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Aviation History
1936
1936 - 1810.PDF
JULY 2, 1936. FLIGHT. THE SOUTH AFRICA RACE Regulations Now Issued : The Handicap Formula THE Royal Aero Club has now issued regulations for the Schlesinger African Air Race from London to Johannes burg, to start on Tuesday, September 15, in connection with the South African Empire Exhibition. Mr. I. W. Schlesinger is giving a sum of £10,000 as prize money. The race, which is restricted to British pilots and machines, with the exception of airscrews, instruments and accessories, will be split up into two sections, speed and handicap, to be ilown concurrently, and the prize money will be allocated as follows: £4,000 to the competitor who completes the course in the shortest time. To competitors on a handicap basis: 1st prize, £3,000; 2nd, £1,500; 3rd, £1,000; 4th, £500. The same machines may be entered for both sections of the race, but none will be eligible to win more than one prize. It is the wish of the donor of the prize money that entrants should allow their machines to be placed on show at a Johannesburg aerodrome for a reasonable period after the termination of the race. Principal Requirements Points from the regulations are as follows: Pilots must have had at least one hundred hours' experience of solo flying prior to the start. The start will probably take place from an aerodrome in the vicinity of London. Unless the numbers of entries should make other arrangements necessary, all competitors will start from the same aerodrome, singly, at short intervals; the differ ence in times will be adjusted at a control aerodrome prior to the finish. It is probable that the start will take place in the hours of darkness and no aircraft will be allowed to start in darkness unless properly equipped for night flying. Subject to turning at the specified turning point, and to landing and checking in at the specified control aerodrome, competitors will be free to select their own course to Johannes burg. There will be one turning point in Europe, at Vienna, and one control in Egypt, at Cairo. The approximate distance from London to Johannesburg via Vienna and Cairo is 6,540 statute mile's. The entry fee is £25. Entry fees will be returned in respect of each aircraft completing the course within five days. EMPIRE ROUTE LUXURY : This impressive drawing by an Imperial Airways artist gives a very clear idea of the main accommodation features of the new Short Empire boats. Powered with four Pegasus X engines, the craft are expected to cruise at 150-160 m.p.h. The first of these boats, of which nearly twenty are being built at Rochester, is expected to be launched during the next week or so. A somewhat similar type is to be used as the lower component of the Short-Mayo " composite " aircraft, also being built for Imperial Airways. '•7 Entry forms in duplicate, accompanied by the appropriate entry fees, must be received by the Royal Aero Club not later than 5 p.m. on August 1. Late entries at double fees will be received up to 5 p.m. on August 15. The course for the handicap section will be identical with the course for the speed section, but the race will be decided on the fastest handicap time. " Handicap time " means the actual elapsed time from start to finish less the handicap allowance time. Nothing will be allowed for time spent on the ground. The handicap formula will be as follows : wherein L = Pay load in lb. W = All-up weight in lb. of aircraft complete with petrol, oil, personnel and freight ready for race. P = Total horse-power of the engine(s) at normal r.p.m. at rated height—based on the power of the prototype engine at the corresponding r.p.m. and height. A = Main plane area in square feet, including ailerons but exclusive of fillets, fairings on axles, struts and the like, and wing surfaces forming part of the top or bottom of the fuselage. V = Air speed in miles per hour on which handicaps will be based. Repairs and replacements to the airframe and engine(s) may be made during the race, but neither may be changed as a whole. The air frame and engine(s) will be sealed at the starting point prior to the commencement of the contest, and such seals must remain unbroken. Subject to compliance with the C. of A. of the aircraft, there is no limit to the number of crew or passengers which may be carried. The entry form will, however, specify one pilot as " the pilot in charge." Competitors will be responsible for making their own fuelling arrangements along the course. It will not be obligatory to refuel at any official control aerodrome. All time spent in refuelling will count as flying time. Refuelling in the air is allowed subject to compliance with Air Navigation and Air worthiness requirements.
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