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Aviation History
1937
1937 - 0019.PDF
JANUARY 7, 1937. FLIGHT. An impression of the Italian Macchi-Cas- toldi seaplane with twin Fiat engine of 3,100 h.p. The re cord of 440.68 m.p.h. it set up in 1934 has not since been challenged. Flights from England to South Africa, and the return trip, have attracted many aspirants—and not so many in the case of the Schlesinger race. It will be recalled th.it the winners of that contest, C. W. A. Scott and Giles Guthrie, flying a Percival Vega Gull, set up the record time of 52 hr. 56 min. Capt. Halse, on a Mew Gull who led for most of the race, was unfortunate to crash on landing at Salisbury after having flown 5,200 miles in only 35 hours. The two-way solo record of 7 days, 22| hours is held by Mrs. Amy Mollison ; some three weeks ago the Federation Aeronautique Internationale officially recognised her flight to the Cape in 78 hr. 28mm. as a capital-to-capital record. Until Wednesday, December 30, Miss Jean Batten held the South Atlantic record on her Gipsy Six Gull, the time being 13 hr. 15 min., but, as reported in Flight this week, this time has been lowered by over one hour by Mile. Maryse Bastie, flying a French Caudron Shnoun with Renault engine. The first solo crossing, which is about 1,900 miles, was made by Bert Hinkler, in 1931, in 22 hours on a Puss Moth. This pilot, on another occa sion, made a very creditable 800-mile flight in an Avro Avian baby with a 35 h.p. Green engine. Mile. Bastie also holds the straight-line distance record for light aero planes, second category; she flew a Klemm monoplane with 40 h.p. Salmson engine 1,849 miles. As already stated, records other than the long-distance type are confined more to the specialists and test pilots. After winning the Schneider trophy race for three con secutive years, Great Britain left the field, in 1931, as owner of the trophy and holder of the world's speed record at 407.5 m.p.h. The aircraft was the Vickers Super- marine S.6.B, powered with Rolls-Royce 2,300 h.p. R engine. The pilot was Flt.-Lt. G. H. Stainforth. Three years later the record was raised to 440.68 m.p.h. by Fran cesco Agello, flying a special Macchi-Castoldi with 3,100 h.p. twin Fiat engine. The landplane record was set up in September, 1935, by Howard Hughes in a special mono plane with, 1,000 h.p. Pratt and Whitney Twin Wasp Junior engine. His speed was 352.388 m.p.h. For some time the world's altitude record of 47,352 ft. stood to the credit of an Italian Caproniaeroplane with a special Bristol Pegasus engine. Early in 1936 this was broken by Georges Detre on a modified Potez 50 with 900 h.p. Gnome-Rhone 14 Kdrs. engine, the new figure being 48,674 ft. Lately Detre's record, too, has fallen to Sqn.- Ldr. Swain on a Bristol 138 monoplane with Pegasus P.E.VI.S engine. The height reached was 49,967 ft. By the Fair Sex Until June 23 of last year the feminine altitude record of 28,743 ft. was held, on a Caproni with Bristol Pegasus engine, by the Marquise Carina Negrone, who also holds the seaplane altitude record. The record now stands in the name of Mile. Maryse Hilz, of France, at 46,475 ft. The aircraft used was a Potez with Gnome-Rhone engine. Several other feminine records have been registered besides those for the recognised long-distance routes as covered by Miss Jean Batten and Mrs. Amy Mollison. The longest airline distance flown is by Amelia Earhart (Mrs. Putnam), who flew a Lockheed Vega with 480 h.p. Wasp engine 2,448 miles from Los Angeles to Newark. A Caudron C.450 was used to set up the maximum speed record of 276.5 m.p.h. The pilot was Mme. Helene Boucher, and she also holds the speed record over 100 and 1,000 kilometres. There are some rather interesting flying records of more unusual types. On November 11, 1935, Capts. Anderson and Stevens, of the U.S. Army Corps, reached 72,394 ft. in a balloon; this is the greatest altitude attained by man. Germany is the most advanced nation in the gliding field, and holds long-distance and altitude above start records, these being 313.3 miles and 14,189.6 ft. respec tively. Italv holds the helicopter distance record at 353.7 ft., but lately Maurice Claisse has made several promising flights, on the Breguet-Dorand helicopter, with Hispano-Suiza engine. These flights were described in Flight of December 10, and the altitude of 158 metres reached by the Breguet is now an official record. The Howard Hughes' racing aircraft. Redesigned wings and a twin Wasp engine are now being fitted for a further record attempt. Getting Steam Up ABOUT 5,000 workpeople will find employment when an aeroplane components factory is completed at White Wal- tham, near Maidenhead It is to be operated by Rootes Securities, Ltd., who, it will be remembered, operate the Hum- ber-Hillman combine and are parties to the Air Ministry shadow scheme. A site has been acquired adjacent to the De Havilland civil training school at White Waltham, and plans have alreadv been deposited with the local authorities. Considerable opposition is being raised by local residents.
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