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Aviation History
1936
1936 - 1454.PDF
JUNE 4, 1936. FLIGHT. 595 On the left is Mr. R. F. (" Toffee ") Hall who flew the winning Hillson Praga in the Manx Air Derby, while on the right is Douglas' con tribution to fly ing safety. The gentleman in the asbestos suit must have been super heated before the end of the day. for he con scientiously kept it on until all was over. AROUND THE ISLAND TTAD it not been for the surprising velocity of the little -*••*• fellows, both of which averaged well over 80 m.p.h. for the three-lap Manx Air Derby, things would have been a great deal more exciting. Unfortunately enough, it was obvious to the more mathematically minded spectators, after the Praga and the Aeronca had covered two laps, that they would take some catching. There was certainly not a hope for the scratch man, W. Humble (Miles Hawk), and the majority of people were thinking that L. Lipton (D.H. Moth) stood the only fair chance. He eventually came in third, with Cohen's Puss Moth fourth, and the redoubtable Humble fifth. The latter had averaged 179 m.p.h., and had overtaken thirteen com petitors on his hurtling circuits. The course from Ronaldsway passed round Douglas Head, Cornaa (between Laxey and Maughold Head), Bride (near the Point of Ayre), Peel Castle, St. John's, and back to the starting point, w"fiere the machines turned around one perfectly good bell tent on the intermediate circuits MANX AIR DERBY RESULT. Pilot. 1. R. F. Hall ... 2. A. E. Clouston 3. L. Lipton 4. G. Cohen 5., W.. Humble .. 6. A. Henshaw ... 7. A. K. Watson 8. S. W. Sparkes 9. C. H. Tvitt ... 10. C. F. Hughcs- don. 11. H. R. A. Ed wards. 12. S. T. Lowe ... 13. S. Gleave U.S. L. Turner ... 15. P. Randolph ... 16. H.'j. Wilson ... 17. R. F. T. Bid dings. 18. BflssM. Glass... Machine. Hillson Pragra ... Aeronca D.H. Moth D.H. Puss Moth Miles Hawk D.H. Leopard Moth. D.H. Puss Moth Percival Gull ... D.H. Moth Hawker Tomtit Avro Avian Compel' Swift ... Avro Avian . . Cessna C.34 Percival Gull ... B.A. Swallow ... Blackburn Blue bird. D.H. Moth Handi cap h. m. 1 3 1 9 30 24 .. 37 42 21 45 Scratch 17 24 4 38 27 35 21 34 7 16 33 45 40 5 6 21 33 27 55 37 15 0 2 27 17 23 Flying time. h. m. 1 4S 1 57 1 23 1 18 54 1 11 1 18 59 1 33 1 23 1 32 1 18 1 32 1 7 1 16 1 37 1 51 1 57 8. 28 52 22 39 20 57 59 25 43 17 17 44 41 7 22 30 3 4 Speed m.p.h. 89.5 82.5 116.5 123.5 179.0 135.25 123.0 164.0 104.0 116.5 105.0 123.5 104.75 145.0 127.25 99.5 87.5 83.0 and crossed a clearly defined finishing line on the aero drome after the final round. Incidentally, Capt. C. H. Pixton, who won the 1914 Schneider Trophy race, was one °f the judges for each of the week-end events. At the end of Round One it could be seen that the handi capping—carried out, of course, by Messrs. Dancy and Rowarth in both races—was working out well, so far as most of the field was concerned. The Praga had closed °n the Aeronca, Lipton had picked up three places, and a Percival Gull, which was being flown magnificently by S. W. Sparkes, actually overtook Turner's Cessna on the inside of the turn. For the rest, there was little alteration save for a satisfactory closing-up. There was a good deal of somewhat imnecessary hedging and ditching, and on one occasion, of two machines approaching the turn, only one could be seen. The other was following the bed of a stream, and appeared only at intervals as a white flash behind the trees. « The end of the second lap saw big changes. The Praga was leading the Aeronca by a small margin ; Lipton's Moth was in fifth place ; Henshaw's Leopard had picked up three competitors—actually overtaking S. T. Lowe's Swift just- before the turn; and the scratch man had gone up two places. Humble, in fact, came through the field, as might be expected, on the last lap, and Sparkes did well to nose into eighth place. The only close finish occurred when Henshaw just managed to pass A. K. Watson's Puss Moth. The only lady competitors, Miss Mabel and Miss Sheila Glass —the former in the cockpit of their Gipsy Moth. With very small flying experience they managed to get through to the Isle of Man in weather which occasionally frightened the most hard-boiled of pilots.
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