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Aviation History
1920
1920 - 1087.PDF
OCTOBER 14, 1920 A RACE FOR AIR SERVICE MACHINES IN connection with the flying meeting at Buc a race hadbeen arranged for air service machines between Paris, London, and Paris on Sunday last. A similar race was to take placebetween Paris, Brussels and Paris Five machines started from Buc for London, and of these three arrived at theLondon terminus aerodrome at Waddon, near Croydon. The five machines were two Nieuports, one Spad, one FarmanGoliath, and one. S.E A. (Henry Potez). The loads carried by the various machines were as follows : Nieuport F.—C.G.A.T., pilot Lasnes, with three passengers, left Buc at 10.36. Nieuport F.—I.C.G.T., pilot Lecointe, with mail,started at 10.45. Spad F.—C.M.A.Y., pilot Bourdon, two passengers, left at 10.57. Farman Goliath, F.—G.E.A.D.,with eight passengers, started at 11.42, and S.E.A., pilot Bajac, with three passengers, left Buc at 10.48. The weather was anything but favourable, the visibilitybeing poor, with a high wind. In spite of this, however, a great number of visitors gathered at the Waddon aerodrome,proving that the public s^till takes a quite keen interest in flying events. The enclosure set aside for the public wasfilled to overflowing, and the road leading down to the aero- drome was lined with spectators who had a good view ofthe landing ground from there. On the aerodrome itself privileged visitors spent the time, while waiting for the arrivalof the French machines, inspecting some of the regular London-Paris air service machines lined up in front of theenclosure. The day being Sunday there were few machines starting and arriving. A couple of Airco machines stoodfacing the breeze in front of the public enclosure, while the Vickers Vimy Commercial owned by the Instone Air Lineha* her engines tested to the great delight of the onlookers who had the benefit of the slip-stream from the propellers.Just by way of passing the time away the " City of London " made a few passenger flights, during which the pilot gave• a fine demonstration of handling this large machine as though she were a small single-seater. A Westland Limousineleft for parts unknown, making a fine get-away in spite of the bumpy state of the air. The Royal Aero Club was represented, in the capacity ofofficial observers, by Lieut.-Col. McClean, Squadron-Leader T. O'B. Hubbard, Lieut. Commander H. E. Perrin, andMr. Stevenson, the Assistant Secretary of the R.Ae.C, while the French Aero Club was represented by M. Rey.The first machine to arrive was the Spad, piloted by M. Bourdon, who alighted at 1.10 p.m. Coming in just by the gap in the hedge by the " Level^Crossing " of the roadleading between the two landing grounds, he appeared to strike a bump and the machine bounced into the air, pan-caking down from an altitude of several feet. Fortunately the machine did not turn over, but the landing was not apretty one. Taxying up to the enclosures the Spad was brought to astandstill and the two passengers uncurled themselves from the cabin, no doubt heartily glad of the opportunity ofgetting the kinks out of their legs. No sooner had the Spad landed and its papers been stamped, signed, and sealedthan another machine was seen in the haze. This turned out to be the S.E.A. or Henry Potez, piloted by M. Bajac,who was accompanied by three passengers. He made a good landing, apparently, but when • the machine camecloser it was seen that it was leaning to starboard. It was found that the tyre had burst, and the mechanics soon gotbusy replacing the wheel. This machine is similar to one exhibited by this firm at the last Paris aero show, with asort of coupe cabin into which are squeezed, without the aid of a shoe lifter, three passengers. ' The Spad got away again at five minutes past two, andthe visitors settled down to watch the replacing of the wheels and other minor repairs to the S.E.A. while awaiting thearrival of the Nieuports and the Farman Goliath. According ' to wireless messages one of the Nieuports had turned back,but the other was reported from Lympne. Of the Goliath there was no news, apparently he had met a David on his 'way and thought discretion the better part of valour. At last, towards 4 p.m. a small machine appeared. This turnedout to be the little Nieuport piloted by Lecointe, who had, apparently, been wandering about in search of Waddonfor several hours. He jumped out of his machine and got hold of his mail bag, which an over-zealous helper hadalready attempted to grab, and, when it had been duly signed, for surrendered it to the proper official. Later in the after-noon Lecointe set off for Paris. Owing to the adverse weather conditions the race was notan unqualified success, but it served to show the popular interest still taken in flying, and makes one wonder whethersome similar events could not be arranged in this country. A series of relay races with air mail might be both amusingand instructive, and would at any rate help to give the " man in the street " an idea of what is being done in theway of air mail and passenger services. PARIS-LONDON-PARIS RACE : Centre, the Nieuport, piloted by Lecointe, arrives over Waddon aerodrome.On the left, M. Lecointe getting out of his machine, and on the right, the Nieuport biplane at rest IO89
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