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Aviation History
1926
1926 - 0175.PDF
MARCH 18, H23 LONDON-CAPE TOWN-LONDON Alan Cobham's Splendid Achievement HAVING beaten, by two days, the s.s. " Windsor Castle," which left Cape Town on the same day as he, Alan Cobham has concluded his remarkable dash home on the equally remarkable De Havilland-Siddeley " Jaguar " combination. Even so, in his own words, although he had taken 15 days against the liner's 17, the odds were against him, for whereas the liner could travel the full 24 hours a day, Cobham and his com- panion?, A. B. Elliott and B. W. G. Emmott, had to stop at some place en route every night—whilst they lost three days at least owing to impossible weather conditions and a slight mishap. We will first continue the story of the flight from where we left them at Sollum last week, and then describe the extra- ordinary scenes at Croydon on his arrival. Although weather reports from the Mediterranean were by no means ideal Cobham was ready and anxious to continue the flight to Athens across the Mediterranean, but the start was delayed in order to repair a broken tail skid. As it happened this delay was probably a blessing in disguise, for shortly after a fierce gale sprang up in the North Mediterranean, and it is doubtful HOME AGAIN : Mr. Alan J. Cobham (right) and Mr. Elliott, his engineer, photographed at Croydon shortly after their arrival. Both looked sunburned and fit after their long flight. LONDON—CAPE TOWN—LONDON : The 385^h.p. Armstrong-Siddeley " Jaguar " engine which came through the 17,000 miles and all variations of climatic conditions, without a hitch. THE MACHINE : The D.H.50 in front of the hangars at Croydon, just before starting on its last " flip '' acrJSS to the Stag Lane Aerodrome. Both the machine and its Armstrong-Siddeley " Jaguar " engine were in very good condition, considering the trying conditions under which the 17,000 miles' flight was made. 155 D
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