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Aviation History
1936
1936 - 1447.PDF
590 FLIGHT. JUNE 4, 1935. An hmpire Air Race THE success of the international air race to Mel bourne gives us good grounds for welcoming an Empire air race from London to Johannesburg. Mr. I. W. Schlesinger is worthily following in the footsteps of Sir Macpherson Robertson. The great difference between the conditions of the two races is that the Melbourne race was open to machines from all countries, while the race to Johannesburg is confined to those of the British Empire. There is much to be said in favour of international contests, provided that enough time is given for the design and building of special aero planes, but in this case there is no possibility of that being done. The Empire Exhibition at Johannesburg is to be opened on September 15 next, and the race will start from England on that day. If an international race were to be organised at such short notice, it would not test the designing capacity of the various nations, but would be a gift to any country which happened at the moment to possess a type of machine which suited the conditions of the race. Such a victory would really prove nothing, but might give a very false impression either of British supremacy or of British inferiority. Another reason for making it impracticable to design special machines for this race is that at the moment the home aircraft industry is fully occupied with work for the expansion of the Royal Air Force, and so there is nothing for it but to carry out the race with existing machines. Despite that, the race will not be without an international flavour, because for some years past German commercial machines have been much used in South Africa. It will be a very good thing to let the greatest industrial city in the Union see and study for itself the performances of all sorts of existing British types. Seeing for Themselves The conditions of the race, it is understood, will take into consideration the commercial qualities of the competitors, and give marks of some description for qualities of that nature. The Union is about to in augurate an internal air service of its own as soon as Imperial Airways open the new trunk route with Short flying boats down the East coast of Africa to Durban. This race will enable the business men of the Union to study the Empire's various landplanes, and judge for themselves which will be most suitable for the long internal stages, and which will be best for branch lines. The South African papers and the broadcasting organisation may be trusted to make known the fortunes of each competitor. Few better ways of introducing British aircraft to South Africa could be devised. MEDITERRANEAN MEDLEY. Two Supermarine Seagull Vs, three Fairey III Fs, and four Hawker Ospreys, all catapulted from ships of the Mediterranean Fleet, in the act of assuming a line abreast formation over Alexandria. The official name of the Seagull V, when used by the Fleet Air Arm, is Walrus ; the original title for it is retained by Australia.
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