piloted by Capt !Iol. H. Findlay and K. H. F. "'aller, which crashed during the 1936 Schlesinger Air Race. (Flight Intemotional.)

The arrival ofC. W. A. Scott and Giles Guthrie at Johannesburg on 1 October, [936, afler winning the Schlesinger Air Race in the Vega Gull G-AEKE, victor also in the King's Cup of 1936.

There were only nine starters when the race began as the Vega Gull G-AEKD and thc Peregrine G-AEDE were not ready in time, development of the Dolphin G-AEMX was abandoned after the prototype had flown at Hatfield, and the Vega GuIJ VP-KCC had been damaged at the end of Beryl Markham's transatlantic flight. Another withdra"val was that of the Mew Gull G-AEKL, whieh Tom CampbeIJ Black had flown to Speke on 19 September for christening as Miss Liverpool J before the Schlesinger race, and in which he was killed when the propeller of a ta.xi-ing Hart cut through the cabin. Only one machine-the Vega Gull G-AEKE of Scott and Guthriefinished the course to win on 1 October after a flight occupying 2 days 4 hI' 56 min at an average flying speed of 156·3 mph, its all-in avnage being 116 mph. 'fhe Mew Gull G-AEKL was the first production version, sold to Air Publicity Ltd, and was finished for the Schlesinger race in white, with the top half of the fuselage and upper surface of wings and tail in black. Registration was in black on the fuselage and below the wings and in white above the wings. The cockpit frame was white, ivliss Liverpool I was on each side of the engine cowling and an aJighting bird insignia was 291

The striking black and white 1\Iew Gull G~AEKL lV/iss Lil}erpooll at Gravesend. Because of the fatal accident to Tom Campbell Black on the ground at Speke, tht" Mew Gull had to be withdrawn from the 1936 England-la-South Africa Air Race. (Flight International.)

painted just behind and below the spinner. The engine was a 205 hp Gipsy Six Series II, driving a variable-pitch propeller to the bare hub of which a spinner was fitted later. ZS-AHM for Maj Alistair fiililler was the second production model of the Mew Gull, carried its name The Golden Ciry on the port side of the cowling and Die Coudstad on the starboard, and was powered by the 200 hp Gipsy Six engine which, in this case, drove a Ratier electric propeller equipped with a long pointed spinner. Internal long-range tanks increased ZSAHM's fuel capacity from 41 to 79 gal, but trouble with the fuel feed system forced l\IIiller down 30 miles from the first control point at Belgrade. He flew on to Belgrade but retired thcrc, and ZS-AI-IM was flown baek to England a few days afterwards, to be bought by 'V. Humble and registered as G-AEXF, but Humble sold it to Alex Henshaw in :Nlay, 1937. Capt Halse's ZS-AHO was the third production Mew Gull and was similar to ZS-AH 1. Its South African pilot was leading, until ZS-AHO overturned at Salisbury during a forced landing and was eliminated. Fifteen years later, the battered machine was still lying derelict at Johannesburg. The others which failed en route were the Double Eagle which had undercarriage trouble at Cairo, the Sparrowhawk at Khartoum owing to leaking oil, the Vega Gull flown by Fig Off Llewellyn and Chades Hughesdon which crashed, the B.A. Eagle which force landed in Bavaria and damaged its undercarriagc, thc Hawk Speed Six with which Fig Off Clouslon kept going in spite of several setbacks until a final crash on I October, and the Envoy which crashed into trees on take-off from Abercorn, killing Max Findlay and A. H. Morgan. At 4.10 a.m. on 5 October, 1936,]ean Ballen left Lympne in her Gull Six G-ADPR Jean for Australia in an attempt to beat H. F. Broadbent's time. She landed at Darwin at 1.13 a.m. on 11 October after a flight of 5 days 2 I hI' 3 min, which set up a new solo record by 24 hl' 16 min. Miss Batten landed in New Zealand on 16 October, having made the fastest solo crossing of the 1,200 miles of the Timor Sea in 8 hI' 30 min, and having set new solo and female records by reaching New Zealand in 11 days I hr 25 min from the United Kingdom. Shoreham Aerodrome was used by Ernie Clark, a farmer, [or the takeoff of his Gull Four G-ACUL on 26 October, 1936, on his flight to New Zealand where he arrived after 20 days on 15 November, landing at Christchurch. Clark failed to beat Jean Batten's lime, and the Gull was re-registered in New Zealand on 11 February, 1937, as ZK-AES, being sold to the New Zealand Government during thc following August. One of the intended entries in the 1934 I\lIac.Robertson Race was the green and white low-\ving Bellanca 28-70, entered as EI-AAZ The Irish Swoot). Various difficulties arose, and the machine was withdrawn. On 29 October, 1934, The Irish Swoop took-olffrom Lympneon an attempt on the record to Baghdad, with the intention of pressing on to Australia if possible, but trouble over Belgium forced Col J. C. Fitzmaurice and Eric Bonar to return and land. The machine was then shipped back to the Bellanca faclory at :."lew Castle, Delaware, for complete overhaul and emerged in February 1935 for Eric ,V. Bonar and Eddie Griscomb to make a test flight. While landing, the 28-70 was caught by a gust of wind and crashed, but was rebuilt early in 1936 as. R 190i\'I, with stronger

292

293

~laj A. M. 1\lliller's aircraft in the 1936 Schlesinger Air Race to South Africa, the white and gold Percival 'lew Gull ZS-AH~l The Golden City/Die Goudstad. (Flight bltemational.)

Baragwallath, the red and gold :Mew Gull ZS-AHO-latc G-AEMO-flmvn by Gapt S. S. Raise in the 1936 Schlesinger Air Race. (Flight International.)

wings and shorter inverted kingposts for the lift wires, finished in green and orange and named The Dorothy. The machine was now ready for]. A. Mollison to make his attack on the Atlantic record, and he flew it to Harbour Grace 011 28 October from Floyd Bennett Airport. ~1011ison took-off from Harbour Gracc, Kcwfoundland, at 8.40 p.m. on 29 October, 1936, and at 9.57 a.m. on 30 October The Dorothy landed at Croydon, having made the fastest Korth Atlantic crossing so far in 10 hr from coast to coast and 13 br 17 min total time. The flight was made at 15,000 ft and at an average speed of 220 mph. On arrival the Bellanca received the British registration G-AEPC. The green Bellanca 28-70 G-AEPC The Dorothy was then used by Jim Nlollison and his co-pilot Edouard Corniglion-~10Iinier on a record attempt to Cape Town and back. On 29 November, 1936, the monoplane left Croydon with the first stop scheduled at Alexandria, but, with petrol low owing to a leaking tank and the prospect of landing in the dark at Alexandria without the neccssary lighting, The Dorothy came down at Marseilles. Later, a landing was made at Cairo and, after an hour on the ground, G-AEPC set off to follow the Nile to Khartoum, but, as the fuel tanks were half full on arrival over Kha,·toum, it was decided that the stage should be extended to Kisumu without a landing at Khartoum. Plans were changed, however, as 400 miles south of Khartoum petrol was leaking badly and a forced landing was made on the banks ofthe river. The Dorothy then returned to Khartoum, but the crew ,vere unable to carry out a repair and took-off again at 10 p.m. on 30 November, with the tank still leaking aftcr having flown for an extra 800 wasted miles. At 7 a.m. on 1 December G-AEPC reached Kisumu and took-off again at 11 a.m., its next stopping place being Broken Hill, but on taking~off in the dark the machine became bogged. Eventually it left Broken Hill and landed at Kimberley, to leave once more in bad weather and encounter storms over Cape Town, but with the record still possible. Clouds over \Vingfield Aerodrome and mountains in the descent path forced The Dorothy to Oy on and to land in a field ncar Cape Agulhas in the evening, four days after leaving England. The leaking tank made it necessary to abandon any idea of trying to achieve a return record time, and The Dorothy was sent back to the United Kingdom by ship. On 10 January, 1937, H. L. Brook set off from Gravesend for Cape Town, attempting to beat Amy fi10llison's time. He was flying the Gull Six G-ADZO which she had used for the same flight in May 1936. Brook gave up on 12 January as the weather was too bad and returned to England to prepare for a fresh start. FIg OfT David Llewellyn scheduled his lake-ofT for Cape Town from Croydon for 9 a.m. on 24 January, 1937, but left on 29 January, piloting the 200 hp Gipsy Six Series II Vega Gull COUI/ty '!f MOl/mol/lh. On 30 January he abandoned the attempt below the fourth cataract of the Nile owing to a choked oil feed. Nine British aircraft competed among 41 startcrs on 23 February, 1937, in the Circuit of the Oases in Egypt. Those in that day's Efficiency Trial included the Gipsy Moth G-ABOE Offero with Mabcl and Sheila Glass, Falcon, Eagle, Hawk Major, Puss Moth, Swallow and the Vega Gull flown by P. G. Aldrich-Blake, which came fifth. S. B. Cliff, flying the Vega Gull G-AEPS of Aldrich-Blake, was the only British entrant on 28

February in thc Speed Race, which was an open 312 mile non-handicap event of lhree laps around a triangular course of 104 miles, from which he ha.d to retire. The winner was G. Zapetta of Italy at 185 mph with a Nardi F.N.305. During March 1937 an announcement was made that Mabel and Sheila Glass were to make an attempt on Amy Mollison's England-to-theCape record of 3 days 6 hr 26 min, but the flight did not take place. I-I. L. Brook was ready for another altempt to South Africa and took-off from Gravesend at 5.22 a.m. on 25 April, 1937, using thc Gull Six GADZO. Once marc he was delayed-this time by a broken tailwheel on taking-off from] uba-and arrived at Cape Town outside the record time. H. F. Broadbent left Darwin for England at 7.45 a.m. on 27 April, 1937 in thc D.H.85 Leopard Moth VH-AHB equipped with special tanks con~ ferring a range of 1,500 miles. After 6 days 8 hI' 2S min he arrived at Lympne at 6.40 p.m. on 3 May, having beaten ]-1. L. Brook by I day II hr 2S min. Plans were being made in May 1937 for a long-distance flight hy Beryl Markham using the Northrop Delta I C G-i\EXR, but the idea was abandoned. Piloting the blue Percival Gull VH-UVA, P. G. Taylor set up a new recor~ solo time from]ava to Sydney during a charter Oight, at the start ofwhlch he left Sydney on 12 May, 1937. His subsequent itinery included Cioncurry, Camooweal and Daly \'Vatcrs on 13 May, Darwin and Koepang all 14 fi1.ay, Rambang and SOUl"abaya on 17 May, arrival at Bal,avia on 18 May, departure from Batavia on 19 May for Sourabaya, arrIval at Rambang and Koepang on 20 l\1.ay, \IVyndham, Alice Springs and Farina on 21 fi1.ay, Broken Hill on 22 May, and arrival at Sydney on 26 May after a delay at Broken Hill. On H. L. Brook's return flight to England, he set up a new time of 4 days 18 min. Piloting the Gull G-ADZO he left Cape Town at 3.02 p.m. on 2 May, 1937, and reached Heston at 3.20 p.m. on 5 May. J;'lg Off David Llewellyn set off on a Cape aLtempt from Croydon on 20 May, 1937, using the Vega Gull County if iV/01l71101lth, but returned to Croydon the same evening with propeller trouble. He started again from Croydon on 24 May and reached Johannesburg, but, after taking-off

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Alex Henshaw in front of the .Mew Gull G-AEXF which he raced during 1937.

--------------------------------------------:-~

from there, did not notice that his compass had failed and, with seven hours in which to reach Cape Town in time, lost his way and the chance of a new record. On the return journey to England, he struck an ant hill and badly damaged the Vega Gull. For t.he London-le-Isle of Man Race 26 entries were received for the start at Hanworth on 29 rvlay, 1937. The finish of the handicap was at Douglas, and the winner was Maj Seidemann with the B.F."'. l\l.lcsserschmitt Me 108 Taifun D-IOSA. On 31 May the Tynwald Air Race around the Isle of 1\llal1 was held for aircraft of 75 hp maximum, three competitors taking part. These WCfe two Aeronca C-3s and a Praga Baby, the winner being R. C. Hockey at 78 mph in one of the C-3s. Also on 31 May, the open handicap Manx Air Derby was run with 13 starters which indudeda B1aekpool and Wcst Coast Air ServieesD.H.89A Dragon Rapide. The race was won by S. T. Lowe flying the Swift G-ABWW at 138·5 mph. On 4--6 June, 1937, the York International Air Rally was held and included the 24 mile Handicap Race of three laps over eight miles, won by Herr Taxis at 117·5 mph with the Klemm Kl 35 D-ERSI. The Gipsy Moth G-ABOE Offero was among the participating aircraft, and was flown into third place at 104 mph by Mabel and Sheila Glass. After Flt Lieut F. R. D. Swain's new height record, the Bristol Type 138A K4879 was modified for another attack on it which started at 5.40 a.m. on 30 June, 1937, at Farnborough. The machine was altered to include deletion of brakes, use of wheels of reduced size and revision of propeller pitch and size of the supercharger impeller. The pilot was FIt Lieut M.J. Adam and at 7.55 a.m.-after 2 hr 15 min -K4879 landed at Farnborough, with a new altitude record of 53,937 ft. While the D.H.88 Comet CS-AAJ Salazar was in use with the Portuguese Government, it was damaged and was flown back to Hatfield for repairs by de Havilland during 1937. The black monoplane set off from Hatfield on its return at 12.12 a.m. on 2July, 1937, piloted by Lieut Costa Macedo, the C.F.I. of the Portuguese National Flying School, and landed after the 993 mile journey in the nonstop time of 5 hr 27 min. In the past the race for the Newcastle Trophy had been run from London to Newcastle but was replaced on 3 July, 1937, by a local course of 274 miles from 'rVoolsington to York, Sherburn-in-Elmet, vVoolsington, Carlisle and Longtown with the finish at Woolsington. The 'weather was bad, and out of nine starters seven finished. First was C. E. Gardner at 221 mph with the Mew Gull G-AEKL, which had been rebuilt since the accident at Liverpool in the previous year and was now dark blue with light blue lettering and trim, second came G. R. de Havilland at 172 mph with the T.K.2 G-ADNO, and third at 210·5 mph was Alex Henshaw in the white Mew Gull G-AEXF. The remaining finishers were an Eagle, Moth, Swallow and Puss Moth, two other Eagles having retired. The T.K.2 G-ADNO, flown by G. R. de Havilland and the Mew Gull G-AEXF, piloted by Alex Henshaw, were among nine starLers which left Heston on 10 July, 1937, in the seventh London-to-Cardiff Air Race. First at Splott was G-ADNO at 161·4 mph, with G-AEXF second at 204·6 mph. Racing also was a D.H.89A Dragon Rapide with which D. R. Cubitt was sixth at 127 mph. On 24 July, 1937, at Plymouth, 15 starters took-off from Roborough in the 77 mile handicap over a triangular course including Teignmouth and J

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Exeter. First was Capt Percival Phillips of Air Publicity Ltd flying the 150 hp Lynx Avro 504N G-ADEV at 103 mph, the Swift G-ABUU was second, flown by Miss Constance Ruth Leathart at ]20 mph, fifth was the T.K.2 G-ADNO at 170·5 mph with G. R. de Havilland, and Alex Henshaw flew the Mew Gull G-AEXF into sixth place at 208 mph. On 25July, 1937, the 125 mile Circuit of the Alps speed race was held at the Zurich I ntemational Flying rVIeeting at Dubendorf, and Charles Gardner's 1vIew Gull G-AEKL competed against two B.F.\'V. Messerschmitt lV1e 109 fighters-one the Me 109VI3 with the 950 hp DaimlerBenz DB 600Aa flown by Oberst Karl Franke and the other with the 640 hp Junkers Jumo 210Da piloted by Generalmajor Ernst Udel. Udet withdrew, and Gardner flew at 220 mph to come in second to Oberst Franke's Me 109Vl3 D-IPKY, which averaged 240·9 mph to win. A NIcw Gull wa') the winner on 31 july, 1937, at Lympne of the Folkestone Aero Trophy. The total of 19 entrants in two heats was reduced to ten finalists, and Alex Henshaw came first in the white GAEXF at 210 mph, the Hobo G-AAIG was flown into second place at 126 mph by A. J. S. Morris, and G. R. de Havilland averaged 170 mph in the T. K.2 G-ADNO for eighth place. Also racing was the B.A. Eagle 2 G-AFAX with a fixed undercarriage. 'fhe New York-to-Paris Air Race was scheduled to extend throughout August 1937 with each pilot to select his or her own most suitable day. The object was to commemorate the tenth anniversary of Lindbergh's solo transatlantic flight, and 21 entries were received, among them Miss Amy Johnson-who had resumed her maiden name from 22 lvIarch, 1937, at the start of her divorce proceedings against Jim Mollison-whose aircraft was to be the twin 745 hp Rolls-Royce Kestrel-powered Scottish Aircraft and Engineering Company Clyde Clipper. As the machine could not be ready in time, it was then announced that Amy Johnson would fly the red and silver Caudron Goeland belonging to l"ran~ois Dupre. Entries consisted of: Aircraft

Caudl'on GoCiand D.l-LSS Com~t '" Bellanca 28-92 Farman F.2300 Bloch 160 Amiot 370 Savoia l\-rarch~lti S.73 Savoia Marchetti S.73 Savoia Marchelti S.73 Savoia Marchetti S.73 Savoia Marchetti S.73 Fiat n.R.20 Fiat n.R.20 ProcelJaria -1 Procellaria -I Caudron Typhon Couzinet 10 Lockheed l\lodd 12 Lockheed Model 12 Lockheed ~Iodel 12 Junkers Ju 86

Pilot Miss Amy Johnson FIg Off A. E. Clouston Alex Papana

Remarks

Red/silver French Air Ministry French Air Ministry French Air Ministry

Attileo Risco Angelo Tondi Lieut-Co1 Samucle Cupiui Umberlo Fiori Antonio Lippi Guiseppe Gaeta Enrico Rolandi Aida Anzani Vittorio SusieI' Prince Cantacuzene Societe Tmnsoceanic Joe Thorne Henry Merrill James ~lattern Karl Linder • C-ACSS.

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The United States Government felt doubtful about the safety of the competitors and the Department of Commerce refused Lo issue the licences, so the event was cancelled. In place of the New York-ta-Paris contest a new race was then announced to be run fi'om Istrcs, :Marseilles, to Damascus with the finish back in };'rancc at Le Bourget. Among 13 starters, which included four French and eight lLalian aircraft, the sole British machine was the D.H.88 Comet G-ACSS racing as number G-16. Since its win in the Nlac.Robertson Race, its identity had changed. Following its return {i'om Australia by sea the racer, as the all-silver K5084 complete with RAF roundels, was tested at A. & A.E.E. I\lfartlesham, where, on 30 August, 1935, undercarriage failure damaged the machine. Trials came to an end on 2 September, 1936, when the landing gear collapsed again. Early in the summer of 1937, the Comet was taken dismantled to Essex Aero Ltd, at Gravesend Airport, for complete rebuilding for the Damascus race as The Orphan. The work was under the direction of R. J. Cross and Miss Teasdale, and several alterations were incorporated before the machine reappeared in a new Cellon finish of Morning :NIist and blue. The modifications included the fitting of a pair of 205 hp Gipsy Six Series II engines in place of the old 224 hp Gipsy Six Rs, and the new units drove D.H. I,OOO-size two-position variable-pitch propellers. Replacement cowlings were inscalled embodying larger cooling inlets, to give lower operating temperatures than those at which the original R engines ran, and the increase or 170 lb to 5,720 Ib all-up weight was catered for by the incorporation of new heavier Dunlop tyres On the starboard side of each engine nacelle, the air intakes were provided with a special fairing.

The largest machine in the 1937 King's Cup, the Shorl Scion Senior G-AECU~flown by H. L. Piper~ta.xi-ing at Halfield.

The Damascus race was run on 20-21 August, 1937, and was won at 219 mph in just under 17 hI' 33 min by the Italian Savoia wlarchetti S.M.79CI I-CUPA piloted by Lieut-Col Samuele Cupini. Flown by FIg Off A. E. Clouston and FIt Lieut George )lelson, The Orphan averaged 196 mph for the 3,850 miles in an elapsed time of 19 hI' 41 min, to set up lhe fourth fastest time. The third race for the Thanet Air Trophy was at Ramsgate at 3 p.m. on 21 August, 1937, over three laps of a 24 mile triangular course to Reculver Towers, on to Richborough and back to Ramsgate. Sixteen started out of 18 entrants, who were: Aircraft Taylor Cub Spartan Arrow Mew Gull Avro 504N V.E.F. J-12 Mew Gull D.H. T.K.2 M.lIA Whitney Straight M.2 Hawk Special M.llA Whitney Straight Klemm Kl 35 B.A. Swallow 2 D.H.GOG Gipsy Moth D.H.60G Gipsy Moth Dart Kitten 11 D.H.60G Gipsy l'.loth Fockc-Wulf Fw fi6 Stijsser B.F.W. :l\lesserschmitt Me 27£

Registration G-AESK G-ABOB G-AEXF G-ADEV YL-ABG G-AEKL G-ADNO G-AEUX G-ADGE G-AEVA D-EDLY G-AERK G-ADLJ G-ABOEt G-AEXT G-ABXR D-IMEQ D-ESYR

'" Disqualified.

Pilot P. B. Elwell Fit Lieut H. R. A. Edwards A. Henshaw Capt P. Phillips .J. Vitols

C. E. Gardner G. R. de Havilland J. 13aiJcy E. F. Walter wI'. Lazyo Herr E. Gcrbrecht Miss G. Batchelor *

.J. J.

Flynn/M. Hymans Mabel and Sheila Glass

C. C. M. Alinglon R. Siazenger Herr A. von Bohlen Herr 'W. Suwelack

t Named OJjero.

Charles Gardner in the cockpit of his blue ~lew Gull G-AEKL at \Voolsington during the 1937 King'S Cup Race.

The winner at 71·5 mph was Paul B. Elwell for the T,'ophy and £50, a trophy and £25 for second place at 92·5 mph went to H. R. A. Edwards, and Alex Henshaw's third place at 207 mph brought him a lrophy also and £10. Charles Gardner was sixth at 209 mph in the Mew Gull G-AEKL for the fastest speed prize. The 1937 King's Cup-for the Cup presented by HM King George VI -was held on two days; starting at 9 a.m. on 10 September from Hatfield

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II

Vlith both Gipsy Sixes running up, the B.A.IV Double Eagle G-AEL flown by H. F. Broadbent waits to take·off in the 1937 King's Cup Race from Hatfield.

K. H. F. \'Valler standing in the cockpit during refuelling of the D.H.B8 Comet G-ACSS The Orphan at Dublin in the course orthe 1937 King's Cup Race.

R. J. Waight taxies in at Hatfield in the T.K.4 G-AETK for ninth place in the 1937 King's Cup event. The NIoss NI.A.1 G-AEST flown in the 1937 King's Cup by \IV. H. 1\1055.

F.J. C. Butler taxies, at Dublin, the Vega Gull G-AEZL which he fiew in the 1937 King's Cup event.

Flown by FIt Lieut H. R. A. Edwards, the Foster \·Vikner F.\V.3 ''''icko G-AEZZ competed in the King'S Cup Race of 1937.

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The entry list of 31 aircraft consisted of: Aircraft

Registration

D.I-I. T.K.+ ~lilcs M.I3 Hobby :\'Icw Cull

G-AETK

:\lc\\l Gull

A pensive Charles Gardner waits at the nose of his l\11ew Gull G-AEKL, while it is refuelled at Baldonnel during the race for the 1937 King's Cup.

with an elimination round over 786·6 miles to Cambridge, Skegness, York, Scarborough, 'Vhitby, Newcastle, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Glasgow, Portpatrick, Newtownards and Baldonncl run on a speed basis without handicap; on 11 September the final-as a handicap-started at 11.30 a.m. from Baldonnel covering 656·2 miles to the fmish at Hatfield via Belfast, Portpatrick, Carlisle, St Bee's Head, Blaekpool, Stoke-on-Trent, Dcsford and Cardiff.

C-AFAW

G-AFAA G-AEKL G-ACSS* G-AEXF G-AEIN G-ADGP G-ADNO G-ADNL G-AEZL G-AFAU G-AEVO G-AEZK G-AEZ] G-AELE G-ADV\"

D.H.8S Comet Mew Gull B.A. IV Double Eagle r..r.2L Hawk Speed Six D.H. T.K.2 ~I.5 Sparrowh:l\vk Vega Gull Vega Cull Vega Gull Vega Gull Vega Cull Vega Gull D.A.IV Double E,.1.gle C.L.A.7 Swift G-AB\'\'H Short 8.22 Scion Senior G-AECU C.L.A.7 Swift C-ABWE B.A. Eagle 2 G-ACRC Hendy 302A G-AAVT i\'lilcs M.14B Hawk Trainer Mk.II G-AEZP M.3A Falcon i\'lajor G-AENG M.IIA Whitney Straight C-AEZO M.IIA Whitney Straight G-AEVH M.IIA Whitney Straight C-AEWK C. W. Cygnet G-AEMA FOSlCJ" Wikner V.W.3 Wicko C-AEZZ B.A. Eagle 2 G-ADlD Moss M.A.I G-AEST

* Named

Pilot R.J. Wnight F. G. Miles Capt E. W. Percival C. E. Gardner K. H. F. Waller A. Henshaw H. F. Broadbent Fit LicUl T. Rose C. R. de Havilland Wg Cdr F. W. Slent F. C. J. Butler G. GUlhrie/Sqn Ldr F. R. D. Swain Capt T. 1. Staek/:-'Iiss Lily Dillon G. t>.l. Tonge D. S. Schreiber Fig orr A. H. Hole H. F. Broadbent Sqn Ldr D. F. W. Atchcrlcy FIt Lieut H. L. Piper S. T. Lowe Capt W. L. Hope C. S. Napier Sqn Ldr E. C. T. Edwards Cdr E. G. Hilton Brig-Cen A. C. Lewin Sqn Ldr A. V. Harvey E . .J. Jobling-Purser C. F. Hughesdon Fit Licut H. R. A. Edwards

''g

C. H. Willis W. H. Moss

The Or/)/za1l.

K. H. F. \Valler perched on the cockpit side of the D.H.as Comet G-ACSS The Orphan at \Voolsington, a stop in the 1937 King's Cup Race.

On the last lap of the 1937 King's Cup Race, in which he finished ninth at 230·5 mph, R. J. 'Vaight settles into the cockpit of the T.K.4 at Pengham NIoors, Cardiff.

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T. N. Stack, left, with Miss Lily Dillon, owner of the Vega Gull G-AEYD which they flew in the King's Cup Race of 1937. Extremely bumpy ".feather was experienced by the 28 starters in the first day's eliminations, and at Scarborough Castle turning point the Falcon G-AENG became uncontrollable so that the pilot Wg Cdr E. G. Hilton was flung out to his death, and the crash killed the passenger Vvg Cdr P. Sherren. The race was won at 233·7 mph by Charles Gardner

whose blue Mew Gull G-AEKL had been equipped with a D.H. twoposition variable-pitch propeller in place of the electric controllable-pitch type with which it had raced previously. Second was Brig-Gen Lewin at 145 mph, and third at 239 mph was E. "V. Percival in his new 1\1e,,·/ Gull G-AFAA. Non-starters were the Vega Gull G-AEZK, the Double Eagle G-ADVV and the Hobby G-AFAW. The de Havilland Technical School's T.K.4-built under the guidance of Sqn Ldr O. W. Clapp and E. W. Dodds-was the students' latest exercise in design and construction, it involved 400 pages of stress calculations over six months and was a single-seat, low-wing monoplane of the smallest practical size to house thc 137 hp Gipsy Major II and its D.H. 1,000-size variable-pitch propeller. Embodied in the 19 ft 2 in span machine were an inwards-retracting hydraulically-operated undercarriage, split flaps and Handley Page automatic slots at the wingtips. Construction was of wood with a single Elektron fairing covering the rear upper fuselage. The main portion of the fuselage consisted of four longerons covered 'with ply\vood to form a semi-monocoque, and the wings incorporated four spars, solid balsa leading edge and tips and a covering of laminated spruce ply\vood above and belm\'. The same construction applied to the tail. Performance included an absolute ceiling of 21,000 ft, full throttle range of 450 miles, cruising range of 500 miles and a landing speed of 62·5 mph. With a loaded weight of 1,180 Ib, G-AETK was finished in high-gloss red all over with white lettering and trim, and its first flight was with R.J. Waight from Hatfield on 30July, 1937. For the King's Cup the slots were faired over to eliminate any inadvertent opening, and the T.K.4, handicapped at 235 mph, came ninth at 230·5 mph. The Miles M.l3 Hobby, a 21 ft 5 in span low-wing monoplane, was powered with the 140 hp Gipsy Major Series II driving a variable-pitch propeller, and was equipped with hydraulically-actuated naps and a

The cream, blue and gold, short-span l\1ew Gull G-AFAA which E. \V. Percival piloted in the 19371'aee for the King's Cup. Visible in the lower halfofthe nose cowling is the special intake fitted to provide ram effect.

\'V. L. Hope walking away from the 13.A. I3.K.l Eagle GA-CRG, which he

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flew solo in the 1937 King's Cup.

j

j ~I

I

r Thc winncl' of the King's Cup for 1937, the l\Irew Gull G-AEKL piloted by Charles Gardner.

Carril S. Napier warms up the engine of the Hendy 302A G-AA VT on the starting line at Hatfield for the 1937 King's Cup Race. To his left is the Short Scion Senior.

.i

FIt Licut T. Rose

taxi~ing the black and white Miles M.2L Hawk G~ADGP during the 1937 King's Cup Race.

Speed Six

Navigator Sqn Ldr F. R. D. Swain, left, and pilot Giles Guthrie at Dublin with the Vega Gull G~AFAU which they flew in the 1937 King's Cup Race.

Derek S. Schreiber's ail'craft in the 1937 race for the King's Cup, the Vega Gull G-AEZ].

The Secretary o[State [or Air the Rt Hon Viscount Swinton-who prcsented the awards-faces the camera by the nose of the .Mi1es 1\'1.11A \Vbitney Straight G-AEZO flown by Brig~Gen A. C. Lewin into second place in the 1937 King's Cup Race.

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retractable undercarriage which folded inwards. It was this last-named item which brought about G-AFAvV's withdrawal as F. G. IvIiles's aircraft in the King's Cup Race, as it was found that the wheels would not retract into their wells. Despite nonstop work for 48 hI' before the event, there was not enough time to rectify the trouble and, although the Hobby was at Hatfield on 10 September, it was forced to withdraw and never competed in a contest. Instead, some few weeks later the RAE approached :Nlile'i Aircraft to buy the machine for full-scale tests in the wind tunnel, and it went to Farnborough as L9706.

r J

:Modified with strut fairings, close-fitting semi-spats, engine cowling and c1cvatorgap fairings, the Compel' Swift G-AB\VE flown by S. T. Lowe in the 1937 King's Cup Race is refuelled at Hatfield.

Alex Henshaw at Baldonnel, Dublin, with the long-span ?>.fcw Gull G-AEXF which he flew in the 1937 King's Cup Race.

Percival's new personal Mew Gull E.3H G-AFAA was the fourth production aircraft and was finished in white with blue registration and trim, edged in gold. The design had been revised again to include the installation of a 205 hp Gipsy Six R \vith a circular ram ail' intake immediately below the spinner in place of the former starboard cowling location, reduction of wing span from 24 ft to 22 ft 9 in and an overall length of 20 ft 3 in. Loaded weight rose to 2,150 lb, and maximum speed was increased to 245 mph. To datc this \vas the fastest of the standard production models of the Mew Gull. As a member of the Redhill Flying Club, Charles Gardner's win of the King's Cup brought him also, on II September, the 1937 Siddeley Challenge Trophy. The fifth Lympne International Rally was held on 28-29 September, 1937, the main event being the Cinque Ports Wakefield Cup Race. The heats were run on the first day with 16 competitors racing over three laps of 16·5 miles each; ten finalists fte\v the same number of laps over the same course on the following day. The event was won by Herr Clausen at 120·75 mph with the Klemm K I 35 D·EHNE, second place was taken by B. Karlis with the V.E.F. J-12 YL-ABG at 141 mph, third was A. J. S. lVlorris with a Hawk l\tlajor at 155 mph, Alex Henshaw came fourth at 208 mph with the white Mew Gull G-AEXF, R. M. Hackney flew the Hobo G-AAIG into sixth place at 126· 75 mph, and seventh was G. R. de Havilland at 171·5 mph piloting the T.K.2 G-ADNO. The 'r.K.4's speed gave it a good chance of setting a 100 km closcdcircuit speed record in its class, and plans were made to attack it. The pilot was to be R. J. \ Vaight, de Havilland chief test pilot, and he took off on 1 October, 1937, for practice runs over the proposed speed course but, fiying at a very low altitude amund Hatfield, G-AETK crashed, killing Bob Waight.

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Competing in the 1937 King's Cup, Sqn Ldr A. V. Harvey-who came fourthbrings his Miles "tvLl1A Whitney Straight C-AEVT-T in to land at VVoolsington.

.

on 14 November, 1937, for Cape Town, 7,200 miles away. On J6 November the Cape was reached at 6.57 p.m. after 45 hr 2 min a new record. The return journey started on 1B November, and on 20 November at 3.23 p.m. The Burberry arrived back at Croydon, having taken 57 hI' 23 mm to fly home. The flIght out and baek-14,690 miles in all-took 5 days 17 h1' 28 mm and was a reduction of 3 days 16 hr 2 min. 'I'he record cl~m incorporated Clouston's name as pilot 'accompanied by Mrs Betty Kirby-Green' as the Royal Aero Club would not accept her name in the claim as co-pilot. After just over ten weeks, the Comet G-ACSS was ready for another record attempt, the new flight being from England to 1 ew Zealand. )lo

longer The Burberry, the Comet was now the Australian Al1lliversaJy, its crew consisting of A. E. Clouston and Victor Ricketts, who hoped to make the 22,500 mile journey in 12 days. At 4.02 a.m. on 6 February, 1938, GACSS left Gravesend. The Comet landed at Adana in Turkey at 3 p.m. on the same day, having covered 2,000 miles at 182 mph. The machine was forced La stop at Adana as it was short offuel, owing to meeting headwinds, but laking-off again was impossible as the aerodrome was flooded and the crew had 10 give up the record flight. On the return to England the undercarriage was damaged, but G-ACSS was Lhen prepared for another attempt on the same flight. On 10 February, 1938, the Hawker Hurricane IVIk.I L1555, flown by Sqn Ldr J. W. Gillan, C.O. of No. II I Squadron, covered the 327 miles from Turnhouse to Northolt in 48 minutes. Leaving at 5.05 p.m. and flying at 17,000 ft without oxygen, -ortholt was reached at 5.53 p.m. after the fighter had averaged 408·75 mph for the journey; the speed from overhead 'l'urnhouse to overhead Northolt was 456 mph. H. F. Broadbent used the Vega Gull G-AFEH when, at 3 a.m. on 12 March, 1938, he took-off for Australia from Lympne but made a forced landing near the coast at Sessok on Flores Island in the Soemba Strait, Netherlands East J ndies. Having to land through physical exhaustion he bent the propeller and then abandoned the aLtempt. Broadbent flew on to Australia by Qantas Empire Airways as a passenger, arriving at Darwin on 22 March. He then booked his return to Sourabaya by Qantas, leaving Brisbane on 31 Nlarch to enable him to fly Lhe Vega Gull to Darwin, but was uncertain about continuing farther south across Australia as G-AFEH had to be back in London by 25 April, 1938. Eventually, Broadbent tookoff from Sesok on 7 April, landed G-AFEH at Cloneurry the same evening and flew on to Mascot on 8 April. On 15 March, 1938, the Comet G-ACSS Australian Armiversary was ready at Gravesend for its flight to New Zealand and at 8.17 p.m. took-off with Arthur Clouston and Victor Ricketts. Arrival at Blenheim, New Zealand, was at 4.57 a.m. on 20 March, to set a record time of4 days 8 hr 7 min for the route. G-ACSS left Blenheim on the return flight at 10.02 a.m. on 21 March, arriving at Croydon at 5.40 p.m. on 26 March, having been away for 10 days 21 hr. The journey of 26,500 miles was the first direct by air from the United Kingdom to New Zealand and back, and the point-topoint records set up under Class C.1/II were London-Sydney in 80 hI' 56 min at 130·3 mph, London-Blenheim 104 hr 20 min, Blenheim-London 140 hI' 27 min, and Sydney-London 110 hI' 22 min. On 17 April, 1938, a new British National Distance gliding record \vas established by C. H. Nicholson with a flight of 120 miles from Huish to Bigbury-on-Sea in a Rh6nsperber. This record lasted only a few hours as on 18 April the British National Distance record was raised to 145 miles byJ. S. Fox, who flew a Rh6nadler from Huish to Fowey. As the Vega Gull G-AFEH had to be back in London by 25 April, H. F. Broadbent left Sydney on 16 April, 1938, and took-off from Darwin at 3 a.m. on 18April. He landed at Lympne at 10.51 p.m. on 22 April, after flying 9,612 miles at an average speed of 77·4 mph in 5 days 4 hr 21 min., becoming the new holder of the record for thc journey and, incidentally, the last of the pre-war solo record-breakers on the route between England and Australia.

310

311

Flying her Gull Six G-ADPR Jeall, Jean Batten left Darwin at 9.30 p.m. on 18 Oetober, 1937, and reached Lympne 5 days 18 hI' 15 min later at 3.45 p.m. on 24 October, having beaten Broadbent's previous figure by 14 hI' 10 min. On 18 October, 1937, H. F. Broadbenl planned to leave Heston in an attempt to sct up a new solo time between England and Australia. He took-off from Lympne at 5 a.m. on 22 October, 1937, in the D.H.85 Leopard Moth VH-AHB, after being delayed by fog. He gave up 60 mdes from Baghdad, after being forced to land owing to lack of petrol and having been delayed earlier by headwinds and dust storms. An inexperienced Indian pilot-Govind P. Nair-planned to leave Croydon on 23 October to fly to Dakar and then to cross the South Atlantic. His idea was then to return to England by crossing the Korth Atlantic, a total distance of 10,000 miles. Bad wcather delayed the take-off but on 28 October the M.2S Hawk Major G-ADLH-fitted with extra fuel tanks to give a range of 3,000 miles-left Croydon. After only 200 miles, Nair crashed into the sea 3 miles south-east of Dieppe and was killed. Towards the end of 1937 the Comet G-ACSS The Orphan was renamed The Burberry in preparation for another record attempt. Fig Off A. E. Clouston and Mrs Betty Kirby-Grecn-both wearing BUl'berry flying-kit -formed the crew when the Comet took-off from Croydon at 9.55 a.m.

M-rs Betty Kirby-Green sits in the rear seat as FIg OfT A. E. Clouston leaves the cockpit of the D.H.aa Comet G-ACSS The Burberry at Croydon on 20 November, 1937, at the end of their record England-Cape Town out-and-retul'I1 flight.

Longest-lived of the de Havilland Technical School's racers, the elegant black and white T.K.2 G-AD '0, seen in its second modified form in 1938. (Hawker Siddeley.)

The British National Distance record for gliders was broken again on 30 April, 1938, in the Minimoa flown by P. A. \Vills, who left Heston and landed 209 miles away at St Austell, Cornwall. Philip \'Vills used the Minimoa again in June, 1938, to set a new British National Gain of Height gliding record of 10,180 ft. at Dunstable. On 4 June, 1938, the London-to-Isle of Man Air Race was run with 16 starters from Hatfield. The winner at Ronaldsway was the 130 hp Gipsy Major Swift G-ABWW at 159·5 mph flown by S. T. Lowe; the machine competed without its customary strut fairings and spats. Alex Hensha'\v came second in the white Mew Gull G-AEXF at 247·5 mph, and the T.K.2 G-ADNO, flown by G. R. de Havilland, was third at 192 mph. During the previous winter G-ADNO had been modified at Hatfield to appear for the 1938 racing season with a reduction in cabin height, a new canopy with glazing which extended forward to the rear of the revised engine cowling, a gentler curve to the upper profile of the fuselage back to the tail unit, a reduction of wing span by 4 ft to 28 ft, and the installation of a 137 hp Gipsy Major II driving a fixed-pitch Fairey-Reed propeller. The aircraft ",vas given a high-gloss all-black finish with white lettering and trim. In fifth place was Giles Guthrie piloting the Mew Gull G-AEKL, now maroon with gold trim. On 6June, S. T. Lowe came first in the Tynwald Air Race, for aircraft with a maximum pmver of 120 hp, with the Swift G-ABWvV at 147·75 mph. The Manx Air Derby was run on the same day, the winner at II? mph being the Tomtit nOWll by J. Rush. Hatfield was used on 2 July, 1938, for the annual King's Cup Race, run over a 10lal dis lance of 1012·14 miles made up of20 laps ofa 50·607 mile circuit from Hatfield to Buntingford, thence to Barton and back to Hatfield. The original list of 21 entrants consisted of: Aircraft

Registration

Pilot

:M.14 Hawk Trainer Mk.L1 [ M.2H Hawk Major G.A. Cygnet B.A. Eagle 2 M.17 Monarch

G-AEZR* G-ACYX

J. M. Barwick

G-AE~{A

G-AFIC G-AFCR

* Painted red. t 312

L. H. T. Cliff C. F. Hughesdon FIg on' A. E. CloUSlon Wg Cdr F. W. Stcnt t

Withdrew.

Aircraft

Registration

Pilot

Gull Four C.L.A.7 SWirl C.L.A.7 Swift C.L.A.7 Swift B.A. IV Double Eagle Parnall Heck 2C Parnall Heck 2C Gull Six Vega Cull M.SA Spa'Towhawk D.H. T.K.2 ~f.2L Hawk Speed Six

D.H.88 Comct

G-ADOE G-ABWE G-ABWW G-ABWH G-ADVV G-AEGI G-AEGH G-ACUP G·AFAU G-AFGA C-ADNO G·ADGP G·ACSS

Mew Gull i\lew Gull iI.'Iew Gull

G-AEKL G-AEXF G-AFAA

Sqn Ldr E. C. T. Edwards C.H.Tutt S.1'. Lowc fit Licut H. J. Wilson '1". \Y. Morton J. A. C. 'Warren Capt H. S. Broad Fit Lieut H. T. Ferrand K. H. F. Wallcr W. Humblc G. R. de Havilland Luis Fames Fh Lieul C. S. SlanilandJCapt]. G. Hopcraft* Giles Guthrie Alex Henshaw Capt E. 'W. Percival

* \\-ithdrew There were 19 starters, withdrawals being the prototype Miles M.I? Monarch G-AFCR, which crashed a few days before on 28 June killing Wg Cdr Stent, and the Comet G-ACSS, whieh damaged a wingtip while taking-off on I July. First was Alex Henshaw at 236·25 mph-the fastest winning speed since the event was instituted~in the white 1vlew Gull G-AEXF, Giles Guthrie flew the maroon and gold l\IIew Gull G-AEKL into second place at 221

1

Ale.x Henshaw receives the King's Cup rrom the Secrelary of State fOI" Air the Rt Han Sir Kingsley \·Vood arter winning the 1938 event.

313

single-piece moulding. Six pistons of new design were then fitted to the engine, and the Ratier propeller was replaced by a de Havilland twoposition propeller with II deg range on an extension shaft to the Gipsy Six R, The alterations enabled Henshaw to win; in making these fairly drastic modifications,]ack Cross did not spoil the Mew Gull's appearance and succeeded in making G-AEXF even cleaner than before. The Royal Air Force evolved a Long-range Development Flight com~ posed of Vickers Type 292 modified Wellesley Mk.I bombe'"s, equipped with the 840 hp Bristol Pegasus XXII specially tuned, enclosed in Bristol long~chord cowlings and driving Rotol constant-speed propellers. Four aircraft were to undertake the longest nonstop formation flight so farL2638 with Sqn Ldr R. G. Kellett, Fit Lieut R. T. Gething and Pit Off M. L. Gaine; L2639 with Fit Lieut H. A. V. Hogan, FIg Off R. G. Musson and Sgt T. D. Dixon; L2680 with Fit Lieut A. r Combe, FIt Lieut B. K. Burnett and Sgt H. B. Gray; L2681 with FIt Lieut P. H. Dunn, FIt Lieut A. T. D. Sanders and Sgt B. . Phillips. Two others-K7717 and L2637-were converted but not used for the subsequent long-distance flights. AU 12 crew members were pilots who took it in turn to fly the aircraft. At 4.15 a.m. on 7 July, 1938, the four camouflaged geodetic monoplanes left Cranwell for lsmailia, after which they headed for Shaibah before turning back to land at Ismailia. Their average speed had been 135 mph, and the "VelIesIeys remained airborne for 32 hours. After lwo weeks in Egypt the machines took-off on 21 July, 1938, to return to Upper Heyford. The Short-lvIayo Composite aircraft was designed to Specification 13/33, in which a flying-boat lifted into the air a heavily loaded upper component which was then released to fly to its deslination. Just before 8 p.m. on 21 July, 1938, the upper seaplane component, the Short S.20 GADHJ Mercury-piloted by Capt D. C. T. Bennett accompanied by A. J. Coster as wireless operator-left the back of the flying-boat Short S.21

Second place in the 1938 race for the King's Cup was gained by Giles Guthrie in the :Mew Gull G-AEKL.

mph, and L. H. T. Cliff was third at 146 mph flying the Hawk Major GACYX. Henshaw's Mew Gull was now a rather different aircraft since modifica~ tion by the specialist R,]. Cross of Essex Aero Ltd, at Gravesend, after its fourth place in the Wakefield Cup Race at Lympne on 29 September, 1937. During the winter several alterations were made to the racer to give it a notably better performance and this was proved by its second place in the Isle of Man Air Race on 4 June, 1938, at 247·5 mph. Jack Cross's changes consisted of replacing the standard Gipsy Six with one of the 224 hp Gipsy Six Rs removed from the Comet G-ACSS when he rebuilt it as The Or/Jhan during the summer of 1937, fitting the NIew Gull with a Raticr variable-pitch propeller, redesigning the cowling to embody a forwards~sloping air intake so that ram effect coupled with the close proximity of the propeller increased the manifold pressure, modifying the undercarriage to take Dunlop wheels in place of the Palmer units previously used, replacing the original spats with smaller pointed fairings which filled the wheels extremely closely, and modification to the underside of the fuselage. Following third place in the l\llanx Air Derby on 6 June at 239 mph, Henshaw returned G-AEXF to Jack Cross for more alterations before the King's Cup three weeks ahead, and the rear decking was lowered by about four inches, a new canopy with lower sides and vertical rear frame was fitted, and the framed front screen was replaced by a 314

The S.20 G-ADH] JlIlcrcUT)', which set a new seaplane record of 5,997-431 miles on 6--8 October, 1938, secured to the S.21 G-ADHK Atlaia lower component of the Short-1\[ayo Composite, moored on the 1\ ledway at Rochester. (Short Bros.) l

i

315

G-ADHK lvIaia off Foynes and flew 2,930 miles to Boucherville, Montreal, where it landed on 22 July after 20 hI' 20 min. lvlercwy's return was from Botwood to Hythe between 25 and 27 july, 1938, in stages via Horta and Lisbon. The final for Lhe Foikestone Aero Trophy Race at Lympne on 30 July, 1938, was run with eight starters. Hugh Buckingham won at 123·25 mph in the Hornet Moth G-ADMT, second was G. Samuelson on a Swift, and third came G. R. de Havilland with the T.K.2 G-ADNO. W. Humble, in the Sparrowhawk G-ACTE, was fifth and A. j. S. Morris was last in the Hobo G-AAIG; among the finalists was FIg Off David Llewellyn, piloting the Mew Gull G-AEKL. Air racing at Southend-on-Sea on 27 Augu.st, 1938, was over a triangular course for a total distance of 54 miles from Rochford. Nine starters took part and the event was won by G. R. de Havilland at 172 mph with the T.K.2 G-ADKO, Alex Henshaw-in place of his Mew Gull G-AEXF being modified once again by R. J. Cross-Aew the Vega Gull G-AFEA into second place, and third was L. Lipton with a Puss Moth. G. R. de Havilland and the T.K.2 G-ADNO won, at 187·5 mph in the London-to-Cardiff event on 10 September, 1938. The T.K.2's first place was its third such in that race, of which the 1938 event was the eighth of the series. The route lay from Heston to Splott, and a triangular course of 77 miles was then added, which ran from Splott to Porthcawl, on to Swansea and back to Cardiff. Among the six starters, the T.K.2 was competing against the Foster Wikner Wicko F.W.2 G-AENU Aown by L. J. Arnott, the red prototype Chilton D.W.l G-AESZ with R. L. Porteus in the cockpit, and the 130 hp Gipsy Major Swift G-ABWW piloted by R. A. "Vinter. The Short-Mayo Mercury's range made it possible to set a new longdistance record in a straight line in Class C.2, and at 1.19 p.m. on 6 October, 1938, G-ADHJ-flown by Capt D. C. T. Bennett with First Officer T. Harvey as second pilot and \vireless operator-was released from the parent Maia at 4,700 ft 6-7 miles north of Dundee. Maia was piloted by Capt A. S. Wilcockson and carried also Maj R. H. Mayo, the originator of the Short-Mayo Composite scheme. Nlercury set course for South Africa and at 7.25 a.m. on 8 October, after 41 hI' 56 min, reached Port Nolloth on the Orange River 5,997'431 miles away for a new straight line international seaplane record. On the same day Mercury arrived at Cape Town at 4.35 p.m. Three of the aircraft of the Long-range Development Flight left Upper Heyford on 25 October, 1938, for Ismailia to prepare for an attack on the world long-distance record. The Wellesleys were L2638 with Sqn Ldr R. G. Kellett, FIt Lieut R. T. Gething and Pit orr M. L. Gaine; L2639 with Fit Lieut H. A. V. Hogan, Fit Licut R. G. Musson and Sgt T. D. Dixon; L2680 with FIt Lieut A. N. Combe, FIt Lieut B. K. Burnett and Sgt H. B. Gray. Their destination was Darwin and at 3.55 a.m. on 5 November, 1938, all three took-off from Ismailia. On 7 November, shortage of fuel forced L2639 to land at 12.13 p.m. at Koepang after covering a record 6,658'3 miles, but L2638 and L2680 carried on to land at Darwin on 7 November having flown 7,158'467 miles in 48 hours at 150 mph average speed. After refuelling, L2639 took-off from Koepang at 4 p.m. to join the other vVellcslcys at Darwin at 7.36 a.m.

Piloted by Alex Henshaw, the Mew Gull G-AEXF was prepared to Ay from England to South Africa and back. G-AEXF was specifically a short-range racer, but jack Cross managed to give it a range of nearly 2,000 miles by increasing the fuel tankage to 87 gal. This entailed moving the instrument panel several inches to the rear, thus making the already tiny cockpit even smaller, and a reserve six gal fuel tank was added to the cockpit floor. The oil capacity "vas doubled by installing a new tank over the engine, and the Gipsy Six R was replaced by a 205 hp Gipsy Six Series II, taken from the prototype Miles M.8 Peregrine G-AEDE and driving a D.H. constant-speed propeller. A retractable navigation light was added to the rear fuselage, together with a radio transmitter. All-up weight \vas now raised from 2,125 lb to 2,250 lb, and G-AEXF retained its all-white finish with gold registration. On 5 December, 1938, Henshaw took-off from Gravesend on a proving flight of 1,600 miles which, with a following wind, took him to Paris in 44 minutes, and he carried straight on without landing to Marseilles which was reached 2 hI' 23 min after leaving Gravesend. After reaching the Mediterranean and turning back, the Mew Gull new north as far as Scotland before the Aight ended. Finally, at 3.25 a.m. on 5 February, 1939, Alex Henshaw left Gravesend Airport on his attempt to reach Cape Town. On 6 }"'ebruary he landed at 'IVingfield Aerodrome at the Cape at 6.59 p.m. after Aying 5,997·9 miles in 1 day 15 hr 25 min. After just over 27 hours at Wingfield, G-AEXF took-off for England at 10.18 p.m. on 7 February and landed again at Gravesend at 1.51 p.m. on 9 Februal'y, having taken I day 15 hI' 36 min for the return trip at 151·45 mph. The difference in time between the outward and homeward trips was only II min, and Henshaw was now the holder of the point-to-point Class C.I b record for the route, much of the flight having been made at 18,000 [t to avoid turbulence and storms over Africa. The total time for the journey-including 27 hI' 19 min at Cape Town-was 4 days 10 hI' 20 min and the average speed, including all ground stops, but not the stay at Cape Town, was 152·1 mph out and 151·4 mph back. Stops for refuelling were made at Oran, Gao, Libreville and 10ssamedes.

316

317

Lcd by Sqn Ldr R. G. Kellett in L2638, the record-breaking Vickers '·Vellesleys of the Long-range Flight of 1938 fly in formation with L2680 to starboard of the leading aircraft and L2639 to port. (Vickers.)

The annual air race from London to the Isle of wI an started from Hatfield on 27 May, 1939, with 17 starters. The finish was at Ronaldsway and first at 168·25 mph was G. R. de Havilland with the T.K.2 G-ADNO, Alex Henshaw averaged 217 mph in the Mew Gull G-AEXF for second place, E. W. Percival came third at 220 mph in his Mew Gull G-AFAA, the M.2L Hawk Speed Six G-ADGP camc fourth at 168·25 mph flown by Luis Fontes, and fifth was the Swift G-ABWW at 140·5 mph flown by R. A. Winter. On 29 Nlay the Tynwald Air Race was run with seven aircraft, four of which finished the course. The winner was Sqn Ldr H. R. A. Edwards at 106·5 mph with the Sports Avian G-ABEE, and Ranald Porteus, in the Chilton D.W.I G-AFGH, was second at 105 mph. The 1\IIanx Air Derby, with nine starters, was run on 29 May over a course of 156 miles, and ,,·as won by the Vega Gull G-AFEA at 167·5 mph flown by Albert Henshaw with his son Alex as co-pilot. Tommy Rose averaged 186·7 mph with the M.2E Hawk Speed Six G-ACTE for second place, and E. \'\T. Pncival flew at an average speed of 237 mph to come third with the Mew Gull G-AFAA. Among the Air Derby competitors were Mabel and Sheila Glass with their latest Offero-a Ivliles M.3 Falcon. The Isle of Man Air Race was the last main event in which Alex Henshaw competed with G-AEXF as, on his becoming a tcst pilot of Spitfires, the Nlew Gull was sold during 1939 to Victor Vermore1 and taken to Lyons in France-complete with its Gipsy 11 engine from the Vega Gull G-AFEA. The British National Gain of Height record for glidcrs was increased once again on 22June, 1939, with a Grunau Baby which N. iVIcClean used at Hartside, Northumberland, to sct a new figure of 10,350 ft. Eight years had elapsed since Great Britain had held the absolute world speed record, and the Spitfire was chosen to make an attempt to regain it. A special vcrsion of the Mk.I-the Type 323 Speed Spitfire K9834-was evolved by J. Smith of Supermarine and made its first flight during 1939. Finished in high-gloss blue, with gold under-surfaces and trim and the registration N.17, the Speed Spitfire was adapted from the forty-eighth air~ frame. Extensive modifications involved a reduction in wingspan to 33 ft 8 in, the use of flush riveting overall, installation of a deeper radiator and larger oil cooler, the fitting of a new curved windscreen extending forwards along the coaming, and the replacing of the tailwheel by a lighter skid. The fixed-pitch, four-blade Airscrew Company propeller was driven by a modified Rolls-Royce Merlin JlI boosted to deliver 2,160 hp on 100 octane fuel at 3,200 rpm at sea level. By the time that the Speed Spitfire was ready, the world speed record had been raised by Germany to a figure which was beyond N.17's capacity and the machine was modified as a photographic reconnaissance aircraft but was flown by Air CdreJ. N. Boothman as his personal aircraft. The British National Gain of Height record was brokcn at Dunstable on I July, 1939, by Philip Wills in the Minimoa, with which he established a new figure for gliders of 14,170 ft. The weather was fine on 5 August at Lympnc for the holding of the Folkestone Aero Trophy Race, the last major air race in the United Kingdom until the end of the 1939-45 War. 318

The thwarted world speed record contender or 1939, the blue and gold Supermarine Type 323 Speed Spitfire N.17! K9834. (Vickers.)

The competitors were: Aircraft

Registration

Pilot

Chilton D.W.IA D.H.82A Tigel' Moth D.H.82A Tiger Moth V.E.F.J·12 Jvlew Gull Vega Gull D.H. T.K.2 M.3B Falcon Six C.L.A.7 Swift B.A. Eagle 2 Tipsy 5.2

G-AFSV

Han A. W. H. Dalrymple R. M. Hackney J. A. M. du Port Robert Druce Capt E. W. Percival Albert Henshaw G. R. de Havilland Miss Mona R. V. E. Friedlander R. A. Winter Fit Lieut T. Rose Gp Capt E. L. Mole

YL-ABG G-AFAA G-AFEA G-ADNO G-ABWW

The Hon A. W. H. Dalrymple won at 126 mph, second was R. M. Hackney at I 13 mph, third J. A. M. du Port at 110 mph, fourth Robert Bruce, fifth E. \tV. Percival with best time at 230·5 mph, sixth Albert Henshaw at 164·75 mph, seventh G. R. de Havilland at 179 mph, and eighth Miss Mona R. V. E. Friedlander at 156·5 mph. At Birmingham on 2 September, 1939, two events \vere scheduled. One was the King's Cup held in four sections, each of which consisted of five laps of 20 miles, to give a total distance of 400 miles; this was open to aircraft not competing in the "Vakefield Challcng.: Cup Race and drew 12 entrants. These were: Aircraft

Mew Gull rvL2L Hawk Speed Six Veg-a Gull

Registration G-AFAA G-ADGP

D.H. T.K.2 G-ADNO G-ADOE Gull Four Reid and Sigrist R.S.I Snargasher G-AEOD ~·L3B Falcon Six 11.21-1 Hawk t>.lajor G-ACYX A.5.S Courier Hendy 302A G-AA\rr G-ABWW C.L.A.7 Swift 1.5 Sparrowhawk

319

Pilot

Capt E. W. Percival Luis Fontes J. M. Barwick G. R. de Havilland C. S. Napier G. E. Lowdell Jlvliss Mona R. V. E. L. H. T. ClifT C. W. .1. Allen A. Henshaw R. A. Winter ]. Rush

}~riedlander

~---------~-~---------------------;r("---~----

The other contest was for the \ Vakcfield Challenge Cup, for aircraft not taking part in the King's Cup, and was to be over a total distance of 240 miles made up of three sections, each consisting of four 20 mile laps. The 14 entrants were: Aircraft Chilton D.\-".l D.H.07D Hornet l\'!oth

Moss M.A.l Moss M.A.2 Chilton D.W.! Chilton D.W.lA D.H.94 Moth iVlinor Sports Avian G.A. Cygnet Luton r..lajor Tomtit Tipsy Trainer I Tipsy Trainer 1 Bluebird IV

•

Registration

Pilot

F. D. Paul

G-AFGI

R. H. Shaw W. H. Moss R. A. S. :Moss Han A. W. Dalrymple R. 1.. Porteus R. A. Wallcy/L. Hamp Sqn Ldr H. R. A. Edwards C. F. Hughesdon Sqn LeII' L. E. Jarman H. D. RankinlFlt Lieut L. P. Rowley Gp Capt E. L. Mole Fit Lieut C. S. Staniland P. H. FordJR. French

G·AEST G-AF~-!S

G-AFSV

,,,T.

G·ABEE G-AE~IA

G·AFMU G-AFFL G-AATE

The likelihood of war brought the cancellation of both races. Although pylon racing had still been absent and the emphasis had remained on short-course closed-circuit and cross-country events, the period of five years before the outbreak of war produced three main types of thc marc powerful single-seat racer-the Mew Gull, T.K.2 and Hawk Speed Six. All achieved their object in one way or another, but the most successful of the three designs was the Mew Gull, as-between them-GACND, G-AEKL, G-AEXF and G-AFAA scored five first, five second and five third places in varied events. For G-AEXF there was also a major record breaking long-distance flight. In racing successes, lhe T.K.2 G-ADNO was second to the Mew Gulls with five first, one second and one third places. Third in the list came the Hawk Speed Sixes G-ACTE, G-ADGP and G-ADOD, with one first and three second places. The T.K.4 G-AETK might well have becn among the winners, and it was disappointing that the Miles M.13 Hobby G-AFAW was never able to race. Both the T.K.4 and the Hobby could have provided competition for the Mew Gulls, T.K.2 and Hawk Speed Sixes, but this had to come from the various commercial designs and associated adaptations. Particularly noted for their longevity were the various Gipsy and Pobjoy Swifts, the Hendy 281 Hobo and the Hendy 302A which had raced consistently for nearly ten years. The civil racing and record-breaking aircraft of the 19305 were excellent examples of Bt'itish design in every way, and comparable success came to the very few machines used by the Royal Air Force for record purposes during the same period.

320

The Heston Type 5 built for an attempt on the world's air speed record. (D. Napier and Son Ltd.)

Racing Renascence \'Vith the start of war on 3 September, 1939, the aircraft industry found itself in great demand and one of the main aero-engines produced was the powerful Napier Sabre. Before the war, it was chosen to power the allwood racer constructed by Heston Aircraft-successors to Comper-for an attack on the absolute world air speed record. Two examples of the Type 5-G-AFOK and G-AFOL-were authorized to be built under the financial sponsorship of Lord Nuffield, but G-AFOK was the only one of the pair to be completed, although the second machine was in an advanced state when work on it was stopped at the beginning of the war. Design work under the supervision of A. E. Hagg and George Cornwall started at Heston, in December 1938, around the twenty-four cylinder 2,300 hp Sabre and with the dual purposes of providing a test· bed for the new Napier engine and a possible new world speed record holder. The cooling system for the Sabre consisted of a duct embodied in the underside of the fuselage and incorporating a boundary layer by-pass, the outlet of which was provided at the rear of the fuselage in line with the rudder hinge on each side and beneath the elevators. The broad-track undercarriage was raked well forwards and retracted inwards; the tailwheel was incorporated in the ventral fin. The Sabre drove a D.H. three-blade constant-speed propeller and the Type 5, with an all-up weight of 7,200 lb, was expected to have a duration of 18 min and a maximum speed of480 mph. The outbreak of war reduced priority on the Type 5 to a low level, but G-AFOK was completed for Sqn Ldr G. L. G. Richmond to take-off at Heston on 12 June, 1940. After seven minutes, the pilot tried to land as the engine L

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was overheating and he had found that elevator control was ir~adequate. "Vith the engine stopped he attempted to land, stalled and the aircraft was wrecked beyond repair. On 6 September, 1945, the D.H.98 Mosquito P.R.Mk.34 RG241 tookoff from St Mawgan wIth Wg Cdr J. R. H. Mernfield as pIlot and FIt Lieut]. H. Spires as navigator, and landed seven hours later a~ Torbay, Newfoundland as the holder of a new east-to-west transatlantic record. RG241's retur~ flight was made on 23 October, 1945, in substantially less time with the same crew. Departure was from Gander and, after averaging 445 mph the ~/losquito arrived at St Nlawgan after 5 h1' 10 min. A new wOl~ld speed record was set at Herne Bay on 7 Nov~mberJ 1945, the necessary runs being made over a 3 km course. Two all"craft-both Gloster Meteor F.Mk.4s each powered by a pair of 3,500 Ib s. t. RollsRoyce Derwent 55-were used. The camouflaged EE454 Britanllia, flown by Gp Capt H. J. Wilson, reached 606·25 mph to become the new holder of the Class C. i II world speed record, and the all-yellow EE455 Forever Amber, piloted by Eric S. Greenwood, achieved 603 mph. At 3.58 a.m. on 16 January, 1946, the Avro Lancaster B.Mk.I PD328 Aries from the E.A.N.S. Shawbury took-off from Thomey Island, Portsmouth, for Cape Town. ""ith a 40 min refuelling stop at Cairo, the 1riespiloted by Wg Cdr C. M. Dunnieliffe-covered the 6,900 Imles to Brooklyn in 32 hr 21 min, landing at the Cape at 12.19 p.m. on 17 January, for a new record. With Sqn Ldr J. Adams in charge the Avro Lancastrian VM726 left Northolt on 6 March, 1946, for New Zealand, landing at Ohakea 62 hr 5 min later and after 55 hI' 15 min flying time. T'he 12,830 mIle return flight to Northolt was made in 61 hr 28 min with a landing there ,at 2.46 p.m. on 12 March. VM726 had been away for 6 days 13 hr 15 mIn, and had covered the 25,660 miles in III hr 46 min flying time at an average au'borne speed of 230 mph. On 7 March, 1946, another Lancastrian-VM727 flown by Fit Lieut W. R. BirdJing and Sqn Ldr A. Bradshaw-left Northolt for Ohakca, New Zealand, and took only 60 hr 45 min for the flight, but delays on the return Hight, owing to bad weather, prevented a new ?ut and back record, and VM727's total time came to 7 days 10 hr 20 mm. Using a D.F.S. Weihe, on 23.Junc, 1946, P. A. Wills established at Long Mynd a new British National Gain ~fHeight gli~ing record of 15,247 ft. In 1946 the Lancaster PD328 Anes-fitted Wlth fOUl" 1,640 hp RollsRoyce Merlin 24 Series II engines-set some Cl,ass C.I point-to;point records. At 12.39 p.m. on 21 August, flown by All· Cdre N. H. d Aeth, Sqn Ldr J. S. Aldridge and FIt Licut D. D. Hurditch, Aries left B1ackbushe for Karachi and landed at Mauripur at 7.53 a.m. on 22 August after 19 hr 14 min, having flown 3,945·81 uliles at 205·15 mph. C~ntinuin& on to Darwin Aries arrived there at 10.14 a.m. on 23 August, 4.':> hI' 35 rum after leaving' B1ackbushe-a distance of 8,639·81 miles-having av;ra~cd 189.53 mph. The final destination was Ohakea, a total or 11,647·7" mJl~s from the start which was reached at 12.29 a.m. on 24 August, .)9 hr .)0 min out from Blackbushc, from which the average speed was 194·65 mph. After the end of the war, air racing returned with the holding of the first post-war meeting in the nited Kingdom, at Lympne in 1946. Handicapped by Rowarth and Dancy, the race for the Folkestonc Aero

Trophy was revived with heats being run on 31 August and the finals on 1 September. Among the list of entrants were:

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323

Aircraft

Registration

Pilot

Supermarine vValrus M.38 Messenger 2A Proctor 1 Proctor I Gull Six Proctor 1 Proctor 1 Proctor 2 ~1iles :\1.28 Sokol1\'LIA B.A. Swallow 2 Percival Q.6 Taylorcraft Plus D Hornet tI.'loth

G-AHF:-l G-AHZS G-AHEE G-AHFZ* G-ADPR t G·AGWV C-AHM\" G-AHNB C-AGVX OK-AHH G-AELG G-AFIX G-AHAJ G-ADKC G-AFJU G-AFIZ G-AFJT G-AFOZ G-AHNX G-AHAX

J. Grierson

M.1 7

~'lonareh

Piper J-3 Cub Tipsy Trainer 1 D.H.94 Moth ~Iinor Tiger Moth Auster 5

,. Named Trade Jjlinds.

Wg Cdr H. C. Kennard F. Arnold Sqn Ldr G. A. Reston L. T. Carruthers J. :\!. Somers D. ~L Bay R. Temple-Harris Maj T. Rose K. R. Drbohlav Lieut-Cdr Paul Godfrey Ian ~IcLaren N. F. Dunkerton J. K.Sear E. T. Symmons Peter Landaur D. R. Robertson C. G. Clegg R. Pomphret G. W. Derbyshire

J.

t

Named Jeall.

The first seven became finalists and the winner-over the same course as pre-war-was John Grierson at 121 mph in the United "Vhalcrs' 'IValrus, with ''\'g Cdr Hugh Kennard second, and J. F. Arnold third. On I September the Lympne High Speed Handicap-announced as the world IS fastest air race-was run over three laps with four fighters; the Hawker Fury F.Mk.1 NX802 was first at 342 mph-W. Humble, D.H.IOO Vampire F.Mk.I TG285 second at 427 mph-G. R. de Havilland, D.H.103 Hornet F.Mk.1 PX224 third at 343·5 mph-G. H. Pike, and Supermarine Seafang F.Mk.32 VG475 fourth at 332 mph-Lieut-Cdr. M. J. Lithgow. The race for the Siddeley Challenge Trophy was revived on I September, the rules requiring that it should be run in conjunction with the Folkestone Aero Trophy event, but l as neither of the two club entrants reached the final for the Folkestone Aero Trophy, a special race over 30

££454 Britannia, the Gloster ntfeteor F.Mk.4 with which Cp Capt H.]. \Vilson set a new world speed record 0[606·25 mph at Herne Bay on 7 November, 1945.

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miles was organized for them, the winner at 102 mph being R. Pomphrct of the Cinque Ports Flying Club in the Tiger Moth G·AHNX, with R. R. Paine as runncr·up at 129·5 mph for the \Volverhampton Flying Club in the Hawk Major G-ADCV. After 15 years the RAF High Speed Flight was revived to establish a new world speed record under Class C.I/I. The 3 km course was off Littlehamplon in Sussex} and lhe two Gloster IVlclcor F.MkAs-named Star Meteors-were EE549 and EE550, both fitted with modified canopies and a pair of 4,200 lb s.t. Rolls-Royce Derwent 55. FIt Lieut N. F. Duke was reserve pilot, and on 7 September, 1946, Gp Capt E. rvL Donaldson Hew EE549 to set a new record of615·81 mph; Sqn Ldr W. A. "'aterton followed this with E£550 at 614 mph, also a new record as it beat the previous 606·25 mph. On 24 September, 1946, 29 flights were made over the speed course off Littlehampton by the High Speed Flight during attempts to beat the 616 mph world record of Gp Capt Donaldson. Although over 621·26 mph was recorded the averages did not exceed 616 mph. Three attempts were made by Donaldson at 613,612 and 614 mph, and \Vaterton and Duke made one each at 610 and 613 mph respectively. The Meteor F.'Mk.4 E£549 set another record in December 1946, when v\'. A. ''''atenon brought it back to London from the Paris Aero Show at 520 mph. On 16January, 1947, the same pilot used EE549 to break the Paris-to-London record again, the 208 miles from overhead Le Bourget to overhead Croydon being covered in 20 min II sec at 618-4 mph. Another Meteor, the red and white, short-span F.N1k.4 G-AIDC Gloster demonstrator, was used on 21 April, 1947, to set an unofficial speed record from Brussels to Copenhagen when Sqn Ldr D. V. CotesPreedy fiew the distance at an average of 630 mph. An unofficial record was made on 26 April, 1947, when the Lockheed L.49-46 Constellation G-AHEL Bangor II of BOAC crossed from Gander to Shannon in 5 hr 28 min. London Airport at Heathrow was the starting point on 30 April, 1947, for the twin 1,690 hp Merlin 114a D.H.98 Mosquito P.R.Mk.34 RG238 which left at 8.4 p.m. for South Africa to set up a new Class C.I point-to~ point record. The pilot was 8qn Ldr Harold B. Martin and the navigator Sqn Ldr Edward C. Sismore, who flew at an average speed of 310 mph the 6,717 miles to Brooklyn Airport, Cape Town, in 21 hI' 31 min 30 sec, arrival being at 5.34 p.m. on 1 May. With two stops, at El Adem and Kisumu, the total average speed was 279·256 mph. At 6.57 p.m. on 30 April, 1947, the silver 1\vro Lincoln B.Mk.2, RE364 Aries 11 of the E.A.N.S. Shawbury, Hown by Air Cdre N. H. d'Aeth, took-off from Manston fOl' Cape Town. Its arrival at Brooklyn was at 9.54 p.m. on I l\11ay, the time for the journey being 26 hr 57 min, which beat the previous unofficial record orthe Lancaster Aries of 16-17 january, 1946. There was poor weather for eight starters in the Light Aircraft Race on 10 May, 1947, at the Portsmouth Air Display. Handicapping over the 15 mile quadrilateral course-of which three laps were Oown-was by Rowarth and Dancy. K. H. F. \ Valier-flying the Messenger 2A G-AILI -lost first place through disqualification, and the winner of the Percival Cup was Maj Burke at 104·5 mph with the Tiger Moth G-AL U; second

came Tommy Rose at 171·5 mph flying the J\i1.2L Hawk Speed Six GADGP, third Clarke-Proctor I G·A1WA, fourth Guild-Tiger Moth GAIDA, fifth Mitchell-M.14A Hawk Trainer Mk.3 G-AIDI', sixth Miller-Auster J-4 G-AIPR, and seventh Lieut·Cdr J. S. SprouleAeronca C-3 G-AEWV. Rowarth and Dancy were handicappers in the Isle or l\1an on 26 l\!fay, 1947, at the revival of the Man.x Air Derby. For this fifth event the prewar London-to-Isle of l\1an Air Race had been discontinued, and Ronaldsway was the starting and finishing point for the three laps of 53·25 miles which constituted the course for the Tynwald Air Race open to all types of aircraft with a maximum of 120 hp-with 19 entries-and the l\1anx Air Derby for all types of British and foreign aircraft with a minimum total of 120 hp-with 13 entries. The start was at 2.15 p.m., and both events were run concurrently with aircraft including the Benes Iraz Be.550 Bibi G-AGSR, Hornet Moth G-ADKC, A.S.65 Consul G-AIUV, D.H.89A Rapide G-ADAE of Flight-Wg Cdr M. A. Smith, Proctor I-Sqn Ldr P. Wykeham-Barnes, Auster J-l Autocrat G-AGXZ, Gemini IA G-AIHM, Auster 5 G-AJJA, M.17 Monarch G-AFJU, D.H.94 Moth Minor G-AFOB, Miles M.57 Aerovan G-AILF, Gemini IA G-AISM, Messenger 2A G-AILl, Auster J-I Autocrat G-AGXV, Proctor 4 G-AJMV, Proctor I G-AHMV, Hawk Trainer Mk.3 G-AHNU, Auster J-l Autocrat G-AERO, M.5A Sparrowhawk G-ADGL, Beech D-17S G-AII-rz, M.2L Hawk Speed Six G-ADGP, D.H. T.K.2 G-ADNO, and Hornet Moth G-ADSK. The Tynwald Air Race for the Olley Challenge Trophy was won at 110·5 mph by Wg Cdr A. McDowell with the Autocrat G-AGXV, and Tommy Rose in the cream and maroon Hawk Speed Six G-ADGP was first in the Manx Air Derby at 181 mph, the T.K.2 at 179 mph was seeond with Bruce Campbell, andJ. N. Somers in the Hornet Moth G-ADSK was third at 116 mph. The revived Isle of Man event included G-ADGP, the Hawk Speed Six whieh was raced until September 1939 with a small sliding cockpit canopy, and was then stored in a London mews during the war until refurbished by Miles at Reading early in 1946; it was on show at "Voodley on I .June, 1946, doped cream all over and with a raised rear decking merging at the front with a much larger glazed cabin top covering the whole of the cockpit down to the newly cut-down sides. The T, K.2 GADNO was Llsed during the 1939-45 "VaI' by de Havilland for communications as E-0235 but came back to racing finished in silver until it was broken up in December, 1947. In memory of the late g Cdr I\. Roy Harben-until his death the President of the Derby Aero Club-the Harben Memorial Trophy was instituted as the award to the winner of an annual one-design handicap race, held over a short course at Derby Airport, Burnaston, between the pilot employees of Air Schools Ltd. The first was on 21 june, 1947, with five NIilcs M.14A Hawk Trainer l\1k.3s, and resulted in a narrow win by Flt Lieut J. Findlay in G-AHN\'V. For the first time the British National Distance record for gliding was increased outside the United Kingdom when, on 13 july, 1947, C. J. Wingfield Hew an Eo~ Olympia 216 miles from Wichita Falls to Buffalo Lake.

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325

"T

The silver and I"ed Auster J-l Autocrat G-A]UE, winner of the Shipside Cup Race at Southend on 9 August, 1947, with A. E. H. Parsons as pilot. (Peler Lewis.)

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At the official opening of Southend Airport in Esssex on 9 August, 1947, the programme of the l"irst International Rally included the race for the Southend Cup-run in two heats and a final for three laps of 20·5 miles each over a triangular Roehford-Canvey Island-Shoeburyness courseand won by R. R. Paine at 134 mph in the Miles M.14A Hawk Trainer Mk.3 G-AHNU, and the race for the Shipside Cup with four Austers for three laps of a five-mile triangular course around the airfield, the winner being A. E. H. Parsons, C.F.I. of the Southend Flying School, in theJ-I Autocrat G-AJUE, with Fit Lieut G. F. Bullen second. Competing also was Bernard F. Collins in the J-I Autocrat G-AIGE. Thc Southend Air Speed Cup and £50 were awarded to Tommy Rose for his 178 mph on the Hawk Spced Six G-ADGP in thc first heat of the Southend Cup Race, and others competing on 9 August included R. L. POI·teus with the Chilton D.W.IA G-AFSV and R. Hartnall flying the T.K.2 G-ADNO. There was air racing in Scotland in fine weather at Scone Airport, Perth, on 16 August, 1947. Two events-each of 7·5 miles-were held, that for Austers being won at 104·7 mph by David Kay-C.F.I. at Balado -in theJ-l Autocrat G~AIGS; the race for Tiger Moths was won by A. Campbell-Melville. The Lympne International Air Races in the summer of 1947 included record breaking. On 30 August the heats were run off for the Folkestone Aero Trophy, which was held on 31 August over three laps of a 19·5 mile course of Capel-Hythe-Lympne and won by Lieut-Cdr Paul Godfrey in the B.A. Swallow 2 G-AELG at 99 mph. Second was J. Moscleyat 101 mph with the Tipsy Trainer I G-A1SA, and Ranald Portcus came third in thc Chilton D.W.I A G-AFSV. At the same lime, Porteus and G-AFSV established two new 100 km closed-circuit records at 123·72 mph during the race for two lit res and under, and for two-four litres capacity in Class C.l/IV. In the same event, W. P. 1. Fillingham set up a new 100 km closed-circuit record of 178·33 mph for aircraft of four-six litrcs capacity, with the T.K.2 G-ADNO now fitted with a 145 hp Gipsy 10 engine. The Siddcley Challenge Trophy was awarded in conjunction with the Folkestone Aero Trophy to the highest placcd club pilot, Lieut-Cdr Godfrey being the winner as a member of the South Coast Flying Club at Shoreham. Four circuits of the course were made by the six competitors in the Lympnc High Speed Handicap, the machines finishing in the order of 326

first Fairey Firefly F.R.Mk.4 VG979 at 305·93 mph-Lieut-Cdr L. Peter Twiss, second Blackburn Firebrand T.F.Mk.V-Gp Capt Charles Flood, third Fairey Firefly Trainer T.Mk.I-Gp Capt R. G. Slade, fourth the yellow Type 502 Spitfire Mk. VIII Trainer G-AIDN-Sqn Ldr W. J. Guy Morgan, fifth dle silver with red trim Hawker Fury F.Mk.1 NX802 at 358·14 mph-W. Humble, and sixth D.H.IOO Vampire F.Mk.I VF332 at 494·63 mph-Gp Capt John Cunningham. The Tiger Moth Scratch Race was run over four laps of a 10 mile course with five simultaneous starters, F. Kirk coming first with G-AINW. During the meeting, on 31 August, John Cunningham established a new Class C.I/I unrestricted world 100 km closed-circuit record of 496·88 mph with the Vampire VF332. On 25 Kovembcr, 1947, a single-seat fighter took-off from Turnhouse for London, piloted by Sqn Ldr James Lomas. The aircraft was the Meteor F.Mk.4 RA476 and the timc of departure 9.16.30 a.m. Flying at 25,000 ft it covered the 313·1 miles to Bovingdon at 617·6 mph in 30 min 25 sec, arriving at 9.46.55 a.m., a new record. The Meteor F.Mk.4 VT103, powered by a pair of3,500 Ib s.t. Derwent 5s, took-off at Moreton Valence in the evening of 6 February, 1948, in a second attempt on the 100 km world closed-circuit record, the first on 4 February having failed owing to strong winds and rain. Piloting VTI03 was Sgn Ldr W, A. Waterton, who became the new record holder at 542·945 mph. On 26 February, 1948, the 100 km record \vas raised again" The airfleld used was Chilbolton, the aircraft the prototype Supermarine Attacker F.Mk.1 TS409-a standard aircraft powered by the 4,500 Ib st. RollsRoycc ·cne I-and the pilot Lieut-Cdr M. J. Lithgow. The new Class C.I/I figure was 560·634 mph, but on 27 February, the samc pilot and aircraft raised the 100 km record to 564·881 mph. Taking-off from Radlett on 10 March, 1948, the prototype Handley Page H.P.67 Hastings C.Mk.l TG503~piloted by the Handley Page chief test pilot Sgn Ldr H. G. Hazelden-reached Australia on a proving flight and sales demonstration, with timing taking place from Bassingbourn, in a record fiying time jn jts class of 46-} hours at an average speed of270 mph to Sydney which was reached on 18 March. During the flight a nonstop record of 345 mph was set on the stage between Karachi and Ceylon. Another world record was set on 23 ~"Iarch, 1948, at Hatfield when

Flying the B.A. Swallow 2 G-AELG, Lieul-Cdr Paul Godfre)' won the Folkestone Aero Trophy Race at Lympne on 31 August, 1947, al 99 mph. (Peler Lewis.)

327

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John Cunningham took-off in the third production Vampire FJvlk.I TG278 to attack the Class C.I/I altitude record and reached 59,446 ft. The machine was filted with a 4,500 Ib S.t. D.H. Ghost 45 D.Gt.2/2 and with wings increased in span by 4 ft on each tip. Hatfield was used to establish a new Class C.I/I 100 km closed-circuit record, on 12 April, 1948. The aircraft was the 3,500 Ib S.t. Goblin 4 D.Gn.4 D.H. 108 tailless research monoplane VIYI20 and the pilot Sgn Ldr john D. Derry, who raised the speed to over 600 mph for the first time, at 605·23 mph. An around-the-world solo record attempt started from Blackbushe on 15 April, J 948, when a New Zealand pilot-Capt A. A. Mansfield-left the airport piloting the Proctor 3 G-AHMV Windmill Girl. His flight, scheduled to include 32 stops en route, was in a westerly direction with an expected total of 225 hr 15 min airborne and return to Blackbushc planned for 26 April. A new event was the air race for the Goodyear Air Challenge Trophy, the first of which was held on 12 June, 1948, for the award presented by the Goodyear Tyre and Rubber Company. At Wolverhampton J 7 starlers competed in the three-lap handicap over a course of 63· 75 miles. The first winner of the silver seagull trophy was' V. A. Bower, flying the j-I Autocrat G-AIGH into first place at 108·5 mph carrying Miss Onions as passenger. Second was 1\11. T. Edwards with an Auster J-2 and third W. H. Creber flying an Auster 5. On 13 June, 1948, at Butlin's Aerial "Veekend at [ngoldmells, Skegness, the Auster Race was won by thcj-I Autocrat G-AjEK piloted by Crampton, and in the Open Handicap event G. Snary, chief test pilot of Auster, was first with a J-2 Arrow. At Burnaston on 26 June, 1948, the second race for the Harben Memorial Trophy for Air Schools Ltd pilots was run with five starters in Hawk Trainer Mk.3s. The winner in a close finish was FIt Lieut S. Loveridge, C.P.I. at Wolverhampton. On 28 June, 1948, there was established the first British national and international helicopter record in Class G, 'The attempt vvas at "Vhite 'tValtham, Berkshire, over a 3 km course, and the pilot was Sqn Ldr Basil H. Arkcll, who flew the Pairey Gyrodyne G-AIKP-powered by the 505 hp Alvis Leonides LE.22.HM~at an average speed of 124·31 mph.

Sqn Ldr]. D. Derry taking-off at Hatfield on 12 April, 1948, in the D.H.108 VV"I120 to establish a new 100 km closed-circuit record of605·23 mph. (de Havilland.)

At Hamble, racing took place on 3 july, 1948, over three laps of a 6j! mile CirCUIt, the competItors three TIger Moths, an Auster 5, a Proctor I, an Oxford and a Spitfirc F. fi1lk.IX. The winner was Sqn Ldr Hellyer on the Auster 5. A.' L. Cole had been keen to obtain a Swift and acquired on 18 February, 1948, G-ABUS which had been stored since 1939. After overhaul lasting some foUl' months, the Swift was able to take to the air again on 25 June and on 17 July, 1948, the silver monoplane won its first race in Tony Cole's hands by coming first in an around-the-perimeter race at H.endo~ duri~g .the "Vom.en's Junior Air Corps rally; the Ultra Light AIrcraft ASSOCIatIOn orgamzed the contest as a finale.

Gp Capt]. Cunningham landing at Hatfield on 23 ~Ilarch, 1948, in the D.H.IOO Vampire F.Mk.1 TG278 after setting up a new world altitude record of 59,446 ft. (Hawker Siddeley.)

The Fairey Gyrodyne G-AIKF which, flown by Sqn Ldr B. H. Arkell, set a 3 km record of 124·31 mph at ""hite \"'altham on 28]une, 1948. (Fairey.)

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329

Thursday's Child, the Percival Proctor 4 with which Mrs R~chard :Morrow-Ta~t and J\ilichac1 Townsend attempted an around-the-world RIght, at Shemya Air Force Base in the Aleutians before its crash on 21 November, 1948, on the Alaskan Highway. (Pholofmm J. R. Wells.)

_J.

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The silver Vickers Type 618 Nene-Viking G-AJPH was powered with a pair of5 000 Ib S.t. Rolls-Royce Nene Is mounted flush beneath the wings and on 25 July, 1948, piloted by J. Summers, took-ofl' from Heathrow for Paris, arriving at Villacoublay in 34 min 7 sec, having covered thc 222 miles at over 390 mph to cstablish a new record apart from the figures sct ~~~~.

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VN324·, and Sqn Ldr T. S. Wade on a Fury F.Mk.l, NX802. After the race, on 28 August Lettice Curtis flew the Spitfire P.R.i\1kXI over the 100 km closed-circuit course to set a new international record in its class at 313·208 mph. Seven pilots competed on 25 September, 1948, at \'Vhitchurch in the Bristol and \,Vessex Aeroplane Club Sprint Race, of one lap to Lulsgate and back and confined to Austers. This was won by Sqn Ldr E. :WI. H. Slade piloting a Lycoming-powered version, and in second place was Miss Chapman with a J-l Autocrat, G-AIJY. The Siddeley Challenge Trophy Race, held at Wolverhampton on 17 October, 1948, over three laps of a course to total 66 miles, drew 25 entries and was now run as a race in its own right. The winner was 'V. NI. Morris at 124 mph piloting the AusterJ-I Autocrat G-AGXX, second was the Swift G-AB S flown by Tony Cole at 122·5 mph, and R. R. Paine set up the fastest time at 179 mph in the Hawk Speed Six G-ADGP, which had been modified once more to embody a large rounded bubble canopy. "Vith the Proctor 4 G-AJMU Thursday's Child repaired, Mrs Richard Morrow-Tait and navigator Michael Townsend were able to set off once again on the world flight attempt from Croydon in November, 1948, and reached India and Japan, and then covered the 1,730 miles across the Pacific but on 21 November, 1948, the flight ended when the aircraft crashed and was damaged beyond repair while making a rarced landing on the Alaskan Highway. The Cierva vV.ll 1\irhorse was constructed during 1948 by the Cierva Autogyro Company at Eastleigh, near Southampton, and consisted in the main of a cavernous, box-like fuselage containing a 1,620 hp Rolls-Royce

On 18 April, 1948, an around· the-world attempt In an easterly dlrcction started fi'om Croydon. The aircraft was the Proctor 4 G-AJMU Thursday's Child and its crew 1\1rs Richard Morrow-Tait and ~ichael Townsend, but the flight ended on the sam,e day when the machme was damaged during its night landing at MarseIlles. A fresh start from Croydon was then planned. On 28 August, 1948, several races were run at Lympne. There were four starters in the Tiger Moth Race for three laps of a 5·5 mile course the winner over 15·5 miles being W. P. 1. Fillingham at 85 mph in GAHXC. Derek J. Jemmett led all the way in the Hawk Trainer Mk.3 Race to win at 103·25 mph with G-AKPE. Four Spitfires-three F.Mk. XVls and one F.Mk.22-participated in the Royal Auxiliary Air Force Squadron Race over 100 miles, first place going to Sqn Ldr H. S. L. Dundas ofNo.50l County of London Squadron in an F.Mk.xVJ. Three entrants-all from Fairey-took part in the Tipsy Race, the winner being Fit Lieut David James Masters at 76·25 mph .in G-AISC, second was Lieut-Cdr L. Petcr Twiss in G-AF\'VT, and third Gp Capt R. G. Slade in G-AFSC. The High Speed Handicap provided plenty of noise and excitement with Fit LieulJ. Colquhoun as the winner in thc Spitfire :Nlk.VJTT Trainer G-AID)J", Gp Capt John Cunningham second in a Vampire F.Mk.3, VVI90,J, O. Matthews third in the Firefly F.R,Mk.4, Z1835, Sqn LdrJ. D. Derry fourth in another Vampire, F.Mk.5 VV217, and Miss E. Lettice Curtis fifth with a blue Spitfire P.R.Mk.XI, :'-174138, Also competing were Sqn Ldr' \ V. J. G. Morgan flying a Spitfire F.Mk.24,

l\lrs Richard iVlolTow-Tait at Shemya Air Force Basc in the AlcUlians, before thc tcrmination of her attempted flight around thc world with the Proctor 4 G-AJ~lU Thllrsdoy's Child in 1948, (Pilotofrom J. R. Wells.)

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Merlin 24 with gear drive to three rotors. On its first flight at Eastleigh on 7 December, 1948, with H. A. Marsh at the controls, VZ724-Iater GALeV-set a record in its class by flying at an all-up weight of 14,000 lb. On 9 April, 1949, the Vampire F.B.Mk.5 VV217 was flown by Sqn Ldr J. D. Derry from Lc Bourget to Cannes in 44 min 51 sec to win the l\10ntana Prize for the first flight fmm Pal'is to Cannes in under one hour. The British National Distance record for gliders was broken once again on I May, 1949, by P. A. Wills with a D.F.S. Weihe, when he flew it 233 miles fi'om Hatfield to Gerrans, Cornwall. The Royal Pakistan Air Force used the 2,550 hp Centaurus 18 Hawker Fury F.B.Mk.60, one of which-K857 flown on a delivery night by Sqn Ldr X F. Duke-left Heathrow at 4.3 a.m. on 12 May, 1949, for Karachi. Arrival at Rome in 2 hI' 31 min 51 sec set a new record for the route at 358·88 mph, and the machine then flew on to Karachi to reach there during 12 May after a total flight of 3,938 miles in 15 hr 20 min 27 sec at an average speed of 256·1 mph. On 13 May, another Hawker fighter left Heathrow to set up a new Class C.I/I record over the 221 miles to Villacoublay, Paris. Sqn Ldr T, S. \Vade was the pilot of the 5,000 lb S.t. ;..Tene 2 powered second prototype P.I052 VX279, which averaged 618·217 mph LO arrive in 20 min 27·8 sec. On 28 May, 1949, at \'Volverhampton, the 63·75 mile event for the Goodyear Air Challenge Trophy was run over three laps of a 21·25 mile course. The entrants were: Aircraft

Registration

Pilot

Piper PA~12 Super Cruiser Auster J-2 Arrow Auster 5 Gemini 3 Auster J-1 Auster 5 Hawk Major Auster 5 Auster J-1· AusterJ-l Proctor 4 Auster 5 AusterJ-l Auster D 1'\'1.5 Sparl"owhawk Auster J-4 C.L.A.7 Swift Chrislea CH.3 Ace Hawk Trainer J\rlk.3 Hawk Trainer Mk.3 Hawk Trainer ~'lk.3 Hawk Trainer Mk.3 Hawk Trainer lvlk.3 Hawk Trainer Mk.3

G-A]GY G-A]XZ G-AIPO G-AKDC G-AHAO G-1\JTV G-ACYO G-AKPI G·AIPG G-AHST

G. Reid-Walker R. L. Porteus D. McCaskill

G~AKEF

G·A]FI G-AJRH G·AHVS G-ADNL G~AIPL

G-ABUS* C-AKVD G-AKPE G-AHNV G-AITN G-AHNU G-AKPF G~AHNW

J. N.

Somers L. E. T. Bailey G. A. Bickley S. Robinson D. A. Ray D. F. Franccs D. Everall E. R. Pyatt A. G. Lockley J. H, Parkin

The de Havilland Vampire F.B.j\rlk.5 VV217 at Le Bourget before Sqn Ldr 19'~9, in 44 min 51 sec to win the ~lontana Prize for the first flight between the lWO points in undel' one hour.

J. D. Derry flew it from Paris to Cannes on 9 April, (Hawk" Siddeley.)

.Th~ Swift G-~BU.S was now re-doped black with silver markings and trIm In place of Its sIlver finish of 1948 and named Black Nlagic. A short handicap race at Brough on 18June, 1949, had two winners in a dead heat-Lieut P. G. Lawrence on the Proctor 1 G-AHVG and Fit Lieut G. F. Bullen flying another Proctor. Third, fourth, fifth and sixth places went to two Tlgn Moths, a Swallow 2 and an Auster respectively. A new Class C.l point-to-point record was set up on 19 July, 1949, from London to Valetta. as a joint flight by four Hawker Sea Fury F.B.Mk.lls, nown .by Lleut-Cdr W. R. MacWhirter, Lieut P. C. S. C~ilton, Lieut D. A. Hook and Lieut D. \'V. Morgan. Leaving London AIrport at 11.46 a.m. and passing the starting point at 11.50 a.m. I the fighters covered the 1,310 miles to Hal Far, Malta, in 3 hr 20 min 49 sec at 387 ·88 mph. In 1949 the Royal Aero Club organized the first of the National Air Races at ~Imdon, Birmingham l from Friday, 29 July, until Monday, 1 August, With a programme including the Kingls Cup Race. There was a ~oml?lete revision of the style of Kingls Cup Race, v.lith a new system of Imahsts selected from heats or complete eliminating rounds spaced at intervals during the racing season. '

A. J. Pemc}"

C. G. M. Alington M. J. Edwards A. L. Cole M. Morgan D. C. Jcmmett J. C. Turnill Wg Cdr A. McDowall R. H. Timmis R. R. Paine H. T. Ryan

• Named Black ,\1agie.

or the four finalists out of 20 starters first at 115 mph was G. Reid"Talker, second R. L. Porteus, third D. l\lfcCaskill and fourth J. Somers.

Piloted by H. A. l\(arsh, the Cierva "V.l I Airhorse VZ724 flew at a record all-up weight of 14,000 Ib during its first flight on 7 December, 1948. (Saunders-Roe.)

332

333

Thc silver Short 5.38 Sturgeon S.l\Ik.I RK791 piloted in the 1949 Air Races by T. \V. Brooke-Smith. (F. G. Swollborough.)

Thc maroon and cream l\IIiles 1\/f.38 :Vlessenger 2B G-AGPX piloted by P. G. Lawrcnce in the 19491 ational Air Races. (F. G. Swallborough.)

.1.

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The silver Farnall Hcck 2C C-AEGI piloted in the 1949 National Air Races by Lieut-Cdr]. G. Crammond. (F. G. Swanbol'ough.)

.1.

A. rVfollison made a brief return to air racing in 1949 at the National Air Races with the pale blue G.A.L.42 Cygnet II G-AGAU Dumbo. (F. G. Swarlborouglt.)

The single-seat Miles i'\'1.14A Hawk Trainer 1\Ik.3 G-AKPE-finished in ivorywhich D. C.]emmett flew in the 1949 National Air Races. (F. G. Swollborough.)

1n its post-war single-seat, open-cockpit form the .:\loss M.A.l G-AEST was entered in the 1949 Kational Air Races as \V. H. i\'loss's alternative aircraft. (F. G. Swollborough.)

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335

The entry list for the 1949 National Air Races consisted

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Aircraft

Registration

C.L.A.7 Swift

G-ABUS

Hawk Trainer rvlk.3 Hawk Trainer Mk.3 11,.1.38 Messenger 4-A M.38 Messenger 28 D.H.C.I Chipmunk M.65 Gemini IA M.28 Mercur)' + 1'1.65 Gemini 3 Proctor I Proctor 2

G·AHN\V G·AITN G-ALAF G-AGPX G-AKDN G-AKKH G-AGVX G-AKDG G-AIlK G-ALIS

J\1.2L Hawk Speed Six Moss M.A.2 Hawk Trainer Mk.3

G-ADGP G-AFMS G-AIOK

Hawk Trainer Mk.3 Hawk Trainer Mk.3 M.38 Messenger 2A M.38 Messenger 2A M.65 Gemini IA M.7 Nighthawk Proctor I Proctor 5 M.5 Sparrowhawk M.19 Master T.Mk.II S.A.6 Sealand I Moss M.A. I Hawk Trainer Mk.3

G-AIUA G-AJZH G-AKBN G-AILI G-AKGE G-AGWT G-AHUX G-AHWW G-ADNL G-AHOB G-AKLM G-AEST G-AKMU

Hawk Trainer Mk.3 M.S8 Messenger 4A M.GS Gemini IA M.16 MentoI' M.3 Falcon Six Heck 2C

G-AKPE G-ALAI G-AKKB G-AHKM G-ARCG G-AEGl

Proctor I Proctor 3 Proctor 3 Proctor 5 D.H.104 Dove I M.IIA Whitney Straight Piper .1.3 Cub Tiger Moth Tiger Moth Tiger Moth

G-AGYC G-AHGA G-AIHD G-AGTC G-AKSV G-AEUJ

Blackburn B·2 Chilton D.\·V.I

G-ACLD G-AFGH

Benes Mraz Be.S50 Bibi Auster 5 Auster 5 Auster 4Taylorcraft Plus D

G-AGSR

G-AFI'J G-AIVV G-AKTE G-AHXD

G-ALFA G-AIPO G-AJXX G-AHUG

Pilot A. L. Cole

0[:

Remarks

Black Magic Black/ silver Silver/blue H. T. Ryan Pale blue Wg Cdr A. McDowall Cream E. J. J\lorton Cream/maroon Lieut P. G. Lawrence W. P. 1. Fillingham Silver/cream Cream/red ~1aj T. Rose Silver !l.1iss R. M. Sharpe Silver J. N. Somers Red/silver F. Weir-Willats Lieut-Cdr \''11. Smart/ !l.laroon Miss E. L. Curtis Cream/maroon R. R. Paine W. H. Moss Cream Fit Lieut J. Findlay/G. Silver Watson C. A. N. Bishop Silver Blue J. C. IVlilli W. P. Bowles Blue Cream \·v. G. Brecn·Turner Dark blue Air CdreJ. Oliver Cream/brown J. G. Wallins Ivory/royal blue D. J. Jemmett Sqn Ldr A. Bradshaw Blue/silver C. G. M. Alington Silver Wg Cdr J. G. D. A.·mour Yellow Metal T. "V. Brooke·Smith Cream W. H. Moss Fit LieutJ. B. Red Thompson Ivory D. C. Jemmelt Light/dark blue L. W. Hamp F. Dunkerley Blue/silver Silver/blue J. C. Turnill Light blue Sqn Lclr J. Rush Lieut-Cdr J. G. Cram- Silver mond Metallic blue Wg Cdr D. B. Bennett Cream C. F. Hughesdon SqnLdrW. I. Lashbrook Light blue Turquoise/silver Gp Capt H. A. Purvis Silver 1. Fossett l3lue/gold Gp Capt P. W. Townsend Royal blue Lieut J. F. Blundell Blue/silver Sqn Ldr W. M. Evans Flame/silver H. K. Hughes C. M. S. Kemp/A. S. Red/silver Williams Lieut P. G. Lawrence Blue Blue/silver Sqn LdrH. R. Bilborough Cream Gp Capt E. L. ~lole A. Harrison D. ~1cCaski11 T. W. Leadbetter Gp Capt G. F. K. Donaldson

336

Cream Silver Silver Red/blue

Aircraft

Registration

J.I Autocrat G.A.L.42 Cygncl II )lord 1203 Nord 1203 Aero Ac-+5 Tiger Moth Taylol'crafl Plus 0 .1.1 Autocldl J-I Autocrat Hornet ~'loth Hawk Trainer !l.Ik.3 Hawk Trainer 1...lk.3 B.P. Balliol T.:Mk.2 S.38 Sturgeon S.Mk.1 Firebrand T.F.!l.lk.YA

G-AGXX G-AGAU F-BBKB F-BfJH OK-DCL G-AHXG G-AHWD G~AGV!l.l

G-AJRH G-ADSK G-AIYD G-AHNY VR592 RI;C79l EK621

Spitfire F.l\lk.VB Spitfire ~lk.VIII Trainer D.H.I03 Hornet F.Mk.3 Sea Fury T.Mk.20

G-AlSU G·AIDN

D.H.100 Vampire F.Mk.III Hawker 1'.1040 D.H.108 Goodyear GA~2 Duck Globe GC·IB Swift Sokol M·ID Saab 91a Safir Hodek HK·lOl

VV190

PX386 VX280

VP401 VWI20 NCS506M G·AHUU OK-DHR SE-BNN OK·BOB

Pilot Re:m.arks D. A. Arch/R. L.Jackson Red .J. A. ~."lollison Dumvo Light blue

F. Duperre P. Gallay J. Andric C. Marlin Sharp R. G. Evans K. B. Lalonde P. W. E. Heppcll J. N. Somers E. A. Ross D.J.Jemmctt A. E. Gunn T. W. Brooke-Smith Lieut P. G. Lawrence Gp Capt A. H. Wheeler Sqn Ldr \'V.J. G. r.,'[organ R. V·/. Jamieson/G. H. Pike Sqn Ldr F. Murphy/E. S. Morrell Gp CaplJ. Cunningham Sqn LeiI' N. }~. Duke Sqn Ldr J. D. Derry Air Cdre J. Oliver R. S. Bradley K. Vanek Sqn Ldr A. R. Moore B. Dontla

] vary Silver Silver Yellow/silver Silver Blue/silver Blue/silver Cream Silver/blue Silver !l.letal 11etal Grey/green camou· Rage Blue Blue/silver Silver Silver Silver Silver Silver Blue/yellow Silver Green Metal Silver

.On Satur?ay, 30July, the high speed race of four laps, open to aircraft With a maXImum sea kvel speed of at least 300 mph over a 20·315 mile ~?urse to give a total of 81'~6 m!les, was. run for the Kemslcy Challenge I rophy. T. '>\T. Brooke·Smith WIthdrew 111 the Short Sturgeon to enable him to compete in the final for the King's Cup on the same day with the

Gp Capt A. H. \Vheeler's aircraft in the 1949 National Air Races-the blue Spitfire F.i\Ik.VB G-AISU. (F. G. Swanba"ngh.)

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Gp Capt P. 'V. Townsend's aircraft in the 1949 National Air Races-the blue and gold ?\Ifiles \'Vhitney Straight G·AEUJ. (F. G. Swollborough.)

'I'he winner of the King's Cup was J. N. Somers in the Gemini 3 GAKDC at 164·25 mph, R. R. Paine was second at 184 mph with the Hawk Speed Six G-ADGP, and third was A. L. Cole at 126 mph flying the Swift G-ABUS Black Magic. Before the race the Swift had been cleaned up by taping over the control surface gaps, covering the wing-folding slots and adding a streamlined head-rest. At Elmdon on Sunday, 31 July, there was the RAuxAF Squadron Race or four laps of the 20·315 mile course for the Cooper Trophy, the SLX entrants consisting of a Vampire F.~1k.I, three Spitfire F.~1k.22s and two Spitfire L.F.Mk.xVIEs. The winner at 325 mph was Fig Off W. Bowden of No.502 County of Ulster Squadron in the Spitfire F.Mk.22 PK7l6.

Short Sealand, so that seven aircraft started, out of which the P.I040 VP40I, flown by Sqn Ldr! . F. Duke, came first at 508 mph, the Vampire VVI90 with Gp Capt John Cunningham was second at 470 mph, and the Sca Fury VX280 with Sqn Ldr F. Murphy was third at 340 mph. The King's Cup Race took place on 30 July, 1949, over three laps of a 20·315 mile quadrilateral course to give a total distance of 60·945 miles. Confined to British pilots flying British-built aircraft with a maximum sea level speed of at least 120 mph and a maximum power of 1)000 hp at sea level, the 13 finalists out of 36 entrants from three heats were: Aircraft Sealand

Swift Gemini 3 Chipmunk Hawk Speed Six Sparrowhawk Mentor Falcon Six Moss M.A.2 Hawk Trainer Mk.3 Gemini lA Proctor I Gemini lA

Registration Pilot G-AKLM T. W. Brookc-Smilh G-ABUS A. L. Cole G-AKDC.J. N. Somers G-AKDN '~'. P. 1. Fillingham G·ADGP R. R. Paine G-ADNL C. G. M. Alington G-AHKM J. C. Tumill G~AECC Sqn Lcll' J. Rush G-AFMS W. H. Moss G-A]ZH ]. C. Milli G-AKKB F. Dunkerley G-AIHD Sqn Lcl!' W. J. Lashbrook G~AKGE Ail' Cclrej. Olivc!'

A 1949 Cooper Trophy Race entrant-a Spitfire L.f.Mk-XVIE (County of London) Squadron. (F. G. Swonborough.)

or No.

601

The silver and blue Auster J-l Autocrat C-ACVl'·! flown in the 1949 ational Air Races by K. B. Lalonde. (Peter Lewis.)

On 1 August, 1949, Elmdon had five major events. The Grosvenor Challenge Cup was run over 40·63 miles for aircraft of any nationality with a maximum all-up weight of 2,205 lb and was confined to those ineligible for the King's Cup Race. Out of 18 entrants, 16 started on the two laps of the 20·315 mile course, and D. A. Arch was the winner at 112·5 mph on theJ-I Autocrat G-AGXK. The Siddclcy Challenge Trophy Race was over three laps of 20·315 miles each, open to one aircraft from each of the British Light Aeroplane Clubs which were members of the Association of British Aero Clubs and Centres. }~. Dunkerley was the winner of the 60·945 mile event at 144·5 mph with his Gemini IA G-AKKB. Although the :'
338

339

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of whom the winner was the Czech Jan Andrle with the twin 105 hp Waller Minor 4-111 Aero Ae-45 OK-DCL at 163 mph, second was Sqn Ldr J. Rush at 160 mph in the Falcon Six G-AECC and third Gp Capt H. A. Purvis al 14S mph in the Proclor 5 G-AGTC. Six started in the Air League Challenge Cup event over four laps of 20·315 miles each, the aircraft being of any nationality and having a maximum speed of at least 250 mph to compete. J'irst was P. G. Lawrence al302 mph in the Firebrand T.F.Mk.VA EK621.

An entry from 1'\0.60B (North Riding) Squadron for the 1949 Cooper Trophy Race-the Spitfice F.Mk.22 PK430 RAG-G. (F. G. Swallborollgh) .

.l

The Supcrmarine Spitfire L.F.Mk.XVIE SL71B RAS-D of No. 612 (County of Aberdeen) Squadron, flown in the Cooper Trophy Race on 31 July, 1949. (F. G. Stvanborollgh.) The tiny blue and silver Chilton D.\'V.l G-AFGH flown in the 1949 National Air Races by Sqn Ldr H. R. Bilborough. (E. J. Riding,)

Thc Spitfire F.nIIk.22 of No.607 (County of Durham) Squadron, cnlcrcd in lhe 1949 race for the Cooper Trophy. (F. G. Swallborough.) •

Announced as the world's fastest race, the event for the SBAC Challenge Cup on 1 August was open to jet aircraft of any nationality over four laps to total 81·26 miles. The three starters were J. D, Den'Y in the D.H.IOS VW120, ]. Cunningham in the D.H.IOO Vampire F.Mk.III VVI90 and T. S. Wade wilh the P.1040 VP401. Wade was the winner al 510 mph, one of his laps being flown at 562·5 mph. The Geoffrey de Havilland Trophy-presented to the pilot establishing the fastest time in an officially timed lap of any race between 29 July and I August, 1949-was awarded jointly to N. F. Duke and T. S. 'IVade for lhe faslesl laps in the Kemsley Challenge Trophy and SBAC Challenge Cup contest respectively. Intensive experiments were carried out. in refuelling by Sir Alan Cobham's company-Flight Refuelling Ltd-at Tarrant Rushton., Dorset, and at 5.20 a.m. on 7 August, 1949, Pat R. Hornidge took-off in

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341

The silver and blue :Miles fentor G-AHKM flown in the 1949 Kational Air Raees by]. C. Turnill. (F. G. SwanboTollgh.)

The blue and silver Spitfire :Mk.VlII Trainer C-AIDN flown in the 1949 National Air Races by Sqn Ldr \-\T.]. G. 11organ. (P. G. Swanborough.)

C. G. M. Alington's mount in the races in 1949-the silver 'liles lVL5 Sparrowhawk G-ADNL. (F. G. SwanboTough.)

The Short Sealand G-AKL!vr flown in the 1949 King's Cup Race by T. \,V. Brooke-Smith. (F. G. Swanborough.)

Third place in the 1949 Kemsley Challenge Trophy race was gained by the Hawker Sea Fury T.Mk.20 VX2BO which was flown by Sqn Ldr F. l\furphy at 340 mph. (F. G. Swallborollgh.)

The pale blue l\liles Falcon Six G-AECC raced in 1949 by Sqn Ldr J. Rush. (F. G. Su.Jl11lborough.)

342

343

N'"' ."oft ,w'''' "" 'J"". "". "

>kill""'" '" ,", A'W""'=--

Isle of Wight Race. First was R. S. Spackman at 105 mph flying the Tiger Moth G-ALUC, second was C. G. M. Alington at 167·5 mph in the Sparrowhawk G-ADNL, and third came "V. P. Bowles in the Messenger 2A G-AKBN at 128 mph. In 1950 the National Air Races were organized on a new basis so that, instead of concentrating the events into a weekend period at one airfield, the group of races were run separately over a period of months during the summer at various aerodromes. First on the list was the King's Cup on 17 June at "Volverhampton, open to British pilots flying British-built aircraft capable of a maximum speed of more than 130 mph and with a maximum "weight of 9,920 Ib, Three laps of the course were required totalling 186·4 miles, and the 36 entrants were:

!

,

Aircraft Swift Swift Auster 5C Moss M.A.l Moss M.A.2 Hawk Trainer rvlk.3 Hawk Trainer Mk.3 Hawk Trainer Mk.3 Hawk Trainer Mk.3 Hawk Trainer Mk,3 Hawk Trainer Mk.3 Hawk Trainer Mk.3 Hawk Trainer Mk,3 Chrislea CH.3 Series 4 Skyjeep M,3A Falcon M.38 Messenger 4A M.38 Messenger 21-\ M.38 Messenger 3 M.2F Hawk Major Hawk Trainer Mk.3 D.H.89A Rapide Parnall Heck 2C M.65 Gemini 1A M.65 Gemini IA Vega Gull Vega Gull Proctor I Proctor 5 Proctor 5 M.3D Falcon Six M.o5 Gemini 3 M.5 Sparrowhawk M.2L Hawk Speed Six Spitfire F.Mk.VB Hurricane F.Mk.IIC Spitfire Mk.VIII Trainer

Registration G-ABUS*

G-ACTF G-ALKI G-AEST G-AFMS G-ALIO G-AHNY G-AIUA G-ALOG G-AIYD G-AHNW G-AIUE G-AKRY't G-AKYS G-ADFH G-ALBEt G-AKBN G-AGOY G-ACYO G-AKPE G-ALBB C-AEGI G-AKKB G-AKFU C-AFBC G-AFEA C-AII-ID t G-AIET G-AHGR G-AECC G-AKDC G-ADNL G-ADGP G-AISU G-AMAUt G-AIDN

Pilot A. L, Cole R, E. Clear Gp Capt A. H. Wheeler VV. H. Moss Flt Lieut C. F. Bullen Maj R. E. Young J. H. Ashton C. A. N. Bishop D. J. Jemmett E. A. Ross I-I. T. Ryan H. E. Scrape E. Day D. Lowry D. G. S. Cotter E. W. Westbrook W. P. Bowles G. C. Marler Sqn Ldr L. S. Loveridge D. C. .Jemmett Mrs M. M. Rendall R. G. Kent F. Dunkerley E. F. Wild Lady Sherborne Dr D. F. Little Sqn Ldr W. 1. Lashbrook F. Weir-Willats D. J. Bennett Sqn Ldl']. Rush ]. N. Somers C. G. M. Alington R. R. Paine Miss R. M. Sharpe Gp Capt P. \'\1. Townsend P. G. Robarts

r--", " "' " I ,

m,,,,,,'"",""" '''" w,',,, Mm.M.A.' """,,,T.

, '~"

killed the pilot W. H. Moss. During the King's Cup event several new world 100 km closed-circuit records were set up; in Class C. la A. L. Cole returned a speed of 126·22 mph in the Swift G-ABUS Black Magic, in Class C.lb R. R. Paine flew the Hawk Speed Six G-ADGP at 192·83 mph, in Class C.le]. N. Somers set a' ncw figure at 168·44 mph with the Gemini 3 G-AKDC, in Class C,ld Miss R. M. Sharpe flew the Spitfire F,Mk,VB G-AISU to a new record of 322,79 mph which at the same time became a new British \Vomen's National 100 km record, and in Class C.le P. G, Robarts set a new record at 328·48 mph in the Spitfire Mk,VIII Trainer G-AIDN. On l8June the race for the Goodyear Air Challenge Trophy was held at \'Volvcrhampton over three laps of a 21,25 mile triangular course. Out of 19 entrants 10 finalists competed for the award which went to D. Lowry, who piloted the Chrislea CH.3 Series 4 Skyjeep G-AKVS at 109 mph,

D. G. S. Cotter's aircraft in the 1950 National Air Races-the Miles M.3A

Falcon G-ADFH. (P. G. Swanborough.)

* C-ABUS was named Black A1agic and G-AKRV Judith A,me.

t

G-AKRV was pale blue, G·ALBE grey, G·AIHD light blue and G-AMAU royal blue and gold.

First was Edward Day at 138·5 mph, second was Gp Capt P. "V. Townsend at 283 mph, and third Gp Capt A. H. Wheeler at 132·5 mph. The Rapide G-ALBB retired with an oil leak, and the race was marred by the

The winner of the Goodyear Air Challenge Trophy [or 1950-thc Chris1ea CH.3 Series 4 Skyjeep G-AKVS flown by D. Lowry at 109 mph.

346

347

J.

N. Somers came second in the Gemini 3 G-AKDC at 160 mph and F. Dunkerley flew thc Gemini IA G-AKKB in third at 148 mph. Racing at Farnborough on 7 July, 1950, was among RAuxAF Squadrons for the Cooper Trophy over two laps of a five-sided 72 mile course. Competing on handicap against Spitfires and Vampires, FIg Off K. N. Haselwood of No.600 (City of London) Squadron came first at 511 mph flying thc Mctcor F.Mk.4 VZ429 and winning by onc sccond. Three races were held at Sherburn-in-Elmet on 22 July, 1950. That for the SBAC Challenge Cup was run over 124·274 miles and was an international event for jet aircraft which drew four entries. The winner at 533 mph was Lieut-Cdr M. J. Lithgow with the 5,000 Ib s.t. Nene 2 Vickers Type 398 Attackcr F.Mk.1 TS409, Sqn Ldr J. D. Derry came second at 472 mph in a Vampire F.B.Mk.5, third was Sqn Ldr Jan Zurakowski at 536 mph in a Meteor T.:rvrk.7, and last was the Hawker P.1040 VP401 at 536·5 mph with Sqn Ldr T. S. Wade piloting. The race on 22 July for the Air League Challenge Cup at Shcrburn-inElmet had a mixed entry for the 124·274 miles, the event being international and open to jet or piston machines v'lith a maximum sea level speed of more than 150 mph. In first placc was Sqn Ldr W. 1. Lashbrook at 161·5 mph with the palc blue Proctor 3 G-AIHD, second was C. G. M. Alington at 170 mph with the M.5 Sparrmvhawk G-ADNL, and third was Sqn Ldr F. Murphy at 366 mph with the Sea Fury T.Mk.20 VX283. During the race Frank Murphy established a new British National 100 km record for piston types at 378·8 mph, and FIt Lieut 1.. R. Colquhounwho came fourth in the event at 235 mph '"'''lith the prototype 2,375 hp Rolls-Royce Griffon 29 Supermarine Seagull Mk.1 PA147-in the course of the race set a new Class 3 100 km record for amphibians at 241·88 mph. Competing also were Miss Jean Lennox Bird with the M.7A Nighthawk G-AGWT, P. G. Lawrence on the Firebrand T.F.Mk.VA and J. N. Somers with the Gemini 3 G-AKDC. Thc Geoffrcy de Havilland Trophy was awarded to Trevor Wade for his lap at 536·5 mph in thc P.I040 during the SBAC race. The remaining event at Sherburn-in-Elmet on 22 July, 1950, was the handicap for the Yorkshire Aeroplane Club Trophy which attracted nine starters for three laps of 17·5 miles each. Sgn Ldr \1Il. M. Evans came first at 107·5 mph in the blue Tiger Moth G-AIVV; others competing included Ron Paine with the Hawk Speed Six G-ADGP, T. W. Hayhow in the Auster 5 G-AJXX and C. G. M. Alington with the cream and red M.5 Sparrowhawk G-ADNL. At Odiham on 24 July, 1950, the British National Gain of Height record was raised to 19,120 ft by FIt Lieut A. W. Bedford in an EoN Olympia 2n. Major racing events were held on 29 July, 1950, both of them at \IVoolsington. That for the Grosvenor Challenge Cup was international and open to aircraft not exceeding 2,205 Ib all-up weight. Two laps were required of the 20 mile circuit, and the winner was K. C. Millican at 97·5 mph on the 62 hp Walter Mikron 2 Tipsy Trainer I G-AFJT, racing -among others-the Tipsy Junior 00-1'11' with A. "V. R. Morris, Ron Paine and the Hawk Speed Six G-ADGP, C. G. M. Alington and thc Sparrowhawk G-ADNL, and H. W. J. Bethell flying the Moth Minor G-AFNI. The race for the Norton Griffiths Challenge Trophy was run over five

348

r

I

laps of the 20 mile circuit on 29 July for aircraft of between 2,205 and 3,858 lb and gave Sgn Ldr James Rush a win at 165·5 mph in the Falcon Six G-AECC, second place going to another Miles type-the M.7A Nighthawk G-AGWT-piloted by Miss Jean Lennox Bird at 157 mph. The race for the Kemsley Challenge Trophy was held at Fairwood Common, Swansea, on 19 August, 1950, and was no longer an event for high-speed aircraft but was open to machines of any nationality of between 2,350 and 5,000 lb. The distance of 84 miles was made up of three laps of 28 miles, thc winner being Fred Dunkerley with the Gemini lA G-AKKB at 162·95 mph. Ian A. Forbes was second in the M.7A Nighthawk GAGWT at the fractionaHy lower speed of 162 mph, and thc blue and gold Hurricane F.Mk.IlC G-AMAU The Last of the Alany came third at 295 mph with Neville Duke. The British gliding altitude record was increased on 24 August, 1950, when A. W, Bedford set off from the E.T.P.S. Farnborough on aero-tow with an Auster. Released at 4,300 ft at 11.35 a.m., the EoN Olympia reached 21,338 ft and landed at Driffield, Yorks., at 3.25 p.m., having covered 193 miles at an average ground speed of 50·5 mph. Poor weather was encountered at the 75 mile race for the Thruxton Cup run on 26 August, 1950, with 15 entries from Thruxton, \Vilts., to Totland Bay, Isle of Wight, and back. It was won by R. R. Paine at 136 mph with a Hawk Trainer Mk.3. Competing also were L. A. Strange ""lith a Taylorcraft Plus D G-AHCR, Miss E. Lettice Curtis with the Wicko G.M.I G-AFJB and C. G. M. Alington in the Sparrowhawk G-ADNL, the rest including Proctors, Tiger M_oth, Gemini and Auster types. The 1950 contest for the Siddeley Challenge Trophy was held over four laps of a 20 mile course at Baginton on 2 September, open to one aircraft each from British Light Aeroplane Clubs as in 1949 and of up to 3,856 lb. The Gemini IA G-AKKB, piloted by Fred Dunkerley of the Lancashire Acro Club, won at 158 mph. Racing for 1950 ended on 16 September with the first Daily Express International Air Race along the South Coast from Hurn to Herne Bay

Unique on the British Civil Register, the silver Hirtenberg H.S.9A G·AGAK piloted by D. R. Robertson in the 1950 Daily ExpreH Air Race. (Peter Lewis.)

349

r

The single-seat NIiles Hawk Trainer Nlk.3 G-AlTO flown by K. M. Freeman in 1950 in the Daily Express Air Race. (F. G. Swanborough.)

The sale surviving Mew Gull G-AEXF as restored post-war for H. E. Scrape to race in 1950. Finish was white with green registration. (F. G. Swanborough.)

One of the 1950 Daily l!.x/Jress Air Race entrants-the Auster.J G-ALYD flown by D. G. S. Cotter. (Peter Lewis.)

The Percival Proctor 3 G-AGTH Star Pixie which B. F. Collins flew in the 1950 Daily EX/Hess Air Race. (F. C. Swanborough.)

The red and white Wicko C.M.l C-AF]B flown in the 1950 Daily Express Air Race by Lettice Curtis. (F. G. Swanborough.)

B. Gait's aircraft in the 1950 Daily Express Air Race-the D.H.GOG Gipsy Moth G-ABJJ. (Pel" Lewis.)

350

351

for the Daily Express Trophy and a total of£2,350 prize money. The list of 75 entries were: Aircraft

Registration

Pilot

D.H.60G Gipsy Moth D.H.60G Gipsy Moth Tiger Moth Tiger Moth Tayloreraft Plus D Auster 5 Auster 5 Auster 5 Auster 5 Hirtenberg H.S.9A Moth Minor Moth Minor Coupe Wicko G.M.I J·5E Autocar CH.3 Series 4 Skyjeep Hornet Moth Tomtit Swift Swift Puss Moth Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser Chilton D.W.IA Starck A.S.71 M.3S Messenger 4A M.38 Messenger 4A M.38 Messenger 4A M.38 Messenger 2A Aerovan 4 Aerovan 6 Hawk Trainer Mk.3 Hawk Trainer Mk.3 Hawk Trainer Mk.3 Hawk Trainer Mk.3 Hawk Trainer Mk.3 Hawk Trainer Mk.3 Hawk Trainer Mk.3 Hawk Trainer Mk.3 Hawk Trainer Mk.3 M.3A Falcon Major Whitney Straight Leopard Moth Fairchild 24·W-4IA Argus 2 Fairchild 24W-41A Argus 2 Chipmunk I D.H .89A Rapide Gemini IA Gemini lA Proctor I "Proctor I Proctor I Proctor 3 Proctor 3 Proctor 3 Proctor 3 Proctor 3 Proctor 5

G-AAWO G-ABJJ G·ALT\'\T G-AIVW G-AHCR G-AJXX G-AIPO G-AJJR G-ALYD G-AGAK G-AFNI G-AFOJ G-AFJU G-AJYS G-AKVS G-AELO G-AFTA G-ACTF G-ABUS* G-AAZP G-AJGY G-AFSV

R. A. Mann B. Gait A. E. H. Cohman Sqn Ldr W. M. Evans Lieut-Col L. A. Strange T. W. Hayhow D. McCaskill P. A. O'Sullivan D. G. S. Cotter D. R. Robertson H. w. J. Bethell W. P. 1. Fillingham Miss E. L. Curtis R. L. Porteus D. Lowry J. W. Beazley FIt Lieut G. F. Bullen R. E. Clear A. L. Cole V. H. Bellamy C. Reid-Walker Gp Capt E. L. Mole A. T. Leaning E. J. Morton W. H. Leadbetter E. W. Westbrook Wg Cdr K. T. Lofts E. C. CatheJs G. H. Miles K. M. Freeman H. T. Ryan Fit Lieut P. Raymond Capt R. M. B. Ward C. A. N. Bishop W. ]. TwitcheJJ E. Day C.J. de Vere D.J.Jemmett D. F. Ogilvy R. Rumbold F. W. Griffith Miss]. L. A. Hughes H. T. Newton J. K. Brown Miss R. M. Sharpe Fit Lieut P. Hillwood F. Dunkerley N. W. Charlton S. C. Nicholson P. E. 1deaghel' B. F. Collins D. E. Barton K. C. Millican J. P. Crowther Sqn Ldr W. 1. Lashbrook Mrs Zita Irwin

G-ALAF G-ALAR G-ALBE G-AHXR G-AJOF G-AKHF G-AITO G-AHNU G-AGLK G-AKRM G-AIUA G-AIDF G-AKRV* G-AJDR G-AHNV G-ADFH G-AEVL G-ACLL G-AJAT G-AKIZ G-AKDN G-AKVU G-AJKR G-AKKB G-AHUZ* G-AHVA G-AGWV G-AGTH G-AKZG G-ALMS G-AKWV G-AIHD C-AIET*

The last surviving Hawker Tomtit G-AFTA-finished in blue and gold- which Fit Lieut G, F. Bullen flew in the Daily EX/HeSS Air Race of 1950, (Hawker.)

The red Miles Hawk Trainer Mk.3 G-AIDF flown in the 1950 races by VV. J. Twitchell was converted to a single-seater and fitted with a minute bubble canopy cover. (P. G. Swanborough.)

* Named Aircraft were: G-ABUS Black j\:fagic, C-AKRV Judith Aline, G-AHUZ Nicodemus, G-AIET Windmill Girl and C-ACTI-r Star Pixie.

G. H. Miles was the pilot of the "Miles Aerovan 6 G·AKHP in the DailJl

352

353

Express Air Race of 1950. (F. G. SUJanborOllgh.)

,v. P. I. Fillingham's mount in

the 1950 Daily Express Air Race-the D.H.94

Moth Minor Coupe G-AFOJ. (Peler Lewis.)

by N. W. Charlton at 164·5 mph, second was Ian A. Forbes at 175 mph with the Nighthawk G-AG\'V'l\ and third the silver Hawk Trainer Mk.3 G-AGLK flown by FIt Lieut P_ Raymond at 147 mph. In the DailY Express event there reappeared the Mew Gull G-AEXF, which Hugh E. Scrope had rescued) during July 1950, from France where it had remained throughout the war) stored in a hangar on the small aerodrome at Villefranche-sur-Saone) to the north of Lyons. ',Vhen the Germans occupied the whole of France, Victor Vermorel-who had bought the machine from Alex Henshaw in 1939-removed the aircraft's fuel-feed pumps, but he was killed in 1945 and the Mew Gull then passed to Jean Drapier, who took it by road after VE-Day to Lyons-Bron aerodrome to be put into a hangar again. In the summer of 1950, D. E. Bianchi and E. Squires-both of Personal Plane Services-arrived to give G-AEXF an inspection, to enable Hugh Scrope to fly it back direct to Blackbushe on 2 July, 1950. The machine was then completely overhauled and restored with an all-white glossy finish, dark green lettering and black racing number. In the Daily Express race the NIcw Gull ftew once again against one of its rivals of 11 years before-the Hawk Speed Six G-ADGP, and the event ineluded the SwiflS G-ABUS and G-ACTF in a race which carried £ I,000, £500 and £250 respectively for first, second and third places. One of the modifications secn was that on the Hawk Trainer Mk.3 G-AIDF flown by "'ltV.]. Twitchell; this was converted to a single-seater which was red overall and had a minute blown cockpit canopy which was a very close fit about the pilot's head.

The Percival Q.6 G-AEYE which C. G. l\!I. Alington flew in the Daily Express Air Race of 1950. (F. G. Sl.uallborollgh.) Aircraft

Proctor 5 B1-IT-l M.7A Nighthawk Falcon Six Gemini 3 Miles M.28 Mercury G Ligncl 46 Coach Percival Q.6 Youngman-Baynes High Lift Deech Model 35 Bonanza A.S.65 Consul M.75 Aries 1 Hawk Speed Six A.S.65 Consul Mew Gull H.P.R.I Marathon 2 B.P. Balliol T ..Mk.2 Hurricane F.Mk.lIC H.P.70 Halifax C.Mk.VIH

* G-Ai\IAU

Registration G-AHGR LN-JHC C-AGWT G-AECC G-AKDC G-AHAA

F-BCFS C-AEYE G-AMBL

VT-CSF G-AHEF G-AMDJ G-ADGP VX587 G-AEXF G-AHXU VR602 G~A11A

G-AKEC

*

Pilot

D.]. Bennett Capt]. H. Christie 1. A. Forbes Sqn LclI']. Rush J. N. Somers Air CclI'c]. Oliver J. G. L. Lignel C. G. M. Alington Air Cclre D. C. T. Bennett Fit Lieut C. B. Contractor R. E. M. B. Milne F. G. Miles R. R. Paine .1. M. Williams H. E. Scrape H. M. Kendall A. E. Gunn Sqn Ldr F. Murphy A. N. Marshall

.:....

--2~._

~_""~""':.t.~._~~'::l:;'--

The Mamba-powered Handley Page H.P.R.t l\!.{arathon 2 G·AHXU which H. M. Kendall flew into seventh place at 280·5 mph in the 1950 Daily Express Air Race.

was named The LlIst of Ihe kfar!y.

Sixty-seven started and 61 finished. The start of the Dai!J E.\press race was at 2 p.m. and the winner from a varied entry was the cream and red Proctor 1 G-AHUZ .Nicodemus flown

Air Cdre J. Oliver's aircraft in the 1950 Daily Express Air Race-the l\1iles t-./I.28 t-.lercury 6 G-AHAA. (i\tfiles.)

354

355

A new Class C.l point-to-point record between London and Khartoum was set up on 20-21 October, 1950, by the Lincoln B.Mk.2 RE364 Aries II which covered the route in 14 hI' 23 min 10 sec at 213·01 mph. The crew were Sqn Ldrs J. c. T. Downey, A. D. Frank and J. McKay. . Following a naturally hesitant and slow start arter the "Var, raclllg was soon re-established and, for a few years, took-in one respect at least~a similar path to that which was followed immediately arter the 1914-18 \ Var. This was the use of numbers or war-surplus aircraft which came on lO the civil market, and another factor which paralleled the early 1920s was the appearance for a while of Service machines in high-speed events. The post-war era also included record attempts by Service types which were able LO use their immensely increased performance to establish remarkable speeds and times.

D. ''''estoby was the winner of the Grosvenor Challenge Cup for 1955 at 1I9 mph with the Auster J-5K Aiglet Trainer G-At\l~lS. (Alister.)

An Exercise

The Moss 1vl.A.2 G-AFMS-finished in cream-flown by W. H. iVInss in the 1949 National Air Races. (P. C. Swttlluorollgh.)

356

In

Design

A comprehensive racing programme, designed to eatcr for all classes of aircrart, was prepared by the Royal Aero Club for 1951, and six pilots had banded togcther during 1949 to form the unofficial Throttle-Benders Union. They were C. G. M. Alington, A. L. Cole, f. Dunkerley, R. R. Paine,J N. Somers and Sqn Lelr]. Rush, the requirements for enrolment being that mcmbers should be regular racing pilots and should have won at least one classic race. At the beginning of ]951 lhe first nonstop transatlantic flight by a jet bomber was made by the English Electric Canberra B.Mk.2 WD932, piloted by Sqn Ldr A. E. CaliaI'd accompanied by fit Lieut E. A. J. Haskett as navigator and FIt Lieut A.]. R. Robson as signaller. They left Aldergrove at 12.43 p.m. on 21 February and landed at Gander at 5.23 p.m. GMT after a crossing of 4 hi' 40 min at 449 mph for the 2,100 miles. In gliding the British National Distance record was increased on 2 May, 1951, to 257 miles by A. \V. Bedford, who flew an EoN Olympia from Farnborough to )Jewcastle. The annual race at Derby for' the Harben :Memorial Trophy took place on 19 May, 1951, over 20 miles made up of four laps of a five mile circuit. There were four starters-flY'ing Hawk Trainer 'tvIk.3s-and first was Fit LieutJ. Findlay, C.F.!. ofNo.16 R.F.S., Derby. The race for the Goodyear Air Challenge Trophy was flown at \\'olverhampton on 26 May, 1951. 357

The competi tors were: Aircraft

Registration

Pilot

Miles M.28 Mercury 6 C.L.A.7 Swift Hawk Trainer :Mk.3 ~r.7A Nighthawk Hawk Trainer Mk.3 Proctor 1 Proctor 1 .I-I Autocrat Hawk Trainer ~1k.3 :M.3B Falcon Si.." .I-I Autocrat M.65 Gemini .I-I Autocrat J-I Autocrat J-IB Aiglet J-1 Autocrat M .17 Monarch M.38 Messenger 2A M.2H Hawk Major

G-AHAA G-ABUS G-AKM"i G-AGWT

F. Dunkcrlcy PI, OfT A. L. Cole R. R. Painc I. A. Forbes L. E. Mason H. 'o\'ood D.J.Jemmett "". H. Creber D. C. Jemmett Sqn Ldr J. Rush E.F. Wild Wg Cdr r..r. A. Smith D. Everall R. A. Wallcy T. W. Hayhow \V. A. Bower .I. C. Cairns W. P. Bowles A. E. H. Coltman

G-AH~V

G-AHVG G-AHUX G-AGVN G-AKPE G-AECC G-AJPX G-AFLT G-AHST G-AHAO G-A:MIH G-AIGH G-AFCR G-AJYZ G-ADMW

Fred Dunkerley was the winner of the 94·5 mile event-three laps of the 31·5 mile course Wolverhampton-Penkridge-Wheaton Aston-AckletonWolverhampton-atl61 mph, second was Pit Off A. L. Cole at 131 mph, and third was R. R. Paine at 136 mph. On 26 May, 1951, at ''''oolsington, a five-lap impromptu handicap race was run with seven starters. This was won by the Auster J-l Autocrat G-AJRH flown by P. vI'. E. Heppell, second came the Cygnet piloted by Aldo Costella, and third was the Olstead Aviation Rapide G-AFMF flown by A. Thomason. Others competing included a Tipsy, Tiger Moth, Hawk Trainer Mk.3 and Beech Expediter. There was poor weather on 9 June, 1951, at the vVelsh Air Derby, flown over three laps of a 25 mile circuit with start and finish at Fairwood Common, but nine starters took-off: Aircraft

Registration

Pilot

Proctor 1 Nighthawk Gemini IA Hawk Trainer Jvlk.3 Falcon Six .I-I Autocrat Proctor 3 J-IB Aiglet Tipsy Trainer

G-AHVG G-AGWT G-AKKB G-AKPE G-AECC G-AJIT G-ALOK G-AMlH G-AFSC

H. Wood 1. A. Forbes 1". Dunkerley D, C. Jemmett Sqn Ldr J. Rush F. Morgan G. M. S. Kemp T. W. Hayhow H. G. Davies

First place for the Welsh Air Derby Trophy and £125 went to H. Wood at 155·5 mph, second was 1. A. Forbes at 169 mph and F. Dunkerley came third at 168 mph. Hatfield on 23 June, 1951, was to be used for the Cooper Trophy raee between squadrons of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force, but, as there was a fatal accident, the contest was cancelled. 358

R.

J.

Downs flew the black :Miles Hawk Trainer :Mk.3 G-AKKR into twelfth place in the Bristol Air Race on 14 July, 1951. (Peter Lewis.)

The silver Gloster 1'Ileteor F.Mk,8 Wi\820-fittcd with two 7,380 Ib s,t. Arm~ strong Siddeley A.S. Sa.2 Sapphires-with which Fit Licllt R. B. Prickett set new world rate-of·climb records on 31 August, 1951. (J-lawker Siddeley.)

The Bristol Air Race at Whitchurch took place on 14 July, 1951. Fourteen aircraft competed over three laps of 30 miles each and were: Aircraft

Registration

Hawk Speed Six Tiger Moth Proctor I Hawk Trainer 1\lk.3 Wicko C.M.I Auster 5 Hornct Moth Hawk Trainer Mk.3 .I-I Autocrat Tipsy Trainer 1 Hawk 1\Iajor Hawk Trainer :\lk.3 J-1 Autocrat Hawk Trainer 1\lk.3

G-ADGP C-AMBK G-AHVC C-AKPE G-AFJB G-AJXX G-AFDT G-AKRH G-AGV~·I

G-AFSC G-AD:i\HV

G-AKKR G-AHl-lT G-AKRV

359

Pilot R. R. Paine R. H. Bennett H. Wood D. C. .Jcmmcu Miss E. Leuice Curtis T. Hayhow C. M. S. Kemp P1L Off M. Chandler D. W. Corrick H. G. Davies A. E. H. Coltman R.J. Downs Capt S. L. Slade E. Day

,,,T.

The Challenge Trophy was won by R. R. Paine at 193 mph, R. H. Bennett was second, and H. vVood third. E. Day on G-AKRV retired. On 31 August, 1951, the silver Gloster Meteor F.Mk.8 'VA820-convened by Air Service Training to use a pair of 7,380 Ib S.t. Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire A.S.Sa.2 engines-set four new Class C.I/I rate of climb records. Flown by Fit Lieut Richard B. Prickelt, the Armstrong Siddeley test pilot, the machine took-off from ~/loreton Valence and climbed to 9,843 ft in 1 min 15·5 sec, 19,685 ft in I min 50 sec, 29,500 f( in 2 min 27 sec and 39,370 ft in 3 min 9·5 sec. Being flown to Baltimore to serve as a pattern aircraft for Glenn IVlartin to build undcr licence, a Canben'a B.Mk.2-WD940-beat the Aldergrove-to-Gander transatlantic point-to-point record in Class C.l on 31 August, 1951. Wg Cdr R. P. Beamont piloted the twin 6,500 lb S.t. Avon 100 R.A.3 engined bomber and was accompanied by Sqn Ldr D. A. "'atson as navigator and R. Rylands as radio-operator on the night, which occupied 4 hI' 18 min 24·4 sec at an average speed of 483·91 mph for 2,072'04 miles. The unusual spectacle of a piston vusus jet aircraft race run simultaneously over rectangular and circular courses was seen on 8 September, 1951, at the Air Day held at Ford, Sussex. The piston types-flying the rectangular course-consisted of a FireRy Trainer which came third, a l:;'ireAy A.S.Mk.6, :Nlosquito, Seafire F.Mk.17, Sea Hornet and Sea Fury competing against an Attacker flown by Lieut Atterton which was second and the winner, a Sea Vampire of No.703 Squadron flown by Lieut Mearns, both jet aircraft using the circular course. To commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the Royal Aero Club, the Jubilee Trophy for three laps ofa 35 mile short course by aircraft with a top speed of not less than 250 mph was instituted during 1951 and an impressive programme was arranged for the National Air Races due to take place at Hatfield on 23 June. The King's Cup was open to British pilots flying British aircraft with a minimum top speed of 100 mph and a maximum weight of 5,000 lb, the cross-country course of Hatfield - Southend - Cambridge - Luton - Hatfield - Great WoodHunsdon-Latchford-Hatfield with a total of 133·2 miles being followed by a final short circuit course of 35 miles. The Siddeley Trophy was to be awarded to the British Aeroplane Club or Group whose nominated pilot gained the highest placing in the King's Cup. To be competed for concurrently with the King's Cup event at the highest speed in the race were the Grosvenor Challenge Cup for aircraft below 1,850 lb all-up weight for which special arrangements were made to start aircraft entered in this event but not in the King's Cup, the Norton Griffiths Challenge 'Trophy for 1,850-2,350 lb all-up weight and the Kcmsley Challenge Trophy for aircraft of 2,350-5,000 lb. The SBAC Challenge Cup was to be AOWll concurrently with the Jubilee Trophy, being open to jet aircraft with a minimum top speed of250 mph, and the Air League Challenge Cup-also to be flown concurrently with the Jubilee Trophy event-was open to piston types with a maximum speed of at least 250 mph. The British pilot obtaining the fastest lap speed during the 1951 National Air Races was to receive the Geoffrey de Havilland Trophy. 360

The 66 aircraft entered for the 1951 National Air Races consisted of: Aircraft

Ambrosini S.7 J-I Autocrat J-l Autocrat J-IB Aiglel Avian IVJ\'l Chilton D.W.l C.L.A.7 Swift D.H.60G Gipsy Moth D.H.60G Gipsy Moth Leopard Moth Hornet Moth Hornet Moth J\'loth Minor Moth Minor Chipmunk Chipmunk Chipmunk Vampire N.F.Mk.IO Venom F.B.Mk.l WickoG.M.l Hart Tomtit Hurricane F.Mk.IIC Sea Fury T.~vlk.20 Hawk Major Hawk Speed Six Falcon Six Falcon Six Whitney Straight Hawk Trainer Mk.3 Hawk Trainer Mk.3 Hawk Trainer Mk.3 Hawk Trainer Mk.3 Hawk Trainer Mk.3 Hawk Trainer Mk.3 Hawk Trainer Mk.3 Hawk Trainer Mk.3 Hawk Trainer Mk.3 Hawk Trainer Mk.3 Hawk Trainer Mk.3 M.28 Mercury 6 M.38 Messenger 4A M.38 Messenger 2A M.38 Mcssenger 2A M.3S Messenger 5 M.65 Gemini lA M.55 Gemini IA M.65 Gemini 3D 1\1.65 Gemini 3 t\1.65 Gemini 1/\ Parnall Heck 2C ~vlew Gull Vega Gull Proctor 5 Proctor I Proctor I Proctor 5 Proctor 3 Proctor 5 Proctor 5

Registration

G-AGXT G-AJUR G-AMJH G-ABEE G-AESZ G-ABUS G-ABJJ G-ABAG G-AGMA G-ADND G-AELO G-AFNJ G-AFOJ G-AKD, G-ALWB G-AJVD G-AFJB G-ABMR G-AFTA G-AMAU VX280 G-ADMW G-ADGP G-ADTD G-AECC G-AEUJ G-AKRW G-AJZH G-ALGJ G-AKPE G-AIUA G-AlTO G-AKRT G-AKMN G-AIUE G-AKRV G-AJDR G-AHAA G-ALBE EI-AFH G-AJYZ G-ALAC G-AKHV G-AFLT G-AJTG G-AKDG G-AKKB G-AEGI G-AEXF G-AFEA G-AGTC G-AHES G-AHVG G-AIAG G-ALMS G-AIET G-AHGR

Pilot Col E. Meille D. G. S. Cotler D.J. P. Broomfield T. W. Hayhow Capt R. E. Gillman Dr W. L. James Pit Off A. L. Cole .Flt Lieut E. S. Hughes P. t\'L A. Hull R. W. Jamieson P. Q.Reiss R. W. Bates J. Cooper J. K, Brown T. R. Hilton W. P. 1. Fillingham C. Martin Sharp Gp Capt J. Cunningham Sqn Ldr J. D. Derry ~"'liss E. Lettice Curtis Gp Capt P. \"IT• Townsend Sqn Ldr N. j~. Duke Gp Capt P. W. Townsend Sqn Ld .. J~. Murphy A. E. H. Coltman R. R. Paine G. C. Marler Sqn Ldr J. Rush Fit Lieut G. F. Bullen Fit Lieut P. Raymond C. Dawson l'Vlaj W. L. Fostcr D. C. Jemmett C. A. N. Bishop K. M. Frceman D. F. Ogilvy J. H. Ashton J. T. Bnsncll

E. Day C.]. de Verc Ail' Cdre J. Olivcr E. W. Westbrook R. Matthews-Napcr W. 1'. Bowles Lieut P. G. Lawrence W. T. Franklin Wg Cdr 1\{. A. Smith Gp Capt Han M. Aitken J. N. Somers F. Dunkerley Lieut-Cdr J. G. Crammond H. E. Scrape Dr D. F. Little Gp Capt H. A. Purvis ]. H. Sauvage

H. Wood W.]. Twitchell K. C. Millican Mrs Zita Irwin D. J. Bennett

361

Aircraft Proctor 3 Proctor 3 Spitfire F.lv[k.21 Attacker F.:vlk.! Taylorcraft Plus D Taylorcraft Plus D

Registration G-ALCK G-AMCO

G-AHUG G-AHKO

Pilot Sqn Ldr "\T. 1. Lashbrook HRH Prince Alexander of Yugolilavia Fit Lieut L. R. Colquhoun Lieut-Cdr ~'1.J. Lithgow Gp Capt G. F. K. Donaldson ~lrs Y. ~L Grace

Bad weather on 23 June made it impossible to hold the Nationals at Hatfield) and the races ,,'ere then scheduled for 15 September at Farnborough) as part of the programme on the first public day at the SBAC Display. However) this idea was spoiled by the fact that a demand for over 42 per cent of the return from public admission charges could be expected from the Customs and Excise, and the National Air Races for ]951 therefore were cancelled completely. The air race for the Thruxton Cup was scheduled to be flown at 'Thruxton on 18 August but circumstances brought about its cancellation. The abandonment of the Nationals left the second Daily Express Trophy Race from Shoreham as the remaining major racing event to take place

The D.H.8S Leopard 1v10th G-ACMA entered in the 1951 National Air Races to be flown by R. VV. Jamieson. (de Havilland.)

Fitted with the 180 hp Blackburn Bombardier 702 enginc) thc ~IIilcs :Messengcr 5 G-ALAC was piloted by P. G. Lawrence in the 1951 Daily E'l:press Air Race. (F. G. Swanborough.)

Fll Lieut G. F. Bullen flew the Hawker Hart G-ABMR-finishcd in blue and gold- in the 1951 Daily E:rpress Air Race. (F. G. Swanhorough.)

Thc Vcga Gull G-AFEA entered in the 1951 National Air Races with Dr D. F. Little as pilot. (P. G. SWlmborough.)

F. C. Fisher's mount in the 1951 Daily Express Air Race-the i\1i1es 1\1onarch G-AIDE. (F. G. Swm.borough.)

362

363

.

during 1951. Planned for 6 August, bad weather intervened once again, and the race took place finally on 22 September. The course of 186 miles was from Shoreham to Brighton, Newhaven, 'Vhitstablc, thence along the coast to Hythe, Rye Harbour, Hastings, Eastbourne, Beachy Head and back to Brighton "'cst Pier for the finish. The event was an international handicap open to aircraft of 10,000 Ib maximum wcight and the 62 entrants consisted of: Aircraft Chilton D.W.I J·I Autocrat Chilton D.W.IA Auster 5 D.H.GOGIIl ?\Ioth ?\Iajor J.IB Aiglel i\Iessenger 4A Hawk Tl"aioer i\lk.3 Hawk Trainer ~1k.3 Falcon Six ),,(essenger 2A Hawk Trainer l\Ik.3 Klemm Kl 35D )"loth )"linor Hawk Major Wicko G.M.I 1loth Minor Coupe C.L.A.7 Swift Hawk Trainer Mk.3 Proctor 3 Hawk Traincr IVlk.3 ProctOI' 3 Proctor 1 Hawk Traincr Mk.3 Proctor 1 Proctor I Proctor 5 Proctor 5 Proctor 5 Tipsy Junior Hawk Traincr Mk.3 Proctor 5 Vega Gull Proctor 3 Hart Proct.or 3 Proctor I Proctor :3 Proctor I i\(onarch Lignel +6 Nord 1203 Bonanza i\1.7SAries I Ambrosini S.7 Gemini 3 Nighthawk Gemini IA Falcon Six Hawk Speed Six 'Messengel' 5

Registration G-AFGI G-AJEK G-AFS'· G-AJVT G-ADHE G·Ai\IIH .. G-ALBE G-AKRH G-AKRW G-ADTD EI-AFH G-ALFE LN-OAV G·AFRY G-ADMW G-AFJB G-AFOJ G-ABUS G-AITO OO-lNT G-AIUE G·AMGE G-AGWV G-AKRV G-AHES G-AHVG G-AHNA G-AHGR G-AIET OO-ULA

G-AKMN G-AGTC G-AFEA G-ALJH G-ABMR G-AKWV G-AIEB G-AMCO G-AHDJ G-AIDE F-BGZJ F-BEBI. HB-EGS G-A~dDJ

Pilot

H. M. Kendall Capt R. J. Crossfield D. D. Dempster R. C. Pilkington Pit Off D. !\orman T. W. Hayhow E. W. Westbrook Pit Off i\1. R. T. Chandler Fit Lieut P. Raymond G. C. i\larlcr R. Mallhews-I'\aper J. H. C. Turncr Capt J. H. Christie W. T. S. Buchan A. E. H. Coltman Miss E. L. Curtis W. P. J. Fillingham Pit orr A. L. Cole E. A. Ross L. C. Marmol J. T. Basnett R. A. Peacock HRH Prince Alexander of Yugoslavia

Registration G-AEXF C-ABEE G·ABAG G-AHUC G-AIPG G-AHKO G-AHSB G-AAZP G-AFTA G-A.\IAU

Pilot H. E. Scrope Count Leonardo Bonzj ]. K. Quill Capt R. E. Gillman P. i\1. A. HuH Cp Capt G. F. K. Donaldson B. F. Francis ~lrs Y. ~1. Grace D. G. S. Cotter H. E. Scrope Sqn Ldr:\. F. Duke Sqn Ldr F. i\lurphy

There were two non·starters and one withdrawal, three retired 'and one was disqualified, the winner at 129 mph in 1 hr 27 min II sec being the 32 hp Carden-Ford mauve Chilton D. IV.I G-AFGl which, piloted by Hugh Kendall, won the Trophy replica and £ I ,000. Second was Tom Hayhowat 135 mph and third Capt Jan Christie at 132 mph. The Ladies' Prize of £50 for the fil~t lady pilot to finish-at eighth plaeewent to Mrs Y. NI. Grace at IlO mph. Piloted by Sqn Ldr L. C. F. de Vigne, a twin 6,560 Ib s.t. Avon R.A.I powered Canberra I3.Mk.2 of the Nlinistry of Supply set a new Class C.I poim-lO-point record on 18 February, 1952, when it flew 1,450 miles from London Airport to Castel Benito, Tripoli, at 538·12 mph in 2 hr 41 min 49·5 sec.

E. Day

J. H.

Sauvage H. Wood A. S. K. Painc D. J. Bennett Mrs Zita 1rwin J. O. Matthews Mrs J, H. Ashton Gp Capt H. A. Purvis Dr D. F. Little Capt C. B. Wilson Fit Lieut G. F. Bullen J. P. Crowther \Vg Cdr R. H. Mel nlosh D. J. Bennett W. W. Lyle F. C. Fisher .1. G. L. Lignel J. J. Garnicr P. Genin Hon M. A. R. Cayzer C. Ferrari J. N. Somers I. A. Forbcs F. Dunkerley Sqn Ldr J. Rush R. R. Paine Lieut P. G. Lawrence

G-AKDC G·AGVlT G-AKKB G-AECC G-ADGP C-ALAC .. !\amed Lady Lady.

364

Aircraft Mew Cull Ambrosini S.7 Spitfire F.i\Ik.22 Avian IV"l D.H.GOG Gipsy "10th Taylorcraft Plus D Auster J-+ TayloreMlfl Plus D Taylorcraft Plus D Puss )'lolh Tomtit Hurricane F.i\lk.IIC

The rVliles Hawk I'vJajor G-ADlvn,v flown on 22 September, 1951, in the Dail;' Express Ai.r Race by A. E. H. Cohman. (F. G. Swallborough.)

Twenty-four point-to-point records were set in Class C.I b during the first half of 1952 by T. \ V. Hayhow, using the 130 hp Gipsy Major IG Auster J-5F Aiglet Trainer G-AMOS Liege Lad)'. On II April, 1952, he recorded London-Paris at 110·87 mph, Paris-London at 116·83 mph, London-Paris-London at 113·33 mph; again on II April, London-The Hague at 141·29 mph, The Hague-London at 117·15 mph, London-The Hague-London at 127·38 mph; on 12 April, London-Brussels at 109·96 mph, Brussels-London at 138· 76 mph, London-Brussels-London at 122·21 mph; also on 12 April London Luxemburg at 122·73 mph, 365

consisting of four laps of the course, the competitors being drawn from the four highest placed and the four fastest British entries-apart from the first four-in the three qualifying events, Those competing were;

Lee Refrigeration chiefpilol G. A, Farley scatcd in the Auster Autocar G-AJYY, with which he gained thil·d place in the 1952 Goodyear Air Challenge Trophy Race. (Lee.)

Luxemburg-London at 137·40 mph, London-Luxemburg-London at 129·52 mph; on 13 April London-Dublin at 126·31 mph, Dublin-London at 125·29 mph, London-Dublin-London at 125·26 mph and on 14 April London-Amsterdam at 123·78 mph, Amsterdam-London at 145·83 mph, London-Amsterdam-London at 13345 mph. ''''ith his wife as passenger, v\'. P. L }'illingham competed at ""olverhampton on 17 May, 1952, and won the Goodyear Air Challenge Trophy at 142 mph in the 145 hp Gipsy Major 10 Mk.2 D.H.C.I Chipmunk I G-AKDN over a course of 96·2 miles. Second place in the Hawk Trainer Mk.3 G-AKMN went to Sqn Ldr L. S. Loveridge, and third was G. A. Farley in the Auster J-5B G-AJYY. On 30 May, 1952, Tom Hayhow set off for a new series of Class C.I b point·to-point records in the Aiglet Trainer G-AMOS Liege Lady, recording London-Copenhagen at 118,115 mph, Copenhagen-London, London-Copenhagen-London at 103·33 mph, and these \vere followed on 7 June, 1952, by London-Berne at 141·11 mph, Rerne-London at 111·03 mph and London-Berne-London at 117·02 mph. A flight from London to Brussels during the evening of 10 July, 1952, covering the 200·38 miles in 18 min 3·3 sec at 665·89 mph in the 7,500 Ib s.t. Avon R.A.7 prototype Supermarine Type 541 Swift WJ960 gave Lieut D. "\'. Morgan a new Class C.1 point-ta-point record, and also brought him the award of the Geoffrey de Havilland Trophy for 1952 for the fastest officially timed speed in a record attempt or a race. ''''oolsington Aerodrome, Newcast1e-upon-Tyne, was used for the 1952 National Ail' Races on 11-12 July with a circuit length of 32'8 miles in each event, two laps of which were stipulated for each of the three qualifying rounds-held on 11 July-for the King's Cup. Tbe 65·6 mile race for the Grosvenor Challenge Cup was open to any aircraft with a maximum weight of 1,6531b and was won by D, F. Ogilvyat 106,5 mph flying lhe Avro 638 Club Cadet G-ACHP. W. P. Bowles came first at 132 mph with the blue ~IIessenger 2.:\ G-AJYZ to receive the Norton Griffiths Challenge Trophy for machines between 1,653 and 2,205 Ib, and P. G. Lawrence was awarded the Kems1ey Challenge Trophy for his win at 149·5 mph in the 210 hp Gipsy Queen 2 Proctor 1 G-AHVG, the event being for aircraft of between 2,205 and 3,858 lb. On 12 July, the race for the King's Cup was held over 131·2 miles 366

Aircraft

Registration

Pilot

Taylorcraft Plus D Proctor 5 Proctor I Falcon Six Chipmunk Proctor 3 Hawk Speed Six "ampire F.~rk.9 Club Cadet Messenger 2A Vega Gull Falcon Six Hawk Traincr Mk. 3 Gemini 3 Tiger r"Ioth Tiger Moth :i\lessenger 2A Hart C.L.A.7 Swift Whitney Straight J-5F Aiglet Trainer Gemini IA Hawk Trainer Mk.3

G-AHGZ G-AH\'VR G-AH"C G-ADTD G-ALWB G-Ai\1BS G-ADGP WR210 G-ACHP EI-AFH G-AFBC G-AECC G-AKRH G-AKDC G-AMJN G-Al\'lLH G-AJYZ G-ABi\IR G-ABUS G-AEUJ G-AMOS G-AKKB G-AKMN

C, Gregory G. R. I. Parker Lieut P. G. Lawrence G. C. ~larler W. P. I. Fillingham T. G. Knox: R. R. Paine J. W, Wilson D. F, Ogilvy R. ~'latthe""s-Naper Sqn Ldr J. de ?\!1. Scycrnc Sqn Ldr J. Rush Pit Off M. R. T. Chandlcr J. f. Somcrs B. J. Snook I', W. E. Heppell W. P. Bowles }~It Lieut G. F. Bullen C. G. M. Alington Fit Lieut A. ""i. Bedford T. W. Hayhow J~. Dunkerley Sqn LeiI' L. S. Loveridge

C. Gregory was the winner at 113·5 mph, second place went to G. R. L Parker at 146 mph and third was P. G. Lawrence at 149·5 mph. Originally, the Air League Challenge Cup for aircraft of over 3,858 lb was to be awarded for an additional qualifying event, but, on 21 May, this was deleted and the Cup given instead to the pilot achieving the highest lap speed over two laps during the races, in this case J. \fI"T. \'Vilson with the Vampire F.Mk.9 WR210 at 500 mph. The third and last race along the South Coast for the Daily Express

The Last ofihe ill/allY, the blue and gold Hawker Hurricane F.~rk.IIC G-A~lAU entered in several air races during the I950s. (F. G. Swat/borou.!:h.)

367

.

Trophy took place on 2 August, 1952, from Shoreham to Newhaven, thence to Reculver and around the coast to the Brighton ',Vest Pier, a distance of 182·98 miles. Open to aircraft of any nationality with a maximum weight of 12,000 Ib and a minimum top sea level speed of 100 mph, there were 46 entrants consisting of: Aircraft

Registration

Pilot

Chilton D.W.l Taylorcraft Plus D Taylorcraft Plus D Taylorcraft Plus D J.l Autocrat Moth Minor J-58 Autocar J-5F Aiglet Tr:liner Messenger 4A Falcon Six Tiger Moth Messenger 2A Leopard Moth Hawk Trainer Mk.3 Taylorcraft Plus 0 Hawk Major Moth Minor Wicko G.M.I Taylorcraft Plus D Moth Minor Coupe C.L.A.7 Swift Taylorcraft Plus D C.L.A.7 Swift Proctor 3 PrOClQr t Saab Safir Proctor 5 Cull Six Hawk Trainer Mk.3 Proctor 3 Proctor I Proctor I Proctor 5 Proctor 5 Proctor 5 Proctor 3 Proctor I Mercury 6 Ambrosini·Rondone 1'.4 Gemini 3B Gemini 3 Ambrosini S.7 Nighthawk Gemini IA Falcon Six Hawk Speed Six

G-AFGI

H. tvl. Kendall H. Best-Devereux C. Gregory D. G. S. Cotter P. B. Cash D. R. Robertson G. A. Farley T. W. Hayhow E. W. Westbrook G. C. Marler B.]. Snook W. P. Bowles Capt]. H. Christie D. D. Stiff Mrs Y. :M. Grace H. Blumenthal R. S. Spackman Miss E. L. Curtis .1. K. Quill W. P. 1. Fillingham C. G. M. Alinglon!O. F. Ogilvy N. A. Harper R. E. Clear Air Cdre G. Adnams L. C. ~'larmol Capt S. F. Dissmal'ck Sqn Ldr D. White Gp Capt D. R. S. Bader FIg OA' M. R. T. Chandler H.J. C. TUl"l1cr Wg Cdr R. H. Mcf ntosh A. S. K. Painc Mrs Zita Irwin D. J. Bennett H. Wood J. P. Crowther W. W. Lyle D. J. Adie Vico Rosaspilla HRH Prince Alexander of Yugoslavia J. N. Somers G. A. Ferrari Wg Cdr C. M. ~'r. Grece F. Dunkerley Sqn Ldr ]. Rush R. R. Paine

G~AIXB

G-AHGZ G-AHWI C-ACTY G·AFPN G-A]YY C-A.r..UvIS G-ALBE G-ADTD G-AMJN G-AJYZ LN-TVT G-AJHA G-AHKO G-ACYO G-AFNI G-AFJB G-AHCR G-AFOJ G-ABUS G·AHVS G-ACTF G-AKZR OO-INT 91123 G-AGTC G-ADPR G-AKRV G-AIKJ G·AHGA G-AHNA G-AIET G-AHWU G-AHWR C·AKWV G-AHDJ C-AHAA I·ADRC G-AJTG G·AKDC 1-80Z1 G-AGWT

OO-INT, the Percival Proctor which 1.. C. ),farmol flew in the Daily E
First place went to R. H. rVlclntosh, who flew the Proctor I G-AI-IGA. Two Class C.lb point-to-point records were made by T. "V. Hayhow during the summer of 1952. On 9 August he flew the Aiglet Trainer G-AMOS Liege Laify to establish London-Stockholm at 134·46 mph, Stockholm-London at 102·19 mph and London-Stockholm-London at 113·17 mph. Eight days later, on 17 August, with Liege Lady, Hayhow set a new figure of 114·93 mph from Madrid to London.

The Siddeley Challenge Trophy for 1952 was presented for a race of 65·6 miles run at Coventry on 23 August, and was awarded to A. ]. Spiller of the Northanls Aero Club who won at 129 mph wiLh the 155 hp Cirrus Majo,' 3 Messenger 2A G-AKTN. On 26 August, 1952, the English Electric Canberra became the first aircraft to complete the two-way crossing of the North Atlantic within 24 hours. Taking-off from Aldergrove, Lhe proLotype B.Mk.5 VX185powered by a pair of6,500 Ib S.t. Avon Is and with \'Vg Cdr R. P. Beamont as first pilot, Fit Lieut P. Hillwood as second piloL and Sqn Ldr D. A. ''''alson as navigatol'-reached Gander in 4 hI' 33 min 17·05 sec at 454·89 mph and flew back to Aldergrove in 3 hr 25 min 18·13 sec at 605·52 mph to set a new west· to-east point-to-point record in Class C.l. The east-towest time of31 August, 1951, was not beaten, but the total time for the outand-back trip of4,l44 miles was 10 hI' 3 min 29·28 sec at an average speed of 411·99 mph. Racing organized by the Southern Aero Club took place at Shoreham on 13 September, 1952, and included two events. The 45 mile Open Handicap for Iightplanes was run over three laps of 15 miles each with 12 entrants and 11 final slarters, R. R. Paine being first at 187 mph in the Hawk Speed Six G-ADGP for the Zoe Bendle Challenge Trophy, seeoncl was J. N. Somers jn the Gemini 3 G-AKDC at 166 mph, and third came R. H. McIntosh at 153·5 mph in the Proctor I G-AHGA. At the invitation of the Club, five members of the Throttle-Benders Union competed in another race ofsix laps ofa course of 5·2 miles, and this was won by "V. P. Bowles flying the Messenger 2A G-A]YZ,]. N. Somers coming second with the Gemini 3 G-AKDC. The Canberra set another Class C.l point-to-point record on 28 September, 1952, when 'Vg Cdr H. P. Connolly-with navigator Sqn Ldr D. Clare and Air Marshal Sir Hugh P. Lloyd as passenger-Dew the twin 6,500 Ib S.t. Avon 10l powered B.Mk.2 WD987 ofNo.12 Squadron 4,479 miles from London Airport to Eastlcigh, Nairobi, with one refuelling stop at Fayid, at 427·3 mph in the flying time of 8 h1" 57 min and a total time of 9 hI' 55 min. On 11 October, 1952, T. W. I-Iayhow flew the Aiglet Trainer G-AMOS I.iege Lad)l to set up a new Class C.I b point-to-point record, from Copenhagen to London at 136·34 mph.

368

369

G~AKKB

G·AECC G-ADGP

.

As the ]95 1 National Air Races wcrc abandoncd and, consequently, the International Closed Circuit Handicap Race-for which the Jubilee Trophy was to be the main award-did not take place, the Trophy was not won during that year, but in 1952 it became, instead, the award to the winner of the British Air Racing Championship. The object was to encourage racing pilots to compete and the .award was based on the J:>0.ints gained during the season in selected offiCJal events. The first reCipient was ,V. P. 1. Fillingham as British Air Racing Champion for 1952.. From the beginning of 1953 airliner course was added to the list of FAI world records in Class C.I. The first holder became, on 22 January, 1953 the Vickers 701 Viscount G-ALWE RMA Discovery which, piloted by Capt A. S. Johnson and Capt S. E. Jones of BEA, flew 331·37 miles from London Airport to 'Vahn, Cologne, in I hr 10 min 17 sec at 282·9 mph. Another record time was set up later in the day on the return to London, when the distance of331·37 miles was covered at 262·703 mph in 1 hr 15 min 41 sec. London Airport was the departure point on 27 January, 1953, of the prototype Canberra P.R.Mk.3 VX181 piloted by FIt Lieut Leslie M. ''''hittington with FIt Lieut John A. Brown as navigator, .wI11ch left at 8.36 a.m. for Karachi to set fresh point-to-point records m Class C.l. With one refuelling stop at Fayid, VXI81 reached Mauripur at 5.29 p.m. with a city-centre to city-centre record time of8 hI' 52 min 28.2. sec for the 3,921 miles at 441·8 mph, the total flying time being 8 hr 53 mm32·2 sec. On 27 January the CanbelTa left Karachi at 6.45 p.m. and flew VI~ S~nga­ pore to Darwin where it landed at 6.44 a.m. on 28January, estabhshmg a new record for the flight from London. For the 8,608'53 miles the total time was 22 hr 21·8 sec at an average speed of 39[·2 mph. On 18 March, 1953, at a meeting at the Royal Aero Club, the re.s~lts of the judging of the entries in the Royal Aero Club's Design CompetitIOn held in 1952 were agreed upon. Among the three classes, that for a single-scat racing aeroplane provided five designs for final consideration as prizewinners. The first prize of £ I00 went to, ~he Boscon:be Down Design Syndicate-Air Cdre A. H. Wheeler, F. Handel DaVIes, F. H. Beer, R. E. Webster, C. W. C. Chapman, MISS L. H. Harnson, J. K. Moakcs, J. V. Inglesby, J. Stephenson, H. W. Turner, Miss E. L. Curtis, W. Stuart, J. W. Leach and K. A. J. Knell-for their 14 ft 8 in s1?an allwood, mid-wing monoplane powered by a 330 lb s. t. Blackburn furbomeca Palas turbojet, with which it was expected to achievc a top speed of 370 mph. . . , R. Prizcman chose thc 100 hp Blackburn Cirrus MlI10r 2 to pm·ver hiS all-metal shoulder-wing monoplane of 18 ft 6·5 in span and estimated 209 mph top speed, which gained him the second prize of £50. . 'fwo racing pilots-J. N. Somers and H. M. Kendall-collaborated 111 producing the SK-1 design which secured lhird place and £25. The 330 Ib S.t. Turbomeca Palas provided the powcr for an all-wood shoulder-wmg monoplane of22 ft 9 in span which had an estimated top speed of334 mph. A consolation prize of £5 was awarded to J. J. Reid for another Palaspowered racer estimated to reach 360 mph and which carried its engine internally instead of on top of the fuselage as in the Boscombe Down and Somers-Kendall designs, and a second consolation prize of £5 was won by the all-wood design prepared by C. J. de Vere, A. L. Cole and J.

R. R. Paine won at 186·5 mph, G. R. 1. Parker was second at ]42·5 mph, and third was J. P. Crowther at 144 mph. Handicapping was by C. M. Britland and D. J. Lyons. During August, 1951, the NIew Gull G-AEXF shed ~ts engine afte:r running into a gully at Shoreham. Taken back to vVhlte 'Valt~am 1~ stayed there until acquired by J. N. Somers, for whom Doug BIan~hl renovated it, at the same time removing the old low canopy and replacmg it with a new glazed cover of slightly increased height and incorporating a rear view panel. Somers was ..a ble .to :ace it in th.e Goody~ar ~vent :at 'Volverhampton on 16 May, 19.:>3, stIllll~ glossy white but With Its re~ls­ tration letters now in dark blue and beanng the Throttle-Benders Umon badge beneath the windshield and a Union Jack 01: the fin. On 30 May, 1953, many of those who competed In the Goodyear race

370

371

Crossley, evolved around the 90 hp Pobjoy Niagara, equipped with wings of only 11 ft 6 in span and with an expected top speed of about 200 mph. Capt W. Baillie flew the Viscount 701 G-ALWE RMA Discovery on ]9 March, 1953, during its next successful airliner course point-to-point record attempt in Class C.I, in which it established the time of I hr 47 min 11 sec from London to Zurich at 274-44 mph. Launched from Long Mynd in a Slingsby Prefect sailplane on 7 April, 1953, Mrs Barbara Alexander landed 65 miles away at Desford Aerodrome, to set a new "'omen's British Kational Distance record. T. \V. Hayhow planned another point-to-point record, in Class C.lb from London to Belgrade, and took-off on 10 April, 1953. The J-5F Aiglet Trainer G-AMOS Liege La& was forced down in the Austrian Alps, 20 miles south-west of Salzburg and its pilot was found later, dead from exposure. The Canberra B. 1k.2 WD952-equipped with a pair of 8,000 Ib S.t. Bristol Olympus 99s-was used on 4 May, 1953, to set a new world altitude record in Class C.I, when Wg Cdr Walter Frame Gibb took-off at Filton and elimbed to 63,668 ft. The race for the Goodyear Air Challenge Trophy was held at Wolverhampton on 16 May, 1953. The 60·9 mile COut~e was made up of three laps of 20·3 miles each and the competiLOrs were: Aircraft Hawk Speed Six Proctor 5 Proctor 3 Falcon Six PrOClor 5 Proctor 1 Proctor I Leopard Moth Messenger 2A Mercury 6 Chipmunk 1 Wieko C.M.l Hawk Trainer Mk.3 Falcon Six tv[ew Gull Nighthawk Messenger 2A Tiger Moth

Registration Pilot G-ADGP R. R. Paine G-AHWR G. R. 1. Parker G-AKWV]. P. Crowther G-AECC Sqn Ldr J. Rush G-AHWV D. J. Bennett Flt Lieut P. Hillwood G-AIEY G-AHNA A. S. K. Paine G-ACMA A. J. Spiller G-AJYZ W. P, Bowles G-AHAA F. Dunkerley G-AKDN W. P. r. Fillingham G~Al;JB Miss E. Letlice Curtis G-AKPE D. C. Jemmett G-ADTD G. C. i\{arler G-AEXF.T. N. Somers G-AGWT Gp Capt C. M. M. Grece G~AJOE ]-I. C. Willson G-Aj\'lLH A. Dough

...

The Mew Gull G-AEXF -in white with blue registralion-as rebuilt in 1953 by D. E. Bianchi to be flown in races by]. K. Somers. (F. G. SWQ1/hOTOllgh.)

met again at Fairwood Common, Swansea, to race in the handicap for the vVelsh Air Derby. The weather was very bad during the contest over three 22·65 mile laps. The competitors included: Aircraft

Registration

Pilot

Proctor 1 Gemini 3 Proctor 5 B.A. Swallow 2 Tiger Moth Leopard Moth Hawk Trainer IvIk.3 Messenger 21\ Chipmunk I Prouor 3 Proctor 1 Proctor 3 Nighthawk Mercury 6 Falcon Six Hawk Speed Six

G-AHGA G-AKDC G-AHWR G-AELG G-AKYR

S. A. Holloway ]. N. Somers· G. R. 1. Parker A. Jones C. H. Davies A.]. Spillcr D. C. J emmett W. P. Bowles W. P. l. Fillingham H.]. G. TUl'l,er Fit Licut P. Hillwood J. P. Crowther I). Fitzgcrald F. DUllkcrleyt Sqn l.eir]. Rush R. R. Paine

G-AC~>lA

G-AKPE G-AJYZ G-AKDN G-AIKJ G-AfEY C-AKWV G-AGWT G-AHAA G-AECC G-ADGP

Bovingdon for Grimbergen, Brussels, to record an average speed of 152·3 mph, new back at 169 mph and set up a new London-Brussels-London speed of 159·5 mph. In the afternoon of the same day, Dunkerley left Bovingdon to fly to Ypenburg at 157·3 mph, came back at 170·7 mph and established a new London-The Hague-London mark of 163·3 mph. The six new records in Class C.le were for aircraft of between 2,204 and 3,858 Ib all-up weight. Based on a circuit of9·89 miles from Rochford, the r\ational Air Races for 1953 were at Southend-on-Sea on 20 June. First place for the Grosvenor Challenge Cup over three laps open to aircraft not over 3,858 lb maximum weight and with a top speed of 130 mph went to D. R. Robertson, who flew the 29·67 miles at III mph in thc 90 hp Gipsy Minor D.H.94 Moth Minot' G-AFPN. The ! orton Griffiths Challenge Trophy over the same distance for aircraft of up to 3,858 Ib and with a top speed of 130-150 mph was awarded to \V. P. Bowles, flying the 155 hp Cirrus Major 3 Messenger 2A G-AJYZ at 129·5 mph. Aircraft eligible for the Kcms1cy Challenge Trophy event-also over three laps-were required to have a minimum lap speed of 150 mph and not to exceed 3,858 lb in weight, the winner at 149 mph bcing A. S. K. Paine with the 210 hp Gipsy Queen 2 Proctor I G-AI-INA. These three events had served as the qualifying rounds for the King's Cup Race, the J 2 finalists being drawn from the first four in each. These were: Aircraft TaylorcrafL Plus 0 Molh Minor

Registration

D.H.60Gllf MOlh Major Tomtit Messenger 2A Chipmunk 1 Proctor 5 Proctor 5 Proctor 1 Gemini lA Falcon Six Hawk Speed Six

Pilot

C. Gregor)'

G-AHGZ G-AFPN G-ADHE G-AFTA G-AJYZ G-AKDN G-AHWU G-AMTJ G-AHNA G-AKKB G-AECC G-ADGP

D. R. Robertson D. F. Ogilvy Sqn Ldr N. F. Duke W. P. Bowles W. P. T. Fillingham D . .T. Dcnnett BRH Prince Alexander of Yugo~lavia A. S, K, Paine F. Dunkcrley Sqn LeiI' .J. Rush R. R. Paille

.. Somers Aew a Gemini because his Mew Gull was utHel'vicenble. t Dunkerley withdrew from the race.

First place-for the "Velsh Air Derby Trophy and £50-went to S. A. Holloway at 153 mph, J. N. Somers came second at 158 mph, and third was G. R. 1. Parker at 143·5 mph. A new Class C.I airliner course record between London and Geneva was set on I June, 1953, by the Viscount 701 G-AMNY RMA Sir Emest Shackletoll. Flown by Capt W. J. Wakelin on the first REA Viscount service between the two cities, the machine covered the distance of 467·8 miles to Cointrin Airport in I hI' 31 min 52 see at 305·6 mph. New light aircraft point-la-point records in Class C.le were set by Fred Dunkerley on 5]une, 1953. Flying thc Miles M.65 Gemini IA G-AKKB, powered by two 100 hp Cirrus Minor 25, he set off in the morning from 372

_--

The Proctor 5

G~An!TJ

the

flown by HRH Prince Alexander of Yugoslavia in ational Air Races. (Pettr Lewis.)

373

L.

The race of 59·34 miles was made up of six laps or the circuit, and first place went to \,V. P. I. Fillingham at 142 mph, second was \'V. P. Bowles at 133 mph and third D. R. Robertson at 115 mph. Competing also in the 1953 Nationals were: Aircraft

Registration

Chilton D.W.l Taylorcraft Plus D Tiger Moth .I-5B Autocar J-5B Autocar 11esse:nger 4A 11csscngcr 4.'\ Leopard ~loth Hawk Trainer Mk.3 '[cssenger 2A Hawk Trainer ~'lk.3 Whitney Straight Hawk Major Leopard Moth Hawk Trainer Mk.3 Proctor 5 Falcon Six Proctor 3 Proctor I Proctor I Proctor 3 Hart Nighthawk Mew Gull

G-AESZ G-AHGW G-ALSH G-AMFP G-AJYY G-ALBE G-AKZX L T·TVT G-AIYD G-AJFH G-AKPE G-AEUJ G-ACYO G-ACMA G-AKRV G-AH\,\lR G-AECC G-AIKJ G-AHVG G-AHGA G-AKWV G-ABMR G-AGWT G-AEXF

Pilot Dr W. L.James D. G. K. Maile Capt D. ,M. Spencer-Smitb J. R. Batt G. A. Farley E. W. Westbrook •. M. Urowning Capt]. H. Christie K. M ..Freeman C. W. W. Turner D. C. Jemmett FIt Lieut G. F. Bullen ~'Iiss F. M. Leaf A. J. Spiller FIg Oft· M. R. T. Chandler G. R. 1. Parker G. C. Marler H . .T. G. Turner Lieut P. G. Lawrence Wg Cdr R. H. McIntosh J. P. Crowther Sqn Ldr F. Murphy Cp Capt C. M. M. Grece ]. N. Somers

The Viscount 701 continued record setting on 1 July, 1953, in the hands of Capt A. S. Johnson of BEA, when G-ALWE RMA Discovery accomplishcd the distance between London and Copenhagen in 2 hr 26 min 5 sec at 249·9 mph for a new Class C.1 airliner course record. Class C.l point-to-point records were established on 5 July, 1953, by the prototype ofa new Supermarine single-scat fighter, the Swift F.Mk.4, WK198, powered by the 7,500 1b s.t. Avon R.A.7 and flown by Lieut-

Piloted by]. R. Batt in the 1953 National Air Races-the Autocar G-A~'.lFP. (Peler Lewis.)

37'f

_

Auster J -5D

The ~Ililes M.65 Gemini 3 G-AKDC flown into first place at 159·5 mph by]. N. Somers to win the Siddeley Challenge Trophy for 1953. (F. G. Swanborough.)

Cdr. M. J. Lithgow, ehief test pilot of the company. The 213 miles between London Airport and Le Bourget were covered in 19 min 5·3 sec at 669·3 mph, and the return flight established the first Class C.1 Paris-toLondon ~ecol:d of 19 min 14·3 sec at 664·3 mph. On the outward journey the starting hne was crossed at 11.03·23·6 a.m., and the finishing line at Le Bourget was reached at 11.22.41·6 a.m. The flight back started at 7.14.42·2 p.m., and crossed the finishing line at Heathrow at 7.34.9 p.m. The London-to-Copenhagen Class C.I airliner course record ,",vas broken on 28 July, 1953, by Capt R. F. Noden of BEA, who flew thc Vlscolmt 701 G-AMOA RMA George Vancouver over the route in 2 hI' 1 min 53 sec at 299·5 mph. More Class C.I c point-to-point records were set by Fred Dunkerley in 1953. On 28.J uly, flying the Gemini IA G-AKKB, he flew from London to Dublin at 149·/ mph in I hI' 55 min 21·7 sec, came back at 182·6 mph in 1 hr 34 min 12 sec and set up an out-and-back record of 164 mph in 3 hI' 29 min 48·3 sec. On 23 August, 1953, Dunkerley set off in G-AKKB from London to Belfast, achieving another record at 153-4 mph for the outward journey. On 22 August, 1953, the Sidde1ey Challenge Trophy race-last of those counting for the 1953 Championship-was held at Baginton as part of the programme of the Coventry Air Day and in weather which included showers, cold and a strong gusty wind. The course was of 14·537 miles for each of thc four laps and 19 entrants new in two heats, the final consisting of the first five from each heat. Heat One was won by A. "V. Bedford at 124·5 mph in the Whitney Straight G-AEUJ and Heat Two by J. N. Somers at 159 mph in the Gemini 3 G-AKDC. In the final, Sorners came first at 159·5 mph in G-AKDC, second was A. S. K. Paine at 153 mph flying the Proctor I G-AI-I"'A, and in third place was G. R. I. Parker piloting the Proctor 5 G-AH"VR at 145·5 mph. Somns represented the Elstree Flying Club in the race. 375

Aircraft. expected to compete but which withdrew included:

The red Hawker Hunter Mk.3 "VBI88 with which Sqn Ldr N. f. Duke became the holder of the world speed record on 7 September, 1953, with a speed of 727·6 mph. (Hawker.)

Aircraft

Pilot/crew

CustCI' CCW-5 Exccutiyc Douglas DC-3C Lockhced 18-56

W.J. Davidson

Notes Transport Handicap

p,Irs D. Bixby

Y.J. Reavely

\'alianl B.l\lk.1 Republic F-8+G Thundcljcl

Fit Lieut E. B. Trubshaw

Spitfire F.~lk.2+ XA. F-82 Twin l\!ustang D.H.98 1IosquilO P.R.p,lkAI C.A.C. 1\!ustang D.H.98 1\Iosquito P.R.11k.+t

P. D. Freytag 1\laj H. 1. Hill Sqn LeiI' A. J. R. Oates Fit Licut J. L. C. Whiteman CaptJ. Woods

Transporl Handicap Hudson/Lodestar conversion Speed Seclion Speed Section. Royal Danish Air Force Speed Section

"

First place in the Speed Section for the Harewood Gold Cup and

£10,000 was secured by Fit Licuts R. L. E. Burton and D. H. Gannon at The British Air Racing Champion for 1953, Sqn LdrJ. Rush, received the Royal Aero Club Jubilee Tmphy. The all-red Hawker Hunter Mk.3 \IIJ3l88, equipped with the 9,500 lb s.t. Avon H..A.7R, was prepared for an attempt on the world air speed record under Class C.I/I over a 3 km course ofl' Littlchampton on the Susscx coast. Sqn Ldr N. 1<'. Duke was the pilot, and on 7 September, 1953, the record was regained at 727·6 mph. On 19 September, Neville Duke used the Hunter ''\IBISB to set another world record in Class C.I/I when, flying over a 100 km closed-circuit at Dunsfold in Surrey, he recorded an average speed of 709·2 mph. Lieut-Cdr M. J. Lithgow set a new world speed record with a speed of 737·3 mph over a 3 km course at Azizia in Libya on 25 September, using the prototype silver Swift F.Mk.4 WK 198, equipped with the 9,500 lb s.l. Avon R.A.7R. In October, 1953, another long-distance race-from London Airport to Harewood International Airport, Christchurch, New Zealand-was held, but, contested with high-speed Service bombers and commercial airliners, aroused virtually no interest whatever compared with that which accompanied the 1934 Mac.Robertson Race with its varied entry list. The starters on 8 October consisted of: Aircraft

Registration

Pilot/crew

Douglas De·6A

PH-TGA

Capt H. A. A. Koopcl'

H.P. Hastings C.J-.lk.3 "Z5804 G-Al'v1AV Canberra p.R.rvJk.7 WH773

Viscount 700 Canberra

P.R.~!k.3

WEI42

Canberra P.R.1\lk.3

WEI39

Canberra B.11k.20

A84-202

Canberra B.11k.20

A8'1-201

\Vg Cdr R. F. Watson Capl W. Baillie Wg Cdr L. ~d. Hodges/Sqll Ldr R. Currie Fh Lieul R. 1\1. l~urzc/Flt Lieut J. W. Harper FIt Lieut R. L. E. Burton/Fit Lieut D. H. Gannon Wg Cdr D. R. Cuming/Sqn LeII'

C. G. Ha ..vel'/FIg OfT R. J. Atkinson Sgn Ldr P. F. Raw/Fit Lieut W. D. Kerr/Fit Off F. N. Davis

376

494·48 mph in 23 hr 51 min 10 sec fOl· a new Class C.I/I point-to-point record over 12: 193 miles when they reached Christchurch on 9 October j

Notes Transport Handicap

Speed

Section

On 25 September. 1953. the Supermarine Swift F.~lk.4 \-VK198 was flown at Azizia: Libya, by Licut-Cdr i\J.]. Lithgow to a new world speed record 0[737·3 mph. (Vickers.)

377

h

The English Electric Canberra B.Mk.20 A84-201 which came second in the Speed Section of the 1953 England-to-New Zealand Ail" Race. The crew were Sqn Ldr P. F. Raw, Fig OffF. N. Davis and Fit Licul \V. D. Kcrr. (Department of Air, Australia.)

as chief pilot came second-at the same time establishing a new Class C.I/I point-to-point record to Melbourne for 10,511 miles in 35 hI' 47 min at 293·6 mph. The RNZAF Hastings C.Mk.3 NZ5304 retired at Negombo with No.2 engine and a flap damaged. A hvo-seat jet racer conforming to the FAr Category V for light aircraft of 3,000-4,500 kg was designed for the England-to-New Zealand Air Race but was not built. The machine-the Korab Coppelia-was British and designed by George Korab; it was scheduled originally to use a pair of Turbomeca Pimene turbojets until it was decided that their total of 400 Ib s.t. was too low, and a 1,100 Ib s.t. Armstrong SiddeJey Adder A.S.A.l was substituted. The 32 ft 9 in span mid-wing monoplane employed composite construction, and the rear of the 44 ft 4 in long fuselage was intended to house two]ATO units beneath thejet efflux pipe. Pilot and navigator were to be seated in tandem, and the Coppelia \\'as expected to reach 406 mph at sea level and to have a range 0[2,900 miles. Towards the end of 1953 two new Class C.I/I point-to-point ,-ecords were established over the England-to-South Africa route by the Canberra B.Mk.2 WH699 Aries IV. On the outward journey leaving London Airport on 17 December the machine was flown by"Vg Cd,' C. G. Petty, accompanied by Sgn Ldr ]. McD. Craig and Sgn Ldr T. P. MacGarry, and, with refuelling stops at Idris, Libya, and Brazzaville, French Equatorial Africa, the machine reached Cape Town in 12 hI' 21 min 3·8 sec, after covering 6,009 miles at 486·6 mph. On the return trip, on 19 December, the crew consisted of VVg Cdr A. H. Humphrey as pilot with Sqn Ldr D. Bower- and Sqn Ldr R. F. R. Powell as navigators, the time to London Airport being 13 hI' 16 min 25·2 sec at an average speed of 452·3 mph. At 7.40 a.m. on 22 January, 1954, the first production Comet Series 2 G-AMXA powered by four 7,000 Ib s.t. Avon 503s set off to establish a new Class C.l point-to-point record to Khartoum on its way to tropical trials, From Hatfield the distance of 3,080'6 miles was covered in 6 hI' 24 min 19 see and the London-to-Khartoum city-centre to city-centre distance of3,063·23 miles in 6 hr 22 min 7·2 sec at431· I mph. G-AMXA's two pilots for the flight were]ohn Cunningham and P, O. Bugge. The race for the Barben Memorial Trophy was run at the Derby Aero Club's At Home on 29 May, 1954, and was won by D. F. Ogilvy of the

Participants in the 1953 England-to-Australia Air Race in front of the Canberra B.Mk.20 A84-201. Left to right: FIg Off F. N. Davis, Wg Cdr D. R. Cuming, Fig Off R. J. Atkinson, Sqn Ld,' P. F. Raw, fit Lieut ''\T. D. Kerr, Sqn Ldr C. G, Harvey. (Department of Air, Australia.)

their flight from London Airport to Shaibah in 5 hl' 11 mll1 5·6 sec at 544.. 3 mph was another point-to-point record. Second were Sqn Ldr P. F. Raw, FIg OffF. N. Davis and FIt Lieut ,V. D. Kerr, and third came FIt Lieuts R. M. Furze and]. W. Harper. Wg Cdr L. M. Hodges and Sgn Ldr R. Currie set up a new Class C.I/I point-to· point record of 519·5 mph from London to Colombo. The winner of the Transport Handicap Section-first prize £10,000was the KLM Douglas DC-6A PH-TGA Dr Ir lvl. H. Damme with chief pilot Capt H. A. A. Kooper which flew 12,936 miles in 49 hI' 57 min, the prototype Viscount 700 G-AMAV RMA Endeavour with Capt W. Baillie

The Vickers Viscount 700 G-Afi1AV RfiIA Endeavour flown into second place in the Transport Handicap Section by Capt ''\T. Baillie in the 1953 England-tofew Zealand Air Race, (SEA).

370

379

.

Elstree Flying Club. On the same clay the Air Schools Inter-relay Race was held, the winners being the \Nolverhampton Aero Club team led by the C.F.!. Fit Lieut S. Robinson. The 'Veish Air Derby was held on S]une, 1954, at Fainvoocl Common, Swansea, the course entailing three laps of a 22·53 mile circuit. There were 18 competitors, out of whom Fred Dunkerley won at 165 mph in the Gemini I A G-1\KKB, the next few arrivals providing a close finish. In second place was the l'\ighthawk G-AGWT flown by Gp Capt C. M. Iv!. Grece, third was Sqn Ldr James Rush with the Falcon Six G·AECC, followed in order by the Messenger 2A G-AKBO-Flt Lieut H. Wood, Proetor 5 G-AHWR~G. R. 1. Parker, and Chipmunk G-AKDN~J. N. Somers. Others competing included the Hawk Speed Six G-ADGP, Tiger l\tlolhs, Autocrals, Swallow 2, Moss M.A.2, Hawk Trainer l\tlk.3 and Hawk :Major. The l\tliles 1VI.5 Sparrowhawk G-ADNL had now undergone alteration from piston engine to gas-turbine pl"Opulsion. After the war the machine was used by C. G. i\!L Alington for a time but passed to Fred Dunkerley, and then arrived at Rcdhill for F. G. ~'Iiles to start work on it there early in 195 I. During the following year ~1iles moved to Shoreham, and the redesigned Sparrowhawk was finished there towards the end of 1953. Until the 330 Ib S.t. Turbomeca Palas turbojets became available, a pair of Turbomeca Pimene engines were used to assist in installation. Both powerplants were mounted in the wing roots in all-metal bays close to the fuselage, and the cockpit was now in the nose. \-Vith wingtips of revised shape, the span was decreased to 27 ft 8 in, and the alterations increased the length overall to 30 ft 9~· in. The Sparrowjet was given a new finish of high-gloss white, with its registration G-ADNL in Roman lettering of dark blue and racing number 92 in black. The Sparrowjet's first flight as the M.77 took place at Shoreham on 14 December, 1953, with G. H. Miles piloting, but return of the cngines to France for attention prevented any racing activity until the 1954 Nationals. The National Air Races at Baginton, Coventry, on 18-19 Junc, 1954, were expected to provide the opportunity to see the Sparrowjet in action as the first small British jet-powered racer. It was entered to compete for the Royal Aero Club International Trophy, to be won outright on 18 June, but the refusal of the engines to start cost Fred Dunkerley his chance in the race, which was for aircraft with a top speed of at least 130 mph and

was won over one lap of the special circuit of 183 miles. Those competing included: Aircraft

Registration

Pilot

Proctor 3

G-ALER G-AKDC G·AKDK G-ACYO C·ALIT G·AHWU G-AJ-I);A G-ALZG G-ADTD G·AKD:\' G-AGWT G-AKBO G·AIEY G-AHGA

T. G. Knox Cream/green J. N. Somers Light blue W. P. Bowles ''''hite/rcd/sih-er :\liss Freydis i\1. Leaf Cream D. F. Dray Black/gold D. .J. Bennett A. S. K. Paine Red P. Blamire Bronze C. C. :\larler W. P. I. Fillingham Silver/yellow i\Iaj P. \'. Lovelt-Campbell Fit LiCUl H. Wood Cream Fit Lieul P. Hillwood Wg Cdr R. H. i\lcIntosh Cream Fit Lieut i\L A. d'Arc)' Silver D. C. ]emmett Royal blue/ivory CaptJ. H. Christie Silver W. W. Lyle Silver/green G. R. I. Parker Force-landed Sqn Ldr J. Rush Black, retired R. R. Paine Cream/red, disqualified

Gemini 3 Gemini IA Hawk :\lajor Proctor 3 Proctor 5 Proctor I Gemini lA Falcon Six Chipmunk Nighthawk :\Icssenger 2.>\ Proctor I Proctor I Messenger 2A Hawk Trainer i\1k.3 Globe Swift Proctor I Proctor 5 Falcon Six Hawk Speed Six

G·AKB~t

G-AKPE LN·BDE

G-AHDJ G-AHWR G-AECC G-ADGP

RClIlarks

First at 148 mph was T. G. Knox, second]. N. Somers, and third \'V. P. Bowles. For the fastest aircraft in the 183 mile event between 2,205 and 3,858 lb, the Kemsley Challenge Trophy was won by J. N. Somcrs at 174·5 mph with the Gemini 3 G-AKDC, and the Nonon Griffiths Challenge Trophy for the fastest aircraft not over 2,205 Ib went to l'vfaj P. V. Lovett·Campbell at 158·5 mph with the Nighthawk G-AGWT. The competitors for the King's Cup on 19]une, [954, were drawn from the first 15 British finishers in the International Trophy Race of the previous day and the race was run over four laps of the 17 mile circuit. Competing wcre: Aircraft

Registration

Pilot

Proctor 1 Proctor 3 Proctor 3 Proctor 5 Gemini 3 Gemini IA Gemini IA Ha\\'k ~"rajor Falcon Six Chipmunk :\lessenger 21\ i\i1csscnger 2.'\ Nighthawk Proctor I Proctor I

G-AHNA G·ALER G·ALIT G-AH"VU G·AKDC G-AKDK G-ALZG G-ACYO G-ADTD G-AKDN G-AKBO

A. S. K. Paine T. G. Knox D. F. Dray D. ]. Bennett ]. N. Somers vv. P. Bowles P. Blamire ~Iiss Freydis ::\L Le:lr G. C. ~Iarler W. P. I. Fillingham Fit Lieul H. Wood Fit Lieut M. A. d'Arcy ::\Iaj P. Lovetl-Campbell Flt Lieut P. Hillwood Wg Cdr R. H. McIntosh

G-AKB~I

G-AGWT G-AIEY G-AHGA

ReJDark5

Red Cream/green Black/gold Light blue White/red/silver Bronze Cream Silver/yellow Cream Sih'cr Cream

The first production D.H.I06 Comet 2 G-Ai\IXA which set a new record of 481·1 mph from London to Khartoum on 22Januarr, 1954. (de Havilla1ld.)

The winner was Fit Lieut H. "'ood at 133 mph, second was FIt Lieut M. A. d'Arc)' at 129 mph and third was Miss Freydis Leaf at 138 mph. The 195+ King's Cup Race was the first in which British-built aircraft

380

381

\

\\'inner of the King's Cup Race for 1954, the ~·liles NIessenger 2A flown by Fit Lieut H. '",'ood at 133 mph. (Peter Lewis.)

using foreign engines or foreign accessories could participate at the Royal Aero Club's discretion. Her third place at 138 mph in the King's Cup Race on 19 June earned Freydis Leaf the Air League Challenge Cup for 1954, and her racing for the season brought her also the British Air Racing Championship and the accompanying Royal Aero Club]ubilee Trophy. The SHAC Challenge Cup was to be awarded to the jet aircraft achieving the highest course speed during the Nationals but, as no jet types competed, it was not presented for 1954. The Hawker Sea Hawk F.B.Mk.3 fighter became the holder of a new point-to-point record in Class C.I between London and Amsterdam, with Lieut J. R. S. Overbury's flight of 224 miles from Bovingdon to Schiphol on 29]uly, 1954, in 23 min 39·7 sec at 571·5 mph. Denham on 2 August, 1954, provided the programme for the Chiltern Hills Air Races. The first-four laps of a 17 mile circuit for the Harmel Trophy-was run between ]0 aircraft consisting of Geminis, Messengers and Hawk Trainer Mk.3s, the winner being A. ]. Spiller flying the Messenger 2A G-AKIN. The West London Trophy Race, for vintage aircraft only around the 17 mile course, was won by Freydis Leafwith the Hawk Major G-ACYO, second was A. ]. Spiller flying the Leopard Moth G-ACMA, third was R. R. Paine with the Hawk Speed Six GADGP, fourth was G. C. Marler-M.3B Falcon Six G-ADTD, and fifth came Wg Cdr C. A. Pike-Cirrus Moth G-EBLV; the remaining types competing included the Blackburn B-2 G-AEB], Spartan Arrow GABWP and Avro 638 Club Cadet G-ACHP. The Chiltern Hills Trophy Race of 68 miles-four 17 mile laps-was won by the Hawk Speed Six G-ADGP piloted by Ron Paine at 186·5 mph, second was the Hawk Major G-i\CYO with Freydis Leaf at 135 mph, third the Messenger 2A G-AKBO at 128·5 mph-G. R. 1. Parker, fourth the Messenger 2A GAKIN-A. J. Spiller, fifth the Falcon Six G-ADTD-G. C. Marler, sixth Hawk Trainer Mk.3-D. F. Ogilvy, seventh Hawk Trainer Mk.3-D. C. G. Wright, eighth Cirrus Moth G-EBLV-Wg Cdr C. A. Pike, and ninth the Gemini IA G-AKDK-W. P. Bowles. Shoreham was chosen for the holding of the race for the Goodyear Air

382

Fourth in the 19':>4 Chiltern Hills Trophy Race at Denham was the lcssenger 2A G-AKIN flown by A.]. Spiller. (F. G. Swollborough.)

Piloted by \Ng Cdr C. A. Pike, the Moth G·EBLV came flfdl in the race for the West London Trophy and eighth in that for the Chiltern Hills Trophy at Denham on 2 August, 1954. (Peter Letvis.)

The Blackburn B-2 G-AEB] competed in the race at Denham on 2 August, 1954, fol' thl" 'Vest London Trophy. (Blackburn.)

383

Challenge Trophy on 28 August, 1954, with a quadrilateral circuit of 15 miles. Competitors \vere: Aircraft

Registration

Pilot

Hawk Major Tiger Moth Messenger 2A Messenger 2A Gemini 3 Falcon Six

G~ACYO

Miss Freydis LVI. Leaf LVI. Donald A. J. Spiller FIt Licut H. Wood J. N. Somers G. C. r..'!arler P. S. Clifford F. Dunkerley

G-AIVW G-AKIN G-AKBO G-AKDC G-ADTD l\'1ew Gull G-AEXF Miles 1v1.77 Sp3rl'O\I:jet G-ADNL

on 5 September, 1954, to 77 miles by :NIrs Evelyn Deane-Drummond, who flew an EoN Olympia from Lasham to Tewkesbury. On 29 December1 1954, Mount Cook, New Zealand, was where a new British National Gain of Height record was set up by P. A. 'Vills in a D.F.S. Weihe with which he reached 28,201 ft. On 9 April, 1955, the 'Vomen1s British National Distance record was broken by NIl'S Rika Harwood with an EoN Olympia 2 1 the distance covered-85 miles-being between Lasham and Snave, Kent. /\. revised system was adopted for the 1955 National Air Races which, as before, were international with the exception of the King's Cup, but which were no\v spread over the season at four meetings. The first was on 30 April at Fairwood Common, where the circuit length was 8·5 miles, and each race was for five laps giving a total distance of 42·5 miles each. That for the Air League Challenge Cup was confined to Proctors and drew two entrants only-To G. Knox who \vas first in the black Proctor 3 G-ALCK at 133·5 mph, and E. N. Husbands second at 129 mph in the Proctor 1 G-AIHG. Four competed for the SBAC Challenge Cup open to aircraft other than Geminis and Proctors with a top speed of over 160 mph, the winner being G. C. NIarler at 159·5 mph in the Falcon Six G-ADTD, second was R. R. Paine at 177·5 mph in the Hawk Speed Six G-ADGP and third P. S. Clifford at 197·8 mph in the Mew Gull G-AEXF; the Sparrowjet which was entered was absent. The Norton Griffiths Challenge Trophy race was for Tiger Moths only, drawing five entrants, the pale blue G-AIVW finishing first at 103·5 mph-j. H. Denyer, second silver/green G-ANSX-B. G. K. Maile, third silver/green G-ANSH-B. J. Snook, fourth dark blue G-AMLFJ. M. Donald, and fifth black/red G-ANOD-the Han P. B. R. Vanneck. P. Blamire won the race for the Goodyear Air Challenge Trophy-confined to Geminis-at 139 mph fiying his bronze G-ALZG, second was F. Dunkerley at 161 mph in the silver/black G-AKKB, and third was J. N. Somers at 167 mph in the pale blue G-AKDC. The race [or the Grosvenor Challenge Cup was for Austers and other types-apart from Geminis-with a top speed of 130 mph and was won by Freydis Leaf at 95 mph in the Tipsy Trainer 1 G-AFWT, C. Gregory was second at 110·5 mph in the Tayloreraft Plus D G-AHGZ, third came D. Westoby at 120 mph in the redJ-5K Aiglet Trainer G-AMMS, and fourth place went to ]. Crewdson at 81·5 mph in the Bell 47G helicopter G-ANZX. R. Lamprell's green and cream G.A. Cygnet G-AGAX suffered engine failure on approaching the Pennines, and turned over during the ensuing forced landing. Aircraft with a maximum speed of more than 130 mph but ineligible for the SBAC, Goodyear or Air League competed for the Kems1ey Challenge Trophy, the winner being J. N. Somers in the Chipmunk GAKDN at 137 mph, second was A. J. Spiller at 126 mph in the Messenger 2A G-AKIN, third was D. F. Ogilvy at 128 mph in the C.L.A.7 Swift GABUS Black Magic, fourth was]. R. Johnston at 132 mph in the Hawk Trainer Mk.3 G-AJRT, and fifth C. G. Wheatley at 132·5 mph in the white Globe Swift G-AHWH. As the highest-scoring pilot in the first round of the Nationals]. N. Somers was awarded the 'Velsh Air Derby Trophy.

J.

There were nine starters in the first heat and eight in the second, to select 12 finalists over four laps of the course to compete over the 49·6 miles for the Trophy. Freydis Leaf came first at 139·5 mph with the Hawk Major G-ACYO, second was J. M. Donald at 105·5 mph-Tiger Moth G-AIVW and third A. J. Spiller at 129·5 mph-Messenger 2A G-AKIN. A short course around the airfield was used for the Southern Aero Club Invitation Race on the same day, which was won by]. N. Somers in the blue Gemini 3 G-AKDC at 158·5 mph, with second place going to G. C. Marler at 153 mph in the Falcon Six G-ADTD, third to Fred Dunkerley at 185·5 mph in the Sparrowjet G-ADNL, fourth to W. P. Bowles at 131 mph in the Gemini IA G-AKDK, and fifth to R. R. Paine at 166·5 mph in the Hawk Speed Six G-ADGP-each of the competing pilots being a member of the Throttle-Benders Union.

,",Vith yet another modification to its cockpit canopy, the .l'vlew Gull G-AEXF flown in the 1954 Goodyear Air Challenge Trophy Race at Shoreham. P. S. Clifford was the pilot. (F. G. Swanborough.)

For its appearance in the races at Shoreham on 28 August the Mew Gull had been modified once again, and the alteration was far from pleasing. In the autumn of 1953 J. N. Somers had disposed ofG-AEXF to Fred Dunkerley and, in the hands of Adie Aviation Ltd of Croydon, the cockpit cover was raised to an abnormal height with the object of improving visibility for racing turns, but the fine fuselage lines were destroyed with the incorporation of a canopy which bestowed a prominent hump on the Mew Gull. The "Vomen's British National Distance record for gliding was jncreased 38+

N

.l.

385

On 30 May the second round of the National Air Races was held at Yeadon over a circuit of 7·5 miles. \JVith the exception of the Norton Griffiths and Grosvenor races over three laps, the events were for four laps, and Ron Painc and thc Hawk Spccd Six G-ADGP won the SBAC race at 177 mph, G. C. lvIarier in the Falcon Six G-ADTD was second at 158·4 mph, the Sparrowjet G-.WNL was third flown by Fred Dunkerley at 193·5 mph, and Pctcr Clifford was fourth in lhc Mew Gull G-AEXF at 195 mph. I n the Goodyear race P. Blamire's Gemini 1A G-ALZG was first at 138 mph, J. N. Somers flew the Gemini 2A G-AKDC into second place at 166·5 mph) and Fred Dunkerley retired in the Gemini IA G-AKKB. The finishing order for Tiger Moths competing in the Norton Griffiths race was first G-A TSX at 104 mph-B. G. K. Maile, second G-AIVW at 103·5 mph-J. H. Denyer, third G-AJ SH at 101·5 mph-B. J. Snook, fourth G-ANOD at 100·5 mph-the Hon P. B. R. Vanneck, and fifth G-AMLF at 100·5 mph-J. M. Donald. In the Air League race A. Barker came first at 136·5 mph in the Proctor 3 G-ALFX, T. G. Knox second at 136·5 mph in lhe Proctor 3 G-ALCK, V. Edwards third at 134 mph in lhe Proctor I G-AHFU, and E. N. Husbands, fourth at 131 mph in the Proctor I G-AIHG. The winner oCthe Kemsley race wasJ. N. Somers flying the Chipmunk G-AKDN, second was D. F. Ogilvy with the C.L.A.7 Swift G-ABUS and others competing were C. G. Wheatlcy with the Globe Swift G-AHWH, J. R. Johnston with the Hawk Trainer Mk.3 G-AJRT, and Capt D. W. Phillips who finished fifth and last in the Hawk Major G-ADWT. C. Gregory won the Grosvenor race with the Taylorcraft Plus D GAHGZ, in second place was theJ-l Autocrat G-AJAS flown by J. Grummett, third wasJ. F. Morgan with theJ-I Autocrat G-AJUD, and fourth D. Westoby with the J-5K Aiglet Trainer G-AMMS. On 30 May, 1955, the Women's Junior Air Corps held a rally at White \IValthamj in the programme \vas a relay race between a team from the newly-formed British \t\Tomen Pilots) Association l consisting of Miss E. Lettice Curtis, Miss Joan Hughes and Miss Mickie Gilbert on Tiger Moths) and a team from the Fairey Club comprising Messrs R. L. E. Toms, McDougall and Gurney-the first two on Tiger Moths and the last-named on a Tipsy. The winners were the members of the B.\JV.P.A. The \'Vomen's British National Distance record was increased on 5 June) 1956) with the flight of 134 miles by Mrs Anne Burns in an EoN Olympia sailplane from Lasham to Turnhill, Salop. Bad weather descended on the third round of the 1955 Nationals staged at \'Vhitchurch, Bristol, on 11 June. The winners were Peter Clifford at 192 mph with the Mew Gull G-AEXF in the SBAC raee,J. N. Somel~ at 162 mph wilh lhe Gemini 3 G-AKDC in the Goodyear, T. G. Knox at 136·5 mph with the Proctor 3 G-ALCK in the Air League, J. N. Somers at 133·57 mph in the Kemsley wilh the Chipmunk G-AKDN, P. B. R. Vanneek al99 mph in the Norton Griffiths with the Tiger Moth G-ANOD and C. Gregory at 108·5 mph in the Grosvenor with the Taylorcraft Plus D G-AHGZ. Another class C.l point-to-point record was established on 28 June, 1955, between Ottawa and London by the Canberra B.Mk.2 \'VH699

Aries IV, which made the flight at 496·825 mph with Sqn Ldrs 1. G. Brown) D. Bower and R. A. Seymour as crew. A point-to-point record was set up on 2 July, 1955) by ~ R
386

387

'VeIl-known among racing aircraft, the black and silver Compel' Swift G·ABUS Black J\1agic wilh whieh D. F. Ogilvy competed in the 1955 King's Cup event. (Peter Lewis.)

Challenge Trophy, and the Grosvenor Challenge Cup-over 20·67 miles also-was won at 119 mph by D. \Vestoby in the J-5K Aiglel Trainer G-AMMS. The wealher was fine on 20 August for the King's Cup over four laps of the 17·1 mile course. Stipulated were British pilots Hying British-constructed aircrafl, but, at the discretion of the Royal Aero Club) foreign engines and accessories could be permitted. The finalists-(i!-awn from the first fifteen British pilots in the Air Racing Championship-were: Aircraft Gemini 3 Tiger l\Iolh Proctor 3 Tiger Molh Taylorcraft Plus 0 J-5K Aiglet Trainer .l\few Gull Hawk Speed Six Gemini IA Falcon Six C.L.A.7 Swift Hawk Trainer l\lk.3 Tiger MOlh PrOClor 3 Tiger ~.'loth

Registration Pilot G-AKDC J. ~. Somers G-Al\'W J. H. Dcnyer G-ALCK T. G. Knox G-ANSX B. G. K. Maile G-AHGZ C. Gregor). G-A~Ir..IS D. Wcsloby G-AEXF P. S. Clifford G-ADGP R. R. Paine G-ALZG P. Blamirc G-ADTD G. C. Marler C-ABUS D. F. Ogilvy C-AJRT J. R. Johnston C-ANOD P. B. R. Vanneck C-ALFX A. Barker G-AMLF J. M. Donald

ground) \.yT528Icfl on the return flight at3.23 p.m. G~1T to reach Croydon in 6 hl' 16 min 59·5 sec aner averaging 550·35 mph. The complctc journey occupied 14 hI' 21 min 45·4 sec, at an average speed of 481·52 mph for the 6,920 miles. Since setting its world altitude record of 63,668 ft on 4 lVIay, 1953, the Canberra B.Mk.2 WD952 had been re-engined wilh two 12,000 lb s.l. Olympus 102 BO 1.1 Is, and on 29 August, 1955, left Filton piloted again by \ Vg Cdr \ V. F. Gibb to set a new Class C.I II allilude record with 65,876 ft. By now some ten years had passed since the revival of air racing and record breaking in the British Isles at the end of the Second \ Vorld \,Var. The National Air Races organized by the Royal Aero Club were the main events, and were supported by a number of others throughout the season to cater for the racing enthusiast. Racing was a relatively regular activity each year but long-distance record breaking was spasmodic and was mainly by advanced Service and commercial aircraft; there were occasional point-to-point attempts by private pilots but these were now very rare indeed.

The winner was Peter Clifford at 213·5 mph, second was Peter Vanneck at 106 mph, and third was]. R.]ohnston at 140 mph. ]. N. Somers received the Royal Aero Club] ubilee Trophy as British Air Racing Champion.

The English Electric Canberra B.lvfk.5 prototype VX185 with which vVg Cdr R. P. Dcamont. Fit Lieut P. Hillwood and Sqdn Ldr D. A. Watson complf"tcd the first return Atlantic crossing within 24 hours on 26 August) 1952. (English Electric.)

The second two-way Korth Atlantic crossing in one day was accomplished on 23 August, 1955, by the Canberra P.R.Mk.7 \ VT528, equipped with a pair of 7,500 Ib S.t. Avon R.A.7/I09s. As English Eleelrie pilots were occupied fully with development of the Canberra and the P.I, the crew caIne from Silver City Airways-the pilot was Capt]. \\T. Hackett and the navigator was P.]. IvIoneypenny. The take-off was from London Airport at 7.10 a.m., but timing started from overhead Croydon at 7.18 a.m. The distance covered to Floyd Bennett Field) New York, was 3)457·96 miles, the Canberra arriving there at 2.48 p.m. in 7 hI' 29 min 56·7 sec at an average speed of 461·12 mph. After 35 minutes on the 388

389

The diminutive Currie ''''ot G-AP\'\fT which]. F. Underwood flew in the 1960 London-to-CardiffRaee. (Peter Lewis.)

Over

I )000

mph

beginning o{" June it was announced that both events were cancelled, as the organizing committee was unable to guarantee the £75,000 prize money. The gas-turbine had enabled speeds to be increased steadily so that 1,000 mph was now possible. So far Fairey had not produced a world speed record holder, but the company showed that it could do so with its F.D.2. With H. E. Chaplin as chief designer, the team for the project was under the leadership of G. W. Hall, L. R. E. Appleton and the chief engineer R. L. Lickley. Excellent lines and proportions-always a distinctive mark of Fairey engineering-were embodied in the silver deltawing monoplane, which was powered by a 10,000 lb s.t. Rolls-Royce Avon RA.28 equipped with an afterburner and aspirated through intakes embodied in the wing roots adjacent to the fuselage sides. The nose entry of the fuselage was extremely fine, and the high angle of attack on landing -dictated by the omission of a tailplane and flaps on a delta-wing design -was compensated for by the incorporation of a downwards-hingeing nose, the break occurring at the rear of the cockpit in line with the nosewheel strut. This arrangement alleviated the otherwise low degree of vision forwards from the cockpit on the approach. VV0774, the first of the pair ofF.D.2s, made its initial flight piloted by Lieut-Cdr L. P. Twiss from Bascombe Down on 6 October, 1954, and the second example-WG777took-off for the first time on 15 February, 1956. Changing conditions had brought an alteration in the world speed record course requirements, and this was now over 15-25 km at unlimited altitude. The selected run was between Ford and Chichester in Sussex at 38,000 ft, and was made on 10 March, 1956. The pilot was L. P. Twiss,

The post-war obsession with mergers, amalgamations and take-overs was not slow in exerting its evil, disruptive influence on Britain's aircraft industry, and the incredible neglect of the lightplane and the pointless failure to exploit its vast potential as a commercial market was having a significant effect on the aircraft types available for racing. 'tVith few exceptions pilots were forced to rely for competition on pre-war and war surplus designs, together with the small number of suitable new machines which appcarcd after 1945. A triangular course over 300 km between Urinquinty, Yanco and Oaklands was flown on 9 January, 1956, in a Hirth La-ISO sailplane by Lieut-Cdr G. A. J. Goodhart, and his speed of 47·62 mph was a new Glider Speed record in Class D. The Canberra B.(I)Mk.8, was used on 16 February, 1956, to establish a new Class C.I/I point-to-point record between London and Cairo. Pilotcd by FIt Lieut P. Hillwood and navigated by Sqn Ldr D. A. 'Vatson, '''1'329 left Farnbol'ough to arrive at Cairo International Airport 3 hr 59 min later at an average speed of 551·81 mph. During 1956 the Johannesburg :Festival took place to celebrate the city's seventieth anniversary, and in February of that year an announcement was made of two long-distance air races proposed to coincide with the event in the following September. The total prize money was to be £75,000 with the first race to take place from New York to England and thence to Johannesburg between 12 and 16 September; this was to be followed immediately by the second race from 17 until 22 September, 1956, starting in England and finishing at Johannesburg. However, at the

Lieut-Cdr L. P. Twiss, first holder of the official world speed record at over 1,000 mph. (Fair')'.)

390

391

whose two runs-the first at 1,117 mph and the sel:ond at 1,147 mphproduced an average speed of 1J132 mph J an increase of 310 mph over the previous figure, the pilot thereby becoming the first to exceed IJOOO mph in an officially timed flight. 'NG774Js take·off from Bascombe Down was at 11.22 a.111. and the landing was made there at 11.45. 'Vinner in March 1953 of the third place in the Royal Aero Club's Design Competition for a single-seat racer, the Somers-Kendall SK-I was constructed subsequently as G-AOBG and was used in an attack on the 100 km closed-circuit speed record for jet aircraft in Class C.lhjI between 500 and 1,000 kg in gross weight. J. N. Somers was the pilot, and the attempt was at Hatfield on 5 1vlay, 1956, but the slim racer ran into trouble. The first try was thwarted by faulty undercarriage retraction, and on the second attempt during the same day minor damage was caused to G-AOBG when it landed on its belly, following the dropping of the nose after the wheels were folded away. \\fhit l\!londay, 21 May, was the start of the National Air Races for 1956 J the first two rounds being flown at Yeadon, near Leeds, over a course of 8·25 miles in the morning and afternoon respectively. Aircraft wcrc now graded by the Royal Aero Club into classes according to their characteristics-Class I comprising the fastest machincs, with a descending scale of speeds to Class 4 for the slowest, and in all of the races the maximum all-up weight was 3 J858 lb. Four laps were stipulated for the SBAC Challenge Cup in Class I in which F. Dunkerley in the Sparrowjet G-ADNL was first at 197·5 mph. The fonr-Iap race for the new Osram Cup in Class 2-to be presented outright alone among the rest of the awards-was won at 139 mph by J. N. Somers flying the Chipmunk G-AKDN. In the three-lap event [or the Kemsley Challenge Trophy in Class 3, J. H. Denyer was first at 118 mph in the Auster J-IN Alpha G-AJRH, and FIg Off A. G. Oldham flew the Tiger Moth G-AOAC to first place in the Goodyear Challenge Trophy race in Class 4 over three laps at 103 mph. The third round of the 1956 Nationals was at Bagintol1 J the date 21 J lily and the circuit eight miles. The 32 mile race [01' the SBAC Challenge Cup was won by the M.3B Falcon Six G-ADTD, which G. C. Marler Hew at an average speed of 169 mph. The joint recipients of the Osram Cup-presented by the General Electric Co Ltd-were T. G. Knox

A racing Proctol' 3 of 1956, G-AIKJ of]. A. Spccchley. (Peler Lewis.)

flying the Proctor 3 G-AMBS at 137 mph and A. Barker at 141 mph with the Proctor 3 G-AN\VY J who tied for first place. The Kemsley Challenge Trophy was awarded to Sqn Ldr D. P. Boulnois [or his average speed o[ 101 mph in the Tiger Moth G-AOBH, and the race over 24 miles for the Goodyear Air Challenge Trophy was won at 130 mph by Fit Lieut H. B. lies flying the Miles M.18/2 G-AHKY. The King's Cup on 21 July was over four Japs of a 17 mile circuit and was open to British pilots flying British-built aircraft in which foreign engines were allowed. Competing were the pilots occupying the first 15 Championship places with the inclusion of any Lie for fifteenth place, the entrants consisting of: Aircraft

Auslcrj-lN Alpha Proctor I C.I .. A.7 Swift Chipmunk Gemini lA Proctor 3

TavlOl'craft Plus D Miies M.18j2 Tiger ~v10lh Tig-er Moth Falcon Six Tiger 1,,1oth Tigcr !vloth Proctor 3 Gemini 3A

Registration G-AJRI-I G-AHNA G-AlJUS G-AKDN G-ALZG G-AMBS G-AI-IGZ G-AHKY G-AOBH G-ANZU G-ADTD G-AODR G-AOAC G-A:-JWY G-MllJH

Pilot H. Dcnycr A. S. K. Paine D. F. Ogilvy J. N. Somers P. Blamire T. G. Knox C. Gregory Fit Lieut 1-1'. B. J les Sqn Lelr D. P. Boulnois J. M. Donald G. C. ?\-farleJ' N. H.Joncs Fig OfT A. G. Oldham A. Barkcr E. Crabtrce

J.

The Fairey F.D.2 'VG774 flown on 10 1\ifarch, 1956. by Lieut Cdr L. P. Twiss to establish a new world speed record of 1,132 mph. (Fairey.)

The winner was Jamcs Dcnyer at 124 mph J second was Alfred Painc at 153·5 mph for the Air Leaguc Challcnge TrophYJ third-to rcceive the Norton. Griffiths Challenge Trophy-came David Ogilvy at 133 mph in the SWlrt G-ABUS, and fourth was J. N. Somers at 146 mph flying the Chipmunk G-AKDN, to be awarded the Grosvenor Challenge Cup. As British Air Racing Champion for 1956 FIt Lieut H. B. lIes received the Royal Aero Club Jubilee Trophy. The Tiger Club was fanned as the result of a chance remark at a Racing Dinner of the Royal Aero Clnb on 24 January, 1956. The Tiger Club's first race meeting was held at Elstree on 1 September, 1956 J using five

392

393

Tiger lvloths owned by Norman Jones-a supporter of British lightplane Hying by then for 30 years. The pilots were W. H. Bailey, C. A. Nepean Bishop, Norman Jones, David Ogilvy and Beverley Snook, together with J. M. Donald piloting his own Tiger NIoth. Three finalists-Bailey Ogilvy and Snook-remained out of two heats, and the winner was David Ogilvy, C.F.I. at Elstree. On 20 October, 1956, the Class C.l/I point-to-point record from London to Rome was beaten by a latcr version of the Hunter, the prototype P.IlOI T.Mk.7 X.J615, which Fit Lieu' A. W. Bedford piloted in I hI' 34 min 28·5 sec at 566·1 mph. On 25 October, the same pilot and aircraft returned from Rome to London at 533·93 mph in 1 hI' 40 min 9· 7 sec. On 6 April, 1957, Mrs Anne Burns set up a new 'i\Tomcn's British National Distance record of 145 miles, during a flight in a Slingsby Skylark 3b from Lasham to Harrowbeer, Devon. By the beginning ofl957, the Tiger Moth had been in usc for just over 25 years, and the occasion was celebrated on 22 April, 1957, at Sandown, Isle of "\light, by the Tiger Moth Silver Jubilee Race, which was won by D. M. Hartas piloting the D.H.82A Tiger Moth G-AOAA. The latest in the series, Aries V was the Canberra P.R.Mk.7 WT528. Leaving Tokyo shortly after 11 p.m. on 25 May, 1957, and having Wg Cdr W. Hay and Fit Lieut J. L. Dennis as pilots, together with Sqn Ldr B. Hamilton as navigator, Aries V reached "\lest Nlalling 8,011 miles away after 17 hr 42 min 2·4 sec to claim a new Toyko-to-London record. The ,,,romen's British National Distance record fm' gliding was increased on 23 June, 1957; the flight was made by Ml~ E. Deane-Drummond in a Skylark 3 from Lasham to St I ves, a distance of 156 miles. The Bristol Britannia's capabilities were shown on 29 June, 1957, when G-AOVA made the first nonstop flight to the Pacific coast from London by flying the 5,100 miles to Vancouver in 14 hI' 40 min. The original intention of the Royal Aero Club was to hold the first two rounds of the Class races or the 1957 Nationals at Yeadon, but withdrawal of support by Yeadon compelled a revision of plans, and it was decided to concentrate the entire National Air Races into 12, 13 and 14 July at Baginton. The length of the circuit was 10·25 miles for all of the events, with the exception of 112 miles for the King's Cup. The Osram Cup for three laps in Class I was won by H. B. lIes at 136 mph in the Miles M.18/2 G-AHKY, the Air League Challenge Cnp for the fastest time in Class I went to Fred Dunkerley for his spccd of 153·75 mph in the Gemini IA G-AKKB, the News Chronicle Trophy for Tiger Moths only was held over three laps also-the winner being P. B. R. Vanneck at 101· 74 mph in G-ANNK, the Kemsley Challenge Trophy for four laps in Class 2 was won by A. Barker at 152·5 mph in the Proctor 3 G-ALFX, P. S. Clifford won the Norton Griffiths Challenge Trophy for the fastest time in Class 3 over the three rounds for his speed of 200·75 mph in the Mew Gull GAEXF, the Goodyear Air Challenge Trophy for the winner over thrcc laps in Class 3 went to ",V. P. Bowles in the Monarch G-AIDE at 131·5 mph and the Grosvenor Challenge Cup was won also by "\lalter Bowles for the fastest time in the Goodyear event at 131·5 mph in G-AIDE. The King's Cup Race on 14 July at Baginton was for one lap only of a 40·6 mile triangular course open to British pilots flying British-con394

struclcd aircralt, but allowed foreign engines at the Royal Aero Club's discretion, the entrants being those who had completed at least one round in a Class Race. The list of 35 starters comprised: Aircraft Sparro,,:jet Falcon Six Monarch Mew Gull Hawk Trainer ~Ik.3 Gemini 3A Tiger MOlh Miles M .18}2 TavlOl'cl'al'l Plus D Proctor 3 Tiger Molh j'ackaroo Falcon Six Chilton D.W.IA Hawk Speed Six Tiger Moth Auster J-1N Tiger Moth Proctor 1 Gemini IA Proctor 1 Tiger !vfoth Tiger Moth Jaekaroo Tiger Moth Tiger :Moth Tiger Moth Proctor 3 Hawk Trainer ]vlk.3 Tiger Moth Tiger Moth Hawk Trainer IVlk.3 Proctor 3 Tipsy B Chipmunk

Registration

G-ADNL G-AECC G-AIDE G-AEXF G-A.TRT G.f\::\IIBH

G-AODR C-AHK¥ G·AHGZ G-AIJ-lD G-ANNK G-AOEY G-ADTD G-AFSV G-ADGP G-ACDC G-AJEH G-ANHI G-AHNA G-ALZG G-AIHG G-AOAA G-AOXS G-AOEX G-ANZZ G-ADWO G-AH\'Y G-ALFX G-AHYL G-ANZU G-ANEL C-AKPC G-AMBS G-AFJR G·AKDN

Pilot F. Dunkerley Sqn Ldr J. Rush 'W. P. Bowles P. S. Clifford J. R. Johnston E. Crabtree N. H.Jones FIt Lieut H. B. lies C. Gregory T. G. Knox P. B. R. Vannc<.:k J. Heaton G. C. Marler J. E. G. Appleyard R. R. Paine Capt D. VV. Phillips J. H. Denyer FIg Off A. G. Oldham A. S. K. Paine P. Blamire E. N. Husbands lv!iss Audrey A. Windle D. r"r. Hartas Cdr W. Stuart i\'Iiss Margo McKellar J. Potheeary J. Harris A. Barker W. H.Bailey J. M. Donald W. P. Meynell D. F. Ogilvy '''''g Cdr R. H.McJ lllosh .T. Hill J. N. Somers'"

'" Retired.

The Thruxton Jackaroo G-AOEX flown by Cdr \,V. Stuart in the 1957 King's Cup race. (Pctcr Lewis.)

395

F. Dunkerley in the white and blue 1\liles 1\1. 77 Sparrowjet G-AD~L which he flew to win the King's Cup for 1957 at 228 mph. (1'. G. SWQllborollgh.)

Fred Dunkerley's win at 228 mph in the :M:.77 Sparrowjet G-ADNL powel'ed by a pair of 330 lb S.t. Blackburn Turbomeca Palas was the first in the KlOg'S Cup by ajet-powered machine, but, none the less, G-ADNL's speed was 8·25 mph slower than that of the NIew Gull when it came first at 236·25 mph 19 years earlier; second was Sqn Ldr J. Rush at 172·75 mph in the Falcon Six G-AECC, and third Walter Bowles at 137·75 mph fiying the Monarch G-AIDE. Dunkerley's win of the King's Cup at 228 mph brought the award of the SBAC Challenge Cup as the pilot achieving the fastest time over the course during the race. British Air Racing Champion for the second year in succession, H. B. lies received the Royal Aero Club Jubilee Trophy. The Canberra set another world record in Class C.l on 28 August, 1957, at Luton. This was a new altitude of 70,300 ft by the B.Mk.2 ''''K163 which was employed as a test-bed and was powered by two 6,500 1b s.t. Avon ls and one 4,000-6,000 Ib s.t. Napier Double Scorpion N.Sc.D.I-2 rocket engine installed in the bomb-bay. The crew were Michael Randrup and Walter Shirley. The interim model de Havilland Comet 3 G-ANLO, equipped with four 10,000 Ib s.t. Avon 502 RA.29s, was flown on 16 October, 1957, from London to Khartoum by John Cunningham in 5 hI' 51 min 14·8 sec at an average speed of 523·4 mph, to set a new Class C.l point-to-point record. Cunningham was also in charge of the Comet 3 G-ANLO on 23-24 October, 1957,011 its flight from London to Johannesburg, another Class C.l point-to-point record in 12 hr 59 min 7·3 sec at 433·6 mph. The propeller-turbine Britannia showed its long-range abilities by setting up two new records in the hands ofEl Al crews. The first-on 19 December, 1957-was during a nonstop proving flight from Idlewild, New York, to Tel Aviv, during which the Britannia 313 4X-AGC in command of Capt Zvi Tohar covered the 6,100 miles at 401 mph to establish a new distance for civil aircraft. On 8 January, 1958, another ofE1 AI's Britannia 313s-4X-AGB under Capt Coleman Goldstein~took-offfrom Idlewild and landed at London Airport 7 hr 44 min later, having flown 3,444 miles at 445 mph for a new record. 396

The Britannia continued record setting with a nonstop flight during the third week of February 1958 in which the Series 314 aircraft CF-CZA, flown by \Vg Cdr \\'alter F. Gibb, travelled nonstop from the Pacific Coast to England by covering the 4,710 miles or a great circle route from Vancouver to London in 13 hI' 57 min at an average speed of 338 mph. The Canberra was adopted by several foreign air arms including that of Venezuela. In the course of the delivery flight of a T.Mk.4 by the pilot Capt J. \V. Hackett and navigator P. J. :Moneypenny, accompanied by Lieut Leba of the Venezuelan Air Force, the aircraft flew on 22 February, 1958, from \ Vashington, DC, to Caracas-a distance of 2,038 miles-in 4 hI' II min to set a point-to-point record between the two capitals. On 12 April, 1958, Mrs Anne Burns left Lasham piloting a Skylark 3b, landing at Perranporth, Cornwall, for a new \\'omen's British _ ational Distance gliding record of 192 miles. The British National Distance record was increased to 348 miles on 21 May, 1958, by Sgt Andrew Gough when he glided in a Skylark 3 from South Cerney to Heerlen in Holland. A record flight [rom London to Valetta, Malta, was made on 17 June, 1958, by Licut-Cdr D. F. Robbins of the Royal Navy Test Squadron at A.&A.E.E. Boscombe Down, when he piloted a Supermarine Scimitar 1,298 miles nonstop in 2 hI' 12 min 27·2 sec at an average speed of 588·05 mph. The National Air Races were held at Baginton from 9-12 July, 1958. The event for the Kemsley Challenge Trophy was for three laps by Class I aircraft over a total of 47 miles and was won by the Chilton D.\'V.IA G~ AFSV with]. E. G. Appleyard at 148·75 mph, P. S. Clifford was awarded the Air League Challenge Cup for the fastest time in the three rounds of Class I at 202·66 mph in the Mew Gull G-AEXF, the Osram Cup for Class 2 over three laps to total 35·25 miles went to]. Hill at 109·5 mph with the Tipsy Bellair B G-AFJR-converted li·om the Tipsy Trainer I~ as the pilot making the fastest average speed in the three rounds of Class 2, W. P. Bowles won the Norton Griffiths Challenge Trophy at 136·16 mph in the Monarch G-AIDE, the Goodyear Air Challenge Trophy for

The Bristol Britannia 313 4X-AGe of EI Al piloted by Capt Zyi Tohar on 19 December, 1957, on a nonstop distance record flight for civil aircraft of6,100 miles from Idlewild to Lad at 401 mph. (£1 AI.)

397

three laps in Class 3 over 35·25 miles confined to Tiger Moths was won out of 14 starters by H. A. G. Smith at 106·75 mph in the red and yellow D.H.82A G-AOXN, and ]. H. Denyer-piloting the Tiger Moth GAIVWat 115·63 mph-won the Grosvenor Challenge Cup for the fastest speed during the three rounds of Class 3. The King's Cup Race on 12 ] uly over four laps to total 71·6 miles was for British pilots flying British-built aircraft at a maximum weight of 3,8581b, with foreign engines allowed at the Royal Aero Club's discretion; entry was confined to those in the first seven places in Classes I, 2 and 3 and consisted of: Aircraft

Registration

Pilot

Tiger Moth Proctor 3 Hawk Trainer :\lk.3 Tiger Moth Hawk Speed Six Jackaroo Proctor 3 Chilton D.W.IA Auster 5 J-I Jackaroo Proctor 3 Tiger Moth Monarch Tiger Moth Tiger Moth Tiger Moth Gemini IA Tiger !VlOlh Tiger Moth Gemini IA Tipsy Belfair

G-AIYW G-AOE] G-AKPF G-APDZ G-ADGP G-AOIR G-AIHD G-AFSV G-AIPV G-ANZT G-ALf'X G-ANZU G-AIDE G-AOZB G-ANSH G-ACDC G-AKKB

J.

G~AOXN

G-ANEL G-ALZG G-AF]R

I-I. Denyer Wg Cdr R. H . .i\IcIntosh W. H. Dailey C. A. N. Bishop R. R. Paine J. Heaton T. G. Knox ]. E. G. Apple)':lrd D. Weslob)' n. M. Hartas A. Barker J. 1",1. Donald \'V. P. Bowles M. H.Reid B. J. Snook Capt D. W. Phillips }~. Dunkerley H. A. G. Smith W. P. Meynell P. Blamire ]. Hill

G-Ar]R, the Tipsy Belfair B flown by J. Hill to win the Osram Cup for 1958 at Baginton at 109'.1 mph.

The race was won by]. H. Denyer at 118·5 mph in the blue Tiger Moth G-AIVW, second at 152 mph was R. H. McIntosh, and third W. H. Bailey at J 28 mph. Ron Paine's speed of 191·5 mph, the fastest jn the King's Cup in the Hawk Speed Six G-ADGP, won the SBAC Challenge Cup, and H. A. G. Smith became British Air Racing Champion for 1958 to receive the Royal Aero Club]ubi lee Trophy. On 10 August, 1958, G-APDA-the prototype D.H.106 Comet 4-left Hatfield to fly to New York and on 12 August, with de Havilland test pilots John Cunningham, Peter Bugge and Peter ,,,rilson, it flew back from New York to Hatfield in the record time of6 hI' 27 min while completing the first Atlantic crossing by a production jet airliner, at the same time beating by I hr 17 min the previous best time for the route set up by a Britannia. On 17 September, 1958, the Comet 4 G-APDA set off in the command ofJohn Cunningham on another transatlantic record flight, accomplishing the distance between London and Gander in 5 hI' 47 min. In service with BOAC and in the course of the first North Atlantic reciprocal jet services, on 4 October, 1958, the Comet 4 G-APDB, with Capt T. B. Stoney in command, set up a record of6 hl' II min from Tew York to London Airport.

G-APDA, the firsl D.H.IOG Comet 4, which set a new time of 6 hI' 27 min on 12 August, 1958, from i ew York to Hatfield. (Hawker Siddell!)'.)

398

399

First place at 148·75 mph in the 1958 race for the Kemsley Challenge Trophy was taken by J. E. G. Appleyard with the black and while Chilton D.W.IA

G-AFSV. (Peter Lewis.)

First p~]ac~ in Clao;s I won th~ Kemslcy Challenge Tl'Ophy after three laps fo~' S. 1'. lours at 147 mph III the Proctor 3 G-ALCK, fastest average speed III the three rounds for Class I resulted in the award of the Air League Challenge Cup-to Ron Paine in the Hawk Speed Six G-ADGP at 185 mph, Capt N. Baldwick won the Osram Cup in Class 2 at 124·75 mph in the Auster A.O.PJvlk.6 VX113, the Norton Griffiths Challenge Tr?phy for th.e f~test average speed in Class 2 went to]. H. Denyer for 120·8 mph pdotlllg the Auster J-l:\' G-AJEH, the de Havilland Tiger Moth Challenge Trophy-presented by the de Havilland Aircraft Company for competition among NIoths-was won by Dennis Hartas at 115·5 mph flying the Hornet :Moth G-ADNB, and the Grosvenor Challenge Cup was awarded to B. ]. Snook for the fastest averaae speed in Class 3 with the Tiger Moth G·A:\'ZZ at 118·5 mph. 0 The King's Cup Race was run on II July over four laps totalling 71·6 mil~s, open. to Britis? pilots ftyin~ Bri~ish-built aircraft equipped with foreign engllles permitted at the discretIon of the Royal Aero Club and with a maximum of 3,858 Ib all-up weight. The entrants-li'om the first seven in each Class race-were: The silver, blue and white Fairey Rotodyne Y XE521 which Sqn Ldr lV. R. Gellatly and Lieut-Cdl' J. G. P. CVIOl"lOn flew at \'Vbite \·Valtham at 191 mphon 5.J anuary, 1959, to establish a new 100 km l"ecord for helicopters. (Fairey.)

Aircraft Proctor 3 Hawk Speed Six

Gemini IA Auster 5 Auster A.O.P.Mk.G Tiger Moth Gemini 3C Turbulent Tiger Moth Auster 5B Hornet Moth Tiger l'\,[oth Tmbulent Jacka1'oo Jacka roo Chilton D.W.l A Turbulent Tiger 1vlOlh Auster J.] N Proctor 3 Proctor 3

Registration

Pilot

G-AHFK G-ADGP G-AKKB G-AIKE VXI13 G-APRA G·ALZG G-APBZ G-ANZZ G·AMMZ G-ADNB G-APAW G-APNZ G-APAM G-ANZT G-AFSV G-APLZ G-ANZU G·AJEH G·ALCK G·AlHD

J. Spiller R. R. Paine H. G. Davies .1. Stewart·Wood Capt N. Baldwick L.]. Benjamin P. Blamire Miss Iv[argo McKellar n.]. Snook A. Barker D. M. Hart:LS G. F. Hancock A.

A Handley Page Victor B.Mk.l from No.232 OCD at Gaydon demonstrated its performance on 14 October, 1958, when vVg Cdr D. Iveson covered the 1,310 miles from Farnborough to Luqa, Malta, at the record speed of 655 mph. Another world speed record for Great Britain on 5 January, 1959, was for helicopters over 100 km, which the 43 seat silver, white and blue Fairey Rotodyne Y XE521 gained at 191 mph at White Waltham, with Sqn Ldr W. R. Gellatly as pilot, Lieut-Cdr J. G. P. Morton as co-pilot and carrying also Dr D. B. Leason and E. J. Blackburn. Two new gliding records were set up on 10 Nlay, 1959, 'with Lasham as the stal~ting point. Mrs Anne Burns, piloting a Skylark 3, increased the ""Vomen's British National Distance record to 282 miles by Hying to Bcllingham, and Capt H. C. N. Goodhart set a ncw British National Distance figure of 360 miles in a Skylark 3 which landed at Portmoak. The British National Distance record was raised by Lieut-Cdr G. A. J. Goodhart to 384 miles on 12 June, 1959, with a Breguet 905 Fauvette sailplane which he flew in France from Morevepisy to Pau Idion. The Vickers Valiant B.Mk.l XD861 of No.214 Squadron, with Wg Cdr IvI. J. Beetham in command, flew nonstop from overhead London Airport to Cape Town on 9 July, 1959. The record flight of 6,060 miles was accomplished in II hr 28 min at an average speed of 530 mph by refuelling twice in the air, the transfer over the Sahara being carried out by Valiants of the same squadron. In 1959, the number of National Air Races entries had increased to the point where the previous rule limiting the number of competitors in each race to one aircraft for each mile of the circuit was adjusted to allow 14 starters in each Class contest. At Baginton, where the circuit from 9-11 ]uly for the 1959 Races was 11·37 miles, this allowed approximalely one machine per .1-mile of the circuit.

The winner of the King's Cup for 1959 was A . .J. Spiller at 143 mph, second at 189 mph was Ron Paine, and third H. G. Davies at 167 mph. ~-;'or setling up the fastest speed at 189 mph over the King's Cup course 111 G-ADGP, the SBAC Challenge Cup went to Ron Paine, and Capt Neal Baldwlck of the Army All' Corps won the Royal Aero Club Jubilee Trophy as 1959 British Air Racing Champion. The race between London and Paris for the shortest time between the two capitals started on 13 July, 1959~ the finishing date of the II-day contest bemg on 24 July. A total of 133 competitors entered the competition which-sponsored by the Daily Nlail for a first prize of£5,000-was to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of Bleriot's crossing of the Channel.

400

401

Sqn LeiI' J. de M. Sc"crnc Heaton W. V. Fitzmaurice J. E. G. Appleyard

J.

Capt D. W. Phillip~ M. Donald H. Dcnycl" S. F. JOUl"~ T. C. Knox

.J. J.

The last three retired.

Numerous methods were adopted to achieve the shortest possible time, and the winner was Sqn Ldr Charles Nlaughan) CO oCNo.65 Squadron at Duxford, who managed 40 min 44 sec from Paris to London using in turn a motor-cycle, Bristol Sycamore helicopter, Hawker Hunter T.:Nlk.7, Sycamore and a motor-cycle to receive on behalf of the RAF the first prize of £5,000. ]. Eric Rylands) managing director of Skyways Ltd, gained second place from London to Paris at 41 min 41 sec COl' £2,500) and the third prize of £1,500 went to Gp Capt Xonnan Ryder, station commander of RAF Duxford, for taking 42 min 6 sec from Paris to London. The second and third prize winners also used the same combination of transport as that of Sqn Ldr Maughan. At Southend Airport, D. :Mott runs to the Druine D.5 Turbi G-AOTK while competing in the Daily J\1ail London-to-Paris Race) held between 13 and 24 July, 1959.

The l'vfiles j\ILIOO Student G-APLK which competed in the Daily iV/ail London-to-Paris Race ofJuly 1959.

The Vulcan B.Mk.1 XH532 of No.230 Q.C.D., flown by Fit Lieut R. J\lI. Crawford, set up a new record of 3 hI' 41 min on 27 July, 1959, between \IVaddington and Akrotiri, Cyprus, the distance of 2,365 miles being covered nonstop at 643 mph. Another Vulcan, the B.Mk.1 XH502 of No.617 Squadron, piloted by Sqn Ldr A. A. Smailes and on the last leg of a tour around the world, achieved a new record Atlantic crossing on 8 November, 1959, from coast to coast between Canada and the United Kingdom) completing the journey in 2 hI' 49 min. An unofficial new record on 15 February, 1960, or 3 hI' 41 min at an average speed of 540 mph was made for the 2,000 miles from Cottesmore to Akrotiri, the aircraft being the Victor B.Mk.1 XA938 or No.IO Squadron flown by "'g Cdr Charles Owen. Sqn Ldr J. H. Garstin was in command of the Valiant B.:Nlk.l XD858 ofNo.214 Squadron which, on 2-3 March, 1960, flew 8,500 miles around the United Kingdom in 18 hr.5 min-with two periods of inflight refuelling-to achieve the longest nonstop flight so far by an RAF aircraft. Another ofNo.214 Squadron's Valiant B.Mk.ls-\IIZ390 flown also by Sqn Ldr J. H. Garstin-made on 25-26 lvIa)', 1960, the first nonstop flight from England to Singapore. Taking-olf from Marham, \IIZ390 was refuelled in flight by 1'\0.214 Squadron's Valiant tankers at Akrotiri and Mauripur, to enable it to cover 8,110 miles in 15 hI' 35 min at an average speed of 523 mph. On the return flight the machine flew from Butterworth to Marham in the record time of 16 hI' 16 min 30 sec.

402

The D.H.106 Comet 4B G~APMA used by the BEA Line Syndicate on 19 July, 19.19, to fly from Northolt to Le Bourget in 27 min during the Daily MaU Londonto-Paris Race. (Hawker Siddeley.)

J.

Eric Rylands, managing director of Skyways Ltd, boards the Hawker Hunter T.Mk.7 at Biggin Hill during the Daily klail Race from London to Paris in Jul)', Bedford as pilot, he gained second place at 41 min 1959. \Vilh Flt Lieut A. 41 sec.

"T.

403

The London-to-Cardiff Air Race was revived after 22 years to be run on 3 June, 1960, at the 1960 International' Velsh Air Rail\' and British Air Raees as part of the first round of the ::--.Jational Air Races, with points counting towards the year's Championship. The lake-off was from 'Vhite "'altham at 5 p.m. the 41 starters consisting of: Aircraft

Registration

Ha wk Speed Six Proctor 3 Cessna 175 Gemini 3C Chipmunk Proctor I Proctor 3 Gemini 3C Garland.Bianchi Linnett Proctor 3 Jodcl 0.117 C.L.A.7 Swift Spitfire Mk.VJI [ Turbulent Taylorcraft Plus D Auster 5 Turbulent Hawk Trainel' Mk.3 Turbulent Prentice Turbulent Turbulent Turbulent Currie Wot Prentice Auster A.O.P,l'"lk.G Auster J-1N .I-I Autocrat Tiger Moth Tiger Moth Moth MinaI' Hornet Moth Tiger Moth Tiger Moth Tiger Moth Tiger Moth Jackaroo Hornet Moth Jackaroo Tigel' Moth Tiger Moth

G-ADGP G-AOEJ G-APYA G-AKEG G-AOnl G·AH:'-1A G·AHFK G-ALZG G-APNS G-AOGE G·APOZ G·ABUS G-AIDN G-APi\"Z G·AHGZ G·AIKf: G-APtvIZ G-AIUA G-APZZ G-AOPL G-APIZ G-APVZ G·APBZ G-APWT G-AOLP VF544 G-AJEH G·AHHK G-ACDC C-ANZU G·AFOZ G-ADNB C·APRA G-AOAA C-ARAZ G-ANEL C-APAM G-AEWY G-APAP C-ANZZ G-ANPK

Pilot Renlarks R. R. Paine G. P. \·Vatson Wg Cdr R. H. ~lcJntosh E. Crabtree P. G. l\lasefieJd A. S. K. Paine A. J. Spiller P. Hlamire Capt D. W. Phillips K. B. Neely D. J\I. Hartas C. lloddinglon Black Magic V. H. Bellamy Sqn Ldr J. de :\1. Sevcmc C. Gregory J. StewMt-\·Vood !vlissJanet L. Ferguson Force-landed W. H. Bailey C. P. Francis G.Rees Miss Joan H. Short N. H.Jones !vliss Margo A. McKellar J. F. Underwood C. W. Hubbal'd Sgt R. W. Bowles J. H. Denyer Ivi. L. Brewcr C. A. N. Bishop J. j\II. Donald Force-landed P. C. Stalt J. Piercy

Dr E. D. Fox

L.J. Benjamin C. E. Elton W. P. Mcynell Miss Sheila Scott J. W. C. Judge G. C. Marler B. J. Snook Miss Gillian M. Cazalet

The Deacon

Gillian Cazalet alongside the yellow Tiger Moth G-ANPK which she flew into fourth place in the London-to-Cardiff Race of 1960. (Photo from Gillian Cazalet.)

little racer, and three established women racing pilots-Miss Janet L. Ferguson, Miss Margo A. McKellar and :NlissJoan H. Short-flew them in the event. 4 June was devoted at Rhoose to the Class races, of which Class I was for the Air League Challenge Cup, with a points total for the previous day's "Vhite vValtham-to-Rhoose race, followed by four Japs of a short course to total 45 miles. The 45 mile race on 4 June was won by P. Blamire at 171·5 mph in his bronze Gemini 3C G·ALZG, but the Cup was awarded to Dennis Hartas who was second in the Jodel D.117, but whose additional points gained in the London-to-Cardiff race gave him the prize. The Norton Griffiths Challenge Trophy for Class 2 was awarded

The Archbishop

The finishing line was at Rhoosc and first place ror the Claude Grahame-White Challenge Cup went to John Stewart-Wood at 134·25 mph, piloting the Auster 5 G-AIKE in just under 51 min. Second was R. H. McIntosh with the Cessna 175 G-APYA at 159·75 mph, third G. C. lvlarler in the Thruxton Jackaroo G-APAP at J 17·25 mph, 1\1iss Gillian Cazalet-competing in her first race-was fourth in the yellow Tiger Moth G·ANPK at 124··75 mph, and Miss Sheila Scott-also racing for the first time-gained firth place at 115·25 mph in her smart blue and silver Jackaroo G-APA1\/I j\tIyth, accompanied by her instructor John Heaton as passenger. The tiny Turbulent had been adopted as a useful

The Percival Prentice G-AOPL with whieh G. Rccs competed in the National Air Races of 1960. (Peter Lewis.)

404

405

_11

- - - -'"'

on the same basis to include three laps of the short course on 4 J utle to tota133'5 miles, and, although Sqn Ldr Severne won the short course race with the 'Turbulent G-APNZ, John Stewart-\'Vood's fourth place at 120·5 mph in the Auster 5 G-AIKE plus his London-la-Cardiff points brought him the Trophy. The winner of the Class 3 race for three laps totalling 33·5 miles, plus the London-ta-Cardiff points, received the de Havilland Tiger Moth Challenge Trophy, and this was awarded jointly to Sheila Scott and Geoffrey tvlarler. Her first place in the Class 3 race at 104 mph flying her Jackaroo G-APAM M)'lh gave Sheila Scott the first of an extensive list of racing wins, and Marler's fifth place in Class 3together with both pilots' London-to-Cardiff points-brought them a tie for the Trophy. The British National Gain of Height record for gliders was increased on 18 June, 1960, by G. J. Randel who achieved 29, I 00 ft at RAF Marham with an Eo! Olympia 2B. The first seven pilots in each of the three Class races of the National Air Races at Rhoose passed into the final round for the King's Cup event at Baginton on 8-9 July, 1960, the list consisting of: Aircraft Turbulent Turbulent Hawk Trainer Mk.3 Proctor 3 Jackaroo Proctor 3 Gemini 3C Tiger Moth Proctor I Tiger Moth Tiger Moth Tiger Moth Tiger Moth Taylorcraft Plus D Garland-Dianchi Linnet Auster A.O.P.Mk.6 Auster 5 AusterJ-IN Jackaroo Gemini 3C Proctor 3

• 'Vhite

Registration

Pilot

G-APNZ· G-APZZt G-AIUA G-AHEK G-APAP G-AOE] G-ALZG G-ANZZ G-AHNA G-AOAA G-ACDC G-ANPK G-ARAZ G-AHGZ G·APNS VF544 G·AIKE G-AJEH G-APAM G-AKEG G-AOGE

Sqn Ldr J. de

t

Green

~L

Sevcrnc

C. P. Francis W. H. Bailcy A.,]. Spillcr G. C. Marler G. P. Watson

The iI,Jiles

~I.65

Gemini 3C G-AKEG flown by E. Crabtree in the King's Cup Race of 1960. (Ptler Lewis.)

Racing Champion for the year, Sqn Ldr J. de M. Severne received the Royal Aero Club Jubilee Trophy. . Of recent years competitive flying had been concentrate? on the offi~Ial events organized by the Royal Aero Club and others, Without tangIble evidence for the time being of any drastic departure from the status quo, and the relatively few long-distance point-to-point records established were still being set up by commercial airliners and high-performance Service aircraft.

P. Blamire

J. Snook A. S. K. Painc L. J. Benjamin C. A. N. Bishop Miss Gillian M. Cazalct C. E. Elton C. Gregory Capt D. W. Phillips Sgt R. W. Bowles J. Stewart-vVood J. H. Denyer Miss Sheila Scott E. Crabtree K. B. Neelyt D.

t

Retired.

Sqn Ldr John de Milt Severne's Turbulent G-APNZ, equipped with a 30 hp Ardem 4 C02 engine, had proved exceptionally fast for its type and enabled its pilot on 9 July to cover the four laps or the course totalling 68·36 miles at 109 mph to come first in the King's Cup, second was C. P. Francis at 97·5 mph, and third W. H. Bailey at 133 mph. The maximum all-up weight stipulated for the King's Cup entries was 12,500 Ib and the machines had to be British-built, powered with foreign engines at the discretion of the Royal Aero Club and flown by British pilots. The SBAC Challenge Cup for 1960 was awarded to the pilot achieving the fastest speed over the King's Cup course of68·36 miles and was won by P. BIamire at 170·25 mph with his Gemini 3C G-ALZG; as British Air 406

407

....-----------------,....---------~ No record time existed in the uneler-I ,000 kg category between London and Cape --fawn so the South African pilot Paget Bellin decided to establish one, and on 14l\1ay, 1961, he took-off from Croydon with Paul Catlin as passenger. His aircraft was the Tigcr l\10th G-ARIVIS-prepared fOl" the flight by Rollason at Croydon-and .it arrived a~ the Cap~ .after 11 da~s. A maximum of 12,500 Ib all-up weight was agall1 a condItIOn of entry 1I1 the 1961 National Air Races, which started \vith the London-to-Cardiff race on 2 June, [rom Panshanger to Rhoose. The entrants for the 114 mile course to "Vales included two Spitfires and eight Tiger Moths, and [or first place at 318 mph in the Spitfire Mk.VIII Trainer G-AIDN, V. H. Bellamy was awarded the new John l\10rgan All' Racll1g Challenge Trophy. Ron Flockhart's Mustang Mk.XX G-ARKD was expected to compete but was withdrawn following its enforced stay at Athens. Arrival at Rhoose was followed on 3 June by the three Class races. That [01" the Ail" League Challenge Cup in Class I was over four laps of the 1 ~'6 mile Rhoose circuit and was won by Capt G. P. '''latson at 147 mph WIth the Proctor 3 G-AOEJ, the :"lorton Griffiths Challenge Trophy ror three laps of 11·6 miles each in Class 2 went to S. l\(~. Aarons who won at 133 mph in the Hawk Trainer Mk.3 G-AIUA) and In Class 3 G. Recs was the winner o[ the de Havilland Tiger Moth Trophy at 106·5 mph with the Tiger Moth G-AOUY [or three laps o[ the 11·6 mile circuit. A nonstop flight from England to Australia was made on 20-21 June, 1961, by the Vulcan B.Mk.IA XH481 which le[t Scampton [or Sydney 11,500 miles away and was refuelled in flIght over Cypr~s, Pakistan and Singapore, enabling it to make the journey in 20 hI' 3 mm at an average speed o[ 575 mph. The seven pilots gaining sufficient points in the London-to-Cardiff and in the three Class races were eligible for the King's Cup event held on 15 July, 1961, at Baginton over four laps of the 16·87 mi~e circuit and open to British pilots flying British aircraft or foreign aircraft of 12,500 Ib all-up weight maximum and bearing British registration. The competitors were:

The Tigel" Moth G-AOAA The DeaCOIl flown bv D. '~L Hartas in the 1963 King's Cup Race. (Peter lewis.)

Familiar Faces The advent of the 19605 brought little change in racing and record breaking. In both spheres economic and political factors militated against natural g.rowth and expansion ofactivily, and the vast demand for light aircraft, \Vh~ch waul? .ha,:,c been met adequately before the war by a thriving, well-eqmpped BrItIsh lIldustry led by men of mettle, was being catered for now by business-conscious foreign companies, with the ultimate result that increasing numbers of imported aircrart appeared on the British register and assumed their places in the lists of race entrants. On 3,January, 1961, a Skylark 3b flown by Mrs Anne Burns set a new \'Vomen's British National Distance gliding record by flying 326-56 miles in South Africa from Kimberley to Volksrust. The Australia-to-England solo record had not been attacked for some 23 years-since April, 1938-but preparations were made by the 37-yearold Scottish racing driver \ V. Ron Flockhart to usc the 1,380 hp Packardj\'Ieriin 38 V-1650-3 red painted C.A.C. Mustang Mk.XX G-ARKD-exVH-BVNI-Ullited Domillions bought from Arnold Glass, and he took-off from Sydney on 28 February, 1961, to atlempt the 11,500 miles night to London Airport. The attempt ended on 4 March at Athens when Flockhart was forced to give up after his engine overheated-as the ~1erlin ,vas liable to do if kept idling on the ground for too long. An attack on the London-to-1VIalta point-to-point record was successful 0~1 25 Apl-il, I9?1, when the 1,305'33 miles from Farnborough to Luqacity-centre to city-centre London to Valetta 1298·14 miles-was flown in 2 hr 3 min 8 sec at 633·3 mph by two Hunter F.G.A.Mk.9s piloted by Wg Cdr Harry Bennett and Flt Lieut H. Davidson. 408

* f

1

Aircraft Registration Pilot Miles M.18j2 G-AHKY 5gn Ldl' H. B. lies Cessna 175 G-APZS Wg Cdr R. H. Mclntosh Proctor 3 G-AIHD T. G. Knox Spilfire Mk.VllJ Trainer G·AIDN V. I-I. Bellamy Arrow Active 2 G-ABVE D. r...1. Hartas Hawk Trainer Mk.3 G·AIUA S. ~'J. Aarons Tigcr l\IoLh C.ANZZ C. E. El.ton G·ALZC P. Blamlre Gemini 3C Tiger l\lolh C-AOUY C. Rees . Hawk Specd Six (;·ADCP R. R. P::UIlC }:alcoll Six G·ADTD C. C. l\1arler Chipmunk G-AOTl\I I). C. i\lasefield Tavlorcrarl Plus D G-AHGZ C. Grcgory Tiger l'vloth G-APRA P. B. R. Vanneek Tiger Moth G-AOAA· 1. Trethewey "rigerl\'Iolh G·ARAZ N. J-1. Jones Proctor 3 G-AOEJ Capt G. P. ''''atson Jackaroo G-APAl\·1 * l\liss Sheila Scott 'Ti~er Moth C-ACOC.T. W. C. .Judge C.L.A7 Swift G-ABUS· Fit Lieut R. Crowhurst Turbulent G-ARIZ C. P. Francisf C-AOAA was named Tlte Deacon, G-API\l\I J\fJ'lh and G-ABUS Hlack Magic. Relired.

409

!l.1ustang G-ARUK, late VH-U\ VB-which crashed at ~vlclbourll(; during tests a few days earlier on 12 April. A new British National Distance record for gliders was set up on 1June, 1962, when the new holder became Fit Lieut P. D. Lane with his flight of 460·5 miles in a Skylark 3f from Geilenkirchen to Hiersal, near Ancoulene. Baginton was chosen again for the National Air Races in 1962 with the number of events reduced and compressed into the three days 16-18 August. The de Havilland Tiger Moth Challenge Trophy was won by D. wI. Hartas at 120·5 mph in G-A)JZZ, second was \V. P. Meynell at 105 mph in G-ANEL, third was H. J. A. F. de Salis at 105·5 mph in GANSM, and fourth was l'\. F. G. Harrison at 103· 75 mph in G-ACDC, the competitors covering three laps of 17 miles each in an event confined to Tiger Moths. Capt D. \ V. Phillips was the winner of the 51 mile raceagain consisting of three 17 mile laps-for the John Nlorgan Air Racing Challenge Trophy, flying the Active 2 G-ABVE at 139 mph, P. G. Statt was second at 112·5 mph in the Moth Minor G·AI'OZ, third came J. Stewart-Wood at 116·75 mph in the Auster 5 G-AIKE, and fourth was Fit Lieut A. Turley with the Hawk Trainer Mk.3 G-AIUE at 123 mph. The Air League Challenge Cup race-also over three 17 mile laps-was won by A.J. Spiller at 144·5 mph in the Proctor 3 G-AHFK, second came R. R. Paine at 189·25 mph in the Hawk Speed Six G-ADGP, third was E. Crabtree at 148·25 mph in the Proctor 3 G-ALFX, and Sheila Scott brought the Cessna 175 G-ARFL in fourth at 144 mph.

\\'inner of the King's Cup race in 1961, the cream :Mi1es ;\.1.18/2 G-AHKY Hown at 142 mph by Sqn Ldr H. B. Iles. (Peter Lewis.)

The winner ,,·as H. Brian Iles at 142 mph, second at 145·5 mph came R. H. McTntosh, and third was T. G. Knox at 161 mph. }'astcst speed over the 67·48 mile King's Cup course at 298 mph on 15July with the 1,400 hp Packard-Merlin 68 V-1650-3 Spitfire Mk.VIU Trainer G-AIDN brought Vic Bellamy the SBAC Challenge Cup, and S. 1\11. Aarons was proclaimed British Air Racing Champion for 1961 to receive the Royal Aero Club's Diamond Jubilee Trophy. Taking-off from "Vaddington, timed from 38,000 ft over the centre of London by radar and refuelled in flight, on 30 March, 1962, the Vulcan R.Mk.IA XH481 ofNo.IOI Squadron-piloted by Fit LieutJ. R. Ward and Fig orr Hill-was able to fly the 3,673·7 miles to Aden in 6 hr 13 min 59·7 sec at an average speed of 589-4 mph to set up a new point-topoint record. Thirteen months after his last take-off from Sydney on his solo Australia to England flight, W. Ron Flockhart planned a second attempt on 16 April, 1962, but was kil1ed in his aircraft-the C.A.C.-built Mk.21

In the 1962 King's Cup event, P. Dawson flew the Cessna 182E G-ARWL. (Peter Lewis.)

The main event at Baginton on 18 August, 1962, was the race for the King's Cup run over four laps of the 17 mile coursc. Drawn from the first seven pilots in the Air League, John Nlorgan and Tiger rvloth events, the list of21 starters consisted of: Aircraft Tipsy Nipper 2 Tiger ~'Iolh Tiger Moth Tiger ~loth Tiger Moth Tiger Moth Taylorcraft Plus D Moth Minor Tiger ~Ioth

The veler-an D.H.82A Tiger ~\'IothG-ACDC which N. F. G. Harrison flew into fourth place in the race for the de Havilland Tiger ::\10th Challenge Trophy in 1962. (Peler Lewis.)

Registration G-ARDY G-ARAZ G-AGDC G-ANSM G·ANEL G-A]HU G-AHGZ G-AFOZ G-AOAA

411

410

d

Pilot P. S. Clifford P. .B. R. \'anncck N. F. G. Harrison H.J. A. }'. de Salis W. P. Meynell Sqn Ldr F. R. E. Hayter C. Gregory P. G_ Statt B. J. Snook

Aircraft

Registration

Pilot

Auster 5 Tiger ~loth Hawk Trainer t-.lk.3 Arrow At:tive 2 Hawk Trainer l\Ik.3 ProeLDr 3 Cessna 175 Proctor 3 Proctor 3 Cessna 182E Gemini 3C Hawk Speed Six

G-AIKE G·ANZZ G-AIUE G-ABYE G·AI VA G-AHFK G·ARFL G-ALFX G-AOEJ G-ARWL G-ALZG G-ADGP

J. Stewart-Wood

Racing in three classes took place at Shoreham on 22June, 1962. The fast machines competed over four laps in Class I, won by Fit Lieut Neil 'Villiams in the green and cream LeVier Associatcs Cosmic \Vind GARUL Ballerina at 180 mph, second placc went to Peter Dawson at 159·5 mph in the Cessna 182£ G-AR"'L, and third was the Gemini 3C G-ALZG flown at 169·25 mph by Percy Blamire. Scratch machine in the Class I event was the Hawk Speed Six G-ADGP piloted by Ron Paine and competing also were A. J. Spiller in the Proctor 3 G-AHFK, Peter Phillips in (he Active 2 G-i\BVE and Sheila Scott with the Cessna 175 G-ARFL. Class II for slower aircraft was won by J. \ V. C. Judge at 119 rnph flying the Beagle '-ferrier 2 G-ARLR, Ranald POI·teus was second at 140·25 mph with the Beagle Mk. Eleven G-ASCC, and John StewartWood came third at 116·75 mph in the Auster 5 G-AIKE. Class III was for Tiger ~IIoths and jackaroos and was flown concurrently over three laps of the course with Class II-also over three laps, resulting in a win for Dennis Hartas at 118·5 mph in the Tiger NIoth G·A. TZZ, N. F. G. Harrison was second at 103·25 mph in the Tiger ~Iloth G-ACDC, and in third place came B. J. Snook at 114·5 mph in the Tiger Moth G-AOAA The Deacon. 1963 was relatively quiet for air racing in Britain, the main events being those forming the National Air Raees which were scheduled to take place on 3-5 August at Baginton, but bad weather on 3 August made competition flying impossible on that day and the same occurred on the following day, so that the entire racing programme had to be handled on 5 August. Competitors for the Air League Challenge Cup held over three laps of 18 miles each took-off from II a.m., and first place went to D. VV. Morgan at 103 mph in the red Turbulent G-ARRZ, Dennis Hartas \vas second at 118 mph in the black and yellow Tiger Moth G-AOAA, and at 105 mph W. P. Innes came in third flying the Tiger Moth G-ACDC. Fjrst place in the contest for the john NIorgan Air Racing Challenge Trophy went to P. G. Bannister at 101 mph in the Tipsy Nipper G-APYB, Sheila Scott was seconcl at 126·5 mph piloting the Jode! DR.I050 G-ARUH, and third came R. L. Porleus al 136·5 mph in the Beagle Airedale G·ARNP; again the race was over threc 181llile laps and started at 5.30 p.m. The King's Cup Race started eventually at 8 p.m. with 22 aircraft for the foul' lU mile laps. The entrants were:

D. ;\1. Hal't:lS FIt Lieut A. Turley Capt D. \\I. Phillips S. .\1. Aarons A.J. Spiller .\liss Sheila SCNt E. Crabtree Capt G. P. Watson P. Dawson P. Blamire R. R. Paine

Blamirc and Crabtree retired and first place went to P. S. Clifford at 101 mph, Ron Paine at 189·5 mph and Dennis Hartas at 121·5 mph tied for second I'lace and third was A. J. Spiller at 145·5 mph. BritIsh All' Racll1g Champion for 1962 was Dennis ~1. Hartas. On 22 August, 1962, the Thruxton Air Races were held. Organized by ~he Willshire School of Flying and Wiltshire Flying Club, the programme H;clu?cd four events. The Ladies' Handicap of one lap around the 58 mile ClrCUlt atlracted seven starters, among whom the first to take-off was ~IIargo 1vIeKellar in a pale blue Turbulent. A chocolatc·brown Cessna 150 was flown into first place by Sheila Scott, Beryl Sanders came second in a Jackaroo and third place went to Sheila Hands piloting the Tiger ~ifot~ G-~N~H. ~ix competed in the Tiger Moth Race over three laps of the ClrCUlt of 21 miles around the pylons, the winner being Spencer Smith, second was Sqn Ldr F. R. E. Hayter in G-AJHU and third came W. Leary with M. Norman as his passenger. For the Jaekaroo Race there were scvcn starters, out of whom M. Norman was first with G-J\OIvV Beryl Sanders second and Peter Gush third. The Open Handicap had starters and M. Norman brought the Jackaroo G-AOl\iV in first, Sheila Scott was second and John Stewart-'''Tood came third.

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Aircraft

Nipper 2 Turbulent Tiger ~fOlh Taylorcraft Plus D Tiger t-.Iolh Tiger r>.foth Tiger l'Ioth Jodel D.ll) Condor

l\[essenger +A Jodel DR. 1050 Hawk Trainer )'Ik.3 Cessna 172C Ait'edale Cessna 172D Skyhawk

P. S. Clifford. winner of the King's Cup in 1962, with his aircraft-the blue Tipsy 2'Jippcr 2 G·ARDY-which he flew at 101 mph. (PlIO/a/rom P. S. Clifford.)

..12

Registration G·APYB

Pilot P. G. Bannister

G-ARRZ G-ACDC G-AHWJ G-ANSi\I G-AOAA G-ANZZ C-AR1\Y G·ARHZ G-AKVZ G-ARUH G-AJDR G-ARYS

D. W. ~Iorgan W. P. lnnes X. W. Clark T. R. K. Davey D. 1'1. Hanas Capt D. W. Phillips B.]. Snook X H.Jones P. B1amire l\[iss Sheila Scott Sqn Ldr F. R. E. Hayter J. Slewart·Wood

G-AR:\IP

R. L. Porteus

G-ASIB

P. Dawson

411

d

.. G-ASSr

G-ARUH, theJodei DR. 1050 flown by Sheila SCOtl in the 1963 King's Cup Race. (Peler Lewis.)

The Beagle A.I09 Airedale G-ASBY which Peter G. i\fascficld flew in the King's Cup Race of 1963. (Peler Lewis.) Aircraft

Airedale Airedale Cessna 180 Cessna 1800 Cosmic Wind Falco F.8L Hawk Speed Six

Registration G-ASBY

G-ASAI G-ASIT G-ARGC G-ARUL G-AROT C-ADCP

Pilot

P. G. Masefield \N. C.Judge A. J. Spiller A. H. L. Bnrwell Hon J. C. Baring J. rVlarriott R. R. Paine

J.

The winner \vas Paul G. Bannister at 102·5 mph, Ranald Porleus was second at 137·5 mph, and third was A.]. Spiller at 162·5 mph. Paul Bannister's performance during the races brought him also the British Air Racing Championship for 1963. Competing also at Baginton in the 1963 Nationals were the Tiger i\1oth G-ANZU-J. M. Donald, BalkoI' ] unior G-ASFS-J. George, Moth Minor G-AFOZ-P. G. Statt, Active 2 G-ABVE-Flt Lieut N. M. Williams, Turbulent G-ARJZ-Miss Beryl Sanders, Tiger Moth GANEL-J. H. Denyer, Auster 3 G-AREI-Maj M. Somerton-Rayner, M.lC Sokol G-AIXN-E. N. Husbands, and Proctor 3 G-AGWB-FJt Lieut A. Turley. The National Air Races for 1964 began wilh the two qualifying events

The 13iilkow Junior G-ASFS piloted by J. Gcorge in the 1963 National Air Races. (Peter Lewis.)

,,1

P. Dawson's aircraft in the King's Cup race of 1963. the Cessna 172D Skyhawk G-ASIB. (Peler Leu..'is.) .

A racing Druine Turbulent of 1963-G·APYZ. (Pettr Lewis.)

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415

j

The list of 22 King's Cup pilots for 1964 at Baginton on 1 August consisted of the highest-placed 75 per cent from the Air League and John Morgan events to include: Aircraft Cosmic Wind Hawk Speed Six Chipmunk Cessna 180 Tiger :~."roth Tiger Moth Jadel DR.I050 Tiger r..roth Gemini 3(: Turbulent Airedale Tiger r..[oth Cessna 172n Jodel D.117 Turbulent Husky Hawk Trainer IvIk.3 Falco F.8L Mooney M.20C Turbulent B61kow 207 Active 2

The Bolkow 207 G-ASA\'" flown in the 1964 King's Cup Race by Adele Park. (PeJer Lewis.)

at Shoreham on 18 July, in bad weather. The John 1\10rgan Air Racing Challenge Trophy event---over a course of 100 miles finishing at the Palace Pier, Brighton-was won by V. B. IVlitchell at 128 mph with the Beagle l-lusky G-ASNC, the ]odel DR.1050 G-ARUH was flown into second place at 133 mph by B. j. Snook, and R. L. Porte us came in third at 139 mph with the Airedale G-ARXB. The race for the Air League Challenge Cup-with 13 starters compared with 14 in the john Morgan event-""as over the same I 00 mile course to finish at the Palace Pier, first across the line being the Cessna 180 G·ASIT flown by A.]. Spiller at 162 mph, in second place was the Cosmic "Vind G-ARUL Ballerina at 184 mph with Dennis Hartas, and Neil Williams in the Active 2 G·ABVE was third at 139 mph. Others competing at Shoreham but eliminated from the list of King's Cup contenders included: Cessna 172 G·ARYS-J. Stewart-Wood, Gemini IA G-AKHB-M. Brewer, Tiger Moth G-ACDC-J. Piercy, Turbulent G-ARCZ-F. O. Marsh, Airedale G-ARXC-C. B. G. Masefield, Tiger Moth G-ANMZ-T. M. Storey, Tiger Moth G-AOAA, and Turbulent G-APNZ-J. Gilbert.

The green and cream LeVier Associates Cosmic Wind G-ARUL Ballerina, with which D. fir. Hartas won the King's Cup in 1961~ :It 185 mph. (Pele,. Lewis.)

416

Registration G·ARUL G-ADGP G-AOTM G-ASIT G-AOAi\

G-ANZZ * G-ARUH G·ANMZ * G-ALZG G-ARZi\I G-ARXB G-ASKP G-ARMO G-ASPB G-ARRZ G-ASNC C-AJDR G-AROT C-ASLZ G-ARNZ G-ASAW G-ABVE

Pilot D. M. Hartas R. R. Paine P. G. Maseficld A.J. Spiller W. P. Innes Capt D. W. Phillips B. J. Snook P. B. R. Vnnneck P. Blamire i\[iss Margo A. r..lcKelbr R. L. Porteus R. d'Erianger r..fiss Sheila Scott W. H. Todd Miss Beryl Sanders V. B. :Mitchell Sqn Ldr F. R. E. Hayter J. Man·iolt F. S. Gathercole N. F. C. Harrison Miss Adele Park t Fit Lieut N. ?vf. WiIliamst

• G-ANZZ was named The ArchbisllOlJ and G·ANi'v'Z The Canon. t Retired. t Disqualified.

A blustery wind was a nuisance during the running of the King's Cup over four laps of ] 8 miles each, the winner being Dennis Hartas at 185 mph, Ron Paine was second at 187·5 mph, and third place was a tie between Peter Masefield at 144·3 mph and A. J. Spiller at 160·8 mph. Ron Paine's 187·5 mph over the King's Cup Course earned him the SBAC Challenge Cup; a new award-the de Havilland Tiger Moth Trophy presented by Norman jones, who had done so much towards retaining life in British sporting aviation since the Second \!\Torld vVarwas won by Capt David W. Phillips for the highest-placed Tiger Moth pilot in the Air Racing Championship. The British Air Racing Champion for 1964 was Dennis McDonell Hartas. An addition to the air racing for 1964 came with the holding at Rochester on 26 September of the Rochester Air RacefNavigational Rally organized by the Kent Messenger and "Villiam Chesson; the winner was D. W. Phillips flying the Piper Super Cub G-ARAM, with D. M. Hartas second piloting the Tiger Moth G-ACDC and Margo McKellar third in the Turbulent G-ARZM. A long and active association with air racing extending over some 40 years gave Norman jones a first-hand appreciation of the dearth of individual British single-seat racing aircraft, and in his typically enterprising way he tried to stimulate activity by promoting the Rollason :Nlidget Racer Design Competition announced in January 1964, for which the closing date for entries was 1 March, 1964, with drawings to be received by the following 1 September. The design was to be based

o

417

L

Bearing racing number 93, D. Vl. Smith's ErcQupe 4IS-CD G-AKFC of 1964. (Peter Lewis.)

upon either of the Rollason Ardem 1,500 cc engines-the 45 hp Mk.4 or 55 hp Mk.5-and the rules were evolved to encourage both non-professional and professional designers. The panel of judges consisted of A. Golding-Barrett as chairman, together with John A. Bagley, Alan Greenhalgh, Neil F. G. Harrison and Denis Howe, the conclusion being reached that at least 12 of the more than 40 entries reached a very high standard. The results were announced during November 1964 and first for 100 guineas was the Luton Group Beta, a product of the combination ofR.J. Sellars, R. F. Barton, L. R.Jenkinson, P. Smith and G. F. Styles~ design engineers of British Aircraft Corporation at Luton; at the same time, arrangements were made by Norman Jones for a prototype Beta to be built by Rollason Aircraft and Engines Ltd. The machine was an entirely conventional low-wing monoplane with enclosed cockpit and dihedrallecl outer wing panels. The Taylor Titeh-originally christened Tiger Cub-gained the second award of 75 guineas for John F. Taylor of Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, and this machine also was built subsequently by its designer, being completed for taking to Southcnd Airport on 18 September, 1966. It was equipped with the Continental C-85 engine fiLted originally to Ballerina and was finished in RAF fighter style camouflage and markings, coupled with its registration G-ATYO. John Taylor took the Titch on its maiden flight from Southend on 22 January, 1967, but was killed on 16 May, 1967, when, after take-off, the machine crashed about one mile northwest of the Airport. Third place for 50 guineas went to the Mitchell-Prizeman Scamp, a luw-wing monoplane with a spatted tricycle undercarriage, by C. G. B. Mitchell of Fleet and R. Prizeman of Chorleywood. C. J. Goodwin of Welwyn submitted the Goodwin J.G.3, a low-wing monoplane of small size and very low weight, for fourth place; the Chamcott Challenger by T. G. Chambers of Bristol, and R. J. Westmacott used a shoulder-wing position and was rated fifth; sixth came the Johnston J.P.3 low-wing monoplane by K. J. Johnston of Whyteleafe; seventh was the Newton Cossack low-wing monoplane by R. B. Newton of Leamington Spa; another conventional compact low-wing monoplane -the Corby CJ-l Starlet by J. C. Corby of Sydney~gained eighth place; ninth was a less orthodox design than the first eight-the Hughes 418

P. H.1 00 tricycle undercarriage, mid-wing, pusher monoplane with its tail unit carried on twin booms, sweptback wings and designed by P. M. Hughes of I-larpenden; and in tenth place came the Jopeco J .2-entered by P. "Vhite of Romford representing the Jopeeo Group; thiS\·vas another unconventional layout consisting of a shoulder-wing, tricycle undercarriage monoplane in which the pilot was housed ahead of the fuselagcmounted engine, from which twin propellers installed at the trailing edges of the wings were driven by toothed belts and pulleys. The last few years had brought about a subtle-and correspondingly rather sad-change in the aircraft being raced as far as the older machines \vere concerned. The number of pre-war types had dwindled sharply to a mere handful and, among the pure racers, the Hawk Speed Six GADGP and the Mew Gull G-AEXF were virtually the only survivors as entrants, together "vith the Active 2 G-ABVE, and the Hornet Moth GADKM accompanying them as representative of the very few pre-1939 private owner light aircraft still competing.

419

In its new red and white paint scheme, Charles lvlasefieJd's P-51D 1\llustang N6356T after landing at Goodwood for the Nationals on 21 June, 1968. (Peter Lewis.)

London-Belfast-London-280 miles at 204·3 mph; London-Dublin, Dublin-London, London-Dublin-London-244 miles at 199·9 mph. Although extinct in Great Britain for many years, balloon racing staged a brief and solitary revival during 1965 on 12 May when tcn balloons competed in an event organized by the BBC from Stanton Harcourt in Oxfordshirc, cnll-ants coming from the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, Holland, Switzerland, the United States and "Vest Germany. The winner was Charles Dollfus of France in Mars, who landed near Moreton-in-the-Nfarsh after covering 22 miles in just over 3 hl' 30 min, in second place was Richard Jahre of 'Vest Germany in Bemina, third was Nini Roesman of Holland in PH-BOX, and fourth Capt V. Hunter of Great Britain. The other British entrant, Anthony Smith in ]ambo, retired. The winner of the Manx Air Derby on 29 May, 1965, received the Manx Air Derby Challenge Cup, the Cambrian Airways Cup and 200 guineas at the end of a race of 103 miles made up of two 51·5 mile laps. !"irst place went to FIt Lieut A. Turley flying the silver and white Proctor 3 G-AGWB at 143·5 mph, second was A. J. Spiller at 161·5 mph in the white, black and red Cessna 180 G-ASIT, and third came F. S. Gathercole at 163·5 mph with the brown and white Mooney M.20C G-ASLZ. Flying the Comanche 400 N8515P Myth SUllpip shortly after its fast intercity flights, Sheila Scott achieved 207 mph for the fastest speed in the race and finished sixth. Competing also was the Mew Gull G-AEXF, now

Return to Record Breaking Although at the beginning of 1965 activity in record setting appeared to be in the doldrums, the stillness was about to be broken in a sustained and spectacular manner for the ensuing five years. \Nith a quickly-established reputation as a sound and successful racing pilot, Sheila Scott's thoughts turned to record breaking, relatively short European inter-city marks being her first objectives. Among those which she intended to a~tack first were the times set some 12 years before in 1953 by Fred Dunkerley in Class C.le, but with the important difference that the attempts to and from five cities were to be made within 36 hours. The British aircraft industry's failure, during the two decades since the end of the war, to return to its traditional and lucrative role as the producer of first-class light aircraft in quantity resulted in a dearth of suitable types with which to accomplish a worthwhile improvement in the times, and Miss SCOlt chose the red and white Piper PA-24-400 Comanche N8515P Nlyth SUllpip for the flights, named to continue the j\llylh tradition. The attempts were made with flying starts and finishes at Northolt, without intermediate landings during each. Nine new records were created on 19 May, 1965-London-The Hague, The Hague-London, London-The Hague-London-179 miles at 206 mph; London-Brussels, BrusselsLondon, London-Brussels-London-190 miles at 205 mph; LondonParis, Paris-London, London-Paris-London-192 miles at 201·6 mph. On 20 lVCay, Sheila Scott completed her first round of erninently successful record breaking with six new times for London-Belfast, Belfast-London, 420

Sheila SCOll at Northolt with the Piper Comanche 400 N8515P At/yth Sll1lpip

with which she set up 15 new records on 19-20 .May, 1965. (Champion Sparking Plug.)

421

and silver G-ANZZ The Archbishop, 117 mph brought second place to T. F. Lodge in the black and yellow G-AOAA TheDeacoll, and R. S. Voice was third at 113·5 mph in G-A='JMZ The Canon. An intense personal interest in thc progress and welfare of other women pilots led to Sheila Scott's promotion of the formation of the British Section of The Ninety·~ines, Inc.-the International Organization of "'omen Pilots-of which she became one of its nine United Kingdom founder members and its first Governor from 1964-67. The British Sec-

The ycllow and red Starnpe SV.4B G-ASHS flown in the 1965 rVlanx Air Derby by Vl. P. Innes. (Peter Lewis.)

nearly 30 years old and greatly altered in appearance once again to fly in Ernest Crabtree's hands. Finished in white trimmed with blue and mounted on a modified undercarriage of increased height to give a greater ground angle, it had a completely revised cockpit canopy of reduced height and without the rear-view panel. The engine was a 205 hp Gipsy Queen II, and radio was included. Among the other competitors were the white and blue Stearman A75Nl G-AROY-W. A. Jordan, yellow and red Stampe SV.4B G-ASHS-W. P. Innes, blue and white Tipsy Belfair G-APIE-Flt Lieut G. S. Whitley, blue Tipsy! ipper 2 G-ARBG -W. H. Todd, blue and white Whitney Straight G-AEUJ-J. Tullet, and the yellow Turbulent G-ASAM-D. W. Morgan. Poor weather-with rain and a sca mist-hampered the competitors on 12 June, 1965, during the first round of the National Air Races held at Shoreham. The 87 mile race for the John Morgan Air Racing Challenge Trophy finished at VVarthing Pier and was won at 134·5 mph by the white.and yellow Jode! DR.l050M G-ATLB flown by n. J. Snook, second was A. J. Spiller at 165·5 mph with the Cessna 180 G-ASIT, and third came P. G. Masefield at 149 mph with the Chipmunk G-AOTM. Eight starters competed for the Silver Tiger Moth Trophy race for Tiger Moths only, in which R. A. \"'inter came first at 120·5 mph with the blaek j

H. G. Stade)', managing director of the Champion Sparking Plug Company, presents Sheila Scott with the British 995 Air Racing Challenge Cup, of which she was the initial winner on 12 June, 1965, at Shoreham flying the Comanche 250 G-ARXI. The Cup was donated fo.· competition by Champion. (Champion Sparking Plug Co.)

Peter IVIasefield's D.H.C.I Chipmunk G·AOTl\f which he flew into third place at 149 mph in thc [965 racc for the]ohn 'r\1organ Ail' Racing Challenge Trophy at Shorcham. (Bristol.)

tion was established in J 964, introduced to British aviation on Thanksgiving Day, 1964, and received its Charter in July 1965, but during the previous month-on 12 June-the T.adies' Race, founded by Sheila Scott as the first such event to form part of the National Air Races, was held at Shoreham, the winner receiving the British 995 Air Racing Challenge Cup presented by the Champion Sparking Plug Company. Further support in the form of prize money came from Booths Distilleries Ltd, and the winner of the initial event was Sheila Scott at 181 mph flying the Comanche PA-24-250 G-ARXT. Mrs Christine E. Hughes was 24 seconds behind at 120 mph for second place in the Condor G-ASEU, third at 120 mph came :NIrs Diana Hamato vValker in the Auster J-5R

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423

Alpine G-APCX, and fourth was Miss Margo McKellar at 99 mph flying a Turbulent. Competing also in the first British 995 race were Miss Janet L. Ferguson-sixth in Condor G-ASRC; Pamela, :NIarchioness of Huntly, with the Comanche PA-24-250 G-ARLI3-disqualified; Mrs Elizabeth Overbury-fifth in a Chipmunk; J\lIrs Anneliese Pinto-Tiger NIoth; and Nliss Beryl Sanders. During November 1967, Elizabeth Overbury became Governor of the British 995, and Shciia Scolt assumed the position of Vice-Governor. Gillian Cazalet became the Governor in November, 1969.

Adorned with racing number J 3, the Tipsy T.66 Nipper 2 G-ATllvV of w-l. Kennedy in 1965. (Peler Lewis.)

The second round of the 1965 National Air Races took place at Middleton St George on 7 August and involved a race of 100 miles around a triangular course for the Air League Challenge Cup and the I.C.I. Challenge Cup. The Mew Gull G-AEXF piloted by Ernie Crabtree was eliminated during practice when its engine blew up, so that there were 29 starters, first place for the Air League and I.C.I. awards going to ':\T. P. Meynell in a Tiger Moth at 107·5 mph, second was F. R. E. Hayter at 119·75 mph with the Hornet Moth G-ADKM, and Percy Blarrure III hIS Gemini 3C G-ALZG was third at 172·5 mph. Fastest speed In the event was achieved by Sheila Scott at 185·5 mph piloting the Comanche 250 G-ARXI. The first 12 pilots in each of the eliminating rounds at Shoreham and Middleton St George competed at Baginton on 21 August, 1965, in the King's Cup Race, the course for which consisted of five laps. of a short course of eight miles. Two heats were run around the pylons WIth the top six pilots of each forming the 12 finalists, consisting of: Aircraft Tiger Moth Condor Condor Cessna 172B Cessna 172E Chipmunk Beagle Mk.Eleven Proctor 3 Cessna 180 Mooney M.20C Gemini 3C Hawk Speed Six

Registration G-Ai~ZZ

G-ARHZ G-ASEU G-ARYS G-ASLY G-APPK G-ASCC G-AGWB G·ASIT G-ASLZ G-ALZG G-ADGP

Pilot T. M. Storey Capt D. W. Phillips :r"lrs Christine Hughes J. Stewart-Wood L. Dunkerley J. A. C. Miles T. Howard Fit Lieut A. Turley A. J. Spiller F. S. Gathereole P. B1amire W. H. Todd

The Condor G-ASEU flown into second place in the 99s race at Shoreham was presented to the British \t\Tomen Pilots' Association by Norman Jones and based at Redhill. \'Vith the assistance of the \IVomen's Engineering Society, the B. W.P.A. was formed on II March, 1955, and by 1968 the membership had risen to approximately 250, including British women pilots living abroad and Commonwealth members. The B.vV.P.A.'s first Chairman from 1955-56 was Mrs Freydis Sharland~who, as Miss Freydis Leaf, was British Air Racing Champion for 1954-from 1956 until 1964 the office was filled by Miss Alison King, and Miss Gillian Helen MacKay took over as Chairman from 1964 until 1969. From 1961 the Vice-Chairman of the B. W.P.A. was Miss Brenda Horsfield until on II January, 1969, she became Chairman with Miss G. H. MacKay and lvIiss J. L. Ferguson then assuming the positions of Vice-Chairmen. Bumpy weather was experienced on 24 July, 1965, when the Kent i\lIessenger Around Kent Air Race was held for a first prize of £50. The total distance of 180 miles was made up of three 60 mile laps of a course Rochester-\t\Test Malling-Detling-Rochcstcr, and out of 14 starters the first six came over the finishing line within 12 see of each other. The second contest was won by D. M. Hartas with the silver Active 2 G-ABVE, second was v\T. P. Innes flying a Tiger Moth, third B.J. Snook piloting the Jodel DR.I050 G-ARUH, and fourth David M. Parsons with the PA-30 Twin Comanche G-ASWW.

The King's Cup for 1965 was won by John Stewart-vVood, accompanied by his daughter Vivien at 131·5 mph :vith the Cessna 172B G-ARYS, second was John Mlles at 132·5 mph flymg the CllIpmunk G-APPK, and third was Louis Dunkerley in the Cessna 172E G-ASLY at 130·5 mph. Tom Storey was awarded the de Havilland Tiger Moth Trophy as the highest placed Tiger Moth pilot in each of the events, and Percy Blamlre was announced as British Air Racing Champion for 1965. As the holder of several European point-to· point records, Sheila Scott was interested in securing more records, and in the course of talks with the Champion Sparking Plug Company in the United States during August 1965 the idea came of a flight around the world. Although two women~ both' Arnerican~had already made the flight solo, in Sheila Scott's case the project, announced at the beginnir~g of ~pril 196.6, w.as to .be the longest solo flight ever attempted and 111 a slI1gle-engll1e light aircraft. Although keen to use the red and white Comanche 400 N8515P Myth Sllllpip, considerations of range with the available fuel capaclly compelled her to use the lower-powered version of the Comanche-the PA-24-260B equipped with the 260 hp Lycoming IO-540-D. The choice was G-ATOY -perpetuating the Nlyth tradition as NIyth Too~and destll1cd to become the most celebrated of all. The take-off was scheduled originally for 27 April, 1966, after eight months of preparation, but the unavoidable decision to changc alrcra~t just a few days before the start brought a delay of three weeks so that It

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Class C.I), London-Samoa (plus Class C I), Gander-Lagens (plus Class C. J) and Lisbon-London. The undcrtaklllg, with Its endle~s-and often unforeseen-complexities, was assisted to a happy conclusIOn by many sections of the British aircraft industry and other helpers, and Sheila Scott's world Right was a superb example of an outstanding pilot's s~ill, courage and stamina in surmounting continual and unexpected hmdranees-occurrences perhaps almost inseparable from an endeavow'. of such magnitude. or the greatest importance and to her everlasung credit was the fact that a British woman pilot had demonstrated thatdespite the lack of manifestations of its presence year after year in the manner of the 19205 and the 1930s-thc pioneering spirit still existed 30 veal'S later in British sporting flying . . The Manx Air Derby for 1966 was planned for 28 Mayas a 100 mile handicap of two laps of 50 miles each, but, in the event, a shipping strike -resulting in decreasing fuel supplies in the Isle of :NIan-forced its cancellation. The National Air Races for 1966 were spread over three rounds with the first taking place at Roborough, Plymouth, on 9 July over a course of 95 miles. Entrants included: Aircraft

First SlOP at Rome for Sheila Scott and her Piper Comanche 260B Jltfyfh Too during her record solo arollnd~the-world night in 1966.

was not until 18 Nlay that all was ready. After taxi-ing out for take-off before noon, at the last moment the No.1 radio failed, and six hours passed before the white and gold monoplane was able to leave London Airport for Rome at 4·55 p.m. Malfunctioning of the radio equipment plagued NIylh Too as far as Sydney where, at Bankstown aerodrome, the faults were rectified. The ultimate itinerary included stops at Rome, Athens, Damascus, Bahrain, Karachi, Jaipur, Delhi, Calcutta, Rangoon, Butterworth, Singapore, Bali, Darwin, Mount Isa, Brisbane, Sydney, Auckland, Norfolk Island, Nandi, Pago Pago, Canton Island, Honolulu, San Francisco, Phoenix, El Paso, Oklahoma, Louisville, New York, Gander, Lagens, Lisbon and return home to Heathrow on 20 June, 33 days 3 min after taking-off from London Airport. The total distance actually flowll was over 31,000 miles in about 189 flying hI'S at an average ground speed of 166 mph, and the actual solo feminine speed record claimed was for 29,055·14 statute miles at 36·68 statute mph, based on Great Circle distances between landing places and the elapsed time in the air and on the ground. In addition to having completed in record time the longest solo flight ever attempted by any pilot of any nationality in a single-engine aircraft, becoming the first British pilot of either sex to fly solo around the world, and the third of all women pilots to accomplish the feat, Sheila Scott became the holder of eight new Class C.l c inter-city records for aircraft of 1,750-3,000 kg gross weight-London-Rome, London-Darwin, London-Sydney, London-Auckland (plus Class C.I), London-Fiji (plus 426

Nipper 2 Nipper 2 Tiger Moth Turbulent Turbulent Tipsy Belfair Tiger !I.'Ioth Hornel rv[oth CP 30 IA Emeraude Tiger !vlolh Bolkow JuniaI' Victa Airtourcr Condor Auster A.O.P.Nlk.3 Cessna 1501" Jodcl DR.I050j'vf Cessna 172H Cessna 172E Chipmunk 22 Chipmunk 22 Chipmunk 22 Chipmunk 22 Active 2 Proctor 3 Cessna 180 ~'Ioollcy 11.'1.20E Gemini 3C Falco F.8l Faleo F.SL Falco F.SL Cosmic Wind

Registration G·ARFV

G-APYB G-AD]] G-ARZ~/[

G-ARRZ G-APIE G-ANDA G-ADKM G-ASSU G-ANZZ G-ASUO G-ATHT G-ATSK G-AREI G-ATNW G-ATLB G-ARYS G-ASLY G-AORE G-APTS G-APPK G-AOTG G-ABVE G-AGWB G-ASIT G-ASUB G-ALZG G-ASYM G-ATAK G-AROT G-ARUL

Pilot

Remarks

J. Marsh P. G. Bannister A. J. Jarman Mrs Anne1icse Pinto J. Gilberl Fit Lieut G. S. Whilley Miss Margo A. McKellar Sqn Ldr F. R. E. Haytcr F. O. Marsh T. M. Storey G. R. Janney S. A. Warwick N. H. Jones Maj M. Somerton-Rayner A.J. Paston-Williams B. J. Snook

Red/white Red/white Blue/white Blue .Red Red Blue/silvcr Silvcr/red Cream Silver/black White/red Green/white White/blue Yellow Turquoise/white White/yellow Grey/red/white Blue/white Silver Red/white Red/white Red/white Silver/white/reel Silver/whitc Red/white/black Red/white Bronze Grey/maroon While/blue Grey

J.

Stewart~Wood

L. Dunkerley

W. F. Aust

J. A. C. Miles R. H. Nicholls Mrs Christine E. Hughes Capt D. V..' . Phillips FIt Lieut A. Turley A. J. Spiller J. Marriott P. Blamire F. S. Gathercolc J. R. Crosby E. N. Husbands D. 11. Bartas

Hawk Speed Six Comanche 260

G-ADGP G-ATOY

W. H. Todd 1vIiss Sheila Scolt

Bolkow Junior Prentice Gardan Horizon

G-AVl\H G-.'WIU G-ATDG

J.

L. J. Benjamin

S. Coggins 1\1. Brook

427

Ballerina.

green/cream Cream/red 1v1;'th Too, white/gold Silver Green/white

The blue and silver Tigcr NIoth G-ANDA, which l'vfargo McKcllar flew at Roborough in Round One of the 1966 National Air Races. (Peter Lewis.)

Out of 33 starters Paul Bannister came first at 106·5 mph, second was Fred Marsh at 125 mph; and third at 140·75 mph was S. A. Warwick. Maj Somerton-Rayner's Auster A.O.P.l'vlk.3 G-AREI was forced to land after losing oil pressure and, after the race, Percy Blamirc's Gemini G-ALZG was damaged while parked when a Hornet Moth swerved into it taking-off in a cross-wind. The main event was preceded by the race for the Silver Tiger Moth Trophy, confined to Tiger Moths only, in which the enlrants were GAOAA-G. R. Janney, G-ANDA-Miss Margo A. McKellar, G-ANOR -So B. E. Legat, and G-ANZZ-R. Blech. Only lhree left the line, first place going to Legat at 107·5 mph in the silver G-ANOR, second was Miss lVlcKellar and third R. S. Voice-replacing one of the others. Her sixth place in lhe first Round of the National Air Races at 137· 75 mph in the Chipmunk G-AOTG made Mrs Christine Hughes the highest placed of the three women competing, and this brought her the Valerie vVinsor Trophy. The Johnson Cleaners Trophy was awarded to Paul Bannister, and he was presented also at the Roborough Round One of the Nationals with the Air League Challenge Cup.

The blue Turbulent G-ARZl'v1 flown in the 1966 National Air Raees by IvIrs Anneliese Pinto. (Pctcr Lcwis.)

428

The annual Ke11t A1esse11ger Ail' Race started from Rochester on 17 July, 1966, with eight entrants compcting over three laps of.a 20 mile circuit. Dennis Hartas flew the Cosmic "rind G-ARUL Ballerma around the coursc of 60 miles at 179·6 mph to win for the second time, second was Gordon Janney piloting the Balkow Junior G-ASUO, and third came F. S. Gathercole flying the Falco F.8L G-ASYM; participating also "'ere John Miles-Chipmunk, Bill Innes-Active 2, Rex Nicholls-Chipmunk, Christopher D'Oylcy-Tiger ~/loth,. and Daphne Poyntcr-Turbulent. For Round Two the National Air Races moved to ~vliddleton St George on 6 August, the eoursc of 99 miles being made up of three laps of 33 miles each. Sheila Scott and her record-breaking Comanche G-ATOY lv1),th Too won at 187 mph and the awards of the Norton Griffiths Challenge Trophy-al1d the 1.e.I. Challenge Cup for first place. Second at 173·75 mph wasJ. Marriott lIying the Mooney M.20E G-ASUB, and third place went to S. A. Warwick piloting the Vicla Airlourer G-ATHT at 140·5 mph. Sheila Scott and Myth Too-emblazoned with its celebrated pilot's appropriate 99 racing number-rounded off a h5gh.Iy successful day's flying on 6 August at Middleton St George by wmmng the second allwomen's race for the British 99s Air Racing Challenge Cup at 183·5 mph. Miss Delphine Gray-Fisk flew the Mooney M.20E G-ATOU into second place, and Mrs Christine Hughes was third in the Chipmunk G-AOTG. The five whom they beat were Miss Daphne Poynter-Turbulent GASAM Mrs Anneliese Pinto-Turbulent G-ARZM, Miss Thea AdamsAuster 'J-IN Alpha G-AHHP, Miss Margo A. McKellar-Tiger Moth G-ANDA and Miss Janet L. Ferguson-Condo,' G-ATSK. The N~tional Air Races for 1966 culminated at Baginton in the race for the King's Cup. On 12 August the third and final roun? was to be h~ld in two heats; respective winners being Margo McKellar In Hcat A WIth the Tiger Moth G-ANDA and Sheila Scott in Heat B with her Comanche G-ATOY Myth Too, each of whom retained the John Morgan Air Racing Challenge Trophy for six months for their top places in the Round Three heats. Bad weather was encountered, and this brought about the postponement afReat B after one lap on 12 August until the following'morning. The 16 highest-placed aircraft and pilots passing into the King's Cup event on 13 August were: Aircraft Tiger ?VIOlh ~ipper 2 Hornet Moth CP 30lA Emeraude Chipmunk 22 Cessna 1728 Cessna 172E Chipmunk 22 Chipmunk 22 Victa AirlQUrer Jode! DR. 1050 Cessna 180 Mooney M.20E Cosmic Wind Hawk Speed Six Comanche 260

Registration G-ANDA G-APYB G-ADKM G-ASSU G-AOTG G·ARYS G-ASLY G-APPK G-APTS G-ATHT G-ATLB G-ASIT G-ASUB G-ARUL G-ADGP G-ATOY

429

Pilot Miss :Margo A. McKellar P. G. Bannister Sqn Ldr F. R. E. Hayter F. O. 1.Iarsh Mrs Christine E. Hughes J. Stewart-\,Vood 1.. Dunkerley R. H. Nicholls J. A. C. Miles S. A. Warwick B. J, Snook A. J. Spiller J. Marriott D. M. Harlas W. H. Todd Miss Sheila Scott

of the Nlanx Air Derby in the hIe of Man over two laps of a 50 mile circuit, the 100 mile race starting and finishing atJurby and taking in the northern half of the Island.

The cream and red Miles M.2L Hawk Speed Six G-ADGP flown in the 1967 Manx Air Derby by A.]. Osborne. CPeler Le~vis.) The ci.rcuit at Baginton was 11 miles, and six laps were flown in a

st~ong wmd for the 66 mile King's Cup Course. The strength of the wl?d caused Paul B~nnister to withdraw, and the race was won by John

MIles at 135 mph In the red and white Chipmunk G-APTS, Beverley Snook was second at 138 mph, and Dennis Hartas came third at 178 mph. As British,Air Racing Champion for 1966, John Miles o[ the Surrey a,nd Kent Flymg Club was awarded the Royal Aero Club Jubilee 1rophy. Last held in 1958, the Goodyear Air Challenge Trophy race was revived on.29 August, 1966, at Halfpenny Green, Stourbridge, and drew 32 entraI1:ts for three laps of the 26 mile circuit. Heavy rain fell and, on roundmg the .first pylon, ,,y. P. Innes crashed in the Cosmic "Vind GARUL Ba..'lenll~ and was injured. Although as scratch pilot she was last to take-oft, SheIla Scott flew an excellent race in her Comanche 260 G~ ;'\:TOY Myth Too to come in first at 188 mph to win the Silver Seagull Iroph>: and £200, Fred Marsh was second at 123·75 mph in the CP 30lA Emeraude G-ASSU, and thIrd place went to J. Marriott at 172·5 mph In the Mooney M.20E G-ASUB. The winning o[ the Goodyear evct;lt brought to an end a year of record setting and racing successes for Sheila Scott and Myth Too. . The ~oll~son competition of 1964 achieved its oqject of stimulating mterest ~n ~lI1gle-seat racer d~slgn and the first and second prizewinners were bmlt m En~land; th~ eIghth place machine-the Corby Starletwas constructed m Australta as VH-S::BS by its designer John Corby of Sydney and was the first of t~e entn~s to fly, the Taylor Titch having been d~layed by da~a~e sustamed dunng a ground loop while making its first t.nals.. The wm.mng Luton Group Beta was built by Rollason at Redhlll with the asSlst.anee. of Tiltman, Langley Ltd, and J. T. Blythe L.td, and made Its mllIal flight from that aerodmme on 21 April, 1967, pIio~ed by Norman Jones. Powered by the 65 hp Continental, the Reta ~-A 1 LY was given a colour scheme of red and white with a black lrim lme. The main racing events for 1967 started on 20 May with the holding 430

Aircraft

Registration

C-ASKP C-AKFC C-ATLB C-AVCZ C-ASSU C-ASEU C-ASFO C-ARRD C-AVEF C-AVIE C-APYW C-AKDN G-APPM C-ASIT F-OClB G-AMME G-ALZG G-ATAK G-ASUB C-AROT D-EKEZ G-ASYM D-EDIH

Pilot C. Clutton N. Brooke P. B. R. Vanneck N. H.Joncs F. O. Marsh ~lissJanet L. Ferguson W. H. Todd A. G. Perkins T. i\'1. Storey J. Stewart-Wood P. G. Bannister A. McNamara Dr N. 1. Dalziel A. Spillcr P. Robin P. Jackson P. Blamire ]. A. C. Miles J. Marriott E. N. Husb'lIlds P. Koester F. S. Gathercole H. Klein.

Retnarks

Tiger Moth Ereoupe 4l5-CD Jodel DR.1050 Condor Emeraude CP 30lA Condor Bolkow Junior Jodel rlR.1050 SAN D.150 Mascaret Cessna F.I72H Piper Tri-Pacer Chipmunk I Chipmunk 22 Cessna 180 ]ode! DR.250 Gemini Gemini 3C Falco F.aL Mooney M.20E Falco F.8L S.3 Falco F.8L Falco F.aL SA B.F.W. Messerschmitt Me 108 Hawk Speed Six Coman.che 250 Comanche 260B

G-ADGP C-ASC] C-ATOY

A. J. Osborne P. J. Hughes-Reckitt r.,'liss Sheila Scott

Twin Comanche Twin Comanche N.A. P·jID Mustang Wassmer ''''A.41 Baladou

C-ASWW C-ASSB N6356T C-AVEU

Cream/red Blue/white White/gold, disqualified Blue/white Tan/biege Red/white White/blue

.r.

D. M. Parsons L. Richards

C. B. C. Masefield R. H. Nicholls

Red/yellow Red/cream Yellow/black/white Yellow Cream/red Yellow Blue/white White/red Red/white, retired Red/white Red/white White/red Silver Red/black/whi.tc Silver/white Bronze Blue/white White/red Grcy White Grey/maroon Blue/white

First place [or the Manx Air Derby Challenge Trophy and 200 guineas and Cambrian Airways Challenge Cup went to W. H. Todd, second at 146 mph for the Cambrian Airways Challenge Trophy and 120 guineas was R. H. Nicholls, and, in third place came P. B. R. Vanneek at 139·75 mph to receive the Cambrian Cup and 80 guineas. The P-5ID Mustang 16356T was flown by C. B. G. Masefield at 233 mph, for the award of the Island Caterers' Board Trophy for the highest speed in the race. A special award for the best performance by a lady pilot awaited Sheila Scott who, flying her Comanche G-ATOY Myth Too, received the Isle o[ Man Airports Board Cup. Sheila Scott and Myth Too were ready for another long-distance record attempt. Sponsored by Ken '''Toad and timed to coincide with the opening of his new factory in South A~rica, the flight was to be fr?m London Airport, Heathrow to Malan AII'port, Cape Town, 6,017 nules distant. €)n 29 June, 1967, the white and gold monoplane left Heathrow but the flight ended at Benghazi where Nfyth Too was held up by delay in obtaining the required permit to fly over Chad, and any chance ofgaining the record was lost. Aircraft and pilot then flew back to England to prepare for a fresh start which was made from Heathrow on 6.J uly, 1967. 431

This time a revise~ route was followed which took the Comanche along the West Coast of Afnca, and on 9 July, after a flight of 74 hI' 14 min 39 sec at an average speed of 81·05 mph, Sheila Scott and iVIylh Too landed at IVlalan-the new holders of the Class C.l point.to-point record from England to the Cape. The revised route had involved a distance of 7,800 miles, nearly 1,000 miles longer than that taken by Amy Johnsonthe pre~lous holder, and yet the time was bettered by 4 hI' l3 min 21 sec. On Sunday, 16 july, the 1967 Kent i\llessenger Air Race, organized by vv. A. Chesson, was held at Rochester over a 57 mile course consisting of three laps of 19 miles each. The competitors were:

The Balkow 20BC Junior G-AVI\'H piloted to fifth place in thc 1967 Kent J\1essengcr Air Race by Gordon Janne)'. (Peter Lewis.)

flight to the Cape, Sheila Scott returned to England so that she could compete in the Nationals, in which she flew the Cherokee Six G-AVFS at Roborollgh. Charles Masefield and his Mustang N6356T averaged 276 mph to arrive first, at nearly 100 mph lower speed E. Noel Husbands flew the Falco F.8L-3 G-AROT into second place at 177·5 mph, and Margo McKellar came in third at 121·2 mph in the Condor G-AVKM. The rules for the award of the de Havilland Silver Tiger Moth Trophy at Roborough on 22 july, 1967, were altered to a two-lap handicap for newcomers to racing instead of being restricted-as previously-to Tiger Moths only. Out of six starters the winner was Cdr \,\T. H. "V. Lucas at 121·5 mph in the Auster J-IN G-AGVF, second was the Chipmunk GAPPM flown by Dr N. I. Dalziel at 134·5 mph, and third Lieut-Cdr. C. D. W. Pugh at 133·2 mph in the Chipmunk T.Mk.IO WK511. The first round of the Nationals over, Sheila Scott flew back to Cape Town by regular airline to prepare to attack the record from the Cape to England. Leaving shortly after midnight on 29-30 July, G-ATOY flew north from Malan Airport to reach Heathrow on 1 August, 1967, arriving aftcr 2 day 19 hI' 56 min to set a new point-to-point record for the route having saved nearly seven hours on the outward time. This return journey was made by the eastern route but was far from pleasant as she was not allowed to land in Egypt and had to fly across the south·eastcrn part of the Sahara, where trouble was experienced with the radio and navigational equipment. Later a vicious thunderstorm was encountered near Paris. Round Two of the 1967 National Air Races took place on 5 August at :r"Iiddleton St George, with 32 starters competing over three laps of the 30·5 mile triangular course. Equipped with a new metal propeller of increased pitch, the Beta G-ATL Y flown by james Baring came in first at 144·25 mph to win the Norton Griffiths Challenge Trophy and the I.C.I. Challenge Cup, second was E. N. Husbands at 180·5 mph in the Falco F.8L S.3 G-AROT, third was Dr N. I. Dalziel at 138·5 mph in the Chipmunk G-APPM, fourth came R. H. Nicholls at 137·5 mph in the Chipmunk G-AOTG, fifth was F. O. Marsh at 123·75 mph with the Emeraude G-ASSU, and sixth was Sheila Scott at 190 mph, racing iVIylh Too again only four days after her return from Cape Town. During lap two, the Proctor 3 G-AG\rVB-with Dawn Turley at the controls and accompanied by her husband Fit Lieut Alan Turley-caught fire and made a forced landing, during which the unlucky crew were burned severely. Competed for also at lvliddleton St George on 5 August, 1967, was the British 99s Air Racing Challenge Cup over 63 miles, made up of two laps of the 31·5 mile course. l"irst out of five starters in the third 99s race was lvliss Daphne Poynter at 150·25 mph in the white and blue \'Vassmer Baladou G-AVEU, Sheila Scott and the Comanche Myth Too came in second at 190·25 mph, and third was Margo McKellar at 124·25 mph in the yellow and blue Condor G-AVKM. Competing also in the 99s race were Mrs Christine E. Coombe flying the red and white Chipmunk GAOTG and Mrs Elizabeth Over-bury with the white and blue Cessna 150B G-ARZF. Round Three of the 1967 Nationals was held at Tollerton on 18 August. Fourteen starters competed in Heat A consisting of four laps of 12·5 miles each, the winner-?vIaj 1\1. Somerton-Rayner flying the Auster

432

433

Aircraft

Turbulent Tiger Moth Tiger Moth Jode! DR. 1050 Bolkow 208C Junior Chipmunk 22 Stampe SVAB Condor Wassmer WAAI BaJadou Cessna J75A Falco F.8LS.4 Turbulent Jode! DR. 1050 Falco F.8L Cessna 172 Austcr 5 Tiger Moth Chipmunk 22 I-Iawk Spccd Six

Registration

G-ARRZ G-AODS G-ATJA G-AVNH G-APPM G-ATKC G-ATAU G-AVEU G-ARCK G-ASYM G-ASDB G-ARUH G-ATAK D-ECQU G-AJGJ G-ANZZ G-APTS G-ADGP

Pilot R. S. Voicc C. Dennis H. Foulds R. Skinner G. R.Janney Dr N. 1. Dalziel R. d'Erianger S. Klecskowski R. Nicholls B. Lundberg F. S. Gathcrcolc ]. Gilbert F. Williams C. Hughes J. Willund G. Hill D. M. Hartas* J. A. C. Miles * A. J. Osbornc·

* Withdrew. In first place was Robin Voice, second Clive Dennis and third Harry Foulds. ' The National Air Races for 1967 started on 22 July at Roborough, PlY:n outh , with the holding of Round One over two laps of the course for whIch there were 30 starters, and the event was the first race for the Rollason Luton Beta G-ATLY which the Hon James Baring brought in tenth at 138 mph. Leaving Myth Too in South Africa after its record

"'g

A.0.P.Mk.9 XP241 at 121·25 mph-receiving the Players No.6 Trophy, G. R. Janney was second at 131 mph in the Bolkow Junior G-AVNH) third place went to B. A. Bennett at 118·5 mph in the Condor G-AVEX, J. Marriott was fourth at 168·5 mph in the Mooney M.20E G-ASUB, fifth was C. D. W. Pugh at 133·75 mph in the Chipmunk T.Mk.IO WK511, and sixth was F. O. Marsh with the Emeraude G-ASSU at 120 mph. Heat B was run over the same distance of 50 miles on 18 August also, with 13 starters out of whom R. H. Kicholls brought the Chipmunk G-AOTG in first at 135 mph for the Players Gold Leaf Trophy, in second place was N. I. Dalziel at 135 mph in the Chipmunk G-APPM, third was Sheila Scott with her Comanche G-ATOY M)'lh Too at 185·5 mph, fourth came G. R. Ferriman at 135 mph flying the Cherokee G-ATVL, fifth J. Stewart-Wood with the Cessna F.I72H G-AVIE at 132·5 mph, and sixth Margo MeKellar at 119· 75 mph flying the Condor G-AVKM. 19 August was cold and cloudy at Tollcrton for the 17 starters in the 1967 King's Cup Race over six laps of the 12·5 mile quadrilateral course. Competing were: Aircraft Beta

Falco F.8L Mooney M.20E Jodel DR. 1050 Excellence Comanche 26013 B61kow Junior

Emeraude Condor Condor Cessna F. I72H Cessna F,I72H Chipmunk 22 Chipmunk T.rvlk.IO Chipmunk 22 Hornet Moth Auster A.O.P.Mk.9 N.A. P-5ID Mustang

Registration G-ATLY G-AROT G-ASUB C-ATLB

G-ATOY G-AVNH G-ASSU G-AVKM G-AVEX G-AVIE G-AVHH G-AOTG WK511 G-APPM G-ADKM XP241 N6356T

Charles 'Iasefield's white forth American P·5ID l+o.fustang N6356T being prepared at Shoreham by Dick Vcall of Beagle, prior to winning the King's Cup for 1967 at To11erton on 19 August at 277·5 mph. (PeLer Lewis.)

Pilot Baring

J.

E. N. Husbands

J.

Marriott T. 1'0'1. Storey

Miss Sheila SCOtl G. R.Janney F. O. Marsh Miss Margo A. McKellar B. A. Bennett

.1.

Stewart-Woo?

A. Barker \ R. 1-1. Nicholls Lieut-Cdr C. D. W. Pugh Dr N. 1. Dalziel Sqn Ldr F. R. E. Hayter Maj M. Somerton-Rayner

C.

n.

C. Mascfield

Third place in the 1967 King's Cup event went to the D.H.C.I Chipmunk 22 G-AOTG flown by R. H. Nicholls at 137·75 mph. (Peler Lewis.)

Already won in 1964 by an American midget racer, the King's Cup for 1967 went to another American type~the white North American P-51D Mustang N6356T piloted by Charles Masefie1d at 277·5 mph, the highest winning speed so far. Before being acquired by Charles Masefield it was flown by T. D. Keegan. Second was John Stewart-Wood at 135·5 mph, third Rex Nicholls at 137·75 mph, fourth Sheila Scott at 188·75 mph, fifth James Baring at 150 mph, and sixth C. D. W. Pugh at 137·75 mph. The Grosvenor Challenge Cup for 1967 was awarded on 19 August at Tollerton on a team basis, the winners being the Tiger Club A Tearrl comprising James Baring, Fred Marsh and John Stewart-' Vood with 217 points, second with 178 points came the Tiger Club B Team and third the Rollason Team with 157 points. The J. N. Somers Trophy and 50 guineas for the top-scoring novice racing pilot of the season went to Brian A. BennetL with 52 points. Also held at Tollerton on 19 August, 1967, was the first race for the new Everard Trophy for helicopters, won by K. J Kingsbury at 96·3 mph with the Brantly B.2B G-ASXE finished in light and dark blue, M. F.

Higginson piloting the green Hughes 300 EI-APN came in second at 79 mph, and the Westland Scout A.H.Mk.l XP855 flown by Maj J. Dawson was third at 127 mph; seven helicopters were entered in the event which was over four laps around a short course. John Stewart-'rVood was declared the British Air Racing Champion for 1967. On 28 August, 1967, the raee for the Goodyear Air Challenge Trophy was held at Halfpenny Green. Consisting of five laps around the 18 mile course, the event was won by "V. H. Todd flying the Bolko\\' 208 Junior G-ASFO with J. Marsh navigating, second was Norman Jones with the Condor G-AVOH, third came Fred Marsh with the Emeraude G-ASSU, fourth was H. IVL Freeman with the Terrier G-ARLP to tie with D. R. Pritchard flying the Chipmunk G-APPtvl, and sixth was Sheila Scott piloting the Comanche Myth Too. Invited to appear in support of the British "Veek in Toronto-the suggestion was made on 2 August, 1967, the day after her landing at Heathrow at the end of the record flight from Cape Town~Sheila Scott used the occasion for record breaking by setting several new times with

434

435

her Comanche 260B G-ATOY lv{J'lh Too. Take-off point [01' the North Atlantic crossing was to be Shannon Airport and at I a.l11. on 9 October, 1967) the celebrated monoplane left London Airport for Ireland. On arrival there bad weather brought a delay of four days, but) at 1.56 a.m. on 13 October, lVf)~11t Too and its fair pilot took-off into the night from Shannon. Gander was reached after 17 hI' 14 min-a new record. Two more new records were added---Shannon to Ottawa in 40 hI' 47 min 35 sec

elapsed time, during which Ottawa was over(-Jown, and Shannon to Toronto in 42 hI' 17 min 6 sec elapsed time, TOl'Onto being reached on 14 October. After ten days there Shelia Scott flew on into the United States and then farther south to South America, to leave Natal in Brazil on 18 November, ]967, to cross to Dakar and create a new South Atlantic record of 11 h1'. On 20 November, 1967, a final record was added to the list, when a new inter-capital time was set up from Madrid to London with a speed o[ 151·7 mph. Any sense of anti-climax following the strenuous last six weeks was combated for Sheila Scott by the Fleet Air Arm's invitation to H~1S !ieroll, Yeovilton. Accompanied by Lieut-Cdr Arthur Milnes, she took·off In the two-seat Hunter T.:Nlk.8 XL584 on 7 December, climbing to 42,000 fl before diving to become the first British civilian woman pilot to fly thl'Ough the sound barrier. For XL584 the occasion was commemorated by being named Sheila Scott. 1968 turned out to be about the worst year within memory for bad weather throughout the summer racing period, but was one in wruch there appeared a new determination to inject fresh vitality into racing by the introduction of some additional ail'craft designs. At the same time, disenchantment with the same formulae governing the style of events from one year to the next was manifest, and suggestions began to appear-at increasingly frequent intervals-for a revision of the types of contest. Earliest of the races announced for ]968 were those scheduled to be held on 15 April at Sandown, Isle o[ Wight. On 26 April) 1968) there came the announcement of a transatlantic air race to bc held in 1969 to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the Atlantic crossing by Alcock and Brown, The event was to be sponsored once again by the Daily Mail, the starting points for competitors to be the GPO Tower in London or the Empire State Building, New York) with each providing the finishing point, depending on which direction the entrants chose for their attempts. The start and finish of the contest were to be on foot at the top of each of the buildings) the total prize Jist was to be £45,000 and the competition was to be held belween 4 and 11 May. The annual Manx Air Derby took place in the Isle of Man at Jurby on 27 April, 1968, over five laps of a shorter 19 mile course in the north of the Island. Competing were a number of well-known racing pilots and first place [or the Manx Air Derby Challenge Trophy, the Cambrian Airways Cup and 200 guineas went to Norman Jones at 126·25 mph in the Condor G-AVCZ, second place for a cup presented by Cambrian Airways was gained by Janet Ferguson at 123·75 mph in the Condor GASEU, Fred l\1arsh was awarded a cup by Cambrian Airways for coming third at 126·5 mph in the Emeraude G-ASSU, fourth place went to R. L. Ranseombe at 135·75 mph with the Bolkow Junior G-ASZD, fifth was E. Dawson at 177 mph in the Falco F.8L G-AVUJ, and Sheila Scott averaged 191 mph in the Comanche G-ATOY My/h Too [or sixth place. For the best performance by a lady pilot Janet Ferguson received the Isle of Man Airports Board Cup, and Charles Masefield's highest speed achieved brought him the award of the Island Caterers Trophy. During September ]968, the surprise announcement was made that earlier in the year-on 11 May-Wg Cdr K. H. I'Vallis had established a

436

437

The Balkow 208]unior G-ASFO flown by \·V. H. Todd to win the 1967 event for the Goodyear Air Challenge Trophy. (Goody'ear.)

Gp Capt D. R. S. Bader presents ,"'. H. Todd, lift, with the D. Harris Cup, the Goodyear Silver Rose Bowl and the Goodyear Silver Seagull Air Challenge Trophy, all or whieh he won at Halrpenny G.'cen on 28 August, 1967. (Go.,')"ar. )

The weather at Middleton St George on 2 August, 1968, [or Round One of the Nationals was fine with a light breeze. Twenty-three starters lined up for Round One held i.n the e.vening with three laps each of .33 miles over a triangular course from l\1.Iddlcton St George to Castle HIll, Catlerick, Harsley Castle and back. First place for the Air League Challenge Cup went to Gordon Janne)' at 152·5 mph in the Jodel D.14? lVlousquetaire G-ATKX, second was Sqn L~r F. R. E. Hayter at... 121·;) mph in the Hornet l'vloth G-ADKM, and tlmd Fred Marsh at 120 mph with the Emeraude G-ASSU. Round Two took place 111 the afternoon of 3 August over the same course, and out of 27 starlers first in the 99 mile race for the l'\orton Griffiths Challenge Trophy and the I.C.I. Challenge Cup was J. Marriott at 127·75 mph in the Messenger 2A G-AKKO, Norman Jones second with the Condor G-A\ VF)J' at 128·5 mph, and thIrd M. A. Pruden at 125 mph flying the Chipmunk 23 G-APOS. Tollerton on 23 August was host to the competitors in Round Three of the National Air Races which consisted of two heats. Heat A was flown by:

Janet Ferguson at Goodwood on 21 June, 1968, in the yellow Condor G-ATAU during the National Air Races. (Peter Lewis.)

new Class E.3 and E.3a altitude record of 15,350 ft for autogyros. Takingoff from A.&A.E.E. Boscombe Down in his 72 hp McCullough WA-116 G-ARRT prototype of 1961, he landed on Marlborough Racecourse. A race between hot-air balloons was arranged to take place on 25 May, 1968, during the Open Day of the GAPAN held at Denham. Extremely bad weather with heavy rain spoiled any possibility of seeing the hot-air balloons racing. Sponsored by Rothmans of Pall :rviall and the I rish Tourist Board, the race for the Rothmans Trophy on 2June, 1968, lormed part of the second Rothmans International Rally held at Ballyfrce, Glenealy, County Wicklow, on 1-3June. Flying theJode! D.150 Mascaret all52 mph, Tom Storey came first to win the Trophy, and at 197 mph-an excellent speed for Atfylk Too and the highest average in the race-Sheila Scott came in

Aircraft

Registration

Chipmunk 23 Hornet Moth Beta Tiger 1...10th Condor Emeraude CP 30lA Condor Bolkow Junior Chipmunk T.Mk.IO Gemini 3C Falco F.BL N.A. P*5l D Mustang

G-APOS G-ADKM G-ATLY G-ASKP G-ASEU G-ASSU G-AWFN G-ASZD Vi'K608 G-ALZG G-ASYM N6356T

Pilot ~L A. Pruden Sqn Ldr F. R. 1::. HaytcL' Capt D. W. Phillips Krov N. i\lenuhin Miss Gwen A. Smith F. O. :Marsh N. H. Jones R. L. Ranscombe Lieut-Cdr C. D. W. Pugh P. Blamire F. S. Gathel'cole C. B. C. Masefield

ReJDarks

''''hite/blue Silver/red Red/white/black Red/yellow Yellow Cream Yellow Blue/while Silver nronze Grcy/maroon Red/white

~;ixth.

The National Air Races for 1968 wcrc schcduled with three rounds, Round One to take place at Goodwood on 21-22June. This was hampered by the weather which-on the first day planned for practice-alternated between rain and sunshine. On the following day the race for the British 99s Air Racing Challenge Cup was to be run, but a positive deterioration in the weather brought cancellation of Round One at Goodwood with its transfer to 22 August at wliddlewn St George, and the postponement of the 99s event until 2 September at Halfpenny Green. Another racing event announced for the summer of 1968 was that of the Tiger Club Air Races for Rochester on 14 July, but they failed to materialize. Since its successful debut during the 1967 racing season, the Beta had been modified to improve its pcrformance so that, for 1968, it was equipped with the more powerful 90 hp Continental and a pair of spats. 438

I

----

),1. 1\.

J

Pruden in thc cockpit of the agricultural Chipmunk 23 G-APOS. (Peler Lewis.)

439

The silver and maroon Falco F.8L G-AVUJ flown in the 196B Nationals by E. Dawson. (Peter Lewis.)

The silver and red Arrow Active 2 G-ABVE at Goodwood on 21 June, 1968. (Peter Lewis.)

The crcam Messengcr 2A G-AKKO flown by J. Marriott in the 1968 National Air Races. (Peter Lewis.)

I

The black and silver Tiger Moth G-ANZZ The Archbishop, flown by Daphne Poyntcr in the 1968 Nationals. (Peler Lewis.)

I At the Nationals at Goodwood on 21 June, 1968, the red and white Cessna 172 G-ASZVl flown by J. B. Thompson. (Peter Lewis.)

Lee Refrigeration's entry in the 1968 National Air Races-the striking blue and white Cessna 401 G-A"VDM flown by D. Kirk. (Peter Lewis.)

440

441

_.".,..-.."» __ . .£J

.J~:;~~~~!t]

Still racing after 40 years, i'\orman Jones entered the yellow Condor G-A\VFN in the Ta tional Air Races of 1968. (Peler uwis.)

R. H. Kicholls piloted the yellow Condor G~AVEX in the 1968 ~ational Ail" Races. (Peler Lewis.)

Fourteenth place in the 1968 race [or the King's Cup wenllo Lieut-Cdr C. D. W. Pugh with the silver Chipmunk T.l\1k.1O \VK608. (Peler Lewis.)

Gwen Smith flew the British 'Vomen Pilots Association's yellow Condor G-ASEU in the 1968 National Air Races. (Peler Lewis.)

Thirteenth place in the King's Cup Race for 1968 was taken by the white and red Chipmunk 22 G-AOSK flown by D. McQuaid. (Peter Lewis.)

M.J. Coburn flew the red Falco F.8L G-ATAK in the 1968 National Air Races. (Peler Lewis.)

The yellow Condor G-A \VEI piloted in the 1968 Nationals by Margo ~lcKellar. (Peler Lewis.)

T. i'd. Storey's mount in the 1968 i'\ational Air Races-the white, black and yellow J ode! DR.1050~1 G-ATLB. (Peler Lewis.)

442

443

1

Tenth place in the King's Cup Race for 1968 was taken by Sheila Scott with her white and gold Comanche 260B G·ATOY Nfytlt Too, seen at Goodwood on 21 June, 1968. (Peter Lewis.)

Robin Voice flew the ycllow Turbulent G-ASAM in the National Air Races of 1968. (Peler Lewis.)

I P. Blamire about to take-off for practice in his bronze Gcmini 3C G-ALZG at Goodwood on 21 June, 1968. (Peter Lewis.)

The red and yellow Tiger !\i[oth G-ASKP wiLh which Krov N. ~1enuhin competed in the 1968 ational Air Races. (Peter Lewis.)

444

The silver and green Tayloreraft Plus D G-AHGZ flown by S..R. CherryDownes in the National Air Races of 1968. (Peter lewIS.)

The red and white Rollason Luton BeLa G·ATLY during Round Ol~e of the 1968 National Air Races at Goodwood on 21 June. (Peter LewIs.)

445

The race \vas won at 126·5 mph by 1\1. A. Pruden, second was F. R. E. Hayter at 120·25 mph, and third D. W. Phillips at 160·5 mph. Mike Pruden's win in Heat A brought him the award of the Players No. 6 Trophy and £25. The competitors in Heat B were: Aircraft

?\Icssenger 2A Cessna 180 Cessna F.172H Tiger ~loth Auster A.O.P..\lk.9 Condor Jode! D.117 Condor Chipmunk Jodel D.I4Q Falco F.8L Nord 1101 Noralpha Comanche 2608

Registration Pilot G-AKKO J. Marriott G-ASIT A. J. Spiller G-AVIE .J. Stewart· 'Wood G·ANEL W. P ..Meynell G-AVHT Maj 1\1. Somcrton·RaYller G·AVEX R. H. 1 kholls G-ASZH W. H. Todd G-AVCZ Miss J and L. Ferguson G-AOSK D. McQuaid G-ATKX G. R.Janney G-AVUJ E. Dawson G-ATHH A. :McNamara G-ATOY i\'liss Sheila Scott

Remarks Cream \\'hite/red/black Red/white Silver/red Camouflaged Yellow White/red Yellow White/red White/red Silver/maroon lllue/white White/gold, retired in first lap

r

Capl D. 'y". Phillips who flew the Bela G·ATLY into 15lh place in the 1968 race for the King's Cup. (Peler Lewis.)

The Players Gold Leaf Trophy and £25 were awarded to Jack Marriott for winning Heat B at 126·75 mph. second place went to A.]. Spiller at 158 mph, and third was]. Stewart-Wood at 134-25 mph. On 24 August, the 16 highest placed pilots from the qualifying rounds

took-off in warm and breezy but misty conditions for the 1968 King's Cup Race over six laps of a 13·2 mile circuit. Those competing 'were: Aircraft Hornet Moth Cessna 180 Cessna F.I 72H Condor JocielD.117 Emcraude Condor Messenger 2A Chipmunk 23 Comanche 260B Joclc1 D.140 Falco F.8L Condor Chipmunk T.Mk.1O Beta P·5ID Mustang

Registration C-ADKM G-ASIT C-AV!E G-AWFN G-ASZH G-ASSU G-ASEU G-AKKO G-APOS G-ATOY G-ATKX G-AVUJ G-AVCZ WK60B

Pilot Sqn Ldr F. R. E. Haytc!' A. J. Spiller J. Stewart·Wood N. H.Jones

G~ATLY

Capt D. W. Phillips

N6356T

C. B. G. Maseficld

W. j-I. Todd F. O. Marsh Miss Gwen A. Smith

J.

MarriOlt

M. A. Pruden Miss Sheila Scott G. R.Janney E. Dawson D. McQuaid Licut·Cdr C. D. W. Pugh

D. 1\1. Hanas in the cockpit of the Arrow Active G-AJ3VE which he flew in the 1968 National Air Races. (Peler Lewis.)

First was F. R. E. Hayter at 121 mph, second A. J. Spiller al 160-5 mph and third J. Stewa,·t-Wood at 135 mph. The remaining awards of the 1968 National Air Races were those of the de Havilland Tiger Moth Trophy to W. P. IVIeynell, the J. N. Somers Trophy and 50 guineas to R. L. Ranscombe, the National Air Races Team Challenge Trophy to the Halfpenny Green Air Racing Team, and the Geoffrey de Havilland Trophy to Charles Maseficld for his speed of 291 mph during Round One.

446

447

il

I I I

Fifth place in the King's Cup race of 1968 went 10 "V. H. Todd, flying the while and red Jadel D.117 G-ASZH. (Peler Lewis.)

For the second year running the helicopter race for the Everard Trophy formed pan of the Nationals and, once again, the winner was Ken Kingsbury of British Executive Air Services Ltd, flying the Brantly B.2B G-ATFH at 97·5 mph, second was M. F. Higginson at 80·5 mph with the Hughes 300 G-AVUM, and in third place came Miss Gwen Absolom flying the Brantly B.2B G-ASXD at 91·5 mph. R. R. Absolom, piloting the Bell 206A JctRanger G-AWJL at 102 mph, was disqualified. Flown by D. W. Phillips, the Rollason Luton Beta G-ATLY proved its efficiency by winning the Carlsberg Trophy for Index of Performance, gaining 108·6 points at an average speed of 161·25 mph. Announced during 1968 was a new annual award-the International Experimental Aircraft Association prize of £20-to the highest placed amateur-built aircraft in the National Air Race Championship, the British Chapter of the E.A.A. being under the direction of Harold BestDevereux. Halfpenny Green Aerodrome was the base for 32 competitors in the

Taxi-ing at Goodwood on 21 June, 1968, the white and blue Chipmunk 23 G-APOS which i\1. A. Pruden flew into ninth plaee in the King's Cup Race. (Peler Lewis.)

448

5qn Ldl' F. R. E. Hayter taxi-ing out in the sihoel' and red D.H.87B Hornet :'\[oth G-ADKi\I, winner of the King's Cup for 1968 at 121 mph. (Peter Lewis.)

Scco~:d place in thc King's Cup raee of 1968 was taken by A. J. Spiller wilh the white, red and black Cessna 180 G-ASIT. (Peter lewis.)

F. O . .\larsh flew the cream Pie! Emeraude CP 30lA G-ASSU into sixth . place in the 1968 race for the King's Cup. (Peter Lewis.) p

449

Goodyear Air Challenge Trophy Race on 2 Seplembcr, 1968. Taking part were: Aircraft

Registration

T.66 .\lipper 2 Tiger ::\10lh

G-ARf"V G-Ai'\EL G-AVUH G-ARLP G-AVEX G-ASZH

Cessna F .150H A.61 Terrier I Condor Jodel D.II) Hornet ~Ioth Emeraude CP 30lA GY-20 ~Iinicab Jodel DR. 1050 Condor Condor ::\lessenger 2A B6lkow Junior BoJko\\' Junior Cessna F.I72H Chipmunk jode) DR. 1050 Excellence L--J.O i'fcta-Sokol Cessna 175C Jodel D.140C Cessna 180 Beta Gemini 3C .\Cooney ?vi .20C ::\Ik.2! :\"ord 1101 Noralpha Falco F.BL Falco F.BL S.+ Kensinger KF

G-ADK~1

G-ASSU G-AVR\,· G-ATAG G-AWFX G-A\VFO

G-AKKO G-ATTR G-ASZD G-A \"IE G-AOSK G-ATLB G-APVt.; G-AR\\rs

G-ATKX G-ASIT G-ATLY G-ALZG G-ASl'\P G-ATHH G-AVUJ G-ASY~1

Falco 1".81.. 8.3

G-ASSV G-AROT

Comanche 2608 1'-51 D Mustang

N6356T

G-ATOY

Pilot ]. l\Iarsh W. P. i\leyncll A. Barker

H. M. Freeman R. H. Xicholls W. J-l. Todd Sqn LeiI' F. R. E. Hayter F. O. ~Iarsh A. G. Perkins S. Bird ::\1issJanet L. Ferguson

K. H.Jones

J.

),Iarriott D. Pritchard R. L. Ranscom be J. Stewart.Wood ~1cQuoid ~lrsJulia ~I.

D.

P. Turner G. C. Savage ~1. Hennessy G. R. Janney A . .J. Spiller T. M. Storey P. Blamire G. L. Birch A. McNamara E. Dawson F. S. Gathcrcole P. G. Bannister E. N. Husbands Miss Sheila Scott C. B. G. Masefield

left last with a handicap also of one extra lap..Michael Jones, flying the Bela G·ATLY, came in first, second was his father Korman in the Condor G-AWFO, third B. 1. Stevens with the Fournier RF.4D G-AWGO, fourth A. Rutherford flying a Kipper, and fifth ",1. Holtby in a Turbulent. During the last few years British air racing had derived substantial benefits and encouragement through the generosity of several new sponsors, and in 1968 the cider makers, Bulmer Ltd, of Hcrefordshire presented the Strongbow Challenge Trophy and liberal cash awards. The first annual race for the Trophy was held over four laps of a reclangular 18·35 mile course during the Hnefordshire Aero Club's Flying Display at Shobdon on 28 September, 1968, and, despite a gusty 20 kt wind and heavy rain, there were 25 starters out of 33 entries. The first winner of the SrrongbowTrophy and £250 was W. H. Todd at 121·75 mph in the Jodel D.117 G-ASZH, second for £100 was F. R. E. Hayter at 121·5 mph in the Hornet Moth G-ADKM, third place went to R. L. Ranscombe at 135·75 mph flying the Bolkow Junior G-ASZD to win £50, and fourth for £25 was H. M. Freeman at 120·5 mph with the Terrier G-ARLP. The Strongbow contest drew a representative selection of the current aircraft employed for racing and included the Currie \Vot G·ASBA flown by L. R. Snook and a pair ofFourniers-the RF.4D G-AWBJ and the RF.4D G-A'VGO-which, flown respectively by J. Baxter and B. I. Stevens, rcturncd identical speeds of 112·25 mph each. This was the appearance in its first racc of Tom Storey's newly-completed TSR-3 "'onderplane

Andrew Perkins came in first at 130·5 mph to win the Silver Seagull Trophy and £200, second place at 127·75 mph was taken by S. Bird, and third came Charles Masefield at 292·25 mph. Also at Halfpenny Green on 2 September the women pilots were able finally to indulge in their annual race for the British 99s Air Racing Challenge Trophy, the revised entry of five finishing in the order of first at 185 mph Comanche G-ATOY lvlyth Too-Miss Sheila Scott, second at 126·75 mph Condor G-AWFN-Miss Janet L. Ferguson, third at 132·5 mph Excellence G-ATLB-Mrs Julia M. P. Turner, fourth at 157 mph Comanche D-ELPY-Frau lvIonika Gunther, and fifth at 107 mph Condor G-AWFO-IVliss Daphne Poynter. R. L. Ranscombe was proclaimed British Air Racing Champion for 1968 to win the Royal Aero Club Jubilee Trophy and the newly-instituted Bahamas Trophy. Sponsored by the general aviation magazine Pilol, an attempt was made to introduce class racing in Great Britain at the Thru..xton Air Display on 8 September, 1968, but extremely bad visibility intervened. The intended separate events were to be for Nippers, Turbulents and an open class up to 100 hp, but these were cancelled as only five machines penetrated the murk to the field. Inslead, the five were started by lVlaurice Imray at tcn second intervals in pairs in a demonstration open race in which the Beta

G-A\VIV, boldly proclaiming its nationality in a red, white and blue colour scheme incorporating sections of the Union Jack on the upper surfaces of the wings and tail. Starting in the summer of 1967, construction of the all-wood monoplane took a year, the machine being finished during 1968 for its designer and conSlructor to take it on its initial flight from Rcdhill on 25 July of that yea,·. A few weeks after the Storey \ Vonderplanc came in nineteenth at 126· 75 mph at Shobdon, the announcement was made by Rollason Aircraft and Engines Ltd that a small batch of the Beta design was nearing completion at Redhill for delivery early in 1969, and this news was followed shortly afterwards by another announcement-this time from

450

451

Tom Storey's TSR·3 ''''onderplane, with engine cowling removed. (Peter Lewis.)

. -------------------------------.,....,,.----------------------

John \'VeIch of Shell flew the yellow and white Twin Comanche G~ASOB into 12th place at 196·25 mph in the 1969 IVlanx Air Derby. (Peter Lewis.)

Tom Storey-that, if sufficient orders were forthcoming, he would be prepared to produce in England a batch of the American Cassult midget racer design. During 1968 record breaking had been at a standstill but air ,-acing maintained its relatively healthy state and drew newcomers in pilots and aircraft. Equally encouraging was the increasingly vigorous trend towards the production of new specialized racer designs after so many years of virtual stagnation in this field, and this was accornpanied by persistent demands for class racing to inject some fresh air into the sport, and suggestions that the general system of events should undergo revision, together with a possible return to a race around the British Isles for the King's Cup. At the beginning of 1969, the Royal Aero Club announced the rules for the year's racing season. In deference to the calls for changes, and in anticipation of some new specialized racers appearing, three new classes were proposed. These were for specified engine capacity and seating, single-seaters to be up to 200 cu in, two-seaters up to 200 cu in, and sir;glc-seaters up to 100 eu in. These classes were to be for 1969 only: when sufficient British racers were available the intention was La adopt the American class system. The 1969 racing programme otherwise was to be based on the previous handicap system without limit of engine capacity. The first main event of the 1969 racing season was the l\![anx Air Derby, held at Jurby, Isle of :Nlan, on 26 April, over five laps of 18-25 miles each. The 22 starters were: Aircraft

Registration

Fournier RF .4D .lodel D.120A Cessna 150B Condor Jode! D.1050 Condor Cessna F .172H Balkow Junior Beagle Pup 150 Cessna F.I72H Cessna 175 Cessna lEO

C-A '-VCO C-AVY\C-ARAU C-AWSO G-ASRP G-AWSS G-AVVC G-ASZO G-AVLN G-A WUX G-ARWS G-ASIT

Pilot B. I. Stevens R. Nicholls M. Bagshaw i\1issJancl L. Fcrguson R. S. ''''inter N. H.Jones 'M. CoHea R. L. Ranscombe C. B. G. Masefield G. R. Janney M. Hennessy A. J. Spiller

452

Remarks

\Vhilc/grccn Red/white \\lhilc/rcd Yellow/white Brown/cream Yellow Red/while Blue/white Salmon pink Gr'cen Blue/white Red/black/white

Aircraft

Registration Pilot

Bela Beta B.2 Gemini 3C :\ord 1101 Falco F.8L Falco F.8L Comanche 250 Comanche 260B Twin Comanche Cessna 310

G-ATLY G-A\VH\G-ALZG G-ATHH G-.-\\·UJ G-AROT D-EI.PY G-ATOY G-ASOB G-AS\"\"

F.

o.

Remarks ~la ..sh

:\1. Jones P. Blamire A. :'\Ic:'\amara

Red/while/black Ok. blue/white/black B,'onze \ Vhi te/sil\·er/rcd.

E. Dawson E. :'\. Husbands Dr A. C. Gunlher :\Iiss Sheila SCOll .I. \\"elch D. Westoby

Grey Brown/white Gold/white Yellow/white Red/white

~laroon/sih-er

The winner of the ~Viallx Air Derby Challenge Trophy and 120 guineas was Fred l\larsh at 172·5 mph, iVlike Jones was second at 172·75 mph, and Edward Dawson third at 177·5 mph. The Island Caterers Trophy was awarded to Don ''''estoby raJ" the highest average speed-199'25 mph, and Sheila Scott, who was seventh in the race at 190-75 mph, won the lsle o[ l\1an Airports Board Cup [or the best performance by a lady pilot in thc Rally and the Isle of Man B.W.P.A. Trophy for the highest placing on points in the Isle of Man International Air Rallyjrvlanx Air Derby by a pilot member of the British "'omen Pilots Association. The 1969 British 99s Race was held also over five Japs of the 18·25 mile course at Jurby on 26 April with five entrants and the British 99s Air Racing Challengc Cup was won by Sheila Scott in her Comanche G-ATOY Nfy/h Too at 186·5 mph, second was Janet L. Ferguson in the yellow/white Condor G-A WSO at 121·75 mph, thi"d Daphne Poynter in the yellow Condor G-AIVSS at 129·75 mph, fonrth Gwcn A. Smith in the red Jode! D.120A G-AVYV at 114·5 mph, and fifth Monika Gunther in the Comanche 250 D-ELPY at 171·5 mph. In the Daily NIail Transatlantic Air Race held from 4 until II May, 1969, Sheila Scott establ ished a new record for light aircraft from London to l\ew York in i\lIylh Too, beating her own record between the two cities with a new time of 24 hr 48 min. Using flight refuelling in each case, Sqn Ldr Tom Lecky-Thompson flew a Hawker Siddeley Harrier from London to New York and recorded 6 hI' 11 min, Sqn Ldr Graham ''''illiams flew a I-Iarrier from Ne'w York to London, recording 5 hI' 49 min, and Lieut-Cdr Petcr Goddard's time from New York to London in a McDonnell Phantom was 5 hI' 11 min. After the Transatlantic Air Race, Sheila Scott set six new rccords during the return flight lo London. These were New York-Goosc Bay 011 22 May in 6 hr 56 sec, l\ew York-Copenhagen on 22-24 May in 45 hI' I min 46 sec, Goose Bay-Reykjavik on 23 May in 8 hr 27 min 33 sec. ReykjavikPrestwick on 24 May in 5 hI' 59 min 54 sec, Prestwick-Copenhagen on 24 ~'lay in 4 hI' 2 min 5 sec and Copenhagen-London on 25 l\1ay in 3 hr 40 min 35 sec. The weather at Rochester was fine and hot for the British Air Racing 'Veekcnd from 10 until12July, which included the qualifying rounds and final for the King's Cup Race. Round One was held on II July, over three laps of the 17~· mile course, had 27 starters and was won at 136·5 mph in the Beagle Pup 150 G-AXDU by C. B. G. Masefield, who was awarded the Air League Challenge CUPi second was John Pothecary at 118·5 mph in the rcsurreeted C.L.A.7 Swift G-ABUU and third place was a tic between Tom Storey at 160·5 mph in the Beta B.2 G-AWHV and Fred 453

Marsh at 160·25 mph in the Beta G-ATLY. Round Two was held on 11 July also: Heat One over five laps of9·75 miles each had 13 starters and the winner of the Norton Griffiths Challenge Trophy for first place was John Stewart-\'Vood at 143·5 mph in the Cessna Reims Rocket G~A\IV\IVU, second at ]61·25 mph was Fred Marsh in the Beta G-ATLY and third Tom Storey at 161·25 mph in the Beta B.2 G-AWHV. Heat Two also had 13 starters [or five laps 0[9·75 miles, and for first place at] 17·5 mph in the Swift G-ABUU John Pothecary ,"von the Grosvenor Challenge Cup, F. R. E. Hayter was second at 118 mph in the Hornet Nioth G-ADK~II and ran Todd carne third at 117·25 mph in the Condor G-AVDvV. The final for the King's Cup was held on 12 July over five laps o[ 10 miles each, the 16 starters being: Restored by John Pothecary and raced at Rochester III 1969, the Compel' C. L.A. 7 Swift G-ABUU was finished in a mushroom colour with turquoise and gold trim. (Peter Lewis.)

Re:rnarks

Aircraft

Registration

Pilot

Turbulent Beagle Pup 150 Hornet Moth BCilkow 205 Cessna l75C Beta Beta B.2

G-ASAM G-AXDU G-ADKM G-ASZD G-ARWS G-AWHV

Cessna Reims Rocket Jodel D.120A C.L.A.7 Swift Fournier RFAD Tiger Moth Falco F.8L Comanche 260B CondoI' Gemini 3C

G-AWWU G-AVYV G-ABUU G-AWGO G-AOAA G-AROT G-ATOY G-AVDW G-ALZG

Yellow R. d'Erlanger Yellow /white C. B. G. Mascfield Sqn Ldr F. R. E. Hayter Silver/red Blue/white R. L. Ranscombe Blue/white IV!. Hennessy Red/white F. O. Marsh Dark blue/white/ T. M. Storey black J. Stewart-Wood Red/white G. M.Jones Mushroom/turquoise J. Pothecal'Y White/green n. 1. Stevens R. F. Hart Grey E. N. Husbands Gold/white Miss Sheila Scott 1. Todd Bronze P. Blamil'e

G~ATLY

The white and green Fournier RFAD flown by Brian Stevens at the 1969 Air Racing \,Veekend at Rochester. (Peter Lewis.)

~ndl'ew l)erkins b.uilt the black and white Taylor l\'Ionoplane which he flew 111

the dcmonstratlon Class races at Rochester on 12 July, 1969. (Peter Lewis.)

454

Brian Stevens in the RF.4D dming the 1969 Rochester Air Races. (Peter Lewis.)

455

,..--------------------~------------.-~---------------

The yellow and white Beagle Pup 150 flown in the 1969 King's Cup by Charles Masefield. (Peler Lewis.)

John Pothecary in the Swift G-ABUU during the 1969 Rochester Air Racing Weekend. (Peter Lewis.)

The winner ,\'as Robin d'Erlanger at 99·5 mph, second was Charles Mascficld at 138·75 mph and third F. R. E. Hayter at 123 mph. Starting last, Sheila Scott in AI)'th Too was unable to beat the handicappers and averaged 185·5 mph for 14th place. Competing also in the qualifying rounds were: Aircraft

Nord 1101 Beta B.2 Terrier Condor Cessna F.I72H

.lode] D.150 Cessna 150 Stampc SVAB Fournier RF.4D Jodcl DR.I050 Condor

Registration G-ATHH

G-AWHW G-ARLP G-AWSS G-AWUX G-AVEF

G-ARAU G-ASHS

G-AWLZ G-ARUH G-AWSN

Pilot A. lVlcNamara .J. Marriott I-I. M. Freeman N. I-I. Jones G. R.Janney M. T. Shale M. Bagshaw P. B. R. Vanneck J. Edge F. Williams J. Baxter

Owing to the withdrawal and non-arrival of a number of the aircraft entered in the Class Races at Rochester, at the briefing on 12 July it

~~-'=-~z::y "I Fred rvIarsh about to take-off in the Beta at Rochester, 1969. (Peter Lewis.)

G-A\VHV, the dark blue and white Beta 2. (Peter Lewis.)

456

457

The helicopter race for the Everard Trophy was to have taken place at 1'o11erton on 16 August, 1969, but was cancelled. Class III races were held at Lydd on 31 August, 1969, with SLX startersfour Tllrbulcnts and two Fournier RF.4Ds. First place for the Pilot Trophy went to Ian Graham on an RF.4D, second was Ron \\'ingfield on the other RF.-l-D, and R. S. Voice came third on a Turbulent. The 1969 race for the Goodyear Air Challenge Trophy was held at Halfpenny Green on 1 September over five laps of an 18 mile course. The competitors consisted of: Aircraft

Andrew Perkins at Rochester, 1969. (Peter Lewis.)

was agreed that, consequently, it was impossible to run this type of race accurately enough to award the prizes. However, to gain experience in these events, pilots agreed to put on four demonstration races. On 13 July the 1969 K
Registration

Turbulent Tipsy Belfair Nipper T .66 Srs 3

G-ARLZ G-APOD G-AWJE G-ASAM G-ARZM G-ATGG G-AVYV

Turbulent Turbulent

1.'1.S.855 Super Rallye Jodcl D.120A Fournier RF.4D Hornet Moth Emeraude CP 30lA Condor Jode! DR.1050 Cessna F.172H Jodcl DR.1050 Jode! D.l;08 Beta B.2 Falco F.8l

G-A\'VGO

G-ADKM G-ASSU G-AWSS G-ATJA G-A'WUX G-ARUH G-AROIV G-AWHV G-AROT

Pilot Miss Hilary Trice Alan Usherwood Harry Foulds Robin d'Erlanger Robin S. Voice John Marriott Gordon M. Jones Brian I. Stevens Sqn Ldr F. R. E. Hayler F. O. :vIarsh Norman H. Jones Clive Denis Gordon R. Janney Frederick Williams Ross Skinner T. :\1. Storey E.N. Husbands

Turbulent Tiger :Moth Turbulent Taylor rVlonoplane Fournier RF.+D Stampe SV.4B Fournier RF,+D Hornet MOlh Terrier Jade! DR. 1050 Condor Cessna 172 BOlko\", Junia.. Beagle Pup 150 L-40 l\IIeta-Sokol Cessna 175C Mooney ?o.L20C l\Ik.21 Gemini 3C Beta Beta B.2 Bela B.2 Falco F.8L Airmark Cassull

Registration Pilot 1\-1. Holtby G-ASAM G-ANKK D. Glick R. S. Voice G-ARZM G-APRT J. E. Cull G-AWLZ J. Edge G-ASHS P. Jarvis B. 1. Stevens G-AWGO Sqn Ldr F. R. E. Hayter G-ADKM G-ARLP H. M. Freeman S. Bird G-ATAG G-AWSS N. H.Jones G-AWUX G. R.Janney R. L. Ranscombe G-ASZD G-AXDU C. B. G. l\ilasefield G-APVU G. C. Savage G-ARWS M. Hennessy G-ASNP G. L. Birch G-Al.ZG P. B1amire G-ATLY F. O. :\'Iarsh G-AWHW .T. Marriott G-AWHV M.Jones E. Dawson G-AVUJ F. S. Gathercole G-AXDZ

Out of the 23 entrants, in a very close finish for the first two places M. Jones was the winner at 177·5 mph, R. S. Voice was second and G. C. Savage third. Tom Storey had gone ahead with his scheme for constructing the Cassutt racer and, although the first examplc-G-AXDZ powered by a 90 hp Rol1s-Royee Continental C-90-was not ready for

The winner was E. Xoel Husbands, Tom Storey was second and Robin Voice came third. The Bem G-ATLY withdrew and lhe Beta B.2 G-A\'VH' V was flown back lO Redhill the previous day as its propel1er was not suitable for racing. G-A\ VB\ V, the second of the batch of three Beta B.2s completed in 1969-the last being G·AWHX, was finished in pale blue and white and trimmed in red. For] 969 G-A1'LY had ne,,", shorter spats and these were fitted also to the Beta B.2s.

The orange Airmark Cassutt G-AXDZ, first of the balch to be built in England by Tom Storey, (Peter Lewis.)

458

459

-

"""1\

~

The return flight from Johannesburg-where J\lf)'th Too took· off at 04.15.00 hI' Gl\1T on 2 October-to Heathrow, where Sheila Scott landed at 12.38.40 hI' G~IT on 4 October, was made in the record time of 56 hI' 13 min 20 sec. "\TorId record times were set in both open feminine and Class C.lc categories from London to :"Jairobi, ~airobi to Cape 'fown and Johannesburg to London; on the return flight her own record was broken by nearly seven hours, and record times were set up also from Johannesburg to Xairobi and Xairobi to London.

'"

~--"----.......

Red Q\·erall. G-AXEA was the second of the Storey-constnlCled Airmark Cassutt racers. (Peter Lewis.)

the Rochester meeting, Frank Gathercole as scratch man flew it at 171·5 mph for 21 st place in the Goodyear. An ?ntra~ll in the East African Flying Safari from 12 until 15 September, 196~) In which she came tenth outof46starters to win lhe Coupe des Dames, SheIla SCOll seL ten new records on her way out and back. She took-oIT from Heathrow in her Comanche G-ATOY Nlyth Too-fitted with fuel lanks holding 250 gal-on 4 September at 11.17.18 hI' GMT and reached Nairobi at 11.18.00 hr GMT on 6 September, after 48 hr 42 sec with stops at Malta and Khartoum. Take-off from Nairobi was at 14.33.00 hr GMT on 18 September, with arrival at Lusaka at 21.31.00 hI' GMT on the same day and an ETA of II hI' 15 min on 19 September at Cape Town.

Sheila Scott and jHylh Too taxi out at Heathrow on 4 September. 1969, to take-off on the record flight to South Africa. (Peler Lewis.) Bad weather on 20 September, 1969, was responsible for the post· poncmenl of the race for the Slrongbow Trophy at Shobdon until 5 OCLOber. Taking part were:

Ainnark Cassutt builder Tom Storey in G-AXDZ at Rcdhill. (Peter Lewis.)

460

l

Aircraft

Registration

Pilot

Condor Terrier Falco F.aL Fournier RF.4D Beagle Pup 150 Hornet Moth Fournier RfAD Bcta Cessna 175C Auster J·1 AUlocrat Halkow Junior Beta B.2 L·40 Meta-Sokol Taylor Monoplane Turbulent Ainnark Cassutt Airmark Cassutl Cessna I72H ~ord 1101 ::\liles Hawk Speed Si:x Cessna 172£ ]ode1 D.120A Beta B.2 Cessna 180 Chipmunk 22A Gemini IA Tiger r"[oth Auster 6A Tugmaster Fournier RF.4D Stampc SVAB

G-AWSS G-ARLP G-AVU] G-AWLZ G-AXDU G-ADKM G-AWGO G-ATLY G-ARWS G-A]!M G-ASZD G·AWI-l\'V G-APVU G-APRT

X H. Jones H. M. Freeman E. Dawson ]. Edge C. B. G. Masefield Sqn Ld,. F. R. E. Hayter B. r. Stevens F. O. Marsh H, Henness)' A. 'vV. Sparro\l" R. L. Ranscombc ]. Marriott G. C. Savage

G-ARZ~I

]. E. Cull R. S. Voice

G-AXDZ G·AXEA G-AWUX G-ATHH G-ADGP G-AWWU G·AVYV G-AWH\G-ASIT G-AOTY G-AKEL G-ANKK G-ARRX G-AWEL G-ASHS

T. M. Storey F. S. Galhe..colc G. R.Janney A. ::\1cNnma..a A. J. Osborne J. Stewart.Wood G. lVI.Jones ::\L Jones A. J. Spiller E. ,V. 1I.lo....is J. ::\LBisco D. Glick l\liles G. Franks P. D.Jan·is

461

Remarks

Withdrew

Withdrew Retired \Vithdrew \<\Iithdrew Retired Withdrew 'Vithdrew Withdrew

l._

First place was taken by Robin Voice at 110 mph, second was G. C. Savage and third ~II. Hennessy. The 1969 BP England to Australia Commemorative Air Race was to mark the 50th anniversary of the first England to Australia flight in December 1919, and the bi-centenary of the discovery of Australia by Capt Cook; the race was scheduled to start from Gatwick on 17 December, 1969, and to end at Sydney on 2 January, 1970. It was to be run in two sections-London to Adelaide and Adelaide to Sydney, with compulsory stops at Athens, Karachi, Calcutta, Singapore, Darwin, Alice Springs, Adelaide and Griffith. Class A was to consist of aircraft with a single piston engine and a maximum take-off weight of less than 5,000 Ib; Class B of aircraft with two ullsupercharged piston engines and a maximum takeoff weight of less than 12,500 Ib; and Class C of aircraft with supercharged piston engines or propeller-turbines and a maximum take-off weight of 12,500 lb. On 3 September, 1969, two new Classes ,vere announced-one for jet aircraft of executive type up to 26,455 lb take-off weight and the other for helicopters. Bad weather delayed the start until 10.03 hI' on 18 December and, after withdrawals, the 72 aircraft competing were: . Aircraft Aero Shrike Commander 500 S Piper PA~22-160 Tri-Pacer Auster J-IN 5

Registration N9093~

G-ARm-

ReD'larks Crashed in Central France Retired at Athens

VH-AER G-AXRW

Clarkc retired at Athens, \ Villics continued solo R. H. Briuon/Mrs S. A. Retired at Bahrain Jones A. J. Spiller/H. J. i\'Iorris Retired at Rome Retired at Le N. H.Joncs Touquet G. P. Layton/M. L. Retired at Marseil!cs Thompson Non-qualificr at Maj M. SomertonRayner Adelaide, continued to Sydney L. S. Wright Non-qualifier at Adelaide, continued to Sydney T. 1\1. Long/P. W. B. Retired at Griffith Johnson T. K. Brougham/D. Ryan Retired ncar Griffith Maj Gen D. L. Asjes/Capt Retired at T. W. T. Bosch/D. B. Griffith G. Parser Capt W. J. Bright/Capt F. I.. Buxton J. A. Masling/G. Williams B. C. Holland/H.]. Shaw

G-AXMY

D. M. Parsons/A. Wignall

EI-ANU

T. Phillips/V. B. Mitchell

C-ARGT

Beagle Pup 150

G-AXi\IX

Cessna 180 Rollason Druine Condor Percival Prentice

G-ASIT G-AXGS C-APPL

Auster A.O.P.Mk.9

G-AXRRI XR241

Beech B55 Baron

VH-WSW

Beech E33 Bonanza

VH-PWT

Beech 36 Bonanza

VH-TYZ

Aero Commander

N4390P

Brittel1-~orman BX-2A

G-AXUD

Islander Cessna 310 Piper PA-30B Twin Comanche Piper PA-30 Twin Comanche Pipcr PA~30B Twin Comanche

Pilot/CreW" Capt n. Perner/Capt. K. 1. Dodd D. P. Pearson/R. S. PogsonLJ. E. Kilgallon ~!. Clarke/Fig Off D. Willies

462

Aircraft Registration Piper PA-30 Twin :"8728Y Comanche Briuen-Xorman 8:,\·2:\ G-AXS:\ Islander

Piper P.-\-28-180 Cherokee Arrow Beech 855 Baron Piper PA-2..J--250 Comanche Piper PA-2..J--260 Comanche Piper PA-23-250 Aztec D Piper PA-2+-260B Comanche Beech 99A Piper PA-30 Twin Comanche B Piper PA-30 Twin Comanche Piper PA-28R 180 Cherokee Arrow Piper PA·28R 180 Cherokee Arrow Mooney :\1.20F Executi"e Beech B55 Baron Cessna 172

'-H-CRC G-ATGR

RClDarks

D. Hazelton/K. C. Singh i\l.Jankiewicz/Hon Hugh Astor/Sir \Villiam Dugdale J. L. DaleyU". R. Colwell

N8022Y

T. R. D. KebbelJ A. R. Lord R. A. Buchanan/I. E. Britten-Jones G. C. W. B;el/P. J. Pcllcw A. P. Cappcr/D. L. Antrobus R. P. Bennett/G. W. Howe Capt T. E. Lampitt/Capt R. Bartman W. Taylor/I. R. Jones

'·I-I-PO~I

J.

C. Holcombe/G. Cavill

YH-SSA

J.

Tirnilty/R. J. Coombs

'-H-DOL ZK-DAA G-AXOW ,'H-MDD N949K

J. D.

i\IurrayfT·]· Xash/

1'.1. i\Iahon

YH-ERX '-H-DEZ YH-RPR

Beech BS5 Baron

'-H-ILF

Piper PA-30 Twin Comanche Beech DS5 Baron

YH-WJD '-H-ILR

Beech 65-80 Queen Air 1'\ 1026C Piper PA-24-260 Comanche

G-AT:'\lV

Piper PA-30 Twin Comanche C Cessna 421

VH-DGW

Piper PA-23 Aztec Mooney i\I.20F Super 21 Beech 855 Baron

VH-FSK C-ASNR

Beech B95 Travel Air Piper PA-30 Twin Comanche Piper PA-24B-260 Comanche Piper PA-30 Twin Comanche B

Pilot/Crew

J.

NII+21

::\!rs :\1. !-I. Kemley/P. Kenlley r. G. Rear/R. J. Jackson C. H. r. Carson[\\'. R. Godrrcy G. D. King/P. Coulson/ Plunkctt-Cole/P. i\1c:\air \-V. J. Campbell/N. C. T. Backhouse S. J. CUJ"l"ington/N. P. Gates/R. J. Scammell S. Booker/D. Reidpath! J. "V. D. Patterson G. ]. Dunster/I. F. Peradon/Mrs D. E. Dunsler/M. Glinski G. D. \"!ills/A. J. Gurner

VH-TKD N8606Y

Capt T. K. Tjont,'eit/E. Sandberg/E. S. Pederson G. D. Lowe/ R. ]. Power W. A. Webb/Dr I. D. C. Hay R. N. D. i\liller/S. D. Hanafin n. i\1. Dalton/P. Rickardy L. D. Jones/H. Richards

G-AVGA

E. A. Kirk/G. Baldock

VH-ASL

G.

VH-FWX

H. Horton/]. Conell

403

H.

Aircraft Cessna 182

Registration YH-KRE

Beech \'35 Bonanza riper PA-30 Twin Comanche Cessna 180 Piper PA-23 Aztec B Piper PA-32.260 Cherokee Six Cessna 182K

9J-REF

Cessna 320 SkYlIiglll

X+151T

Piper PA-2+-+00 Comanche Beech J. 35 Bonanza

G-.\TD\-

Beech BlOO King Air

::'\9HK

Beech C33 Debonair Piper I'A·28R-180 Cherokee Arrow Beech V35 Bonanza

:-\1250Y OH-PJ:" YH-CHX

K. R, )"ref'{gsjC. B. Floate! ),'1. F. O'Brien

D.H.89A Dragon Rapide Cessna 182E

ZK-AKU

D. W. Grayj]. E. :\Ioon

G-ARvVL

\ H-DUI

YH-RER G-ARXF \-H-B),1B YH-KRC

G-ARZ:"

PilotjCrew Denny/G. :". J. GoddardjJ. J. Sttw3n O.J. Irwin/i\lrs J. Irwin O. \\'cyandjW. A. Davcy

Renlarks

B.

I. E. A. Clark B. J. Rose D, ),1. A. Hession .1. C. "'arers ),1. E. Blake R. Johnson \\'..1. )'fulcair H. \\'. Craber, D. J. ),1c),laster \\'. C. R. Robbie A. I. Terrell R. T. Warren R. C. Hayes ),1. DunkjC. Schofield J. Hehrmanl.J. Kay Gp Capt Hon .f. L. Waddy!\\". R. Evans .f. E. ~l. LaffanlJ· Bressington L.J. Palmer/H.]. Pfeiffer O. KuoruijR. Komi

Cessna 210A Piper PA-30 Turbo Twin Com:'Ulche Piper PA·30 Turbo Twin Comanche Victa Airtourer 100 Piper PA-24-260B Comanche Mooney M.20C

"H-UEF :"79G4Y

Earl of Shelburne/D. F. Laws L. A. DayjA. C. Baskett G. \'\T. DaI"l/I. J. Granl

N8691 Y

P.

SIAl·Marchetti SF-260

G-AXKA

Hawker Sidddey HS.125 Dassault Fan Jet Falcon

\'H-EHF

C. H. TaylorjJ. Pickering Flt Lieut J. T. Kingsley! Flt Lieut P. R. Evans! A. Gibson Capt]. Dobson/crew Jet Class

20505

l\laj

\H-:vJUJ C-ATOY G-ASBN

J. VincentjW. J Siegel J. H. Wynn/K. C. Duttrey lVliss Sheila Scott

and G. Williams in the Cessna 310 VH-AER and third place in 79 hI' 29 min for the Class B First Prize went to B. C. Holland and H. J. Shaw in the Twin Comanche G-AXRW. The fourth place Twin Comanche G-AXMY, flown by D. M. Parsons and A. Wignall in 72 hr 37 min won the Third Prize Prime Minister's Trophy and BP Australia Prize. The Jet Aircraft Trophy was won in 27 hr 30 min by Capt]. Dobson of Qantas and crew in the HS.125 VH-EHF and Sheila Scott-after a very trouble£orne and e.xhausting flight in }v/yth Too-was awarded the Ford Motor Co of Australia AlI-Women's Crew Prize of A5,000 with a time of 264 hr 3 min. Captains T. E. Lampitt and R. Bartman piloted the Beech 99A N949K between London and Sydney to claim a new Class record of 49 hr 44 min. 26 sec. over 10,572·42 miles at 212·55 mph. In the neglected sphere of record breaking by British pilots the light has been kept burning since 1965 by the resourcefulness, courage and skill of Miss Sheila Scott , without whose splendid achievements the picture would indeed have been barren of interest and whose efforts in keeping alive the spirit of pride in accomplishment brought her the richly deserved award of the Britannia Trophy for 1967. Since its inception in the earliest days of the Aero Club, air racing has survived to burgeon anew after hvo World "Vars and has passed through numerous other vicissitudes for over 60 years but has been sustained by the loyal work of the Royal Aero Club and of its own adherents,

/vIyth Too

F.

D. B. O'Connor/ .Jet Class

cre\\'

Adverse flying conditions were encountered along most or the route, and were responsible also for the start of the last stage fi"om Adelaide being postponed until 3 January. Sixty-one qualifying machines in Classes A, Band C left for Griffith, from which they took oIT on 4 january, and 58 reached Sydney within the time limit to cross the finishing line within 12 min. First place in 80 hr 33 min for the Prime ~1inister's Tl"Ophy, BP Australia Prize, Sir Ross and Sir Keith Smith Prize and the £5,000 Daily Express Prize went to Captains \V. J. Bright and F. L. Buxton in the Islander G-AXUD, second place in 68 hI' 4 min for the Prime ~1inister's Trophy, BP Australia Prize and Avis Prize was gained by J. A. Masling 464

465

TECHNICAL Manufacturer/ Designer

Type No. Name

Engine(s) hp/lb s.t.

Airspeed

AS.5 A.S.5C A.S.6J AS.S II IV

1 I 2 2 1 I I 1 1 1 I I I I

X 240 Lynx Ive X 325 Rapier IV X 350 Cheetah IX X 290 Cheetah VI X J, lODce Anzani X 80 Genet II x 120 Gipsy III X 100 Cirrus Minor 2 X 130 Gipsy Major I X 110 Le Rhone X 535 Lion IX X 105 Hermes I X 700 Twin Wasp Jr SA-G x 450 Lion

2

X

Ar-i:E.C.

" Arrow Auster

J-I J-5F 504K

Av~o

567

Beiianca Blackburn

616 28-70

R.T.I L.IC B-2 B.46 Boul'ion and Paul P.8 Bristol F.2B M.ID 32 62 " 72 " 81

99 !OI 138A

B.A.

B:i...T. Cessna

Ch~mcott

IV 3 F.K.23 F.I72E 175D 180

Chilton Chrislea Cicrva Cody Compel'

D.W.I C.H.3 C.8L

Co;by Cranwell de Havilland

CJ-I C.L.A.2 D.H.4R D.H.6 D.H.9 D.H.9R D.H.14A D.H.37 D.H.50.! D.H.60 D.H.60C III

"

C.L.A.7

Courier Rapier Courier Envoy III Viceroy Missel Thrush Active 2 Autocrat Aiglet Trainer

Avenger Avian IVM Flash Pellet Kangaroo Bluebird IV

270 Falcon III

1 X 100 Gipsy I I X 130 Gipsy Major I

Firebrand T.F.Mk.VA 1 X 2,520 Centaurus IX Atlantic

Scout A Fighter 17A

2 1 1 1 1 I I

x 450 Lion

80 Le Rhone 300 Hispano-Suiza 140 Lucifer Bullet 450 Jupiter II Ten-seater 425 Jupiter IV Racer 510 Jupiter IV llloodhound 1 485 Jupiter VIII Badminton 1 510 Jupiter VI 1 450 Jupiter VIA 1 500 Pegasus P,E.65 Swallow 2 1 90 Cataract III Eagle 2 1 130 Gipsy Major Double Eagle 2 130 Gipsy Major Cupid 1 130 Gipsy Major Bantam 1 X 170 Wasp I I X 1'~5 Continental 0-300-C 1 X 175 Continental GO-300-E I X 230 Continental GO-470-R Challenger 1 x 45 Ardem 4C02 1 x 32 Carden-Ford Skyjeep I X 155 Cirrus Major 3 Mk.lI 1 X 210 Lynx Michelin Cup Biplane I X 60 E.N.V. F Swift 1 X 90 Niagara III Kite 1 X 90 Niagara Mouse 1 X 130 Gipsy Major Streak 1 x 14·6 Gipsy Major Starlet 1 x 45 Ardem 4C02 1 X 36 Cherub III 1 X 450 Lion I X 90 RAF1a I x 450 Lion 1 x 450 Lion I X ,j.50 Lion 1 X 275 Falcon HI I X 385 Jaguar III Cirrus Moth I X GO Cirrus I rdoth I X 120 Gipsy III

466

X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

DATA Max speed =ph 153 166 203 210

Empty -weight Ib 2,344

Loaded weight Ih

4,340 3,900

6,600 6,300

144 120 132 95 180 105 275 161 98 109 112 335 148 100 120 125 155 110 220 130 160 170 123 112 148 165 135 128 138 150 120

925 1,052 1,323 1,231 2,368 1,005 4,074

2,070 950 1,800 4,000

1,325 1,850 1,950 1,829 3,414 1,523 8,350 2,800 8,017 1,496 1,850 16,700 7,500 1,100 3,000 1,300 2.300 6;755

2,515 1,770 2,100 4,391 990 1,450 2,000

4,236 2,470 3,540 5,310 1,500 2,400 3,500

833 1,264 1,410 1,525 445 398 1,623 1,650 2,200 540 750 J,300 880 370 325 2,490 1,460 2,544

1,618 2,300 2,450 2,800 695 640 2,550 2,470 2,950 985 1,350 2,215 1,500 645 530 3,191 2,000 3,667

4,006 2,118 2,830 855 1,005

8,034 3,318 4,200 1,350 1,750

112 126 100 65 140 155 170+ 100 150 66 144 150 I 17 122 126 91 108·5

5,284 960 J.] 75 JJ;835

750

3,900

Span it in 47 47 52 52 38 28 24 36 32 36 28 28 16 34 74 30 30 51 61 24 39 30 31 56 25 40 24 33 66 42 39 41 35 25 36 26 36 18 24 36 39 16 2·1 23 37

23 IS 2I 42 35 12 31 50 37 42 29 30

467

Length it in

0 0 1 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 It 0

10f 0 2

3J

0 7 3 9 2 0 2 2 I 7 0 8j3 0 0 0 2 2 2 8}

° 0 8

0 0 6 6 6 6 0 5"· II

,

4~-

8& 5 0 9 0 0

2S

6

34 34 20 21 18 23 23 29 25 24 26 28 44 23 24 38 40 19 24 20 24 40 21 26 21 27 44 26 26 29 21 18 26 26 25 15 18 22 36 38 17 19 25 18 14 18 27 27 30 29 37 28 28 23 23

6 6 8 6 10 5 6 5 6 3 6 7 2 2 3 9 0 9 10 4 I 6 7 6 2 4

°

3 0 10 4 5 6 6 6 9} 0 2~

0 6 8j3 I 0 90} 6~

5

3-~-

6

4,1_, 7 0 9 6 II

Example: Serial/ Registration G-ABXN G-ACNZ C·AENA G-ACMU G-EBJO G-EBPI G-ABVE G-AGXT G-AMOS G-EAMZ G-EBND G-EBVZ G-AEPC G-EBHF G-EAMJ G-AATO G-AEDJ EK621 G-EAPE

G-EBIO G-EAVP G-EATS G-EBEV G-EBDR G-EBGG G-EBMK G-EBOW K4879 G-AELC G-ADID G-ADVV G-ADLR K-123 G-ASLY C-ARFL C-ASIT G-AESZ G-AKVS G-EBYY G-ABUS G-ACME G-ACIX G-ACNC G-EBMC K-141 K-100 G-EBEZ G-EAHT G-EAPY G-EBDO G-EBFO G-EBMO G-ADHE

Manufacturer/ Designer

Type No. Nante

Engine(s) hp/lb s.t.

de Havilland

D.H.65A D.H.71 D.H.80A D.H.82A D.H.83 D.H.81· D.H.85 D.H.87B D.H.88 D.H.94 D.H.98 D.H.IOG D.H.C.I T.K.I T.K.2 T.K.4

I I I I

" "

" " Desoulter Dyou Engl ish Electric " fai;~}' "

Hound Tiger t\:Ioth Puss ~'Ioth Tiger ?'o'1oth Fox Molh Dragon Leopard Moth Hornet Moth Comet l,.,Ioth Minor Mosquito P.R.Mk.34 Comet I Chipmunk

II

Monoplane Canberra B3\'lk.2 Canberra B.Mk.5 Canberra P.R.Mk.7

F.D.2 Cyrodyne Rotodyne Y F.VIJa

CI~be

"

Gloucestershire

Gloster

C~win

H~lton

"

Ha;~dlcy Page

" Hawker

WickoG.M.1 Monospar Cygnet Major Swift Mars I Bame1 Mars III Sparrowhawk 11 Gloster I Gloster I [ Gloster III Closter Ivn Closter VI Meteor F.Mk.TV

J.G.3

Crahamc-White

"

1 I I 2 2

4,450 Gh"" 50 Mk.1

2

I I I I

2 I

2 I

1 1

I 1 1 I 1 I 2 I

X 140 Gipsy Major JI X 120 Gipsy III X 50 Gnome X 6,500 Avon 101 X 7,500 Avon 109 X 7,500 Avon 109 X 450 Lion X 450 Lion X 450 Lion XI X 570 Lion XI X 570 Lion XI X 10,500 Avon X 515 Leonidcs

2,800 Eland N.EI.3 X 480 Jupiter VI X 330 Whirlwind J-6-9 X 130 Gipsy Major X 90 Niagara I X 130 Gipsy Major X 125 Continental C-J25-2 X 450 Lion II X 230 B.R.2 X

X X X

X X X

X

1

Boxkite Lizzie G.W.K6 Bantam HAC.I MayAy I1.A.C.11 Minus H.A.C.III Mcteor

0/400 VJl500 H.P.R.I

X X

I X 145 Gipsy i\/Iajor 10

I 3

F.VIIb/3m ST-IO G.A.L.42 GC-IB

2 3

I 1 I

Long-range Mk.I Long-range Mk.II

Fo~~er Wikner General Aircraft

I X

I X 120 Gipsy 1I1

III

FOkker

I 2 X 1X 1 X 2 X

540 Lion XI 85 Cirrus IL 120 Gipsy III 130 Gipsy Major 130 Gipsy Major 130 Gipsy Major I 130 Gipsy Major 130 Gipsy Major 230 Gipsy Six R 90 Gipsy Minor 1,690 Merlin 113/114

1 X 147 Gipsy Major

ITTD IIiF

"

X X X X X

X I X I X

1 X I X

2

Marathon 2 Cygnet Horsley l\'Ik. II Tomtit Hart Hurricane F.?>.'lk.IIC Fury F.Mk.1

468

2 4 2 I

X X

X X X

1 X I X

I X I X I X

450 Lion 585 Lion 670 Lion VlI 875 Lion VlIB 1,320 Lion VlID 4,200 Derwent 5 45 Ardem 4C02 50 Gnome 50 Gnome 80 l.e Rhone 32 Cherub III 32 Cherub III 32 Cherub HI 360 Eagle VI I I 375 Eagle VllI 1,010 Mamba 502 32 Cherub 1I1 665 Condor lIlA 150 Mongoose I II C 560 Kestrel II IS 1,280 Merlin XX 2,500 Ccntaurus 18

Max speed ",ph

Em.pty weight Ih

Loaded weight Ih

153 166 128 104 123

2,981 618 1,265 1,115 1,100

4,934 905 2.050 1;825 2,070

1>7 IN 237 118 425

1,40.,)

2,225

1.304 2,840 983 If, 180

2,000 5,320

138 118 182 215 125 75 570 580 580 120 1,188 124 191 115 128·5 140 142 150 150 196

931 1,180

1,550 22,100 110,000 2,100 1.450 1;600 1,357 1,900

40,500

46,000

49,000

55,000 50,000

3,870

5,900 17,000

1,425 9H 1,049

24,030 4,299 6,724 1,255

1,470 ],200 1,139 1,890

2,650

220 225 300-310 351·6 616 152

65 100 83·5 95 120 97·5 99 290 82 125 124 184 336 460

13,400 4,800 33,000 7,936 11,464 2,000 2,750 1,900 1,710 2,500 2,154

2,650 2,300

3,200

437

14,078 697

640 460 450

850 995 920 720 722

8,326 17,602 10,850 373 4,760 1,100 2,530 5,800 9,24Q

30,000 18,000 950 14,240 1,750 4,635 8,100 12,500

12,050

Span it in

45 22

36 29 30 47 37 31 H

36 54 115 34 27 32 19 35 29 63 63 63 26 46 45 82 82 26 52 90 63 71 34 40 34 29 23 23

Length it in

0 0 9 1·

109-

4 6 II 0 7 2 0 4 0 0 8 8t 0

lIt lit

11;\ 0 2 9 0 0 10 0 0 3} 2t 6 2 6 4 0 0

21 20 20 22 26 37 17

0 0 0 74· 0 2

26 20 28 28 44 100 126 65 28 56 28 37 40 38

6 0 6 6 0 0 0 0 0 5i6i 3 0 4}

469

3!·

31 18 25 23 25 34

2<1 2
0 7 0 II 9 6 6 It}

40 93 25 24 22 15 26 23 65 65 66

0 5 6 0 5 0 5 6 0 0 6 6 6

36 48 48 51

6 6 7!-

2+

58 47 47 23 26 24 20 22

8~

8

iDl61 3 4 3

iD1· 0

20

0

26 26 27 41 15

10 4 0 0

21 16 22 22

10 6 0 0

62 64 52 20 38 23 29 32 3'1

lOt

Exalllple; Serial/ Registration

G-EBi'U G-EBQU G-ABEH G-ANZU G-ABUT G-ACCY G-ACHD G-ADKM G-ACSS G-AFPN RG241 G-ALYG G-AKDN C-ACTK G-ADNO G-AETK G-ABCU WKI63 YXI85 WH773 G-EALQ N9777 G-AABY J9479 KI991 WG774 G-AIKF XE52 I G-EBTS VH-USU G-AFJB G-ACTS G-AGAU G-AHWH G-EAXZ G-EAYN G-EAXZ J7505/G-EBJZ NI94 N223 N249 EJ;549

'It

0

it

5 10 8 4 0 8

K-150 G-EBOO G-EBOO C9681 JI936 G-AHXU G-EBMB J8607 G-ABAX G-ABMR G-AMAU _ X802

ManufacturerJ Designer

Type No. Name

Hawker

P.I040

" Hendy

281 302 TYKe 5 H ..9A P.H.IOO DR. 1050 J.P.3 J.2

" Heston Hinenberg Hughes Jodel Johnston Jopeco Korab LeVier Associalcs DL-I Lockheed SD A Ma~tinsyde F.4 F.6 "

"Miles"

M.2 M.2H 1"1.21.. M.3 M.3B M.5 M.7A M.IIA NI.13 M.14A M.17 M.18/2 M.28 1'1.38 M.57 M.65 M.77 M.IOO

Mi~chell~Prjzeman

Moss

M.A.I M.A.2

1\1:0.S. Newton Nieuport

" North American Parnall

P-51D 3308

Pas'hley Brothers Percival E.3H

"

Pip~r

PA-24-

260B PA-24400

Engine(s) hp/lb s.t.

x 5,000 Neue II X 5,000 Neue 101 RN.4 Sea Hawk F.B.~lk.3 X 9,600 Avon R.A.7R Hunter Mk.3 X 90 Cataract Hobo I X 105 Hermes I 1 X 2,300 Sabre Racer 1 X 120 Gipsy Major 1 X 45 Ardem 4C02 I X 100 Continenlal O·200-A 1 X 45 Ardem 4C02 I X 45 Ardem 4C02 1 X 1,100 Addcr A.S.A.l Coppelia 1 X 85 Continental C-85 Cosmic Wind 1 X 420 Wasp Cl Vega Special 1 X 450 Wasp SCI Altair I X 275 Falcon III RaymoI' 1 X 275 Falcon III 1 X 300 Hispano-Suiza I X 300 Hispano-Suiza Semiquaver I X 95 Cirrus lllA Hawk I X 130 Gipsy Major Hawk Major I X 200 Gipsy Six 1F Hawk Speed Si." I X 120 Gipsy Major Falcon 1 X 200 Gipsy Six Falcon Six 1 X 147 Gipsy Major h.e. Sparrowhawk 1 X 205 Gipsy Si.x Series II Tighthawk 1 X 130 Gipsy Major I Whitney Straight I X 145 Gipsy Major II Hobby I X 130 Gipsy Major I Hawk Trainer Mk.3 I X 130 Gipsy Major I Monarch 1 X 150 Cirrus Major III 1 X 150 Cirrus 1\'Iajor I J 1 Mercury 6 I X 150 Cirrus Major 111 Messenger 2A 2 X 195 Lycoming 0-435-A Aerovan G 2 X 145 Gipsy Major 10 Mk.2 Gemini 3C 2 X 300 Palas Sparrowjet 1 X 880 Marbore 2A Student 2 1 X 45 Al'dem 4C02 Scamp 1 X 95 Niagara III 1 X 90 Cirrus Minor I Boscombe Down Racer 1 X 300 Palas I X 45 Ardem 4C02 Cossack 1 X 320 Dragonfly I Nighthawk 1 X 320 Dragonfly I Nieuhawk I X 320 DragonAy IA Goshawk I X 1,490 Merlin \1-1650-7 Mustang I X 200 B.R.2 Panlher I X 80 Genet II Imp 1 X 200 Gipsy Six Heck I X 50 Gnome Biplane 1 X 130 Hermes IV Gull Four Gull Six 1 X 200 Gipsy Si." I X 205 Gipsy Six Series 11 ~\,1lew Gull I X 205 Gipsy Si." Series II Vega Gull I X 210 Gipsy Queen 2 Proctor 1 I X 250 Gipsy Queen 30-2 Prentice I I X 65 Continental A-65-1 Cub Coup6J-4A 1 X 260 Lycoming 10-540-D Comanche 1 X 400 Lycoming 10-720-AIA

Comanche

470

Max speed

Empty weight

Loaded weight

=ph

Ib

Ib

9,190

13,220

727·6

128 406 185 195 230

1,25+ 500 882 500 445

1,900 7,200 2,090 750 1.650 750 710

540 2,563 3,297

850 4,750 5,800

145

1,811

2,300 2,300 2,025 1,800 1,800 1.900 2;000 2,350 1,750 2,650 2,000 1,527 1,900 2,200 1,925 2,500 2,400

132 480 118 132

1,045

165 liS

150 185 148 180 180 170 145 200 132 145 130 157 135 220 298 136 130 120 370 140 138 151 167 437 108·5

1,014 1,150 1,355 1,270 1,550 1,080 1,250 1,140 1,286 1.390 1,306 1,460 1,450 1,578 2,400 502 950 800 532 1,500

2,400 3,900 752 1,400 1,400 1,094 680 2,180 2,120

Span ft in

36 39 33 32 35 32 36 23 28 19 20 32 IS 'f! 42 32 31 20 33 33 33 35 35 28 35 35 21 33 35 31 30 36 50 36 27 29 18 34 34 14 20 28 26 20 37 29

6 0 8 0 0 O!· 0 6 O} 6 0 9

IIi

0 9t

9t lit 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 5 10 7 0 8 2 0 2 8 2 101 0 0 8

Length ft in

39 45 19 22 24 26 21 21 IS IB 44 16 27 27

lOt

1O}

6 10 7t 5 7', 6 7{3' 4 8t 6 6

Example: SerialJ Registration

VP401 WBI88 G-AAIG G-AAVT G-AFOK G-AGAK G-ATLB

~.

G-ARUL G-ABGK G-ADUS

25 24 19 24 24 24 25 25 23 25 25 22 24 25 24 24 24 36 22 30 31 17 23 23 17 16 18 18

5} 6 3 0 0 0 0 0 6 0 0 8 7t II;} 10 0 0 0 3 9, 6 6 3 3 0

K-152 G-EAPI G-EAPX G-AGHJ G-ADGE G-ADGP G-AGTM G-ADTD G-AD:-iL G-AGWT G-AEZO G-AGAW G-AIUA G-AIDE G-AI-IKY G-AHAA G-AKBO G-AJOF G-ALZG G-ADNL G-API.K

0 6

32 24 21 26

3 II 2 It

K-151 G-Ef\]Y G-EASK N6356T

9 9 3

4i

G-AEST G-AFMS

31

3j 0 0 6 0 6 6 6

2,050 2,450 2.125 3.250 3.250 .J..350 1.200 3,100

36 36 22 39 39 46 36 36

2 2 9 6 6 0 2 0

24 24 20 25 25 31 22 25

fi

G-ABUR G-ADPR G-AFAA G-AEKE

10 6} 6 3}

G-AOPL G-AFSZ G-ATOY

3,600

35

11:1

25

8~

170 61 1.J.5 178 265 174 165 143 93 194

7,125 1,328 850 1,811 800 1.170 1.500 1.642 1.740 1.875 3,232 710 1.728

11.600 2:369 1,320 2,600

223

2,110

25

471

G-EBG~1

G-EBTE G-AGTC

G~AI-f.\TA

N8.515P

r Manufacturerl Designer

Engine(s) hp/lb s.t.

Type No. Name

Max

Empty

speed

weight lh

",ph

Radley·1.·loorhouse Rollason Druine

"

L~ton

" Aircraft Royal Factory Sara

Short

Sh'~rt-Bristow Simmonds Somers-Kendall

D.3IA D.62B

A.21 S.536 S.7 S.22 S.36

Three-seater

Tabloid Bat Boat la

Gnu

So~~hern

Martlet

Southern Airacing SAA200 Associates Spartan

TSR-3

Supermarine

S.4 S.5/21 S.5/25 S.6 S.6A S.6B 323

" Taylor"

54 544

Taylorcraft Throxton Tipsy

Vidcrs "

" Victa Westland

"Vindhover Shamrock Mussel I Scion Sen ior Sturgeon I Crusader Spartan

SK·I

"

T.66 F.B.27A 210 292 700 115

I x 50 Gnome

I X 45 A
S.E.5a

Sopwith

Sto~y

Monoplane Turbulent Condor Beta

3 X 120 Gipsy 11 I X 385 Eagle Vll J I X 85 Cirrus] J 4- X 90 Niagara Jil

2

X 2,080 Merlin HO 1 X 850 Mercury 1 X 95 Cirrus III 1 X 300 Palas 1

1 x 80 Gnome 1 X 100 Monosoupape Gnome 1 X lOa Green 1 X 110 Le Rhone I X 120 Gipsy 11 I X 100 Continental O·200·A

Seagull A.S.R. Mk.1

I I I 1 1 1 1 I 1 I 1 I 1

Swift F .Mk.4 Scimitar F .Mk.l Titch Plus D Jackaroo Trainer 1 Belfair Nipper 2 Vimy Vespa VII Wellesley r."lk.[ Viscount Airtourer Widgeon 11 IA

2 1 I 1 1 1 1 2 I I 4 I 1

Arrow Three Seater 11 Clipper \'Vonderplane Sea Lion J

Speed Spitfire

472

I

X 100 G;psy I X 115 Hermes liB X 75 Pobjoy R X 90 Continental C90·8F X 450 Lion X 700 Lion X 875 Lion VilA X 875 Lion VIlB X 1,900 Rolls-Royce R X 2,300 Rolls-Royce R X 2,600 Rolls-Royce R X 2,160 Merlin JlI X 2,375 Griffon 29 X 7,500 Avon R.A.7R X 11 ,250 Avon 202 X 85 Continental C·85 X 90 Cirrus Minor I X 130 Gipsy Major I X 62 Mikran 2 X 62 Mikron 2 X 45 Stamo 1400A X 360 Eagle VIII X 550 Pegasus ]S3 X 890 Pegasus XX II X 1.540 Dart R.Da.3 X 115 Lycoming O·235·CIB X 90 Cirrus [II

103 128

160 65 110 82 1-10 352 255-265 100 332 70 92 65 93 130 210-250 106 107 110 120 147

454 675 550 1,241

700 1,-175

4,200 3.962 1;030 3,546 18,126

5,700 8,400 1,576 5,750 21.700

2,400

2;560

940 665 1,000

1,680 1,500 1,750 1,700

571

3,350 1,105 900

965 1,150

770 590 2,600

300-310

2.710 4·;'171 4',471 4,590

407·5 110 737·7 710 120 102 100 110 101 103

1-11 101

850

1,629

1,200

239 357·7

Loaded weight lb

400 890

1.750 1;850 1,300 925 2,900 3,150 3,100 3,250 5,771 5,771 6,086

40,000 630 1,450

668 624 '112

2,1B0 1,200 1,073 660

7,101

12,500

1,360

32.000

50,000

1:060

1,650 1,650

935

Span it in

21 26 20 26

7 6 5

5-1 62 36 55 59 26 28 22 40 25 41 38 25 19

-I

30 2B 34 18 35 30 25 25 30 30 30 33 50 32 37 16 36 30 31 31 19 67 50 74 93 26 36

473

7~

2 0 0 II 6 7 9, 0 6 0 I 0 6 7 10 0 6 0 6 6 6 0 0 0 8 6 4 2 9! 0 4t 2 2 B

2 0 7 Bt 0

4t

Length ft in

Exanlple: Seriall Registration

17 22 16 20

6 6 6 II

G·ASMI

41 35 24 42 44 25 23 20 29 24 30 25 20 17

4 0 0 0 0 0 II

G-ABJP

25 26 28 17 24 27 23 23 28 28 28 29 41 55

16 22 35 21 21 15 43 33 39 81 20 23

101-

0 0 4 10 3 4

0 3 2 10 0 0 2{2{-

8 8 10 II

5t 4 2, 10 6 8 B 0 6t 0 3 2 9 5}

G-ATLY G-EBCA

G·EBMJ G·AECU RK791 N226 G-AAMC G-AOBG

G·EAGP G-AAYZ G-ABOB G-ABTR G·ACEG C·AW1V G·EALP G-EBLP/, 197 1 219 N220 N247

N247 SI596 NI7 PAI47 WKI9B G-ATYO G·AHGZ G·APAM G-AFJT G·M:JR G·APYB G·ABlL/O-5 L2636 G·AMAV G-ATHT G·EBRM

BRITISH EMPIRE MICHELIN CUP NO.1

Air Race Results AERIAL DERBY Date

Aircraft

8{6{1912 20{9{1913 6{6/1914 21{6f1919 24{7/1920

Bleriot Morane·Saulnier Morane-Saulnier Aireo D.H.4R Marlinsyde Semiquaver Gloucestershire Mars TjBamel

K-141 G-EAPX

7(8(1922 6(8(1923

16/7/1921

Registration

Pilot

Speed mph

T. O. i\L Sopwilh G. Hamel W. L. Brock Capt G. W. Gathergood

Capt F. T. Courtney

58·5 76 71·9 129·34 153-45

G-EAXZ

]. H.James

163·34

GloucCSlCl'shil'c

G-EAXZ

J. H. James

177·85

Mars 1 Glouccstershirc Gloster t

G-EAXZ

L. L. Carter

192·36

Date

Aircraft

Pilot

1{3{191O 31/12/1910 29{1O{1911 24{1O{1912 6{1IJ1913

Short No.2 Cody ~lichelin Cup biplane Cody Circuit of Britain biplane Sopwith·Wrighl biplane Crahame·\Vhite Charabanc

]. T. C. l'.loorc-Brabazon

S.F. Cody S. F. Cody H. C. Hawker R. H. Carr

Time hr m..i.n 31

4 47 5 8

IS 23

BRITISH EMPIRE MICHELIN CUP NO.2 Date

Aircraft

Pilot

11/9(1911 12(10/1912

Cody Circuit of Britain biplane Cody l'\'lilitary Trials biplane

S. F. Cody S. F. Cody

Speed "'ph 40 54

AIR LEAGUE CHALLENGE CUP Date

Aircraft

Registration

Pilot

G-EB]O G-EBRQ

FIt Lieut J. M. Robb ;0.24 Squadron Fit Lieut R. W. Chappell Fig Off P. i'vlurgatroyd Fit Lieut H. S. Shield RAF Eastchurch Fit Lieut W. E. G. Mann No. 25 Squadron Fit Lieut E. B. Mason Fit Lieut C. R. Keary N. H.Jones Sqn Ldr H. M. Probyn

G-EBPT G4AAVO EK621

N. S. Todd S.B.Cliff Lieut P. G. Lawrence

94 100 302

G-AIHO WR210

Sqn Ldr W. L Lashbrook J. W. Wilson

161·5 500

G-ACYO G-ALCK G-AH TA G-AKKB G-AEXF G-AOGP G-APOZ G-AO>:] G-AHFK G-ARRZ G-ASIT G4ANEL G-APYB G-ATKX G-AXDU

r>.1iss Freydis M. Leaf T. G. Knox A. S. K. Paine F. Dunkerley P. S. Clifford R. R. Paine D. ~'1. Hartas Capt C. P. Watson A.J. Spiller Lieut D. \"T. Morgan A. J. Spiller W. P. Meyndl P. G. Bannister G. H.,janney C. B. G. Mascficld

138 137·5 153·5 153·75 202·66 185

17{9{1921 S.E.5a (relay) Avro 504X S.E.5a 6{8{1923 Bristol F.2B (relay) IflO/1924 Sopwith Snipe Sopwilh Snipe Sopwilh Snipe 16(7f1927 A.N.E.C. II 9/6(1928 Westland Widgeon

Speed mph 123·6

93·2 100·2

BRITISH 99. AIR RACING CHALLENGE CUP Date

Aircraft

Registration

Pilot

12/6J1965 6{8{1966 5{8f1967 2(9/1968 26{4{1969

Piper Comanche 250 Piper Comanche 260B \Vassmer Baladau Piper Comanche 260B Piper Comanche 260B

G-ARXI G-ATOY G-AVF;U G-J\TOY G-ATOY

l\'liss Sheila Scott Miss Sheila Scott Miss Daphne Poynter Miss Sheila Scott Miss Sheila Scott

73·5 90·5

Speed "'ph 181 183·5 150·25 185 186·5

DAILY EXPRESS INTERNATIONAL AIR RACE

TTl

5/10(1929 D.H.GO Moth 4/6/1932 Desoutter 11 1{8/1949 Blackburn Firebrand T.F.Mk.vA 22{7{1950 Proctor 3 12{7{1952 D.H.IOO Vampire F.Mk.9 19{6{1954 Miles Hawk r>.lajor 20{8{1955 Proctor 3 21{7{1956 Proctor I 14{7{1957 Gemini lA 12{7{1958 "Mew Gull 11/7{1959 Hawk Speed Six 4{6/1960 Jode! 0.117 3{6{1961 Proctor 3 I 8{8f1 962 ProctOI' 3 5{8{1963 Turbulent IB/7f1964 Cessna 180 7{8f1965 Tiger ~,Iloth 9(7(1966 Tipsy Nipper 2 2(8f1968 lode! 0.140 11{7{1969 Beagle Pup 150

474

147 144·5 103 162 107·5 [06·5 [52·5 136·5

Date

Aircraft

Registration

16{9f1950 22{9{1951 2{8/1952

Proctor 1 Chilton D.W.I Proctor I

G-AHUZ G-AFGI G-AHGA

Pilot

Speed mph N. \'V, Charlton 164·5 H. M. Kendall 129 Wg Cdr R. H. IvIcIntosh 157·5

DE HAVILLAND TIGER MOTH CHALLENGE TROPHY Date

11/7/1959 4/6{1960 3{6{1961 18/8/1962 21/8/1965 22/7/1967 24/8/1968

Aircraft

D.H.87B Hornet Moth {Thruxton Jackaroo Thruxton Jackaroo Tiger Moth 'I'iger Moth Tiger Moth Auster J.IN Tiger MoLh

Speed mph 115·5

Registration

Pilot

G-ADNB

D. M. Hartas

G-APAM G-APAP G-AOUY G-ANZZ G·ANZZ G-AGVF G-ANEL

Miss Sheila Scott G. C. Marler 106·5 G. Rees 120·5 D. M. Hartas T. M. Storey "\"'g Cdr W. H. W. Lucas 121·5 W. p, Mcynell

475

22/B/1931

EVERARD TROPHY Date

Aircraft

Registration

Pilot

19/8fl967

Brantly B.2n Brantly B.2B

G-ASXE G-ATFH

K. J. K.J.

H/8fl968

Kingsbury Kingsbury

Speed mph 96·5 97·5

Date

Aircraft

Registration

Pilot

25/8/1932

Comper Swift D.H.60C Gipsy f\'1olh

30/7/1938 5/8/1939

Aeronca C-3 Percival Mew Gull D.H.B7B Hornet Moth Chilton D.W.IA

G-ABWH G-ABOG G-AAMU G-ABVW C-ADYR C-AEXF G-ADMT G-AFSV

1/9/1946 31/8/1947

Supermarine Walrus B.A. Swallow 2

G-AHFN G-AELG

A. J. Styran K. H. F. Waller J. G. Brown L. Lipton R. R. Grubb A. Henshaw H. Buckingham HonA. W. H. Dalrymple ]. Grierson Lieut-Cdr P. Godfrey

26/8fl933 1-219/1934 1419/1935 1/8fl936 31/7fl937

D.H.60X Moth D.H.60G1l1 Moth

Speed mph 141 103 101·25 112 84·75 210 12J.25 126

"C, "

Date

Aircraft

Registration

Pilot

12/6/1948 28/5/1949 18/6/1950 26/5/1951 17/5/1952 16/5/1953 28/8/1954·

29/8/1966 28/8/1967 2/9/1968 1/9/1969

Auster J-l Autocrat Piper Super Cruiser Chris lea Skyjeep Miles Mercury 6 Chipmunk I Miles Hawk Speed Six Miles Hawk Major Gemini 3 Miles M.18/2 Miles Monarch Tiger Moth Piper Comanche 2608 Halkow 208 Junior Hearn GY-20 Minicab Ueta 2

G-AIGH G-AjGY G-AKVS G-AHAA G-AKDN G-ADGP C-ACYO C-AKDC C-AHKY G-AIDE G-AOXN G-ATOY G-ASFO G-AVRW G-AWHV

W. A. Bowel' G. Reid-Walker D. Lowry F. Dunkerley W. P. I. Fillingham R. R. Paine Miss Fl'cydis M. T,caf J. N. Somers Fit Lieut H. B. lIes W. P. Bowles H. A. G. Smith Miss Sheila Scott W. H. Todd A. G. Perkins D. M. J. Jones

Date

Aircraft

Registration

Pilot

23/6/1923

Sopwith Gnu

G-EAGP

4flO/1924

Avro 562 Avis RAE Hurricane Blackburn Bluebird I

G-EBKP G-EBHS G-EBKD

n.H.60 Moth n.H.60 Moth n.H.60 Moth

G-EBMV G-EBPT G-EBQV

Fit Lieut W. H. Longton H.J. L. Hinkler FIt Lieut J. S. Chick Sqn Ldr W. H. Longton Mrs S. C. Eliou·Lynn G. S. Kemp L. Turnbull

20/B/1955 21/7/1956 14/7/1957

12/7 fl958

130·5 177-5

GROSVENOR CHALLENGE CUP

3/8/1925

18/9fl926 1/8/1927

5/lOfl929 6/9fl930

476

\Vestland \'\'idgeon III D.H.GOGII [ Moth

G-AADE G-ACBX

1/8fl949 29/7fl950

Auster J- I Autocrat Tipsy Trainer 1 Avro 638 Club Cadet Moth Minor Auster Aiglet Chipmunk 1 lvliles Monarch Tiger Moth Tiger Moth Tiger Club A Team

G-AGXK G-AFjT G-ACHP G-AFPN G-AMMS G-AKDN G-AJDE G-AIVW G-ANZZ

G-ABUU

J. J.

21/7fl956 14/7fl957 12/7 fl958 11/7fl959 I 9/8fl 967 1117/1969

Camper Swift

Han J. Baring

F. O. 1t.'Iarsh Stewart- \-Vood Potheeary

102·5 98 109·25 112·5 97·5 106·5 111 119 146 l31·5 115·63 118·5 178 points 117·5

HEDGES BUTLER CHALLENGE CUP Date 29/6/1907 22/6/1910

Speed mph 108·5 115 109 161 142 186·5 139·5 161 130 131·5 106·75 188

Sqn Ldr]. W.

2/7/1932 13/7/1935

121 99

GOODYEAR AIR CHALLENGE TROPHY

G-AAUU

Woodhouse C. S. Napier Licut-Cdr C. W. Phillips D. A. Arch K. C. 1vlillican D. F. Ogilvy D. R. Robertson D. Wcsloby J. N. Somers W. P. Bowles J. H. Denycr B. j. Snook

11/7/1952 20/6/1953 20/8/1955

FOLKESTONE AERO TROPHY RACE

Blackburn Bluebird IV

22/6fl912 12/7fl913 11/7/1914

Balloon Pegasus

Aeronaut CoIJ. E. Cappe, Han Mrs Assheton Harbord Mrs]. D. Dunville Mrs J. D. Dunville 1\'Irsj. D. Dunville

NiTvana

Banshee II Banshu 11 Hmlshu 11

I.C.I. CHALLENGE CUP Date

Aircraft

Registration

Pilot

7/8/1965

Tiger Moth Comanche 260B Dela Messenger 2A

G-ANEL G-ATOY G-ATLY G-AKKO

W. P. Mcynell Miss Sheila Scott Han J. Baring J. Marriott

6/Bfl966 5/8/1967

3/8fl968

Speed mph 107·5 187 144-25 127·75

JOHN MORGAN AIR RACING CHALLENGE TROPHY Speed mph 87·6

65·87 81·19 84·95 88·5 98 95

Date

2/6fl961 18/8/1962 5/8/1963 18/7/1964 I 2/6fl 965 12/8/1966

Aircraft Supermarine Spitfire Mk.VIII Trainer Arrow Active 2 Tipsy Nipper Beagle Husky jodcl DR.1050M {Tiger r...loth Comanche 260B

Registration

Pilot

G-AIDN

V. H. Bellamy

G-ABVE G-APYB G-ASNC G-ATLB G-ANDA G-ATOY

Capt D. W. Phillips 139 ]). G. Bannister 101 128 V. B. 1i litchell 134·5 n.]. Snook Miss Margo A. McKellar t>.'liss Sheila Scott

477

Speed mph 318

KEMSLEY CHALLENGE TROPHY Date

Aircraft

Registration

Pilot

30/7fl9·f9 19/8/1950 11/7/1952 20/6fl953 18/6/1954 20/8/1955 21/7fl956 14/7/1957 12/7/1958 11/7/1959

Hawker P.I04{) Gemini lA Proctor I Proctor 1 Gemini 3 Chipmunk I Tiger Moth Proctor 3 Chilton D.W.IA Proctor 3

YNOI G-AKKB G-AH\'G G-AH:'
Sqn Ldr K. F. Duke

G-AKDN

G-AOBH G-ALFX G-AFSV G-ALCK

Speed mph 508 162·95 149·5 1+9 174·5 138 101 152·5 148·75 147

F. Dunkerley Lieut P. G. Lawrence A. S. K. Paine .1. N. Somers .1. X Somers Sqn Ldr D. P. Boulnois A. Barker J. E. G. Appleyard S. F. Jours

Aircraft

Registration

Speed

Pilot

mph 29/6/1964 24/7/1965 17/7/1966 16/7/1967 13/7fl969

Piper Super Cub Arrow Active 2 LeVier Associates Cosmic Wind Tmbulent Falco F.81 S.3

G-ARAM G-ABVE C-ARUL

Capt D. W. Phillips D. M. Hartas

G-ARRZ G-AROT

R. S. Voice E. N. Husbands

D. M. Hartas

Aircraft

Registration

8-9/9fl922 13-14/7/1923 12/8/1924 3-4/7/1925 9-10/7/1926 30/7/1927 20-21/7/28 5-6/7fl929

D.HAA

Gloster Grebe Mk.II

J7520

5/7/1930

Avro Avian III

G-EBVZ

25/7/1931

Blackbum Bluebird lV D.H.B3 Fox l...Ioth D.H.85 Leopard ~Ioth ?\Ionospar ST-IO

G-AACC

8-9/7fl932 8/7/1933 13-14/7fl93+ 6-7/9fl935 10-11/7/1936 10/9/1937 2/7/1938 30/7fl9+9 17/6fl950 12/7/1952 20/6/1953 19/6/1954

G-EAMU A.W. Siskin II C-EBEU D.H.50 G·EBFN A. W.Siskin V G-EBLQ D.H.GO Moth G-EBMO D.H.60 Moth G-EBME D.H.GOG Gipsy Moth G-EBYZ

?\Iiles ?\f.3B Falcon Six Percival Vega Gull Percivall'\'lew Gull Percival Mew Gull Miles M.65 Gemini 3 Miles M.14A Hawk Trainer r."Ik.3 Taylol'craft Plus D D.H.C.I Chipmunk 10 Miles M.38 Messenger 2A

G-ABUT G-ACHD G-ACTS G-ADLC G-AEKE C.AEKL

C-AEXF G-AKDC G-AKRV G-AHGZ G-AKD:'< G-AKBO

478

Speed

Pilot

F. L. Barnard F. T. Courtney Cobham F. L. Barnard H. S. Broad W. L. Hope W. L. Hope FIg Off R. L. R. Atcherley Miss Winifred S. Brown

Capt Capt A.J. Capt Capt Capt Capt

Fig Off E.

15/7f1961 18/8/1962 5/8/1963 1/8/1964 21/8f1965 13/8f1966 19/8/1967

12/7 fl969 28/6J1970

179·6

KING'S CUP Date

12/7/1958 11/7/1959 9/7/1960

24/8f1968

KENT MESSENGER AIR RACE Date

20/8f1955 21/7f1956 1'1/7f1957

C.

T.

Edwards Capt W. L. Hope Capt G. de Havilland FIt Lieut H. 11.'1. Schofield Fit Lieut T. Rose C. E. Gardner C. E. Gardner A. Henshaw J. N. Somers E. Day C. Gregory W. P. 1. Fillingham Fit Lieut H. Wood

mph 123·6 149 106·6 141·7 90-4 92·8 105·5 150

124·25 139·51 134·16 176·28 16+47 233·7 236·25 164-25 138·5 113·5 142 133

C-ADNL

P. S. ClifTol'd ]. H. Denyer F. Dunkerley

213·5 124 228

C·AIVW

J. H. Dcnyer

G-AHFK G-APt Z

A.J. Spillcr Sqn Ldr J. dc M. Severne Sqn Ldr H. B. lies P. S. Clifford P. G. Bannister D. M. Hartas

118·5 1+3 109

C·AHKY G-ARDY G-APYB G·ARUL

i\files M.1812 Tipsy Kipper 2 Tipsy Nipper 2 LeVier Associates Cosmic Wind Cessna 172B D.H.C.I Chipmunk 22 North American P-51D Mustang D.H.87B Hornet Moth Turbulent Champion Citabria

1+2 101 102·5 185

N6356T

]. Stewart.Wood J. A. C. Miles C. B. G. Mascfield

277-5

G-ADKM

Sqn Ldr F. R. E.

121

C-ASAM

Hayter R. d'Er1anger M. A. Pruden

99·5 129·5

G-ARYS G-APTS

N7566F

131·5 135

LONDON TO CARDIFF AIR RACE Date

Aircraft

Registration

Pilot

15/10/1932 22/7/1933 6/lOfl934 21/9J1935 19/9/1936 10/7/1937 10/9/1938 3/6/1960 2f6f1961

D.H.BOA Puss Moth D.H.a5 Leopard Moth Hendy 281 Hobo Percival Mew Gull D.H. T.K.2 D.H. T.K.2 D.H. T.K.2 Auster 5 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.VlfI Trainer

G-ABOF G-ACHC G-AAIG G-ACND G-ADNO

M. D. L. Scott A. J. Styran Fit Lieut R. Duncanson Capt E. W. Percival R.]. Waight C. R. de Havilland G. R. de Havilland ]. Stewart-Wood V. H. Bellamy

G·ADNO

G·ADNO G-AIKE G-AlDN

Speed mph 116·75 136·75 125-4 218 189·72 161-4 187·5 134·25 318

LONDON TO ISLE OF MAN AIR RACE Aircraft

30/5J1936 29/5/1937

D.H.85 Leopard Moth B.F.W. Messerschmitt Me 108 Taifun Comper Swift

G·ACLO D·IOSA

A. Henshaw Maj Seidemann

G·ABWW

D.H. T.K.2

G-ADNO

S. T. Lowe G. R. de Havilland

'1/6f1938 27/5f1939

Registration

Pilot

Date

102-75 117·8

G-AEXF G-AJRH

Percival ;>vlcw Cull Auster J-IN 1I.Iilcs :'\1.77 Sparrowjet D.H.82A Tiger ~roth Perci\'al Proctor 3 Turbulent

Speed ",ph 126·75 159·5 168·25

LONDON TO NEWCASTLE AIR RACE Date 6/8/1932 12/8/1933 11/8/1934 27/7/1935 8/8f1936

Aircraft

Registration

D.H.GOG Gipsy Moth

G-ABJL G-ACCI·V G-AllVW G-ACRC G-ACTE

D.H.60GH! Moth D.H.60GIII Moth B.A. B.K.I Eagle Miles M.2E Hawk Speed Six

479

Pilot

Speed

Han R. Westenra Hon R. ,"Vestenra L. Lipton Fit LieutJ. B. \,\'ilson W. Humble

",ph 118·75 125·25 124·02 141·5 183·75

PLAYERS NO.6 TROPHY

MANX AIR DERBY Date

Aircraft

Registration

Pilot

Speed

Date

Registration

Aircraft

Pilot

1/6/1936 31/5/1937 6/6/1938 29/5/1939

26/5J19+7 29/5/1965 20/5/1967 27/+/1968 26/+/1969

Praga Baby Comper Swift Hawker Tomtit Percival Vega Gull lvlilcs M.2L Hawk Speed Six Percival Proctor 3 Bolkow 208 Junior Condor Beta

G-AEEU G-AB\'VW G-AFEA G-ADGP G-AGWB G-ASFO G-AVCZ G-ATLY

Speed ~ph

~ph

Auster A.O.P.Mk.9 Chipmunk 23

XP241 G-APOS

Maj M. Somerton-Rayner M. A. Pruden

R. F. Hall S. T. Lowe J. Rush Albert Henshaw Maj T. Rose

89·5 138·5 117 167·5 181

18/8/1967 23/8/1968

FIt Lieut A. Turley

1+3·5

Date

W. H. Todd N. H.Jones F. O. Marsh

126·25 172·5

2/6/68

Jode! D.150

Date

Aircraft

Registration

Pilot

3/7/1928 5/10/1929 6/9/1930 20/6/1931 2/7/1932

D.H.60 Moth D.H.60 Moth D.H.GOG Gipsy Moth Avro Avian II D.H.GOG Gipsy Moth

G-EBPT G-EBPT G-AAEX G-EBRR G-AA.J.J

17/6/1933 28/7/193·f I 5/6J1 935

D.H.60 Moth Avro 631 Cadct B.A.Eagle 2

G-EBMQ G-ACMG G-ADES

1/8/19'19 22/7/1950

Hawkcr P.I040 Vickers Type 398 Attacker F.Mk.l r-,'liles Falcon Six Miles Falcon Six Miles M.77 Sparrowjet Miles Hawk Speed Six Miles Hawk Speed Six Gemini 3C Supcl'marinc Spitfire Mk.VITI Trainer Miles Hawk Speed Six

VP+OI TS+09

Dr H. B. L. Dixon Dr H. B. L. Dixon O. J. Tapper R. F. Hall Fit Lieut W. E. P. Johnson R. F. Hall R. F. Hall Lord Willoughby de Broke Sqn I,dI' T. S. Wade Lieut-CdI'M.J. .Lithgow C. C. Marler G. C. Marler F. Dunkerley

121·25 126·5

ROTHMANS TROPHY Registration

Aircraft

Pilot

Speed ~ph

T. M. Storcy

152

SBAC CHALLENGE CUP

Date

Aircraft

Registration

Pilot

Speed

1/8/19+9

Aero Ae-45 Miles Falcon Si:x Messenger 2A Messenger 2A Miles Nighthawk

OK-DCL G-AECC G-AJYZ G-AJYZ G-AGWT

J. Andrle Sqn Ldr J. Rush

163 165·5 132 129·5 158·5

Tiger Moth Comper Swift Mew Gull Miles Monarch Auster J-IN Auster 5 Hawk Trainer 1vIk.3 Piper Comanche 260B

G-AIVW G-ABUS G-AEXF G-AIDE G-AJEH G-AIKE G-AIVA G-ATOY G-A1'LY C-AKKO G-AWWU

~ph

29/7J1950 11/7J1952 20/6J1953 18/6/195+ 20/8/1955 21/7/1956 1+/7/1957 12/7/1958 11/7/1959

1/6J1960 3/6J1961 6/8J1966 5/8J1967 3/8/1968 11/7/1969

Bt:ta

Messenger 2A Cessna Rcims Rocket

W. P. Bowles

W. P. Bowles Maj P. V. LovettCampbell J. H. Denyer D. F. Dgilvy P. S. Cliflord W. 1). Bowlcs J.H. Denyer J. Stcwart- Wood S. M. Aarons Miss Sheila Scott Han J. Baring J. Marriott J. Stewart-Wood

105·5 133 200·75 136·16 125·8 133 187 141.. 25 127·75 1+3·5

30/4fl955 21/7fl956 11/7/1957 12/7/1958 11/7/1959

9/7fl960 15/7/1961 1/0/196'f

OSRAM CUP Date

Aircraft

Registration

21/7/1956 12/7/1957 12/7/1958 11/7/1959

G-AMBS G·ANWY G-AHKY G-AJoJR VXI13

Speed

T. G. Knox A. Barker Fit LicUl H. B. Iles .I. HHl C:lpt N. Bolclwick

137 1+1 136 109·5 12+·75

PLAYERS GOLD LEAF TROPHY Date

Aircraft

Registration

Pilot

18/8J1967

Chipmunk 22 Messenger 2A

G·AOTG G-AKKO

R. H. Nicholls J. Marriott

Speed ~ph

23/8/1968

480

G-ADTD G-ADTD G-ADNL

R. R. Paine

95 97·5 99·5 120 94·25 75 116 133 510 533 159·5 169 228

G·ADCP G-ADGP G-ALZG G-AIDN

P. Blamirc V. H. Bellomy

191·5 189 170·25 298

C-ADGP

R.R. Paine

187·5

R. R. l)ainc

SCHNEIDER TROPHY Pilot

~ph

Proctor 3 { Proctor 3 ?-o'Iiles M.18/2 Tipsy Bdfilir B Auster A.D.P. Mk.6

Speed ~ph

NORTON GRIFFITHS CHALLENGE TROPHY

135 126·75

Date

Aircraft

16/4/1913 20/4/191+ 10/9/1919 21/9/1920 7/8/1921 12/8/1922

Deperdussin Sopwith Tabloid

Registration

Pilot

Speed ~ph

M. Prtvost C. H. Pix Ion

+5·75 86·78

Contest onnulled

28/9/1923 26/10/1925 13/11/1926 26/9/1927 7/9/1929

Savoia 5.19 ?-oIoeehi ?-o1.7 Supermarine Sea Lion II Curtiss CR-3 Curtiss R3C-2 Macchi M.39 Supermarine S.5/25 Supermarine S.G

A-6081 A-6979

12/9/1931

Supermarine S.6B

51595

G-EBAH

N220 N2+7

481

L. Bologna G. de Briganti Capt H. C. Biard

107·22+ 117·8 1+5·7

Licut D. Rittenhouse Lieut J. H. Doolittle Maj :M. de Bernardi FIt Lieut S. N. Webster Fit Lieut H. R. D. 'Waghorn Fit Lieu!J. N. Boothman

177-38 232·573 246·+12 281·656 328·63 3+0·08

,.~---------------------r------------------

SIDDELEY CHALLENGE TROPHY Date

Aircraft

21/7/1928

D.H.60

6/7/1929 5/7/1930 25/7J1931 9/7J1932 8/7J1933 I4/7J1 934 7/9J1935 11/7J1936 10/9/1937 1/9J1946 31/8J1947 I 7J10Jl 948 1/8/1949 2/9/1950 23/8/1952 22/8J1953

D.H.GO Moth Avro Avian] I r D.H.SOA Puss lvfoth D.I-t,80A Puss Moth Compel' Swift D.H.6OGIlI Moth Percival Gull Six Percival Vega Gull Perch'al Mew Gull Tiger MoLh B.A. Swallow 2 Auster J-I Autocrat Gemini IA Gemini IA Messenger 2A Gemini 3

~loth

Record Flights

Registration

Pilot

Speed "'ph

G-E80T

~Iiss

83·5

G-EBPQ G-EBVZ

G-AAYE G-ABLG G-ACGL G-ABV"" G-ADFA G-AEKE G-AEKL G-AHNX G-AELG G-AGXX G-AKKB G-AKKB G-AKIN G-AKDC

Winifred E. Spooner Lieut 1.. G. Richardson ~liss Winifred S. Brown A. C. M. Jackaman W. L. Runciman A. Henshaw L. Lipton

C. E. Gardner C. E. Gardner C. E. Gardner R. Pomphrct Licut-Cdr P. Godfrey W. M. Morris F. Dunkerley F. Dunkerley A. J. Spiller J. N. Somers

AROUND THE WORLD

100·2 102·75 123·9 130 127·78 124-18 170·08 164·47 233·7 102 99 124 144·5 158 129 159·5

Aircraft

Registration

Pilot

28/9J1968 5J10/1969

Jodel D.117 Turbulent

G-ASZH G-ARZM

W. H. Todd R. S. Voice

Aircraft

Registration

Pilot

6/6/1951 30/5/1953 5/6/1954 30/4/1955

Proctor 1 Proctor I Gemini IA

G-AHVG G-AHGA G-AKKB

Fit Licut H. Wood S. A. Holloway F. Dunkerley ]. N. Somers

G-ATOY Piper PA-24 Comanche 260B

Time days nUn

Pilot

rvliss Sheila Scott

33

3

FEMALE Time

Aircraft

Registration

Percival Gull Six

G-ADPR

Pilot Miss Jc:m Batten

AUSTRALIA-ENGLAND Date 26/5/19315/6/1931 29/7J19316/8/1931 24--31/3/1935 27/4/19373/511937 18-22/4/1938

Speed ",ph 121·75 110

Speed "'ph 155·5 153 165

Aircraft D.H.60M Gipsy Moth D.H.60G Gipsy Moth Miles M.3 Falcon D.H.85 Leopard Moth Percival Vega Gull

Date 5-24/5/1930

0-23/5/1934 5-11/10/1936

VV. P. I. Fillingham Sqn Ldr J. Rush Miss Freydis M. Leaf .J. N. Somers Fit Lieut H. B. lies Fit Lieut H. B. lies H. A. G. Smith Capt N. Bald\....ick Sqn Ldr J. de M. Scverne S. :M. Aarons D. M. Hartas P. C. Bannister D. ]",1. Hartas P. B1amire J. A. C. Miles J. Stewart-Wood R. L. Ranscombe C. B. G. Masefteld

Aircraft D.H.GOG Gipsy Moth D.H .60M Gipsy Moth Percival Gull Six

1-10/4/1931 31/10/19318/11/1931 19-28/-IJl932 4--11/lOJl933 2-9/11J1935

Aircraft Avro Avian Avro Sports Avian IVA D.H.60!\'l Gipsy 1'·lo[h Compel' Swift D.H.GO)"{ Gipsy l>.loth Percival Gull Four Percival Gull Six

.

18

15

MALE Time days hr nUD 10 13 25

VH-UFT

.}. A. Mollison

8

19

25

G-ACTM VH-AHB

H. L. Brook H. F. Broadbent

7 6

19 8

50 25

G-AFEH

H.F. Broadbent

5

4

21

FEMALE

Registration G-AAAH

TinJ.e Pilot days hr JYlin Miss Amy Johnson 19}

G-AARB

Miss Jean BaLlen

14

22

30

G-ADPR

MissJcan Batten

5

21

3

MALE

G-ABHY

Titne Pilot days hr nJ.in H.J. L. Hinklcr 15} Wg Cd, C. E. 9 21 40 Kingsford Smith C. W. A. Scott 9 3 40

G-ABRE

C. A. Butler

9

2

29

VH-UQA

C. W. A. Scott

8

20

4i

G-ACJV

Air Cdre Sir C. E. Kingsford Smith H. F. Broadbent

7

4

44

6

21

19

Registration G-EBGV G-ABCF

VI-I-UVA

483

482

5

Pilot C.W.A. Scott

ENGLAND-AUSTRALIA Date 7-22/2/1928 9-19/10/1930

days hr nUn

Registration VH-UQA

ENGLAND-A USTRALIA

BRITISH AIR RACING CHAMPIONSHIP ROYAL AERO CLUB JUBILEE TROPHY 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969

18/5/196620/6/1966

Date 18-24J10Jl937

WELSH AIR DERBY TROPHY Date

Aircraft

AUSTRALIA-ENGLAND

STRONGBOW CHALLENGE TROPHY Date

Registration

Date

ENGLAND-SOUTH AFRICA Date

14-18/11/1932

Aircraft D.I-I.80A Puss

Registration

G-AG.AB

~Ioth

4-7/5/1936

Pcrcivnl Gull Six

G-ADZO

6-9/7/1967

Piper PA-24

G-.'\1'OY

FEMALE

NORTH ATLANTIC

Time days hr min sec -I 6 5-1

Pilot Id"J.A. I\lollisoll ~I"J. A.

:J

G 26

3

2

Date

29-30/10/1936

Aircraft Bellanca 28·70

WEST-EAST

Registration NR190i\l

Titne hr tnin

Pilot J. A. l\lollison

13

17

~Iollison

Comanche 260B

i\liss Sheila Scolt

ENGLAND-SOUTH AFRICA Date

1-28/9/1927 29/7/192812/8/1928 5-13/10/1930 24-28/3/1932 6-9/2/1936 5-6/2/1939

Aircraft D.H.GO l-.Ioth

Registration

A"ro Avian III

G-EBVU

D.H.80A Puss l"loth D.H.aOA Puss Moth Miles M.3B Falcon Si.x Percival :Mew

ZS-ACD

SOUTH AFRICA-ENGLAND

MALE

G-ABKG

Pilot Lieut R. R. Bentley Lieut P. r..L A. l\Iurdoch LieUl R. F. Caspareulhus J. A. Mollison

C-ADLC

Fit Licut T. Rose

G-AEXF

A. Henshaw

G-EBSO

14 39

28

I3}

17

30

3

17

37

11-13/11/1035

15

25

Date

3-9/3/1936 2-5/5/1937 7-0/2/1039

Aircraft D.H.BOA Puss Moth Percival Gull Six

Titne days hr min

Registration G-ABXY

Pilot J. A. Mollison

G-ADPR

lvli!ls Jean Batten

3

10

8

2

13

15

LONDON-NEW YORK Aircraft Registration Piper PA·24 G-ATOY Comanche 260B

Date

4-5/5/1969

G-ATOY Piper 1'A-24 Comanche 26013

~l" J.

A.

!\lollison !\IrsJ. A.

7

7

5

4

16

17

2

19

56

~lol1ison

i\liss Sheila Scott

SOUTH AFRICA-ENGLAND

ENGLAND-SOUTH AMERICA

6-9/3/1933

30/7/19671/8/1967

G-ADZO

Time days hr =in

Pilot

8} -I

Gull

Date

10-15/5/1936

11-18/12/1932

Tixne days hr min

Registration G-ACAB

Aircraft D.H.80A Puss !\loth Percival Cull Six

Date

FEMALE

Time hr min 2-1 48

Pilot Jvl iss Shrila Scon

I

Aircraft Miles M.3B Falcon Six Percival Gull Six Percival Mew Gull

Registration

G-ADLC G-ADZO G-AEXF

SOUTH ATLANTIC Date

18/11/1967

Aircraft Piper PA~24 Comanche

MALE

Pilot Fll Lieut T. Rose

TiIne days hr tni.n 6 6 57

4

H. L. Brook A. Henshaw

I

18 36

15

WEST-EAST

Registration G-ATOY

Pilot Miss Sheila SeoLL

Time hr.

11

260B

WORLD ALTITUDE RECORD NORTH ATLANTIC Date

EAST-WEST

Aircraft Registration Piper PA-2-lG-ATOY Comanche 260B

n/lO/1967

NORTH ATLANTIC Date

18-19/8/1932

Aircraft D.H.BOA Puss :Moth

FEMALE

Pilot ~liss Sheib Scott

EAST-WEST

Registration

G-ABXY

484

Time hr min 17 14

Pilot J. A. i'dollison

MALE Thne days hr tnin 1 7 20

Date

16/9/1932 28/9/1936 30/6/1937 23/3/19-18 4/5/1953 29/8/1955 28/8/1957

Aircraft Vickers Type 210 Vespa VII Bristol Type 138A Bristol Type 138A D.H.IOO Vampire F.i\lk.1 English Electric Canberra B.i\lk.2 En~lish Electric Canberra B.i\lk.2 EnRlish Electric Canberra B.i\lk.2

_l~

Registration

G-ABIL K4879 K4879 TG278

Height ft

Pilot/crew Capl C. F. Uwins

-13,976

Sqn Ldr F. R. D. Swain Fit Lieut t\I. J. Adam

49.967

Cp CaptJ.

5f937 59:4-16

\\ID952

Cunningham Wg Cdr W. F. Gibb

63,668

\\lD952

Wg Cdr W. F. Cibb

65,876

WKI63

l\L Randrup/W. Shirley

70,300

485

_

WORLD DISTANCE RECORD Distance Date

Aircraft

20-21/5/1927

Hawker Horsley Mk.II

6-8/2/1932

Fairey Long-range K1991 Monoplane Mk.II Vickers Type 292 rL2638 Wellesley Mk.I

5-7 fll fl938

Registration j8607

I

1L2680 l

Pilot/crew tniles Fit Lieut C. R. Carr! 3,419 Fit Lieut L. E. M. Gillman Sqn Ldr O. R. 5,309·24 Gayford/FIt Lieut G. E. Nicholetts Sqn Ldr R. G. Kellett/1 7,158-467 Fit Lieut R. T. GcthingJPlt Off M. L. Caine Fit Lieut A. N. Combe/Fit Lieut, B. K. BurncttjSgt H. B. Gray )

r

WORLD SPEED RECORD Date 12/9fl929

13/9/1931 29/9/1931 7/11/1945 7/9fl946

7/9/1953 25/9fl953

10/3/19.\6

Speed Aircraft

Supermarine 8.6 Supermarine 8.GB Supermarine 8.GB Gloster wIeteoI' F.Mk.4 Gloster Meteor F.Mk.4 Hawker Hunter Mk.3 Supermarine Swift F.Mk.4 Fairey F .D.2

Registration

N247 51596 51595 EE454

Pilot Sqn Ldr A. H. OrJebar FIt Lieut G. H. Stainforth Fit Lieut G. H. Stainforth Gp Capt H. J. Wilson

"'ph 357·75 379·05 407·5 606·25

EE549

Gp Capt E. M.

615·81

\'VBI88

Donaldson Sqn Ldr N. F. Duke

727-6

WK198

Lieut-Cdr M.

WG774

Lieut-Cdr L. P. Twiss

486

J.

Lithgow

737·3 1,132

INDEX Adam, FIt Lieut M . .J., 296 Adams, Sqn Ldr J., 322 Aerial Derby, 52, 73, 82, 101, 115, 124, 132 Aero Club Balloon Race, 15, 17 Aero Club Challenge Cup, 24, 28 Acronca C-3, 284 Aero Show Trophy, 61 Air League Challenge Cup, 119, 124, 137, 165, 184, 204, 238, 341, 360, 367, 382, 385, 386, 387, 394, 397, 401, 405, 409, 4·11, 416, 425, 428, 439, 453 Airship R-34, 103 Airship R-I00, 212 Airship R-l01, 212 Airship S-Rl, 92 Airspeed A.S.5 Courier, 267 A.S.6 Envoy Ser. I, 285 A.S.6 Envoy II, 273 Alcock, Capt Sir John, 97 Aldridge, Sqn Ldr J. S., 322 Alexander, Mrs Barbara, 371 Allen, G. V., 252, 256 Allen, R., 242 Alliance r.2 Seabird, 104 Alliott, Flg OfT E. H., 184 Anderson, Lieut K. V., 190 Ano, Katsutal'O, 274· Arkell, Sqn Ldr B. H., 328 Arffi5tl'Ong Whitworth Argosy!, 184 A.W.XV Atalanta, 251 Siskin V, 139 Around-the-Houses Race, 255 Around-the-Isle of Wight Race, 256, 316 Around-the-Ridings Race, 255 Around-the-World Race, 78 Astley, H. J. D., 56 Auster J-5F Aiglet Trainer, 365, 36G, 369, 371 Avro 581E Avian. 163. 180 594C Avian'l1, 178 594 Avian III, 178, 180, 189 594 Avian IV, 191 Avian IVrvI, 269 Avian V, 232, 2409 534 Baby, 113 Lancaster B.Mk.I, 322 Lancastrian, 322 Lincoln lLMk.2., 324, 356

616 Sports Avian IVA, 216, 218 616 Sports Avian IVM, 218 618 Ten, 235, 236, 252, 256 Vulean B.l'vlk. 1, 402 Vulcan B.Mk.1A, 409, 410 D,36 539A, 106 Ayling, J. R., 265

118,

133, 348, 393, 413,

264·,

368,

B.A. Eagle 2, 274, 275 RA.G. Drone, 284 Bahamas Trophy, 450 Bailey, the Han Lady Mary, 165, 181, 190, 247 Baillie, Capt W., 371, 378 Banting, Flg Off H. W, R., 191 Barnard, Capt C. D., 184, 198,206,213 Barnard, F. L., 129, 139 Baron de Forest Prize, 35 Bartman, Capt R., 465 Barton, Miss M. A., 2:13 Batten, Miss Jean, 248, 257, 274, 282, 293, 310 Baynes Scud II, 265, 266 Beamont, Wg Cdr R. P., 362, 369 Bedford, FIt Lieut A. W., 348, 349, 357, 391· Bedford, Mary, Duchess of, 184, 198,206 Beech 99A, 465 Beetham, Wg Cdr M. J., 400 Bellanca 28-70, 293 Bellin, P., 409 Bennett, Wg Cdr H. B., 408 Bennett, CaptjAil' Cdre D. C. T., 315 Bennett, Miss, 15 Bentley, Lieut R. R., 168, 181, 191, 197 Bett, FIt Lieut D. L. G., 233, 236, 247 Biard, Capt H. C., 125, 133 Bingham, D., 25 Birdling, FIt Lieut W. R., 322 Birkett, Flt Lieut G., 216 Birmingham Daily Post Trophy, 72 Black, T. Campbell, 223, 271, 278, 280 Blackburn Bluebird IV, 193,215,219,243 Pellet, 133 Hlackpool International Meeting, 27, 32 Blake, Maj W. T., 121 Bleck, Senor C., 273 Dleriot XI, 31 mosse, P. W. Lynch-, 256 Bonney, Mrs H. B., 248 Boothman, Fit LicutjAir CdreJ. N., 231 Bascombe Down Racer, 370

487

Boucher Cup, Helene, 278 BP England lO Australia Commemoralive Air Race, 462 Brabazon,J. T. C. ?Ioore·. 15,2+,27,28, 29,34 . Brabazon, ?Iiss Kalhleen l\Ioore·, 15 Brackley, l\'Iaj H. G., 111 Bradshaw, Sqn Ldr A., 322 Brand, FIt Licut/Sqll Ldr Sir C. J. Quintin, III Breguet 905 Fauvette, 400 Brewer, G., 12,22 Briggs, Eng·Lieut E. F., 61 Bright, Capt W. J., '~64 Brinton, Lieut G. L., 227 Bristol Type 99 Badminlon, 151 Type 84 Bloodhound, H9 150 Britannia 311, 394 ' Britannia 313, 396 Britannia 314, 397 Type 72 Racer, 123 Type 28 "I"ourer, 190 Type 109, 192 Type 138A, 289, 296 British Air Racing Champion, 370, 376, 382, 388, 393, 396, 398, 401, 406, 410,412,415,417,425,430,435, 450 British Air Racing Weekend, 453 British Empire Michelin Cup, 29 British Empire Michelin Cup No. I, 34, 45, 58, 76 British Empire Michelin Cup No.2, 45 58,76 ' British 9~s Air Racing Challenge Cup, 423, 429, 433, 450, 453 British ""omen Pilots' Association 424 Britten·Norman BN-2A Islandcr, 464 Broad, Capt H. S., 151, 167, 182, 189,275 Broadbent, H. F., 219, 281, 295, 310, 311 Brook, H. L., 257, 273, 277, 284, 294, 295 Broome, Capt F. C. G., III Broome, Licut-Col L. E., 121 Brown, Sqn Ldr ]. G., 387 Brown, LieU[ A. Whittcn, 97 Bruce, the Hon V., 242 Bruce, the Hon l'vIrs V., 215, 242. 272 Buckingham, H., 274 . Hucknall, A. L., 15, 16 Bucknall, E., 15 Bucknall, L. c., 15, 16 Bugge, P.O., 345, 379, 398 Burnett, Fit Lieut B. K., 316 Burns, Mrs Anne, 386, 39't., 397, 400, 408 Burton, FIt Lieut R. L. E., 377 Burton-on-Trent tvlccting, 68 Butler, A. S., 192,205 Butler, C. A., 235 Butler, l'drs Lois, 205 Butler, Miss Vera, 12, 14· 15 Butler, F. Hedges, 12, 14; 15, 16 Buxton, Capt F. L., 464

..:.._-------

Corby CJ-I Slarlct, 4111, '~30 Colton, Fit Lieul F. S., 113 Coupe Armand Esders, 276 Coupe des Dames, 460 Coupe Deutsch de la ?Ieurlhe, 119, 129, 251,259 Coupe Lamblin, 122 Coupe Pommeroy, 56 Coupland, FIg OfT R. K .• 236 Courtney, Capt F. T., liS, 132 Cunningham, A. T., 213 Cunningham, Gp Capt J., 328, 345, 379, 398 Curtis, Miss E. Leuicc, 331 Curtis, Lieut W. R., 104

BUXlon, Sqn Ldr G. ?I., 245, 266 Byas, Lieut/Flg On" C. W., 228

CAC. l>.Iustang ~Iustang

~1k. XX, -lOB )'1k. 21, 410

Cahill, Lieut C. H., 232 Gallard, Sqn Ldr A. E., 357 Cambrian Ainvays Cup, 431. 437 Cambrian Airways Trophy, 431 Cambrian Cup, 431, '~37 Capper, Col J. E., 15 Capper, Mrs]. E., 15 Car Cup, The, 21 Car Intcrnational Trophy, 17 Carlsberg Trophy, 448 Carr, Maj/Flt Licut C. R., 163, 165, 167 Carr, Maj R. H., 76 Carver, Gp Capt A. C. 1'., 344 Caspareuthus, Lieut R. F., 215 Cassutt Racer, 459 Chabot, FIg OffC.J., 216 Chairman's Cup, 27 Chamcott Challenger, 418 Champion Lodge Cup, 65 Chaplin, J. R., 220, 22 I, 222, 223 Chaytor, Lady]., 236 Chichester, F. C., 204, 219, 223 Chiltern Hills Air Races, 382 Chillon, Lieut P. C. 5., 333 Cierva W.ll Airhorse, 331 C.30A,272 Circuit of the Alps, 297 Circuil of Britain, 43, 61, 70 90 Circuit of Europe, 39 ' Circuit of the Oases, 294 Clark, E., 293 Claude Grahame-White Chatlcnge Cup, 404 Cleaver, Mrs A. S., 193 Clouston, FIg Off A. E., 310, 311 Cobham, Sir Alan J., 137, 139, 148. 150 . , 179, 223, 266 Cockerell, Capt S., III Cody, S. F., 24, 25, 27, 28, 35, 37 46 58 Cody Brilish Army Aeroplane N~. I' 24 25,28 ' Cole, PIt Off A. L., 347 Collardeau, G., 61 Collins, G. E., 255, 256, 265 Colquhoun, FIt Lieut L. R., 348 Combe, Fit Lieut A. N., 316 Compel', FIt Lieut N., 226, 251, 259 Compel' Kite, 263 Mouse, 263 Slreak, 259, 263 C.L.A.7 Swift, 226, 228, 234, 237, 246, 248, 251, 264, 339, 347 Conl1cau, Lieut de Vaisseau, 40, 43 Connolly, Wg Cdr H. P., 369 Cooksey,]. R., 345 Cooper Trophy, 339, 34·8, 358

488

D.H.82A Tiger Moth, 409 D.H.100 Vampire F.Mk.l, 328 D.H.IOO Vampire F.B.Mk.5, 332 D.H.4R,104 D.H.9,93, 110, 113, 183 D.H.14A, 113 D.H.50,137 D.H.50J, 148, 150 D.H.I08,328 T.K.I,263 T.K.2, 279, 288, 312, 325 T.K.4, 305, 309 dc Havilland Silvcr Tiger Moth Challenge Trophy, 401, <106, 409, 4·11, 4·22, 425, 428, 433, 447 de Havilland Tiger Moth Trophy, 417 Dcnnis, Fit Lieut]. L., 394 Derry, Sqn Ldr ]. D., 328, 332 de Sibour, Vicomte]., 190 de Sibour, Vicomtesse J., 190 Design Competition, Royal Aero Club, 370 Desoutter 1,205 II, 216 de Vere. Cole and Crossley Racer, 370 de Vigue, Sqn Ldr L. C. F., 365 Dcwar Cup, Sir Thomas, 21 D.F.S. Weihe, 322, 332, 385, 387 Dickson, Capt B., 31 di Teano, Princess, 15, 16 Dixon, Sgt T. D., 316 Donaldson, Gp Capt E. M., 324 Doncaster Aviation Mecling, 27, 33 Doncaster Cup, 27 Doncaster Tradesmcn's Cup, 27 Douglas and Clydesclale, Sqn Ldl' the Marquis of, 248 Downey, Sqn Ldr ]. C. T., 356 Drew, Sqn Ldr D. H., 193 Drexcl,.J. Armstrong, 31, 32 Drummond, Mrs Evelyn Deane·, 385, 394 Duke, FIt Lieut/Sqn LdI' N. F., 332, 341, 376 Dunkerley, F., 372, 375 Dunnicliffe, Wg Cdr C. M., 322 Dunville, Lieut·Col. J. D., 24, 25 Dunville, Mrs]ohn, 25, 32 Dunville Cup, 53, 64. 83

d'Aeth, Air Cdre N. H., 322, 324 Daily Express

Gold Medal, 61 International Air Race, 349, 362, 367 Silver Mcdal, 61 Daily Mail

I

Gold Cup, 52 London-ta-Manchester Air Race, 29 London-to-Paris Air Race, 401 Prizes, 17.21,23,26,27,61,62,94 Transatlantic Air Race. 437, 453 Daily Mirror Prize, 32, 33 Dalc, M., 15 Davidson, Fit Lieut H., 408 Dearth, Fig Off E. C., 167 de Chateaubrun, Comte, 276 de Crespigny, Sir Claude Champion, 22 de Havilland, Capt G., 56, 189 de Havilland D.H.88 Comct, 269, 273, 274, 275, 277, 280, 296, 298, 310 D.H.106 Comet, 345 D,H.I06 Comet 2, 379 D.H.I06 Comet 4, 398 D.H.84 Dragon I, 251, 255, 256, 265 D.H.89 Dragon Rapide, 272 D.H.83 Fox MOlh, 263 D.H.60G Gipsy Moth, 189, 190, 191, 192, 193,204,205,207,216,217, 219, 222, 226, 233, 236, 242, 246, 248, 252 D.H.6OtvI Gipsy Moth, 208, 220, 222, 237, 246, 258, 274 D.H.103 Hamel F.l\'lk.3, 344 D.H.65 Hound, 181 D.H.65A Hound, 182 D.H.85 Leopard Moth, 257, 295, 310 D.H.98 Mosquito P.R.Mk.34, 322, 324 D.H.60 Moth, 139, 181 D.H.60X Moth, 192 D.H.60GlJ I Moth Major, 267 D.H.80A Puss Moth, 210, 213, 214, 215,216,219,222,225,233,234, 235, 236, 237, 244, 246, 247, 257, 266,281 D.H.1I2 Sea Venom F.A.vV. Mk.53, 387 D.H.7l Tigcr Moth, 167

East African Flying Safari, 460 Edwards, Fig Off/FIt Lieut/Sqn Ldr E. C. T.,216 Egerton, the Han M., 28 Elkington Bowl, 66 Engineer, Aspy Merwan, 205. 207 England to New Zealand Air Race, 376 England to South Africa Air Race, 390 English Electric Canberra n.Mk.2, 357, 362, 365, 369, 371,379,386,389,396 Canberra P.R.Mk.3, 370, 377 Canberra T.Mk.4, 397 Canberra B.Mk.5, 369

489

English Electric (con ttl. ):Canberra P.R.Mk.7, 388, 394 Canberra B.(I)Mk.8, 390 EoN Olympia, 325, 385, 386 Olympia 2., 348, 349, 357, 406 &'ening News Cup, 16 Everard Trophy, 434, 448, 459 Eyton, Sqn Ldr C. S. Wynne-, 210 Fail'bairn, G. P., :ll B Fairey F.D.2,391 Gyrodyne, 328 Long-range Monoplane Mk.l Postal, 192, 195,204 Long-range ~'lonoplane Mk.II, 233, 236,247 Rotodyne Y, 100 llI, 105 Farman, H., 24, 27, 28 Farman IU, Henry, 28 Fielden, Fit 'tieut E. H., 235 Finch, Wg Cdr J., 387 First International Flying Flea Challenge Trophy Race, 288 Fitzmaurice, Maj/Colj. C., 168,293 Flockhal't, W. R., 408, 410 Flying Scotsl1um, 184

Fokker F.Vlfa, 168, 179, 184, 190, 198,206 F.Vllb-3m, 183, 190, 194,208,274 l~olkestone Aero Trophy, 244, 266, 279, 2B7, 297, 316, 3IB, 322, 326 Fox, J. S., 311 Franchomme, Capt M., 273 Frank, Sqn Ldr A. D., 356 Gaine, Pit Ofr M. L., 316 Gannon, Fit Lieut D. H., 377 Garden, 0., 216 Gardner, P., 32 Gal'stin, 5qn LeI!'J. H., 402 GathcI'good, Capt G. W., 102, 105 Gaudron, A. E., 15, 20, 24 Gayford, Sqn LdI' O. R., 233, 236, 247 Gellatly, Sqn Ldr W. R., 400 Genaireo Biplane, 213 Geoffrey de Havilland Trophy, 3'H, 360, 366.447 Gerrard, Lieut E. L., 44 Gething, Fit Lieut R. T., 316 Gibb, Wg Cdr \,\'. F., 371, 389, 397 Giesler Challenge Trophy, 63 Gillan, FIg Olf/Sqn Ltlr J. W., 311 Gillman, FIt Lieut L. E. M., 163 Gilmour. D. G .. 39 Glass, 1\'liss Mabel, 295 Glass, Miss Sheila, 295 Gloster Gloster IV, 173,228 Gloster IVA, 174,228 Gloster IVB. 174,228 Glosler V, 199

Hare and Hounds Trophy, 22, 26 Hartley prize, Sir John. 28 Harwood. Mrs Rib, 385 Hawker, H. G., 58, 62, 66, 96 Hawker Cygnet, 167 Fury F.B.~'llk.60, 332 Ho"ley Mk.lI, 163, 165, 167 Hunter Mk.3, 376 Hunter F.Mk.4, 387 Hunter T.Mk.7, 39... Hunter F.G.A.Mk.9, 408 Hurricane Mk.I. 3 I I P.1052, 332 . Sea l'ury F.B.Mk.ll, 333, 3+l Sea Fury T.Mk.20, 348 Sea Hawk F.B.M.k.3, 382 Hawker Siddelcy Harrier G.R.Mk.1, 453 Hay. Wg Cdr W., 394Hayhow, T. W., 365, 366, 368, 369, 371 Hazc1den, Sqn Ldr H. G., 327 Heath, Lady, 180, 185 Hebert, J. R., 246 Hedges Butler Challenge Cup, 18, 23, 25, 31,40,53,67,86 Helmore, Sqn Ldr W., 267 Hendy 3308 Heck, 280 Henshaw, Alex, 317 Heston Type 5, 321 Hewett, J. D., 272 Hill, Fig Off, 410 Hill, Fit Lieut C. W., 216 Hill, Capt G. T. R., 113 Hillman Trophy Race, 245 Hillwood, Fit Lieut P., 390 Hilton, Sqn LdrfWg Cdr E. G., 285 Hinkler, LieutfSqn Ldr H. J. L., 113, 161, 179, lBO, 233, 247 Hirth La-ISO, 390 Hitchcock, H. S., 190 I-logan, FIt Lieut H. A. V., 316 Hook, Lieut D. A., 333 Hook, E. L., 208 Hope, Capt W. L., 216 Hornidge, P. R., 341 Hughes P.H.lOO, 418 Humble, Mrs Constance, 222 Humble, Capt R., 222 Humphrey, Wg Cdr A. H., 379 Huntington, Professor A. K., 15, 25 Hurditch, Fit Lieut D. D., 322 Hurley, Capt F., 192 Hutton l'rize, Mrs W., 66

Gloster VI Golden Arrow, 199,228 ~'!eteor F.Mk.3, 341 Meteor F.Mk.4, 322. 324, 327 Meteor F.Mk.8, 345, 360 A.S.31 Survey, 205 Gloucestershire Gloster I, 132 Gloster II, 138 Gloster III, 145 Gloster J IIA, 145 Gloster 1I1B, 147 Mars 1 Bamel, 118, 119, 120, 145 Goddard, Lieut-Cdr P.. 453 Goldin Prize, Horace, 57 Goldstein, Capt C., 396 Goodhart, Lieut-Cdr G. A. J., 390, 400 Goodhart, Capt H. C. T., 387, 400 GoodwinJ.G.3,418 Goodyear Air Challenge Trophy, 328, 332, 347, 357, 366, 371, 382, 385, 386, 387, 392, 393, 394, 397, 430, 435, 450,459 Gordon Bennett Aviation Cup, 33, 40, 90, 117 Gordon Bennett Balloon Race, 16,20, 23, 27,59,75, 119, 123, 133, 150, 168 Gough, Sgt A., 397 Grace, C. S., 31 Grahame-White Charabanc, 73 Gray, Sgt H. B., 316 Green, Mrs Betty Kirby-, 310 Greenwood, E. 5., 322 Greig, Fit Lieut D. D'A. A., 191, 192 Grierson, J., 222, 263 Grieve, Lieut-Cclr, K. Mackenzie-, 96 Griffith Brewer Cup, 32 Grosvenor Ch,allenge Cup, 130, 137, 143, 160, l67, 204, 214, 228, 239, 275, 339, 348, 360, 366, 373, 385, 386, 388, 393, 394, 39B, 401, 434, 455 Grunau Baby, 318 Hackett, CaptJ. W., 388, 397 Hall, Lieut-Cdr G. A., 243 Halton H.A.C.I rI Meteor, 192 Hamel, G., 36, 38, 47, 62, 73 Hamerton, A. C., 22 Hamilton, Fig Off L., 168 Hamilton, Fit Licut L. 5., :l34, 236 Hamillon, K. A., 234 Handley Page H.P.34 Hare, 246 H.P.67 Hastings C.Mk.l, 327 Victor B.Mk.l, 400, 402 0{400, 92, III V/1500, 93, 97 H.P.18 W.8. 113 W.IO,267 Harben 1Cemorial Trophy, 325, 328, 345, 357, 379 Harbord, the Han Mrs Assheton, 16, 27, 28,34, 37, 39, 46 Harbord Cup, 23, 25, 32 Harc and Hounds Race, 22, 26

490

I.e.I. Challenge Cup, 425, 4·29, 433, 439 International Balloon Race, 21, 25 International Correspondence Schools Trophy No.1, 57 International Correspondence Schools Trophy No.2, 58 Inverted Cross-Channel Flight, 264 J rish Aerial Derby, 105 Island Caterers' Board Trophy, "'31, 437, 453

l

Isle of Man Airports Board Cup, 431, 437, 453 Isle of Ivlan B.W.P.A. Trophy, 453 Istres-to-Damascus Air Race, 298 I\'eson, Wg Cdr D., 400 Jackson, S. P., 269 James, J. H., 118. 120, 124. 129, 130 jenkins, Fit Lieut N. H., 195,204 John Morgan Air Racing Challenge Trophy, 409."'1 1,413,416,422,429 Johnson, Miss Amy, 207, 217, 225 Johnson, Capt A. S., 370, 374 Johnson Cleanen Trophy, ...28 JohnstonJ.P.3,418 Jones, Lieut O. Cathcart·, 219, 272 Jones, Capt S. E., 370 jopecoj.2,419

Kay, Fig Off C. E., 205, 272 Kearton Prize, Cherry, 62 Kellett, Sqn Ldr R. G., 316 Kernsley Challenge Trophy, 337, 348, 360, 366, 373, 381, 385, 386, 387, 392,393,394,397,401 Kennett, Lieut B. H. Barrington-, 47 Ktnt Messenger Air Race, 417, 424, 429, 432,458 Kenworthy, Capt/Lieut Cdr R. W., 133 Kidston, Lieut-Cdr G., 218, 219 King's Cup, 125, 131, 135, 139, 151, 166, 185, 196, 208, 224, 239, 253, 259, 278, 285, 299, 312, 319, 338, 346, 360, 366, 373, 381, 393, 394, 398, 401,406,409,411,413,417,425, 429,434,417,455 Kinkead, Fit Lieut S. M., 181 Korab Copellia, 379 Krabbe Cup, 16 Lampitt, Capt T. E., '}65 Lanark Meeting, 32 Lancaster, Capt W. N., 178.249 Lane. Flt Lieut P. D., 411 Lang, Capt A., 93 Leete, B. M. T. S., 161 Lipton Trophy, Sir Thomas J., 2 I Lithgow, J .icut-Cdr M. J., 327, 375, 376 Little, R. F., 198,206 L1angattock Cup, Lord, 39 Llangattock Plate, Lord, 17 Llewellyn, FIg Off D., 281, 284, 294, 295 Lockheed 80 Altair, 272, 281 L.49-46 Constellation, 324DL·I Special Vega. 218, 219 Lomas, Sqn LeII' J., 327 Longcroft, Capt C. A. H., 71, 77 Longmore, Licut A. M., 47 Lorainc, R., 33 Lushington, Lieut G. V. Wildman-, 44 Luton Group Beta, 418 Lympne High Speed Handicap, 323, 326 Lynn, Mrs S. C. Eliott-, 163, 178

491

'MacDonald, Lieut-Cdr H. C., 191 Macedo, Lieut C., 273. 296 l\lackworth, Fit Licut P. H .. 165 l\lacLaren, Maj A. S. C., 92, 93, 135 r>.lacmillan, Capt N .. 121 i\IacRoberlSOn Air Race. 257, 269 i\lacWhirter. Licul Cdr W. R .. 333 i\laharajah of Alwar Trophy, 58 l\Iaher Trophy, Danny. 62 Maitland. Lieut-Col 'E. 1\1.. 24 i\'lajor, Fig Off E. \T.. 192 . i\1anches/er Guardiall Cup, 27 i\lanning, Wg Cdr E. R .. 181 ,Mansfield, Capt A.1\., 328 Manville Prize, E .. 36 Manx Air Derby, 238, 284, 290, 312, 318, 325,421,427,431,437,452 Mappin and Webb Bowl, 66 Markham, Mrs Beryl, 288, 295 Marsh, H. A., 332 Martin, Sqn Ldr H. B., 324 Martin-HanClasyde Monoplane, 60

Martinsyde Semiquaver, 113 A,96 Mase, F., 195 Matthews, Capt F. R" 215, 218 Matthews, J., 208 McArthur,]. H. C" 278, 280 McClean, T., 318 McDonnell Phantom F .G.R.l\Ik.l. 453 McIntosh, LieutJ. C.. 109 Mcintosh, Capt/''''g Cdr R. H., 168, 179, 235 McIntyre, FIt Lieut D. F., 248 McKay, Sqn Ldr J., 356 rVIdrose, C. J., 266, 281 Menzies, G. L., 218 Mennoz, J., 277 Merrifield, Wg Cdr]. R. I-I., 322 Michelin Cup, 24 Iv! idland Aero Club Meeting, 31 MilicI', Mrs Keith, 178 Miles M.3 Falcon, 273, 277 M.3il Falcon Six, 284 M.65 Gemini IA. 372, 375 M.65 Gemini 3. 347 M.2B Hawk, 257 M.2F Hawk Major, 266 M.2S Hawk Major, 310 l\L2L Hawk Speed Six, 325, 347 M.13 Hobby, 305 M.5 Sparrowhawk. 380 Minchin, Lieut-Col F. F. R., 150, 168 Minimoa. 312, 318 Mitchell-Pl'izeman Scamp, 418 Moil', Fig Off S. .J., 192, 194Moisant, J. B.. 33 Moliniel', E. Corniglioll-, 294 Mollison, ]. A., 226, 235, 237, 244, 247, 251,255,256,294 Mollison. Mrs J. A., 246, 251, 255, 256, 284

Percival Gull FoUl', 256. 259, 266. 278, 281, 293 Gull Six, 275. 281. 284-, 293, 29+. 295 Mew Gull. 263. 276. 287. 291. 309. 31+. 317.318.3·19.371. 384. 421 Proctor 3, 328 Proctor +. 330. 331 Vega Gull. 288.294.295,311 Perrin, H. E .. 15 Peters. J. A.. 10+ Pethybridge. J. T., 281 Petre, E., 60 Peuy, Wg Cdr C. G., 379 Pickthorne, Maj C. E. M., 216 Pipcr PA-24·260B Comanche, 425, 431, 433, 436, 453, 460 PA-24-400 Comanche. 420 Piper, Fig Off/FlL Lieut 'H. L., 205 Pixton, C. H., 36, 81 Players No.6 Trophy, 434-, 446 Players Gold Leaf Trophy, 434, 446 Plenderleith, Fig Off/Sqn Ldr W. N., 135, 277 Pollock, C. F., 15,34Pombo, D. J. 1.,275 Portsmouth Air Trophy, 264Praga Baby, 284Predergast, Capl J. V., 251 Prevost, M., 62 Prickett, Fit Lieut R. n., 360 Prier, P., 36 Prizeman Racer. 370 Professor, 255, 256, 257 Pudncy, Fit Lieut W. G., 219 Pugh, Fig Off J. B. W., 242

l\lonospar ST-4-1\lk.II,256 l\lonLana Prize, 332 l\lorgan, Lieut D. W., 333, 366 l\lorison, O. C., 39 l\lortimcr Singcr Cup, 32, 4-0, 4-6, 55, 65, 78,85 1\lortimer Singer Plate, :l6 l\[ortimer Singer Prize. 46, 66 1\Iostcrt. 1\1. C. P .. 219 1\[urdoch. Lieut p~ 1'...1. A.. 189 Murphy, Sqn Ldr F.. 348 l\fu:;son, FIL Lieut R. G., 316 Nail', G. P., 310 National Air Races, 333, 3'16, 360, 366, 373, 380, 385, 392, 391·, 397, 400, 404, 409, 411, 413, 4,15, 422, 425, 427,432,138 National Air Races Team Challenge Trophy, 447 New York-to-Paris Air Race, 297 News Chronicle Trophy, 394 Newton Cossack. 418 Nice :Meeting, 30 Nicholetts, FIt Lieut G. Eo, 24-7 Nicholson, C. H., 311 Nicholson Cup, 27 . ·incty., ines, Inc., The, 423 Noakes, Fit Lieut/Sqn Ldr J., 192 Noden. Capt R. F., 375 Northcliffe Cup, 19 NorLhrop Delta I C, 295 Norton Griffiths Aeroplane Challenge Twphy, 24, 26, 339, 348, 360, 366, 373, 381, 385, 386, 387, 393, 394, 397,401,405,409, 429, 433, 439, 4·55 Norton Griffilhs Challenge Cup, John, 17 Norton Griffilhs Inlernalional Trophy, 21 Oakeley, E. de C., 25 O'Brien, Miss Sicele, 185 Odden ina Trophy, 61 Ogilvie, A., 33 Ollcy, Capt G. P., 184Orlebar. Sqn Ldr A. H .. 203 Osram Cup, 392. 39+. 397, 401 Ovcrbury. Lieut J. R. 5., 382, 387 Owen, Wg Cdr C., 402 Owen. Fig OffH. C., 192. 194Oxford and Cambridge UniversiLics Air Race, 117 ]}ainc, R. R .. 347 Parcl', Lieut R.J. P., 109 Park. Maj K. R., 9+ Pamall Heck, 281 Palterson, C. P., 205 Paulhan. 1.., 29 Pedley, G. Foster, 15 Peebles. FIt Lieut H., 344 Percival, Capt E. W., 266, :275

4·92

I

Races Dublin, 33, 57 Hendon Empire Day Mccting, 63 . Naval and Military Day Meeting. 57 North London Day, 65 London to Brighton, 77 London lO Cardiff, 233, 246, 254, 269, 280,289,296,316,404,409 London to ManchesLer, 85 London LO Isle of Man, 284, 296, 312. 318 London to Newcaslle, 242, 255. 266. 277,288 London to Paris. 87 ~Ianchester to Livcrpool. 245 Radley. J.. 32. 55 Radley-Moorhouse l\lonoplane. 50 Ragg, Fit Lieul R. L .. 167 Randrup. M., 396 Raltray, Capt R. S., 192 Rawlinson, A., 30 Raynham, F. P., 58, 113 Records Altitude, 113, 163, 167, 178, 189,245, 289, 296, 328, 371, 389, 396 Autogyro, 438

BriLish National Distancc 245 256 257 265,311,312,325 '332 '357'387' 397 400 411 ' , , , British Natio'nal Gain of Height ?55 257, 265, 266, 312, 318 322' 348' 34-9. 385. 406 '" Dislance', 163. 165, 167, 2M, 316 Endurance, 189,267, 341 Helicopter. 328, 332, 400 Rate of Climb, 360 Spce?' 115, 120, 130, 145, 192,231,233, 322, 324, 376, 390, 391 "Vomcn's British National Distance. 371, 38'f, 385, 386, 394, 397 400 408 ' , 100 km Closed-Circuit, 167, 178, 182, 192,231,327,328, 33l, 347, 348 376, 392 ' 1,000 km Closed-Circuit, 345 Rccord Flight Attempts Addis Ababa to London, 216 Around the UniLed Kingdom, 161,402 Around the World, 120, 121, 135, 328, 330, 331, 425 Atlantic, NorLh, 168, 191, 208, 210, 213,244,251,255, 265, 288, 294. 316, 322, 324, 357, 360, 369, 388; 394,398,402,436,453 Atlantic, South, 233, 24-7, 275, 282, 310 Australia to England, 191, 194, 205, 213,218,222,223, 226, 232, 235, 248, 252, 257, 266, 272, 273, 274. 281,295,310,311,408,410,437 Australia La New Zealand, 190, 218, 272. 274 Copenhagen to London, 369, 453 Coltesmore to Akrotiri. 402 Edinburgh to London,' 311,327,387 Egypt to India, 161 England to Australia, ISO, 163, 178, 180, 181, 194, 204, 205, 207, 208, 215,216,218,219,220,233,234, 235, 236, 237, 242, 243, 246, 247, 25\,256,257,258,267,269,272, 281, 293, 310, 311, 322, 327, 370, 379.409 England' to Egypl, 92. 231·, 315 England to lndia, 18+, 193. 198, 20+, 206.207,223,293. 322, 332, 370 England to Italy, 226 England to ]...Ialta, 333, +00 England to New Zealand, 195. 24B, 293. 310, 322, 377 England to North Africa. 167 England La Singapore. 402 England to South Africa, 148, 16B, 181, 189, 191, 192, 193, 204, 205, 206, 215,216,218,219,228,234,235, 237, 246, 247. 248. 249, 257. 272, 277. 278. 280, 281. 284, 294, 310, 317,322,324,379, +00. 409, 431, 460 Gander to Lagens, 427 Gibraltar to Plymouth, 232

493

Record Flight Atlempts (conid.):Goose Bay to Reykjavik, 453 Italy to England, 92 Johannesburg to Londoll, 461 Johannesburg to Nairobi, 461

Karachi to London.. 190. 198.205.207. 222 _.. Lisbon to London. 427 London to Aden, 4-10 London to Algiers, 235 London to Amsterdam, 366, 382 London to Auckland, 426 London to Baghdad, 387 London to Belfast, 375,420 London to Belgrade, 371 London to Berlin, 191,220,284London to Berne, 366 London to Brussels, 365, 366, 373, 420 London to Cairo, 150, 344, 345, 390 London to Cologne, 370 London to Copenhagen, 221, 266, 345, 366, 374, 375 London to Darwin, 426 London to Dublin, 366, 375, 421 London to Fiji, 426 London to Geneva, 372 London to Gibraltar, 344 London to Istanbul, 221 London to Khartoum, 356, 379 London to Luxemburg, 365 London to Madrid, 137 London to Malta, 2i3, 397, 408 London to Nairobi, 204, 369, 461 London to Naples, 266 London to New York, 453 London to Oran, 275 London to Paris, 218, 27+, 275, 330, 332, 365, 375, 420 London to Peking, 217 London to Prague, 266 London to Rangoon, 137 London to Riga, 168 London to Rome, 345, 394, 426 London to Samoa, 427 London to Stockholm, 21'~, 368 London to Sydney, 426, 465 London to Tangier, 137,213 London to The Hague, 365, 373, 420 London to Tokyo, 215, 225. 274 London to Tripoli, 365 London to Warsaw, 222 London to Zurich, 139. 371 :il.Iadrid [0 London, 368, 437 Malta to England, 213 Nairobi to Cape Town. 461 Nairobi to London, 461 New York to Copenhagen. 453 New York to Goose Bay, '~53 New York to London, 396. 398 New York Lo Tel Aviv. 396 New Zealand to Australia, 190, 219 New Zealand to England. 311, 322 Ottawa to London, 386 Pacific, 183,272

P3ris to London, 324, 375 Prestwick to Copenhagen, '~53 Reykjavik to Pl'estwick, 453 Rome to MalLa, 387 Shannon to Gander, 136 Shannon to Ottawa, 'B6 Shannon to Toronto, 437 South Africa to England, 180, 181, 190, 197, 206, 219, 220, 222, 235, 246, 26+,281,284,285,310,317,379, 433, +60 Sydney to Batavia, 259, 295 Tokyo to London, 394 Vancouver to London, 397 ''''ashington to Caracas, 397 Reid, Capt L. G., 265 Reid Racer. 370 Reynolds, :(jss Delphine, 219 Rhonadler, 265, 311 Rhonsperbcr, 311 Richards, R. T., 236 Richet, E., 61 Ricketts, V" 311 Robarts, P. G., 347 Robbins, Lieut-Cdr D. F., 397 Rollason Luton Beta, 418, 430, 438, 458 Rollason Midget Racer Design Competition, 417 Rolls, the Hon C. S., 13, 14, 15,28, 30 Rolls Trophy, 17 Rondel, G. J., 406 Rooke, D. M. M., 163 Rose, FIt Lieut/Maj T., 218, 220, 284 Rothmans Trophy, 438 Royal Aero Club Challenge Cup, 37, % Royal Aero Club Cup, 46 Royal Aero Club DiamondJubilec Trophy, 410 Royal Aero Club International Trophy, 380 Royal Aero Club Jubilee Trophy, 360, 370, 376, 382, 388, 393, 396, 398. 401,407, 412, 415, 417, 425, 430; 435,450 Royal Aircraft Factory 8.£.2, 56 Royston, Yiscount, IS Rubin, B., 257 Ryan B-1 Brougham, 192 Monoplane, 205 Sa1aman, :il.Iiss Peggy, 234 Salmet, H., 46, 47 Salomons Cup. Sir David. 17,28 Samson, Licut C. R., 44 Saro A.21 Wind hover, 240 Sartorious, Capt E. F. F., 3-l Saunders·Rot: A.7 Severn, 232 SDAC Challenge Cup, 167. 185, 20·:L 21·1-. 222, 239. 252. 265, 275, 341, 348. 360, 382, 385, 386, 387, 392, 396, 398, +0 I. 406, 410, ·11 7 Schlesinger Air Race, 288, 290

494

Schneider Trophy ConleslS. 62, 81, 105, 116, 119, 124, 133, 137, 143, 169, 177,202,231 Scott, C. W. A., 220, 222, 237 271 Scott, Maj G. H., 103 ' Scott, Miss Sheila, 420, 425, 431, 433, -l35, 437,453,%0,465 Sempill, Col the Master of, 214, 28+ Sharpe, Miss R. 1'1., 347 Shaw, Capt H .. 256 Shenstone, K., 218 Shiel'S, Sgt/Licut W. H., 206 Shirley, W., 396 Short, E., 12 Short, 0., 12 Shorl Biplane No.2, 27, 29 S.20/S.21 Mayo Composite, 315, 316 5.7 Mussel I, 185 5.5 Singapore I, 179 Singapore Mk.l II, 277 5.11 Valettn, 223 5.27,31 S.34,44 5.36,47 5.38,44 Short.Bristow Crusader, 172 Siddeley Challenge Trophy, 189, 197,210, 225, 240, 254, 262, 279, 287, 323, 326, 331, 339, 349, 360, 369, 375 Simmonds Spartan, 191, 195 . Singer, A. Monimer, 53 Singh, M. M., 205, 206, 257, 278 Sismore, Sqn LeII' E. C., 324 Slatter, Sqn Ldr L. H., 193 Slingsby Falcon t, 245 Hjordjs, 285 Prefect, 371 5kyla
Specifications: 37/23, 138 5/26, 169 5.6/26, 169 7/2G, 169 9/28, 199 1+/30,233 13/33,315 2/34,290 Spencer, A., 12 Spencer, P., 12, 15, 16 Spencer, S., 12 Spircs, Fit Lieut]. H., 322 Spooner, Miss Winifred E., 216 Stack, Capt T. N., 161, 191,220,221,222 223,266 ' Stainforth, Fit Lieut G. H., 203, 231, 232 Stannage, J. S. W., 2H Stewart, Capt, 94 Stewart, W., IS Stallwcrck, Consul G. ])., 46 Slaney, Capt T. B., 398 Store, A. G., 234 Storey TSR-3 Wonderplane, 451 Strongbow Challenge Trophy, 451, 461 Summers, Fig Off]., 330 Supennarine Attacker F.Mk.l, 327 Scimitar, 397 Seagull Mk.l, 348 Sea King, 106 Sea King II, 124 Sea Lion If, 124 Sea Lion 111, 133 Type 323 Speed Spitfire, 318 Spitfire F.Mk. VB, 347 Type 502 Spitfire Mk.VI [l Trainer, 347 Spitftre P.R.Mk.XI, 331 Type 541 Swift, 366 Swift F.Mk.4, 374, 376 5.4, 143 5.5, 170 5.5/21, 177 5.5/25,177,181,191,192 5.6,201,229 5.6A, 227, 229 5.6B, 229, 233 Swain, Sqn Ldl' F. R. D., 289 Swann, Reverend S., 28 SwoReI', FIt Lieut F. A., 20+ Tait, :il.lrs R. Morrow-, 330, 331 Tannar,.T. L., 20 Tata,]. R. D., 207 Taylor, C. H. A., 237 Taylor. Capt P. G., 252. 256. 259, 272, 27+,295 Taylor Tiger Cub, 4-18 Taylor Titch, 41B Thanet Air Race, 245 Thanet Air Trophy, 228, 245, 299 Thompson, Miss Freda, 267

495

Thompson, Sqn Ldr T. Lecky-, 453 Three Counlies Air Race, 289 Thl'oule-Benders Union, 357 Tiger Club, 393 Tit-Bils Trophy, 56 Tohar, Capt Z., 396 Topp, Sqn Ldr R. L., 387 Townsend, M., 330, 331 Townsend. Lieut W. A., 113 Tuckett, F. R., 204 Turner, Maj C. C., 20, 24 Twiss, Lieut-Cdr L. P., 391 Tymms, Capt F. L., III Tynwald Air Race, 312, 318, 325

Vim, Fit Licut C. T. P., 252, 256, 272 Uwins, Capt C. F., 245 Valerie Winsor Trophy, 428 van Ryneveld, Wg Cdr/Col Sir Pierre, Ill, 183 Vickers Type 618 Nene-Viking, 330 Type 706 Valiant 8.Mk.I, 387, 400, 402 Type 131 VeJlore I, 194 Type 210 Vespa VII, 245 Type 60 Viking Mk.IV, 120 1~.B.27 Vimy, 97, 107, III Vi my Commercial, III Type 700 Viscount, 378 Type 701 Viscount, 370, 371, 372, 374, 375 Type 146 Vivid, 220, 221, 222, 223 Type 95 Vulture, 135 Type 292 Wellesley Mk.T, 315, 316 Voisin-Farman I-bis, 24

Wade, Sqn Ldr T. S., 332 Waghorn, Fit Licut H. R. D., 202 Waight, R. J" 309

Wakefield Challenge Cup, Sir Charles, 319 Wakefield Trophy Race, 255, 266, 278, 288, 309 Wakelin, G.1.pt W. J., 372 Waller, K. H. F., 257, 272, 273 Wallis. Wg Cdr K. H., 437 Wallis \'VA-JIG, 438 Ward, Fit LieutJ. R.. 410 Waterton. Sqn Ldr W. A., 324, 327 Webster, Fit Lieut S. N., 178 Welsh Air Derby Trophy, 358, 372, 380, 385 Wertheim, Princess Ludwig of Lowenstein-, 168 \I\'estenra, the Hon lvlrs R., 235 Westland Widgeon I If, 181,205 P.V.3,248 P.V.6,248 White, C. Grahame-, 29, 33, +4Whittington, Fit Lieut L. M., 370 Whitworth Cup, 27 Wileockson, Capt. A. S., 316 Williams, Sqn Ldr G., 453 Williams, Sqn Ldr A. G. ]ones-, 192, 195, 204 Wills, P. A., 257, 265, 285, 312, 31B, 322, 332, 385 Wilson, Fit Lieut/Gp Capt H. J., 322 Wingfield, C. J., 325 Withers Cup, 63 Withers Prize,J. E., 57 Wright, W., 15 Wyndham, Mrs Jill, 281

Yorkshire Evening News Challenge Cup, H Yorkshire Trophy Race, 245, 254" 266 Zenith Ch::tl1cngc Cup, 204Zurakowski, Sqn Ldr ].,345

496