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Aviation History
1922
1922 - 0563.PDF
SEPTEMBER 28, 1922 THE COUPE DEUTSCH RACE AT ETAMPES Saturday's Great THE greatest international speed race of the year, the race for the Coupe Deutsch, will be flown over the usual course between Etampes (Villesauvage) and La Marmogne on Satur day, September 30. The distance between the turning points is 50 kms. (31 miles), so that altogether three out-and-home trips, totalling 300 kms. (186 miles) will have to be made. At the moment of writing it is not definitely known which of the French machines entered will fly in the race, as the eliminating trials take place on September 27, but five machines will take part, three from France, one from Italy, and one from Great Britain. The British representative is the Gloucestershire Aircraft Co.'s Mars I, 450 h.p. Napier " Lion " engine. This machine, which will, of course, be piloted by Mr. J. H. James, is the same as that flown by James in the Aerial Derby, which he won at an average speed of 178 m.p.h. For the Coupe Deutsch, however, the machine has been fitted with smaller wings, and as James was not flying " all-out " in the Derby, his speed in the Coupe Deutsch race may confidently be expected to be considerably greater. How much greater we have no means of knowing, since not only pure speed but keeping a good course and wasting no time at the turning points count for a great deal in the Coupe Deutsch. The French pilots have, of course, been flying frequently over the course, and have been getting used to it under different weather conditions. Also they have been practising quick turns around pylons, and we remember that Sadi Lecointe has once (in the Gordon-Bennett race of 1920) been timed to round the pylon at Villesauvage in three seconds. However, " Jimmy " is something of an artist himself, and we have no doubt he will get the " Bamel " around in the quickest time possible. On pure speed he may have a hard fight against such projectiles as that on which Lecointe will be mounted, but we are certainly not without hope that on average speeds over the course James will be able to put up a good fight. He is under a handicap in being our only representative (as against three from France), but he and his machine are undoubtedly the best combination which could be found in Britain today, and we wish him every success in the great race. The Italian representative is Brack-Papa, who will be flying a Fiat biplane with 700 h.p. Fiat, type A.V. 12-cylinder, engine. His machine has a length of 25 ft. 9 ins. and a wing span of 34 ft. 10 ins. The wing area is 237 sq. ft., and the weight empty of the machine is 3,080 lbs. On this machine Brack- Papa was recently credited with a speed of 209 m.p.h., but it is now learned that the Italian Aero Club have not homolo gated the flight as a record. The reason is not known. No less than six French machines have been entered for the Coupe Deutsch, and as each country may only be represented by three machines, eliminating trials will have to be held. These, as already stated, will take place on September 27, but as FLIGHT gpes to press before then it will not be possible to state this week which of the six machines will fly in the actual race. The six French machines entered are three Nieuport-Delage machines, one Madon " Simplex," one Nungesser monoplane, and one Bleriot-Casale biplane. Of the three Nieuport-Delage machines entered one is a biplane, to be flown by Lasne or Berthelin. This machine is probably generally similar to the biplane on which some of_ Lecointe's records have been established in the past. The machine is not so fast as the monoplanes, and is probably intended more as a stand-by than as a serious competitor. The machine, which has a Hispano-Suiza engine of 320 h.p., is 20 ft. 4 ins. length over all, with a span of 19 ft. 9 ins. and a wing area of 132 sq. ft. and weighing 1,530 lbs. empty. The second Nieuport-Delage is a " Sesquiplan " (one-and-a- half plane), and will be piloted by Lasne or Lecointe. It has a length over all of 23 ft. and a wing span of 26 ft. 10 ins. The wing area is only 130 sq. ft., and the weight empty 1,720 lbs. The engine is a 320 h.p. Hispano-Suiza. The real racer from the Nieuport stable is, however, the small " Sesquiplan," which will be flown by Lecointe. This machine, although similar in general to the older type, has International Event <$> <•> Gloucestershire Machines for Greece AFTER competing in the race for the Coupe Deutsch, Mr. J. H. James will proceed to Salonica to test a large batch of machines sold to the Greek Army by the Gloucester shire Aircraft Company, the constructors of the Mars I. These machines are of the Mars VI type, which are practically Nieuport Nighthawks fitted with the new Siddeley "Jaguar" engines. Visitors to Croydon on the occasion of the Aerial Derby will have seen one of these been further reduced in size (although this would scarcely seem possible), and has an overall length of but 20 ft. and a span of 26 ft. 3 ins. The wing area is 118 sq. ft., and the weight empty is 1,660 lbs. The engine of this machine also is a 320 h.p. Hispano-Suiza. In a recent test flight over the measured 1 km. course, Sadi Lecointe established the following times on this machine:—First kilometre in io| sees. (215 m.p.h.), second kilometre in io£ sees. (210 m.p.h.), third kilometre in io| sees. (215 m.p.h.), and fourth kilometre in iof sees. (206-5 m.p.h.), or an average of 211-6 m.p.h. To be considered for world's records flights have to be made over a measured course of 1 km., two flights in each direction, and it was in doing this that the speeds indicated above were obtained. It goes without saying that in the Coupe Deutsch, with the time which must necessarily be wasted at the turning points, the machine will not do the same speed, but with skilful handling the Nieuport-Delage racer should be capable of close upon 200 m.p.h. if the day prove reasonably calm, and Sadi is in his usual form. It will be seen that the Mars I will have its work cut out to hold its own, and the race may well prove a very close one between the Nieuport, the Mars I and the Fiat. Incidentally, it is rumoured that Lecointe intends to retire shortly, and that the Coupe Deutsch may probably be the last great race in which he will fly. Frankly, we are rather pleased to hear this. Lecointe is not only one of the finest pilots in the world, but he is also a thoroughly good sportsman and a most charming personality, and it cannot be denied that these races", with speeds constantly creeping up, are getting dangerous. Sadi has had many bad tosses, and it would be a thousand pities should he tempt fate too far by continuing. We therefore wish him good luck in the race, and hope that when it is over—whether he wins it or not—he will retire and settle down at some less risky occupa tion that we may have him among us for many many years to come. Reference has already been made in FLIGHT to the Bleriot- Casale machine which is a biplane of the typical Spad- Herbemont type, and has a Lorraine engine of 450 h.p. The length of this machine is 21 ft. 4 ins. and the span 28 ft. 2 ins. The wing area is 273 sq. ft. and the weight empty 2,730 lbs. In spite of its high power, it is not expected that this machine, which is an adapted military machine and not designed as a racer in the first instance, will be one of the three French machines chosen after the elimination trials. The machine is not, however, a slow one by any means, and its designer, M. Andre Herbemont, expects that it will be capable of covering the Coupe Deutsch course at an average speed of about 295 kms. (183 miles) per hour. The machine will be flown in the eliminating trials, and in the great race itself if it passes the former, by Jean Casale. Some curiosity has been aroused as to the " parentage " of the machine which is to be flown by Nungesser. It is, we learn, a cantilever monoplane with 700 h.p. Fiat engine, and although classed ameng the French machines, it is stated to be constructed by Fiats. It is therefore presumed that the machine has been, if not designed, at any rate built by the French branch of the Fiat company. The main particulars of the machine are as follows : Length overall, 19 ft. 9 ins.; span, 43 ft. 6 ins. ; area, 239 sq. ft. ; weight empty, 3,080 lbs. The machine to be flown by Madon is of the tailless " Simplex " type Madon-Carmier. The main characteristics are: Length overall, 23 ft.; span, 26 ft. 3 ins.; area, 175 sq. ft. ; weight empty, 1,540 lbs. ; engine, 320 h.p. Hispano- Suiza. Madon has been trying-out a small biplane with rotary engine at Etampes for some months past, and is stated to have obtained very good results. Evidently the new machine is an attempt to apply the experience thus gained to a fast racing machine. The machine, which was designed by Madon, who will pilot it, and Carmier, chief engineer of Schwarts and Leon See, the constructors, is, it will be seen from above figures, quite a small affair, and its behaviour will be watched with more than ordinary interest on account of its unorthodox design. <$> <$> machines perform, and cannot have failed to notice its extraordinary climb, than which probably nothing better exists today. We congratulate the Greeks on their choice. Paris-Bukarest in 14 Hours AN aeroplane piloted by Maj. Vuillemin, of the French Army Air Service, and carrying a passenger, left Paris at 5 a.m. last Saturday and arrived in Bukarest at 7 p.m. the same evening. 503
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