FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1954
1954 - 2257.PDF
214 WORLD GLIDING FLIGHT, 13 August 1954 Sunday, August 1st.—Although rain was threatened for later in the day the forecast of reasonable thermals and a light wind encouraged the task-setters to send the two-seaters off on a race to Derby, 32 miles upwind. The wind was much stronger than forecast and the Schweizer two-seater did very well to get to within five miles of Derby. The Americans then suffered a double blow: on landing, the glider ran into a stone wall and was so damaged as to eliminate it from further contest flying. A further disappointment for its pilots was the news that only one other two-seater had exceeded the 15-mile minimum and that the day could not therefore count as a "contest day" for the Championship. The single-seaters did not fly and the approaching front brought rain once again to Camphill in the late afternoon. Two more days to go, and one of them must permit a race for the two-seaters. . . . Monday, August 2nd.—Bank Holiday dawned wet and cloudy but the front passed during the morning and, for the first time for nearly a fortnight, a considerable number of sunny periods were enjoyed. The two-seaters, led today by the Slingsby T.42 Eagle (Lome and Ann Welch), took the air about noon in a steady westerly wind. The task, an easier one today, was a race to Sandtoft, 40 miles downwind. The soaring conditions, how ever, were worse than they looked and at teatime all eight sur viving two-seaters were still over Camphill. After tea, in a desperate attempt to exceed the 15-mile mini mum and score some points, most of them struggled away. Four exceeded the minimum distance, and Mantelli and Braghini in the Italian Canguro actually covered 32 miles towards the goal. Their 1,000 points worked out at one for every 50 yards and they rose from eighth position to second! Four contest days had been flown, constituting an official World Championship. Tuesday, August 3rd.—The last possible competition day saw the passage of a warm front with attendant low cloud and drizzle. No contest flying was possible, so that the 1954 World Gliding Championships ended, after the bare minimum for each class, with the following results:— Single-seater class (thirty-four entrants):— World Champion: Gerard Pierre (France), Breguet 901, 2,956 points. 2. Philip Wills (Great Britain), Sky, 2,855. 3. August Wietuchter (Germany), Weihe, 2,817. 4. Paul MacCready (U.S.A.), Schweizer 1-23E, 2,664. 5. Seppo Relander (Finland), Weihe, 2,254. 6. Per Axel Persson (Sweden), Weihe, 2,118. 7. Guy Rousselet (France), Breguet 901, 1,935. 8. Miguel Ara (Spain), Sky, 1,902. 9. Franc Mordej (Jugoslavia), Orao 2c, 1,738. 10. Jose Ortner (Argentina), Sky, 1,666. Geoffrey Stephenson (Great Britain, Olympia 4) was fourteenth. Two-seater class (nine entrants):— World Champions: Rain and Komac (Jugoslavia), Kosava, 3,056. 2. Mantelli and Braghini (Italy), Canguro, 1,558. 3. Smith and Kidder (U.S.A.), Schweizer 2-25, 1,480. 4. Nietlispach and Muller (Switzerland), Spyr 5A, 1,292. Lome and Ann Welch (Great Britain, T.42), were seventh. The Prize-giving At a ceremony in Buxton on Wednesday, August 4th, the Duke of Devonshire, president of the Derby and Lanes Gliding Club, introduced Mr. J. Profumo, M.P., parliamentary secretary to the M.T.C.A., who was to present the prizes. Mr. Profumo said that he hoped that memories of the meeting would not be of rain, but of lifelong friendships, and went on to present the championship cups to Pierre and to Rain and Komac, and prizes to the runners-up. A special award of ties and scarves (B.G.A. pattern on a grey background) to the members of each ground crew was much appreciated, as was the presentation by Mrs. de Boer, Dutch team captain, of a plate of Delft china to the Derby and Lanes club on behalf of all the competitors. Two high-wing two-seaters: the Slingsby T.42 flown by Lome and Ann Welch (No. 40), and the Argentine entry, a Condor 4. was clear but there was little to choose between- the other two- seaters. The last day's 1,000 points were awarded for a flight of only 32 miles by Mantelli and Braghini; the Welches could have collected 500 points more by flying an extra six miles, and would then have finished second. These freak results do not detract, however, from the well-deserved Jugoslavian win. There were four flying days for each class—only one fewer than in Spain in 1952—but the quality of the soaring conditions fell far short of that usually obtainable in this country. The wind blew from the west throughout the fortnight and allowed the hill lift to be used, but the almost complete absence of sunshine made thermal flying very difficult. It was easy to point out absurdities in the marking system, but less easy to propose an alternative which would have been fairer in the prevailing weather. The morale of the pilots and crews remained higher than many expected: gliding, at best, means hard work for each minute's flying, and the rigorous upbringing of the glider pilots had taught them patience. The living together in caravans and tents on the site led to dozens of informal parties, and international friend ships prospered. If rain and cold dismayed there was always J a visit to Buxton, where the OSTIV delegates were having their discussions—in a conference house with coal fires to keep the summer at bay. Even when good flying conditions prevail, it is unwise to draw detailed comparative conclusions on the performance^-of the various machines over the limited period of an innawational con test. Still less can this be done after thisjjaar^ championships. From the results, however, it is ohjaeflsthat—under the bad conditions experienced—old desjgrlssuch as the Weihe can still hold their own against the^aewer Skys, Breguets and Schwazers. Certainly, with sailplaatfsof this standard, it is the pilots' skill that is reflectedia^fne results. It is proba-He that the next international championships, in 1956, wUH5e held in France. We can only hope for as friendly a meeting then as this one at Great Hucklow: thoughts on the weSmer are obvious—and unanimous. I Reflections on the Results The extraordinarily bad weather might well have led to some unexpected results but an examination of the final list reveals no surprises. Pierre and Wills were second and first in the last Championships in 1952, MacCready has been in the first six since 1950 and Persson won in 1948: these four much-fancied pilots finished in the first six in the present Championships. The 101 points which separated Pierre and Wills would have been only 21 if Wills had landed when he reached the sea at 4,000ft on the last flying day, but he was forced down after returning to cross the Humber. Gerard Pierre flew consistently well and deserves to add the World title to his National title. In the two-seater class the performance of the Jugoslav Kosava flown by Rain and Komac was brilliant. Theirs was the only sailplane to fly further than 100 miles from Camphill, and they exploited weak atmospheric waves to do it. Their lead in points R.Ae.S. SECRETARY'S TOUR NOW on a tour of a number of the Royal Aeronautical So divisions in the Commonwealth is the secretary, Dr. Ballantyne. It is the purpose of his visits to assist the vs divisions in the solution of their prqjrfems, and to discus and means by which the Society cprfassist its overseas me Dr. Ballantyne's tour begani*fjuly 30th, when he flev London to Johannesburg. Heds now in Australia and can K tacted c/o Mr. W. Isbisteryscience House, Gloucester and Street, Sydney. From August 24th to September 8th he wil New Zealand (c/o Mr^T. T. Coleridge, Shell Co. of Nev land, P.O. Box 209L»Wellington) and on the latter date he for Sydney on hisJPay to Singapore, where is is due on th (c/o Mr. A. M.jjLovatt, Shell House, Collyer Quay, Singa' Leaving Singapore on September 16th, he should arrive atLc Airport on September 17th. iety's i. M. rious ways •bets. from con- '.sses ?e in iea- aves -Oth :re). I ion I
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
