FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1949
1949 - 1387.PDF
AUGUST IITH, 1949 FLIGHT Further Observations on the National Air Races : Times, Speeds and Placings in Detail (Illustrated by "Flight" Photographs) The course came in for some criticism ; but, on the whole, and bearing in mind the great differences in speed between the various races, it would have been difficult to provide a better spectacle. The siting of the pylons was deservedly criticized, and the pylons themselves, in the prevailing weather, were not as easy to see as they might have been. If the Dvinlop company are again generous enough to pro- vide pylons they will, no doubt, make some modifications. Sodium flares beside the pylons were a great help to the high-speed pilots—Cunningham, Wade, Duke, Derry and others—who pressed gallantly on, rather than disappoint the crowd, in extremely unpleasant weather conditions. The standard of flying and flying discipline was very high, and thanks to excellent handicapping there were several most exciting bunched finishes. The Ministry of Supply, whose representatives were present at Elmdon, earned the gratitude of all spectators for allowing the Ser- vice and research aircraft to take part in the races, and the enterprise of the several manufacturers who gave their full support will not be overlooked. Tabulated results and more illustrations appear overleaf. . (Left) : Jan Anderle, Czech pilot of the Aero 45, with his daughter after winning the Norton Griffiths Trophy at 163 m.p.h. (Below) : John Derry's D.H. 108 generates compressibility vapour in the S.B.A.C. Race, which was f'.own in appalling weather. (Above) : T. W. Brooke-Smith's Short Sturgeon I takes a turn in the Air League Cup, with GjC. A. H. Wheeler's Spitfire 5 in the offing. P. G. Lawrence (firebrand 5a) was the eventual winner, A. £. Gunn (Balliol 2) and Morrell (Sea Fury Trainer) having missed pylons. (Left) : The Autocrat flown by D. A. Arch crosses the finishing line to win the Grosvenor Trophy from Mole's Bibi and Lawrence's oldB.2 trainer I! T,
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
