FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1926
1926 - 0840.PDF
NOVKMBER 18, 1926 THE INTERNATIONAL SCHNEIDER CUP SEAPLANE RACE ; A Remarkable Italian Victory at 246*496 m.p.h. THE classic Schneider Cup contest has, after all, been given a further lease of life, and the cup has found a temporary (?) home in Europe once again. For the result of this year's— the ninth—contest, which was decided in Hampton Roads, U.S.A., after three postponements, on November 13, has to be recorded a splendid victory for Italy, Maj. Mario di Bernardi, one of the Italian team, winning with an average speed of 246-5 m.p.h., and thus beating all previous records. This means that Great Britain—a non-entrant this year—has a chance of winning the next race, which will be held, probably in Venice, in 1928. It should be pointed out here that at a recent meeting of the F.A.I, it was decided that, in the event of America not winning this year's contest, when the cup would be open to further contest, subsequent races should be held once in two years and not annually. Although the actual contest on Saturday last was got through without serious accident, this year's contest has not, unfortunately, passed without tragedy. During preliminary interest to note that this pilot, on November 8, established an unofficial record of 256 m.p.h. on his machine, the Curtiss R.3c-4. Weather conditions were so bad on November 10, however, that it was decided to again postpone the race until November 12-13. One machine was " eliminated " in the trials on the 12th, Lieut. Tomlinson nose-diving into the bay on the Curtiss- Packhard R3C-3 racer. He was submerged for several seconds, but managed to free himself and escaped unhurt. The other entrants passed the trials successfully. Thus, for the race itself on Saturday, the following presented themselves for the fray : Italy—Maj. Mario di Bernardi, Capt. Arturo Ferrarini, and Lieut. Adriano Bacula, all flying Macchi M39 monoplanes fitted with 800 h.p. Fiat engines. America—Lieut. Cuddihy on Curtiss R3C-4 biplane (700 h.p. Curtiss V-1550), Lieut. C. F. Schilt on Curtiss R36-2 biplane (600 h.p. Curtiss V-1400)—last year's Schneider Cup winner—and Lieut. Tomlinson on the reserve Curtiss. THE 1926 SCHNEIDER CUP WINNER: The Macchi twin-float mono-seaplane, fitted with a Fiat 800 h.p. engine. trials or tests in connection with the Schneider Cup race, three pilots lost their lives. Marchese Centurione, one of the Italian entrants, was killed at Schiranna air station (Italy) on September 21, when testing one of the Macchi racers. Two American entrants also lost their lives, one, Lieut. F. H. Conant, being killed whilst flying, in a service machine, from Washington to Norfolk, after having previously accomplished an unofficially recorded flight of over 250 m.p.h. on one of the Curtiss racers. •> The course this year was a triangular one of 50 kms., -extending from the southern end of Newport News wharf to the northern end of the Naval Operating Base, Hampton . Roads, thence north-east to a mark 15-9 kms. away, and back to Newport News. This course had to be covered seven times, giving a total distance of 350 kms. The race itself, as before, was preceded by eliminating trials. October 24 was the original date fixed for this year's race, but at the request of Italy—who was unable to get ready in time—it was postponed to November 11. On November 10 a start was made with the eliminating trials, weather con- ditions being far from ideal, and Capt. Ferrarini (Italy) made a plucky flight in a bad squall. Soon after starting the wind rose to about 40 m.p.h., and a very heavy downpour of rain caused some anxiety to be felt as to the possibility of the pilot being able to come through with safety. However, Capt Ferrarini managed to effect a good landing and taxied safely to shore. In the afternoon Lieut. Cuddihy, one of the U.S. entrants, ascended and covered the course at 240 m.p.h. It may be of Maj. Bernardi was an easy winner, his average of 246-496 m.p.h. for the course being well above any of the other efforts ; on his third and sixth laps he touched 248-5 m.p.h. Lieut. Schilt (U.S. Marines) came in second with an average of 231-363 m.p.h. (less than last year's winner), and Lieut. Bacula obtained third place for Italy with 218 m.p.h. Lieut. Tomlinson was the only other to finish—so he came in fourth at the terrific speed of 137 m.p.h.! Capt. Ferrarini, who completed three laps at 238 m.p.h., was forced down by engine trouble, while Lieut. Cuddihy also had to come down after completing six laps at an average speed of 239 m.p.h. The Italian victor and his companions were enthusiastically cheered at the. conclusion of the race, and a cable was sent to Sig. Mussolini by the U.S. Government offering congratu- lations to the Italian team's fine sportsmanship and ability. The Schneider Cup was presented to the Italian victor at a banquet to the Italian team on the night of the race. As regards the machines in this year's contest, the three Italian machines were of similar type—twin float monoplanes, with 800 h.p. Fiat engines, a general idea of which may be obtained from the accompanying illustration. The three American machines were all twin-float Curtiss racing biplanes, and were, in fact, the same machines as were flown in the contest last year, and differ only in minor details and the engines fitted. One of the latter is the new Curtiss V-1550— a development of the D-12 and V-1400 engines. A second machine was fitted with the new special Packard V-1500 geared engine developing 700 h.p., whilst the third was much the same as when it won the Schneider Cup last year. 748
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
