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Aviation History
1914
1914 - 0681.PDF
JUNE 26. 1914. (AWHT) LONDON-MANCHESTER-LONDON AIR RACE. DESPITE the fact that out of eight starters in last Saturday's race from London to Manchester and back only three finished, it was nevertheless an interesting and historic race. There was a little of the sensational about it, too, for it was won by the winner of the recent Aerial Derby, W. L. Brock, the popular hero of the race whom many hoped would win. Excellent as Brock's performance was, as will be seen later, Carr and Alcock, who finished second and third respectively, also put up most creditable attempts to win the race, the former because he was making his first big flight on a fast monoplane—the Morane-Saulnier—and the latter on account of his being delayed nearly an hour at the start by slight engine trouble and encountering a storm on his return which the others missed. On the day before the •>w • ' ^^^ •"•^H race, Fiiday, several of the competitors made speed trials at Hendon in order to provide the necessary data for the handicappers, M r. George Reynolds and Mr. J. H. Ledeboer. The pilots were J. Alcock, W. Birch- enough, P. Bjorklund, W. L. Brock, Lord Carbery, R. H. Carr and Louis Noel, and each flew three times each way over a dis tance of about a quarter of a mile. Lord Car bery on his 80 h.'p. Bristol scout attained a speed of over 100 m.p.h. Early on the Satur day morning at Hen don, prospects looked far from favourable, for a thick mist rendered it impossible to see further than half a mile or so away, and as the time for the start ap proached, matters did not improve very much. As, however, reports of clear weather were re ceived from points all along the route beyond St. Albans, it was de cided to dispatch the first competitor at 9.30 a.m. At this hour, therefore, the limit man, W, Birche- nough, on the 70 h.p. Maurice Farm an, started off on the first stage of 91 miles to Birmingham, with a mechanic as passenger, and was soon lost to view in the mist. The next pilot to start should have been Bjorklund on the 50 h.p. Bleriot, but he was unable to do so owing to indisposition. Shortly before his time to start, J. Alcock made a test flight on the 100 h.p. Sunbeam- Maurice Farman, but he had not made more than half a circuit when the engine stopped suddenly, and he had to descend at the far end of the aerodrome eight minutes before he was due to start. A hole in the carburettor float was the cause of the trouble, so the float was taken to the Grahame-White works to be set right. In the mean while L. A. Strange was sent off on the 80 h.p. Bleriot, and he also soon disappeared in the mist. Lord Carbery then made a test flight on his 80 h.p. Bristol, during which he flew into a fog bank FtlCHT- " Flight" Copyright LONDON-MANCHESTER-LONDON RACE.—Finish by Brock on his Morane-Saulnier machine on Saturday last, when he won this race in magnificent time. The time estimated by the handicapper for him to arrive back at Hendon was 5.60 p.m., and within ten seconds of that time Mr. Brock passed the winning post. Note the clock in our photo graph, which points exactly to the 5.50. about 500 ft. up. By this time Alcock's engine was got going again, and at 10.55.40 he started off, carrying Harold Lane as passenger and course finder. Conditions were then improving somewhat, and it was hoped that Hawker on the 100 h.p. Sopwith, R. Skene on the Martinsyde, and perhaps Gordon Bell on the Avro would be able to come over from Brooklands, where it was stated the weather was very bad. Louis Noel, \V. L. Brock, and R. H. Carr were then dispatched at short intervals on the three Morane-Saulniers, each getting away in fine style. They had not been gone long when a machine was seen returning, which proved to be Birchenough's Maurice Farman. On landing he stated that he had covered about 50 miles, but had to return owing to the petrol tank leaking very badly. He reported the weather as being quite good 20 miles out. Shortly after Birche- nough's return, Victor Mahl arrived from Brooklands with a pas senger on the 80 h.p. Sopwith *' family 'bus," and reported that con ditions were very bad all the way from Brook- land-., and that Haw ker, on the 100 h.p. Sopwith Tabloid, had ascended to tee what the prospects of coming over were like as he left. Hawker artived a few minutes later with news that Skene was not coming. Lord Carbery got away next, Hawket following some 35 mins. after, so that out of the fourteen entrants eight had started—one had already returned—leav ing six non-starters, viz. :—Bjorklund, R. J. Lillywhite on the G.-W. tractor, P. Ver- rier, who flew to Man chester on the Maurice Farman the day before in order to give exhibi tions at that place, R. Skene on the Martin syde, and the Avro and Henry Farman bi planes. Now that all the competitors were away, news was anxiously awaited for their arrivals at Bir mingham and Man chester, and one's fancy turned to thoughts of lunch. During the latter, J. L. Hall ascended on his 50 h.p. Avr"— with "Pratts" written as large as life on the under side of the lower planes—and Mahl re turned to Brooklands. At 1.40 p.m. Hawker returned to the aero drome, much to every one's surprise, and got out of his machine in a very dazed condition. He stated that he got as far as Coventry, where he lost his bearings in a fog, and, feeling ill, decided to return to Hendon. How he found his way back he did not know, he said, and then feeling bad again he was taken to the aerodrome offices to rest. This was, perhaps, the one tragedy of the race, for he was the favourite, and stood an excellent chance to win. News of the other competitors then came trickling in. Strange had arrived at o # 681
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