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Aviation History
1938
1938 - 2211.PDF
AUGUST 4, 1938. FLIGHT. 101 THE FOLKESTONE TROPHY RACE Sun Favours Cinque Ports Meeting : H. Buckingham (Hornet Moth), Wins at 123.25 m.pJi. LAST Saturday, while both the North and West of England bowed down U to the onslaught of a complex system of eastward-bound depres sions, Kent (and Folkestone in par ticular) revelled in brilliant sunshine. One would like to suggest that this was just one of the high spots of Mrs. Ann Davis' highly efficient organisation, arranged especially for the occasion of the Cinque Ports Flying Club's seventh annual Folkestone Aero Trophy Race. Anyway, from the spectator's viewpoint, conditions for the race were well-nigh perfect, but at least one competitor had something very rude to say about the bumps encountered on the 30-mile cir cuit. For this race the Club had selected quite a sporting course, with four turn ing points. The first and longest leg was from Lympne to the Capel Airshed, which lies north-east of Folkestone. After a 270-deg. turn, a short leg was followed down to Folkestone Harbour, from which point the coast was followed direct to the Hythe Gas-holder, the third turning point. The next stretch, a short one, entailed a steady climb up from sea level to the aerodrome, on the eastern boundary of which was situated the fourth turning point. Owing to the prevalence of quite a strong, gusty south-west wind, most of the competitors flew high on the Lympne-Capel leg and low on the coast wise stretch, with the result that the spectators at Lympne had little or no warning of an approaching competitor as he zoomed up from Hythe to take the Lympne turn—all of which considerably added to the excitement of the racing from the onlooker's viewpoint. Even Mr. Dick Bentley, situated high up on the hangar roof, found it difficult to spot an approaching machine—a point which did not in the least detract from his achievements as a first-class commentator throughout the afternoon. Shortly after mid-day the eight competitors in the first heat lined up across the northern boundary of the aerodrome. The air craft varied from the little Chilton flown by Miss Mona Friedlander to Ales. Henshaw's famous Mew Gull. Messrs. Dancy and Rowarth seemed to have found one or two things that involved work on the handicapping sheet, but by I2.30 p.m. all was set and the limit machine, the Chilton, set off on what was to be an exceedingly bumpy passage for the pilot. Excitement was intense at the end of the third and last lap. The commenta- Mr. Buckingham receives the trophy from Mrs. Ann Davis. On applauding, is F/O. David Llewellyn, who flew a Mew Gull. Flight " photograph. the right, tor announced that he could see three machines coming up from Hythe and almost before the words were out of the loudspeaker's mouth Du Port's Tiger, Morris' Hobo and De Havilland's T.K.2 appeared over the trees. The Hobo passed the Tiger before the aero drome boundary and crossed the line a bare 100 yards in front, while close on the heels—or elevators—of the Tiger came the T.K.2. All three machines were inside the aerodrome at the same moment, which speaks highly for the handicapping. Actually only eleven sees, separated the first and third. Less than a minute and a half later Humble streaked over the line into fourth place. The second heat took place after lunch and was by comparison with the first heat somewhat uneventful. The limit man was R. V. Porteous, flying a Chilton, while scratch was F/O. David Llewellyn on an unfamiliar mount—the red Mew Gull G-AEKL, which Guthrie had brought into second place in the King's Cup. Llewellyn was flying under an additional handicap, for two days previously he had been trying out the Mew Gull when, over Southampton at approximately 3,000ft., the cowling over the cockpit became detached and damaged the tail. In the ensuing fun and games, Llewellyn experienced a black-out and damaged both elbows. In cidentally, he had pulled out just in the nick of time at a bare 200ft. By the end of the third and last lap, H. Buckingham in the "demonstrator" D.H. Hornet, came home an easy winner from Samuelson's Comper Swift, Tommy EiUran! J. A.M. DuTort ... H. Buckingham G. Samuelson fe; Ann Davis '.'.'. '-• Napier W. Humble "* Lord Wakefield L- Fontes... Pilot .7. A. M. Du Port... H. Buckingham ... G. Samuekoa A. J. S. Morris .. ft 1. Wilson W.'HuniWe G. De Havillanii . Tommy Rose FINAL Aircraft Tiger Hornet Comper Hobo Vega Gull ... Sparrowhawk T.K.2 Hawk Start min 0 3 3 4 8 It 12 13 s. 00 17 46 55 22 43 54 33 Finish min 32 32 32 33 33 33 32 33 s. 58 03 30 47 34 00 37 11 Hett Time miii. s. 32 58 28 46 28 44 28 52 25 12 21 17 19 43 19 38 Place 4th 1st 2nd 8th 7th 5th 3rd 6th Average Speed m.p.h. 107.50 123.25 123.25 122.75 140.50 166.50 179.50 180.25 Rose being unable to better third place. Fourth was H. J. Wilson in the Vega Gull. The first four in each heat were in the final. Lap 1 saw the Tiger well ahead of the Hornet. Samuelson, with his Com per, and Morris, in the Hobo, both exe cuted neat and well-judged turns, climb ing slightly to take _ advantage of the wind. As befitted their speed, both Geoffrey de Havilland and Tommy Rose, in the T.K.2 and Speed Hawk respec tively, took the turn in a steady, wide vertical bank. During the second lap the Hornet ap peared to pull something out of the bag, for it not only gained on the Swift, but closed up on the Tiger. Behind them lay Morris in the Hobo, who seemed to be losing, if anything, on his handicap (it afterwards transpired that his revs wore down by nearly 100 r.p.m.). In the rear the back-markers—Tommy Rose and De Havilland—were coming up in grand style, although their chances at this stage seemed, to say the least of it, remote. During the third lap an expectant hush fell over the spectators as they awaited the first indication of the finish. Over the loud-speakers came the announcement that a biplane was approaching. Was it the Tiger or the Hornet? The commentator said he thought it was the Tiger. But he was wrong; for it was Buckingham's Hornet that first came over the trees to cross the line as the winner. Behind him came Samuelson in his red Swift, followed by De Havilland in the T.K.2 and Du Port with his Tiger Moth. H. Buckingham, as winner ot the Folkestone Aero Trophy with his Hornet Moth, also received a cheque for ^50, presented by Col. and Mrs. R. H. R. Parminter, Mr. J. A. M. Du Port and Mr. Fred Sigrist. A silver medal and £25, presented by Sir Philip Sassoon, Bt., was awarded to Mr. G. Samuelson, who was placed second with his Comper Swift. The third man, Geoffrey De Havilland, was awarded a silver medai with a cheque for ^10, presented by Mr Noel Coward.
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