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Aviation History
1951
1951 - 1515.PDF
156 FLIGHT, 3 August 195 (Above) A general view of the industrious scene at the Derby and Lanes Gliding Club site at Camphill last week as some of the contestants lined up for a winch-launch. (Right) One of the two provisional winners of the individual championship, F/L R. C. "Jock" Forbes, studies his plan of campaign before taking to the air in his new Slingsby Sky. National Gliding Championships Keen Competition for Individual Prizes: Winner Still Undecided TYPICAL of an unusually exciting atmosphere which character-ized the British National Gliding Contests (held at Great Hucklow, Derbyshire, from July 21st to 29th inclusive) is the factthat the Scoreboard final markings literally depended on a "photo- finish"—which will be decided only after a microscopic examina-tion of a photograph taken by one of the claimants for first place. If F/L. "Jock" Forbes can convince the judges that his photo-graph, taken at a turning point, did, in fact, pin-point his position over Flamborough Head during one of the set tasks, he will thenhave won the individual championship with a total of 877 marks. This would be only fouY points ahead of Geoffrey Stephenson,who has been provisionally ajudged the winner. An impressive study in grace and motion is watched by a spectator from the wall which borders the Camphill site on three sides. The machine scudding low over the hillside is one of the London Gliding Club's Eon Olympias. Sixteen machines of this type competed. Whatever the outcome, however, the results constitute a mag-nificent testimonial for the new Slingsby Sky sailplane which, although only receiving its C. of A. three days before the com-petitions, wrested the laurels from the formidable German Weihes by gaining first and second places. Subject to final confirmation,the finishing order was as follows:— ' (1) G. R. Stephenson (Sky), 873; (2) F/L. R. C. Forbes (Sky),843; (3) L. Welch (Weihe), 804; (4) P. A. Wills (Weihe), 800; F. Foster (Rhonbussard), 770; D. H. G. Ince (Eon Olympia), 677. Stephenson, flying a Sky, had gained an early lead in the con-tests when, on July 22nd, he made a flight of 76 miles and achieved an altitude of 12,400ft. Two days later (weather caused flying tobe cancelled on the 23rd) he followed this by winning a race to Dunstable by one minute from "Jock" Forbes, in another Sky. Although an out-and-return flight of 93 miles on the 26thgained Stephenson marks, Lome Welch took the lead at this point with a spectacular distance flight of 187 miles to Manston Airfieldin Kent. The last two days of the championships brought a great im-provement in conditions and out-and-return tasks were set. On Saturday, 13 competitors out of 32 succeeded in getting to Booth-ferry Bridge on the Humber (near Goole—a distance of about 45 miles), but strong head-winds on the return journey preventedanyone from reaching Camphill. On Sunday conditions were exceptionally good, with up-.current strengths often reaching 2oft/sec. Twelve pilots com- pleted a race to Derby airfield (60 miles), the highest speed beingclocked by Major A. J. Deane-Drummond, of the Army Gliding Club, who covered the distance in 2 hr 10 min—an average speedof 27.7 m.p.h. Stephenson started late and was unable to com- plete the return flight, while Forbes, recording a time of 3 h*18 min, probably earned enough points to overtake the former;, pilot's total. The team championship was carried off by the Navy's,twoGoodhart brothers (Lt. Cdrs. G. A. J. and H. C. N., of the Royal Navy Gliding and Soaring Association); they flew the Germa;i-built MU13 and Meiser respectively. The Eon Cup, awarded for the best performance in an Olympia sailplane, goes to DavidInce, who is chief instructor of the Midland Gliding Club. We hope to publish a more detailed review of the meeting innext week's issue.
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