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Aviation History
1931
1931 - 0966.PDF
•HP FLIGHT, SEPTEMBER 11, 1931 EIDERTROPHY CONTEST S a result of F/O. Waghorn's victory in 1929, the1931 Schneider Trophy Contest has been organised this year by the Royal Aero Club of the UnitedKingdom, and will take place (weather permit- ting) on Saturday next, September 12. The Royal AeroClub formed a Schneider Committee to organise this year's contest, the committee being composed of representativesof the Royal Aero Club, the Air Ministry, the Royal Air Force and the Society of British Aircraft Constructors.This committee selected Spithead and the Solent as the most suitable site for the contest, these waters being some-what sheltered from the prevailing winds, while the Royal Air Force Base at Calshott has unique accommodation forthe competing machines. 1931 Regulations Under the regulations in force this year, the naviga-bility and seaworthiness trials, as well as the six hours' mooring tests, have been abandoned, and for the firsttime in the history of the contest the preliminary tests have to be carried out on the same day as, and imme-diately preceding the actual contest. The preliminary tests consist in taking off and cruising around for a fewmoments at a height sufficient to show that the machine is actually flying, then alighting and taxying for a pericdof two minutes, followed by a take-off for the start of the actual contest. The two minutes' taxying may be done aspart of the run to take-off for the contest, and it is not necessary for competitors to cross the starting line inflight, although they will naturally do so to avoid losing time on the first lap. The preliminary trials will take place in the area setaside for the purpose, and which lies west of the Schneider course (see map on p. 905). Each competitor is allowed30 minutes in which to carry out the preliminary trials. If he is still within the area at the end of that period, hewill be deemed to have failed, and must retire from the contest. As soon as he has completed the preliminary trials, acompetitor will make for the starting line at Ryde Pier. This, as already said, may be crossed either taxying or inflight. In order to discourage diving, competitors must not approacli the starting line from a height greater than1,000 ft. After entering the course at Ryde Pier com- petitors fly seven circuits of the triangular course, whichis one. of 50 km., so that the total distance to be covered is 350 kmv or 217.48 land miles (188.86 sea miles). Theturning points in Saturday's Schneider Contest are situated as follows: —The western turning point is a pylon erectedon a destroyer anchored on Ryde Middle Shoal. The eastern turning point is a pylon erected on the foreshoreat West Wittering, just east of the entrance to Chichester Harbour. The southern turning point is a pylon erectedon a destroyer anchored off St. Helen's Point, Isle of Wight. Competitors will fly the course in an anti-clockwisedirection, i.e., after crossing the starting line at Ryde Pier they will head for the southern turning point, thenfor the eastern, and then for the western, after which they will again fly towards Ryde Pier. For the benefit of those of our readers who may possessstop watches and who desire to do a little amateur timing, we give a table of lap times and lap speeds. It shouldbe explained that only the figures printed in italics have been calculated. The intermediate figures have been readoff a graph plotted from the 10-second interval figures, and consequently they are given to one decimal place only.The figures are, however, likely to be at least as accurate as the timing done by amateurs. The New British Machines In spite of the fact that at the banquet held on boardthe Orford after the 1929 Schneider Contest, Mr. Ramsay MacDonald stated that if Great Britain was challenged shewould build defenders, the Government announced early this year that no Government support would, after all,be given to the building of new machines, nor would Service pilots be made available to fly any new machinesthat might be produced. This would have meant that Great Britain would have been unable to defend _ theSchneider Trophy this year with other than old machines. Fortunately, Lady Houston came forward with a magni-ficent offer of £100,000 towards the expense of building new machines and engines, and in view of this very' spo't-ing and patriotic action the Government decided to sanction Service participation. Orders were then placed with the Supermarine AviationWorks (which are now allied with Vickers (Aviation!. Ltd., for two new aircraft, and with Rolls-Royce, Ltd. f°rnew engines. At the same time, it was decided to the existing S.6 machines so as to fit them for themore severe conditions of this year's contest, in which the preliminary tests, as already mentioned, mustcarried out immediately before the start of the actual sp test around the course. The two new machines built for this year's contest maybe identified bv the numbers S.1595 and S.1596, painted 904
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