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Aviation History
1935
1935 - 0545.PDF
AIRCRAFT ENGINEER AND AIRSHIPS bounded in 1909 Fmsr AERONAUTICAL^WEEKLY IN THE^WORLD OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE ROYAL AERO CLUB No. 1368. Vol. XXVII. MARCH 14, 1935 Thursdays, Price 6d. By Post, 7id. Editorial, Advertising and Publishing Offices: DORSET HOUSE, STAMFORD STREET, LONDON, S.E.I Telegrams HERTFORD ST.. COVENTRY. Telegrams : Autocar, Coventry. Telephone: Coventry 6210. Truditur, Watloo, London. GUILDHALL BUILDINGS NAVIGATION ST., BIRMINGHAM, % Telegrams: Antopress, Birmingham. Telephone: Midland-2971. SUBSCRIPTION BATES : Home and Canada : Year, £1 13 0. Other Countries : Year, £ ! 15 0 Telephone : Hop 3333 (50 lines). •260, DEANBGATE. MANCHESTER. 3. Telegrams: Iliffe, Manchester. Telephone: Blackfriars 4412. 20B, RENPIELD ST. GLASGOW, C.2. Telegrams: Iliffe, Glasgow. Telephone: Central 4857. 6 months, 16s. 6d. 0 months, 17s. od. 3 months, 8s. 3d. 3 months, 8s. dd. Ki l'$ L>up Reflections IN 1922 the whole British aeronautical business was in a very depressed state, and when His Majesty the King first presented a cup for a race which should stimulate interest in flying the beneficial result was Apparent at once. Thirteen years have passed since hen, conditions have changed, and it now seems desir able that the Royal Aero Club should bethink itself and et forth clearly what purpose it considers that the Ring's Cup Race ought to serve. There are various pos sible objects. The race may be used as a stimulus to nanufacturers to improve the breed of aeroplanes; it nay be held out as the Blue Riband of the air to flying flubs and private owners; and again it may aim at the foal of spreading airmindedness by trying to attract ^e public to aerodromes. The object of the race will made clear by the way in which the regulations are As regards the third possibility, namely, attracting the KM° aerodromes> this object is worth while, pro- InH ™at the race is held in the North and the Mid- b^ni'+ 1 x far as London is concerned it should be lis'nr! ( dlsregarded- This conclusion is based on the hn« • 1 C PaSt raCes- The Pe°P]e of London have [ a! l,e times that they wil1 not g°even to such nish nf •aerodrome as Hendon to see the start or Pub wiian air race- lt follows that if the Royal Aero art I S°- fleCt a city such as Manchester for the 'oil th"P fh then lt should not waste energy and Iclose fin!she a r T aS^Cts J of the race hy tr^ing to Produce moved «.a London aerodrome. Even if the race • Possihl" rds' [t is sti11 a mistake to sacrifice ectacle Tl" lneSS f° the staSing of a popular ttt 't aron H ra°e to Austra"a offered no spectacle, asT- one vl World-wide interest, and it produced at : There kn r?markaMe new design. a Prize for n J'ustification for using the King's Cup races alre-iH^?*6 owners- There are quite a number y devoted to their interests, including the Grosvenor Cup, the Siddeley Trophy, the S.B.A.C. Cup, and at least five other annual races. The best service which the King's Cup Race can now do to British aeronautics is to encourage improvement in aircraft design. This implies the careful framing of a judicious formula for handicapping, which would leave it to de signers to get the best results out of a known set of con ditions. It would probably not produce a close finish, but it would lend quite a new and valuable interest to the race. Incidentally, the prospect of seeing novel aircraft, possibly with some startling performance, would be quite likely to attract crowds of northerners to the aerodromes, though the London crowd might remain as indifferent as ever. An Ill'-matched Pair The Royal Aero Club, in the regulations published for this year's race, has fallen among several stools. It has decided on a race round the British Isles, which is quite a good thing. It has tried to attract entries of both fast machines and lower-powered machines, catering appar ently for the private owner and for the aircraft firm at the same time. Class racing is in itself an improvement on the old plan of admitting all comers and handi capping the whole field on estimated performance. That bad old plan, however, has cropped up again in the final heat on the second day. when fast and comparatively slow machines will all be handicapped on estimated speed with the futile idea of making a spectacle for Londoners. The clinging to this outworn idea has vitiated whatever merits the first day's racing displays. In fact, the contests of the first and the second day make a very ill-matched pair. The Racing Committee of the Royal Aero Club has, however, shown signs of grace by promising to produce a handicapping formula for future years. It must be admitted that the formula could not have been applied to this year's race, but it should be published and thrown open for discussion at the earliest possible date. With a formula in operation it will be clear that the King's Cup is to be a contest for designers.
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