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Aviation History
1934
1934 - 0980.PDF
982 FLIGHT. SEPTEMBER 20, 1934. FRANCE AND THE MACROBERTSON RACE Seven Entries : Tzvo Probable Starters THE hitherto obscure situation regarding France'sentries is defined by the report of Flight's "Mac-Robertson" correspondent, who (by courtesy of Imperial Airways) flew last week to Paris to inter- view the competitors and the makers of aircraft entered in their names. At the close of enquiries occupying five days, he reports that, of seven teams entered for the race, only two are likely to compete. In both cases the prototypes are still undergoing makers' tests, but are expected to be ready for delivery by the end of September. The probable starters are: No. 13—Capts. Edouard Corniglion-Molinier and Leon Challe in the Wibault-Pen- hoet 366, and No. 54—Charles Quatremarre and Louis Massotte in the Bleriot III. The secretaire sportif of the Aero Club de France in- formed our correspondent that, while unofficially cognisant of campeti tors' intentions, he cannot advise the Royal Aero Club of forfeited entries until notified by the competitors. No. 17, Andre Gueit (Caudron monoplane), has already officially withdrawn. No. 10, Michel Detroyat, has expressed himself not wholly content with the performance of the Hispano-Suiza installed in the Lockheed Orion purchased during his recent honeymoon in America. Michel is spending a few weeks at Cannes ; Madame is on a visit to Tiflis (Tunis), and the aircraft is for sale. No. 12, Vicomte Jacques de Sibour, who had entered an unspecified type of Couzinet, is also absent from Paris. As representative of the Standard Franco-Americaine de Rafnnage he has gone to Warsaw for the Polish Aero Club's International Touring Contest. An official of the Standard Oil Company states that the Viscount will defi- nitely not compete in the race to Australia. The secre- tary of Avions Rene Couzinet reports: '' No Couzinet machine will contest the MacRobertson Trophy; the entry was premature." No. 18, Marcel Freton and d'Estailleur Chanteraine have failed to secure a variable-pitch propeller for the Potez 39 (Lorraine Petrel) entered in their names, and will not acquire the machine. No. 39, Andre de Roussy de Sales and Jean Lacombe, have failed to obtain the loan of the Bernard 84 mono- plane or the Mistral Major engine entered in their names.. WHO'S WHO IN THE MACROBERTSON RACE Introducing Some oj the Competitors (Continued from page 947) Racing No. 13.—Capt. E. Corniglion-Molinier and Capt. L. Challe (France)I N this adventurous pair the spirit of Beau Geste tran- scends every other emotion. Your true sportsman employs no publicity agent to blazon his past achieve- ments. Nor will he talk of them himself. One recently had two interviews in Paris with Molinier. The first was in his own office, and yielded very little concerning himself yet a great deal in praise of his flying partner Leon Challe. The second was in Challe's office, where one heard from the latter a great deal of the war record of Molinier, but next to nothing of Challe. When not directing the affairs of the Cie. Continentale Cinematographique from an office overlooking the Champs Elysees, Capt. Edouard Corniglion-Molinier commands the Third Regiment de 1'Aviation de Chasse. In leisure moments be adopts the role of Christopher Columbus. But Capt. EdouardCorniglion-Molinier. Capt. Leon Challe. instead of discovering new worlds he rediscovers old ones. Last year he visited Central Arabia. He had long been intrigued by the official map of that mystic country, on which the central portion—a tract three times the size of France—is still labelled " unsurveyed desert." So he borrowed the private aeroplane of a former war comrade who controls the Gnome and le Rhone enterprise, modi- fied it according to the requirements of a tropical expedi- tion, and flew it from Paris to Djibouti. From there he made his aeriel survey. To the delight of the world's most eminent geologists, and to the chagrin of the authori- ties at Aden, Molinier discovered and photographed what experts now agree to have been the ancient kingdom, or queendom, of Sheba. Close examination of the photo- graphs suggests that in its heyday (2000-1500 B.C.) this Biblical city was as important as Paris is to-day ; it is certainly no smaller than the French capital, and of an architectural grandeur of the most impressive. "And your reward," one asked, "for this remarkable contribu- tion to Biblical history? " The explorer laughed heartily. '' I had dared to hope for promotion to rank of major. On ray return to Paris I was told to consider myself for- tunate if I avoided fifteen days' arrest for breach of inter- national etiquette. One should have applied to the Yemen authorities for permission to fly over their unsurveyed desert." He laughed again when asked had he any super- stitious sentiment regarding the number " 13," which he has drawn for the race to Australia. No number could have given Molinier greater joy. He was born on the thirteenth—of January, 1898—at Nice. He learned to fly in one of the earliest Bleriots (Channel type), and was licensed in 1915. In the same year he served with No. 103 V.B. (Voisin Bombardement) Squad- ron, and flew the first Caproni in France. In 1916 he piloted hydroplanes until wounded. After a brief sojourn in hospital he was transferred to the Italian Front with an Escadrille de Chasse (Nieuports). In 1917-1918 he was commandant of 120 Squadron (Spad) on the French Front,
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