FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1937
1937 - 2344.PDF
202 FLIGHT. AUGUST 26, 1937. I reparedness I F the Marseilles-Damascus-Paiis air race has pro vided any lesson at all, it is that preparedness and training are essential. That was known beforehand and did not need any such driving home. Italy put eight machines in the race and secured first, second, and third places, thereby winning the entire prize money. France put in a heterogeneous collection of four machines, mostly types substituted at the last moment for new models which could not be got ready in time for the race. Great Britain's contribution was a single machine, entered purely by private enterprise and with no fcrm of government or other assistance. Out of Italy's eight starters only four finished the course last Saturday. France similarly got home only one-half of her starters. Great Britain did better than anyone in proving 100 per cent, reliability, and for that the country in general owes a very great debt to Flying Officer Clouston, whose very sporting effort was admired immensely by French and Italian supporters. France has certainly shown up badly over the race, and the French Press is almost unanimous in its criticism, and even abuse, of the present French Air Minister, M. Pierre Cot, who originated the idea of the New York- Paris race, but who had to substitute the present race for it, owing mainly to America's refusal to have any thing to do with a race from New York to Paris. The French Air Ministry offered the prizes, three million francs in all, and special machines were built for the race. None of these was completed in time to be fit for taking part in the race, and their places were taken mostly by old and well-known types. The exception was the Marcel Bloch 160, which is a very modern four-engined monoplane, not unlike the De Havilland Albatross, and the average speed it put up in the race is certainly no guide at all to its real capabilities. Finally, it is interesting to note that the Italian entries were all modified bombers, manned by Italian Air Force personnel, whose training for the race began as long ago as last March. Italy left nothing to chance, and deserved her win, although the knowledge that her Air Force was virtually racing against civilian competitor^ robbed the race of much of its interest and made the result almost a forego,ne conclusion. We may take credit for the fact that the engines were of British design. A GREAT EXPERIMENT : A group of the new YB-17 Boeing bombers (four 850 h.p. Wright Cyclone Gs) of the first batch of thirteen delivered to the U.S. Army Air Corps. A second order, for a similar number, has been placed. These machines are the first high-speed, four-engined bombers to enter the service of any nation, and their design forms the basis for the new civil transport landplanes under construction at the Boeing factory.
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
