FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1911
1911 - 0008.PDF
FRENCH MICHELIN CUP. M. Tabuteau, the winner of the French Michelin Aviation Cup for 1910.—He covered approximately 365 miles in 7 hrs. 4-8 mins. on his Henry Farman biplane, Renault motor. JUST as was the case in England, the closing days of the competi tion for the International Michelin Cup in France provided quite a deal of excitement. The Cup is awarded for the longest distance flown without a stop. On the last day of the year no less than five French aviators set out to try and beat the record made on the pre vious day by Tabuteau, but without success, and the latter's record of 584*935 kiloms. in 7h. 48m. 3i£s. therefore secured to him the right to hold the Cup for the ensuing year. Real Contest Begins. On the 29th ult. the attempts commenced in real earnest. A' Buc, Tkbuteau set out to regain the world's record on his Maurice Farman machine, but after he had traversed a distance of 400 kiloms. he was compelled to come down by the thick mist. His time for 390 kiloms. was 5h. 12m. 49£s. At Etampes Henry Farman also made another attempt to place the record to his credit. Starting off at eight o'clock in the morning, he was flying until half- past ten, by which time a distance of about 150 kiloms. had been covered, his speed being about 63 kiloms. an hour. Then, in view of the way in which the rain, which had been falling for some time, was freezing on the upper plane of his machine, he decided that it was useless to continue, and came down. On landing, it was found that the ice which had gathered on the plane was very little short of So kilogs. in weight. The Winning Flights and New Records. As we have mentioned above, the winning flight for the Cup was made on the 30th ult. at Buc. At twenty minutes to eight Tabuteau started off in very cold but fine weather, determined to remain in the air until he had beaten all records. He had been circling round and round the course for nearly an hour when his friend Renaux also took the air. He, however, only continued for about five hours, when finding that Tabuteau had apparently got his task well in hand, he decided to come down. He did not travel quite so fast as Tabuteau, his time for 350 kiloms. being 4I1. 56m. 43 As. Tabuteau continued on his course until twenty minutes past three, when having ascertained that he had well beaten the distance record, he decided to descend, although he could have gone on for an hour or so more. He had then been in the air 7h. 48m. 3i£s., and had covered 584*935 kiloms. (365 miles), beating the previous best record by Legagneux by just on 40 miles. The flight was timed by Gaudi- chard, and officially observed, on behalf of the Aero Club of France, by M. Fournier. In the course of his flight, Tabuteau set up a new record for 500 kiloms. in 6h. 41m. Ifs., and also a new record for 7 hrs. of 522*935 kiloms., while his time for 550 kiloms. was 7h. 19m. 4i]s. On the same day Thomas made a fresh attempt on his Antoinette monoplane at Mourmelon. He, however, was flying very low, and after being in the air for 3I1. 5m. 4s., one of the wings of his machine touched the ground in making a turn, and the official observers were obliged to count that as the termination of the flight. By that time a distance of 262 kiloms. had been covered, and the world's record for" 250 kiloms. beaten. The Last Day. As we have noted above the closing day, December 31st, wit nessed five aviators starting off on attempts for the prize. Henry Farman was the first in the air, and at Etampes he circled round the flying ground for 7 hrs. 11 mins., covering 487 kiloms., after which he was obliged to land owing to the breaking of a lubricating pipe. This splendid failure was equalled by a meritorious flight made at Buc, where Pierre Marie on his R.E. P. monoplane succeeded in covering 530 kiloms. in 6h. 29m. 19+s., when he was obliged to land owing to his petrol giving out. Incidentally he set up new records as follows:—250 kilorns., 3h. 4m. 28s.; 300 kiloms,, 3h. 40m. 55fs. ; 350 kiloms., 4I1. 17m. 2&is. ; 400 kiloms., 4I1. 54m. 6fs. ; 450kiloms., 5I1. 30m. 35fs. ; 500 kiloms., 6h. 7m. 7*s. At Douai, where he had been engaged in practising for two days, Breguet started off at a quarter past ten after a preliminary spin of five rounds of the aerodrome and was flying for 5I1. 2m. 41s., covering a distance of 390*42 kiloms., when the cracking of one of the cylinders of his engine caused him to come down. At Douzy Sommer set off on his biplane at 10 o'clock to try for the prize, but after he had been going for 2 hrs. 40 mins. his carburettor froze up and he was compelled to land. At Pau, Legagneux set out to regain the world's distance record, but the elements were against him. The violent wind made the task Pierre-Marie, who, at Buc on December 31st, on an R.E.P. monoplane, in an attempt to secure the French Michelin Prize, covered 530 kiloms. in 6h. 29m. 19is. Although he put up some new speed records, the? cup was secured by M. Tabuteau.
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
