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Aviation History
1948
1948 - 1387.PDF
SEPTEMBER ?NB, 1948 FUG H T 255. Lympne 1948 A Day of Racing and High-Speed Events : Women's 100-kilometre Record Broken * GAIN the organizers of the Lympne Races were lucky l\ with the weather and again they are to be congratu- X. X. lated on staging aaether highly successful meeting. Although the high-speed race is undoubtedly the main attraction, Lympne has become noted for excellent timing of events, and the introduction of some entirely new com- petition or demonstration. On the stroke of 14.00 hrs the meeting was opened in true high-speed style by the arrival of four Vampires from Odiham. It was a well-timed and well-planned beginning which put everyone on their toes. Four Tiger Moths lined up for the first race to fly clockwise over 3 laps of the 5|-mile course which, this year, consisted of 5 legs. Pat Fil- lingham"in a London Aero Club machine won at 86 m.p.h. with C. F. Arthur of Fairoaks second and Tom Hackney of Cinque Ports third. The Attree-Miles team had obviously gone to a great deal of pains to map out a course for the one-type races which would give the spectators a constant view of progress. This would be difficult enough in flat country, but the situation of Lympne with surrounding valleys and woods accentuates the problem. This year's course— although perhaps better than the triangular one used in 1947—somehow contrived to ensure that the competitors were just out of sight most of the time. This was mainly because the competitors flew at or below tree-top height and only climbed to pass over the hedges and haystacks. By the time the Tiger race had ended S/L. Downey of No. 24 R.F.S., Cambridge, was already in the air in a Tiger to perform aerobatics. He finished a very polished display with a creditable attempt at a hesitation roll of which, in a Tiger Moth, he is said to^have been the originator. The next event was the Magtster race, which was won by D. J. Jemmett who held the lead throughout. In the Auxiliary Squadron competition one representa- tive was entered from each of the Reserve Groups, and a trophy was presented by the Air Council. All competing aircraft were Spitfires, Merlin 01 Griffon powered, and standard equipment in the Royal Auxiliary Air Force. They w«re handicapped in accordance with official speed the Inrin-Bell helicopter rose into the air as the Vampires taxied m, and (below) Miss Lettice Curtis taxying to the line for the start of the high-speed handicap race. Spitfires of No. 615 FLAux.A.F. Squadron demonstrating forma- tion drill at Lympne. figures for their respective marks. The course was approxi- mately 100 miles, and the pilots were not notified of the turning points until 10 minutes before take-off. Three Spit- fire 16s were first away with a 3 min 5-sec start, whilst the scratch man, from No. 603 Squadron, was in a Spit- fire 22. During their take-off, Mr. Marmol had been towed to about 3,000ft in his Krajanek glider, and in silence we watched this Czech pilot's unique performance of loops, rolls, rolls off the top and inverted flying. A few minutes after he had landed, S/L. Dundas flashed over in his Spitfire *G to win the Auxiliary competition for No. 65 Group. He was quickly fol- lowed by S/L. J. James of No. 501 Squadron, and then F/O. W. Benson of No. 1 Squadron. Three competitors, all from Faireys, lined up for the Tipsy race; Peter Twiss took the lead during the first lap, but was overtaken by D. Masters, who held the lead for the rest of the race and won at 76 m.p.h. with Peter
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