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Aviation History
1937
1937 - 1461.PDF
JUNE 3, 1937. FLIGHT. 55i ^gtepi Two groups at Ronaldsway. From left to right can be seen Major Seidemann, Mr. J. M. Cubbon, who gave the prize-money, the Rev. E. H. Stenning, well known for his interest in Manx motor racing events, Capt. Rex Stocken, the organiser, and Capt. C. Howard Pixton, winner of the 1914 Schneider Trophy. moment or two after he had left, howeve», Henshaw and others were wisely told that they must stay on the ground until things improved. There were only three courses open. The result could be allowed to stand more or less as it appeared; the race could be deemed null and void; or the part of the course from Speke onwards could be ignored and the competitors rehandicapped between Hanworth and that point. To the reasonable satisfaction of all concerned Seidemann (B.F.W. 108) was adjudged the winner and duly received the challenge trophy presented by Germ Lubricants (with a replica) and the ^120, which, with the rest of the useful prize- money for all the races, had been put up by Mr. J. M. Cubbon. Mr. Watson, of Germs, was there, of course, with his King's Cup Falcon. Second and third prizes, totalling ^130, were divided equally amongst the other five competitors who managed to cross the finishing line. So much for the bare facts. Detailed accounts of the experi ences of anybody and everybody flying from Speke to the Island on that afternoon would make interesting reading. One or two pilots can be said to have been very lucky, and it is probable that an unexpectedly strong wind caused a number of them to make a landfall north rather than south of the Head, otherwise some wave-hopping pilot would assuredly have flown straight into it, for there is no warning stretch of sand. As it was, J. Rush (Aeronca) suddenly found himself facing a sloping stretch of greensward, closed the throttle and landed to find himself somewhere at the back of the Head. He had Inside story : Fit. Lt. J. B. Wilson (at the controls) and Mr. D. M. Bey (navigator) photographed in the B.A. Double Eagle as it crossed the Chilterns at 2,000ft. on the way to Speke. On the right Mr. A. Henshaw taxies his Mew Gull (a la racehorse) up to the line at Ronaldsway. He made fastest time in this machine, which was flown (with v.p. airscrew) by Major Miller in the South Africa only just enough fuel to get him to Ronaldsway on straight courses, so he took the opportunity and added the odd pint. The other Aeronca pilot, R. C. Hockey, had arranged a re fuelling system involving a small hole in the screen through which a rubber tube was led to the filler orifice. Holding the stick with his left hand (it was very bumpy), the pipe in his teeth and a pump under his right arm he replenished the main tank from two-gallon tins on the passenger's seat—one-man- band style. From a comfortable seat in a competing machine, J. B. Wilson's B.A. Double Eagle (Major engines), we were, so to speak, in the best grandstand for judging the general condi tions and the progress of the race. During the early part of the Hanworth-Speke section the Double Eagle was making a carefully checked ground speed of something over 180 m.p.h. Since its average to Speke was actually 165 m.p.h., and we were dead on course the whole time, it can only be assumed that the expected following wind dropped to nothing, or even became a headwind, towards the end of the leg. Hence the fact that the fast machines were due to win—we overtook the two Aeroncas flying together miles out to sea (and from anything resembling a ship) somewhere near Barrow. Varied Fortunes Already, before Speke, we had overtaken P. Randolph's Vega Gull and A. E. Clouston's Hawk Major, which had been delayed for five minutes at Hanworth with fuel-feed trouble, while, at the same time, Hughesdon's Sparrowhawk went by. At Speke it was found that Rush's Aeronca had just overtaken the limit man, A. J. Walter (Taylor Cub), the 89 had caught up the Straight and H. J. Wilson (B.A. Eagle), the Sparrow- hawk had jumped three places, and Henshavv's Mew Gull had already passed both Seidemann's and Gerbrecht's 108s. Later it was learnt that S. T, Lowe had forced-landed his Comper Swift south of Coventry (overheating and two magneto springs gone), and F. D. Bradbrooke (Dart Kitten) had put down at Bicester (bad vibraton, later diagnosed as the result of oil- pump trouble) and had damaged his hand while turning tha engine over. Beyond Blackpool, on the second section, the Double Eagle overtook Wilson's Eagle and was almost immediately left standing by the Mew Gull. Henshaw's father, incidentally.
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