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Aviation History
1939
1939 - 0421.PDF
FEBRUARY 16, 1939 FLIGHT. 359 HENSHAW'S CAPE DASH A Brilliant Solo Effort in a Racing Single-seater TO Alex Henshaw, winner of the 1938 King's Cup Race, goes the credit of having made one of the most spectacular long-distance dashes of recent years— from London to Cape Town and back in 106J hours. Apart from the record aspect, the flight was spectacular in that it was made solo, and in a tiny single-seater racing mono plane. The Mew Gull is not a machine that can be force- landed just anywhere. Trouble of any kind would have meant stepping out by parachute; and the Sahara Desert or the West Coast of Africa is hardly a hospitable place in which to alight by that means. However, those who know Henshaw know that he is not one to take really silly risks. Last spring, flying in a Vega Gull with his equally enthusiastic father, he surveyed the route and studied the landing grounds. He has confidence in the Mew Gull and in Gipsy engines, born of many hours of full-throttle work in air races, and he knew, too, that he could trust the special modifications made to the machine by Essex Aero, Ltd. The trial was as much one of human endurance as of mech anical reliability. There, perhaps, Henshaw came nearest failure; even so, his distressed condition at the finish was largely due to a mischance—some nasty cracks on the head caused by bumpy air. Consistency Weather conditions, which were not too helpful, were rather similar on both the outward and homeward journeys, and the similarity of his times for the two flights shows how near Henshaw must have been to the theoretical limit for such records. The outward trip of 6,000 miles he accomplished in 1 day 15 hr. 25 min., and the homeward run took 1 day 15 hr. 36 min. The out and home journey, including his rest period of 27 hours at Cape Town, was accomplished in 4 days 10 hr. 1 min. He thus beats the record set up in November, 1937, by F/O. A. E. Clouston and Mrs. Kirby-Green (flying a D.H. Comet) by 5 hr. 37 min. outward; 17 hr. 47 min. homeward; and 1 day 6 hr. 59 min. for the round trip. The best previous solo time, one way, was that of Miss Amy Johnson in 1936, with 3 days G hr. 25 min. Henshaw's average speed, including all ground stops, but Tiny Mr. Alex Hen shaw •— with the usual cheery countenance. " Flight " photograph. not his stay in Cape Town, worked out at about 152 m.p.h. To capitulate briefly the log of the flight: Henshaw left Gravesend Airport at 3.25 a.m. on Sunday, February 5, and landed at Oran, Algeria, at 10.30 a.m. the same morning. After refuelling and a short rest he carried on to Gao (French Sudan) and then to Libreville (French Equatorial Africa), which he left at 5.5 a.m. on the Monday. His next stop was at Angola, and he then went straight through to Cape Town, landing at 6.59 p.m. on the Monday. The trip was an uncomfortable one, particularly through rough air conditions on the first stage to Oran. The Mew Gull collected a considerable amount of ice when crossing the Atlas Mountains in North Africa, and very thick weather, with clouds almost down to the ground, was encountered near the Equator. Henshaw started back at 10.18 p.m. on Tuesday, February 7, and arrived at Mossamedes at 3.45 a.m. the next morning. His second hop was to Libreville, which he left again at 10.40 a.m. the same morning. After a very short rest at Gao he carried on to Oran and got away from there at 7.50 a.m. Thursday. His last hop took him 1.200 miles to Gravesend where, in spite of being in an extremely exhausted condition, he made an excellent landing at 1.51 p.m. the same day. Although he started with a favourable wind after leaving Cape Town conditions were not helpful for the major part of the flight, and he again encountered ice and cloud when nearing Europe. Bumps were very severe. His Sutton harness had stretched, so that the more severe bumps threw him upwards and brought his head into contact with the low cockpit roof. Already feeling the effects of tropical fever, he suffered considerably by this battering, and his nose bled profusely. He climbed to 18,000 ft. in order to find smoother conditions. In this he succeeded, though, rather naturally, the altitude did nothing to cure the nose bleeding, and Henshaw looked in a pretty bad way when lifted from his machine at Gravesend. There is very little room in the cockpit of a Mew Gull at This photograph of the Mew Gull being refuelled at Libreville (French Equatorial Africa) on the outward journey was collected by Mr. Henshaw on the homeward flight and brought back by him to London. h
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