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Aviation History
1954
1954 - 1843.PDF
816 Dunkerley's misfortune (left); as Philip Mayne's flag comes down, attempts to start the Miles Sparrowjet continue. Tt was unable to take part in the race. (Right) Winner of the Royal Aero Club Trophy, T. G. Knox with his The new machine, however, Proctor 3. THE NATIONAL AIR RACES . . . disqualified for turning inside one of the corners, D'Arcy moved up to 15th place. The King's Cup After the overnight re-handicapping on the basis of Friday's race times, D'Arcy's Messenger G-AKBM was again the first machine to take off, in brilliant weather, for Saturday's King's Cup Race. A second Messenger, that of Tim Wood, followed closely. Miss Leaf in the Hawk Major preceded die simultaneous get-away of Fillingham's Chipmunk and Blamire's soft-gold Gemini; half a minute later, Bowles' equally attractive Gemini —white-topped, red-cowled—sparkled into the air. The six Proctors, separated by a total of two minutes, were next to go. Ten seconds behind Mcintosh (and 6 minutes, 42 seconds after D'Arcy), Lovett-Campbell in the Nighthawk took off, and then the two Messengers were approaching to complete their first 17-mile lap, bank steeply round the pylon, and disappear towards Hunningham again. Marler in the Falcon Six and Nat Somers in his light-blue Gemini were the last two to become airborne. There was little change in position at the end of the first lap, except that "Buster" Paine's red Proctor was now ahead of Bennett and Hillwood. Fillingham was keeping just ahead of Blamire, and Somers' Gemini had crept past Marler's Falcon Six. Coming round for the second time, Tim Wood in No. 38 NATIONAL AIR RACES RESULTS PI. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 _ — Royal Aero Club International Pilot, Aircraft and Engine T. G. Knox (Proctor 3, Gipsy Queen 2) J. N. Somers (Gemini 3, 2 Gipsy Major 1C) W. P. Bowies (Gemini 1A, 2 Cirrus Minor 2) Miss F. M. Leaf (Hawk Major, Gipsy Major 1) D. P. Dray (Proctor 3, Gipsy Queen 2) -. D. J. Bennett (Proctor 5, Gipsy Queen 2) A. S. K. Paine (Proctor 1, Gipsy Queen 2) P. Blamire (Gemini 1A, 2 Cirrus Minor 2) G. C. Marler (Falcon Six, Gipsy Six1) W. P. I. Fillingham (Chipmunk, Gipsy Major 10C) Maj. P. V. Lovett-Campbell (Night- hawk. Gipsy Six 2) H. Wood (Messenger 2A, Cirrus Major 3) P. Hillwood (Proctor 1, Gipsy Queen 2) W/C. R. H. Mcintosh (Proctor 1, Gipsy Queen 2) F/L. M. A. D'Arcy (Messenger 2A, Cirrus Major 3) D. C. Jemmett (Hawk Tr. 3, Gipsy Major 1C) ... Capt. J. H. Christie (Globe Swift, Continental C-125) G. R. I. Parker (Proctor 5, Gipsy Queen 2) W. W. Lyle (Proctor 1, Gipsy Queen 2) S/L. J. Rush (Falcon Six, Gipsy Six 1) R. R. Paine (Hawk Speed Six, Gipsy Six H.C.) Trophy H'cap Time m. s. 09 50 21 10 09 00 05 20 13 50 13 50 14 05 07 50 21 20 08 20 17 05 00 55 14 15 17 05 00 00 00 55 11 20 Force lar Force laf Reti red Disquali Av'age Speed (m.p.h.) 148 174.5 145 138 154.5 154 154 141.5 170.5 141.5 158.5 128.5 151.5 157.5 125.5 126 141 ded ded led PI. 9 4 7 3 6 11 8 10 13 5 12 1 15 14 2 King's C H'cap Time m. 04 08 03 02 05 .05 05 03 08 03 C6 00 05 06 00 «. 27 28 41 13 32 32 38 10 16 10 42 23 38 31 00 up Av'age Speed (m.p.h.) 147.5 174 144.5 138 154.5 152.5 154.5 141 168.5 142 159.5 133 151 156.5 129 was seen to have taken over the lead, about a quarter of a mile ahead of D'Arcy. Bowles seemed to be closing the gap behind Blamire, as the former's red nacelles caught the sun in a steep bank round the pylon and away over the line of parked visiting aircraft. After Knox's green-nosed Proctor came the close-packed gaggle of four further Proctors, black, scarlet, grey and blue in turn, and then Mcintosh's cream machine, flown very low. No change in position this lap. It was on the third lap that the field really began to close up. Behind Wood, D'Arcy and Miss Leaf, distant dots could be seen round the Brandon turn. As the Proctors came round, it could be seen that Lovett-Campbell in the cream Nighthawk had passed Mcintosh and Hillwood: Somers was coming up right behind Hillwood's Proctor. As the leading aircraft approached on the final run-in from Brandon, the brighdy coloured Proctor-dots were seen banking round this final turn. Although catching up fast, the speedier machines were unable to affect the positions of the first three home. First, Tim Wood's cream Messenger, a comfortable winner. Second, D'Arcy in his silver Messenger, still very low, with the Hawk Major on its tail. In a close group—finishing within four seconds of each other -came four different types. Snatching the lead from Fillingham's Chipmunk, Somers' Gipsy Major Gemini 3 passed the line one second ahead. Close after the Chipmunk in almost a dead-heat were Dray's black Proctor and Bowles' red, white and silver Gemini 1A. "Buster" Paine, Knox and Blamire were followed by Bennett's Proctor and the Nighthawk, and finally Marler's Fa!con Six and the Proctors of Mcintosh and Hillwood. The time inter val between first and last aircraft had been 1 minute, 33 seconds. The National Air Race awards were made by Lord Brabazon of Tara, president of the Royal Aero Club, shortly after the after noon's flying display. The first, second and third awards for the King's Cup were made to Wood, D'Arcy and Miss Leaf, who also received the special award of the Air League Challenge Cup as the first-placed woman pilot of this year's King's Cup Race. The Royal Aero Club International Trophy, together with £100, was won outright by T. G. Knox, and cash prizes were presented to the remainder of the first ten to finish. The £25 prize for the first-placed foreign entry was returned as a donation towards the next international race by Captain Christie. Also awarded on a speed basis from the results of Friday's race was the Kemsley Trophy (for aircraft weighing 1,000 to 1,750 kg); first, J. N. Somers, second, Geoffrey Marler, and third, W/C. Mcintosh: and the Norton-Griffiths Challenge Trophy (for aircraft weighing less than 1,000 kg); first, Major Lovett-Campbell, second, W. P. I. Fillingham, and third, Captain Christie. Fifty Years Fly-past The sporting aeronauts of yesteryear (or was Lord Brabazon the only one there?) might well have felt a salty trickle down a sunburned cheek as the 28,000cu ft craft of Cardington's G. E. Long soared aloft, free as a bird, towards the friendly clouds. And not only the veterans went starry-eyed at the sight, for we saw a youthful would-be Throttle-Bender gazing enthralled as the dear, queer shape was borne across the dappled fields, and slowly sank behind a verdant ridge. The noisy part of the proceedings broke on the ear with faint mutterings of frail engines, as one by one "The Pioneers" whirred out from the wings, breasted the breeze, and wobbled into the air above the daisies, the cabbage butterflies, and the sear-brown trails of the Sparrowjet. First came the Bleriot XI of 1909, then the Deperdussin, and last—flying very strongly—the Blackburn Monoplane. As this stout-hearted pensioner swung into a turn, the breeze took charge and sent it whizzing down the field at a spanking 80 m.p.h. From the '14'18 war came the olive-drab Sopwith Pup and the silver Bristol F.2B Fighter, the Brisfit's gunner traversing his
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