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Aviation History
1956
1956 - 0996.PDF
"Flight" photographs Above (left to right), Geoffrey Marler, S.B.A.C Challenge Cup winner; S/L. D. P. Boulnois, Kemsley Challenge Trophy winner, and F/L. J. M. Earland (passenger); A. Barker and T. G. Knox, joint winners, Osram Cup, and J. E. G. Appleyard, third in Saturday's round of this race. SENT TO COVENTRY . . . It is interesting to see how the handicap time is influenced bytake-off performance, and random checks showed that Tomkins (Messenger) and Denyer (Auster) maintained their 35-secondinterval round the scatter points, but Bowles had reduced his interval behind Tomkins by four seconds over the same distance.By the time the second turn of the aerodrome pylon had been made the field had closed up appreciably. The Miles Monarch, fastestaircraft in the race and set to overtake seven other competitors, stayed fairly high, while Donald had lost a_ little air to Boulnois.The finish was tremendous. Barely clearing the hedge, a gaggle of Tiger Moths raced towards the line. Less conspicuous, butsurely just in front, were two high-wing monoplanes—Denyer's fast Auster and Gregory's Plus D, while Tomkins hardly hadroom to thrust the Messenger through. The first five aircraft finished within six seconds of each other and the judges announcedthat Boulnois had just kept his lead, hotly followed by Denyer, Gregory, Donald and Tomkins. Although Snook's aircraft wasfour m.p.h. faster than the other Tiger Moths the finish was so close that he was unplaced. Right on time once again, and before the excitement of theKemsley Trophy had died, came the Goodyear Trophy Race. Elstree instructors David Ogilvy (Comper Swift) and AudreyWindle (flying a Magister in place of the Whitney Straight) were supported by F/L. lies—who had rushed over from Germany tofly the Miles M-18/2—against five Tiger Moths, three of which were registered G-AOAA, G-AOAB, and G-AOAD. Every pilotin the race was over-handicapped, or thought he was, which betokened a close finish, although the cognoscenti were inclinedto tip the deceptively fast M-18. Quite the most exciting machine to watch is the Comper Swift,sharing as it does with all very small aircraft, a certain model-like quality. Approaching a pylon, the sharp application of aileronis easily visible—the Comper snaps over ninety degrees, turns on the elevators and then rolls out. The engine ignores all this—thegeared airscrew turning quite slowly to the gentle beat of the Pobjoy.During the first lap Norman Jones began to overhaul his 49-second handicap (and Maile in his other Tiger), so thatapproaching the first turn the Tiger Moths appeared to keep a well-spaced box formation. Quarter was not given at the pylon—all kept low, close-in and accurate, not daunted by the others' close proximity. Audrey Windle's flying was noticeable for theprecision with which her turns were commenced and completed —full rate of roll sharply held when the correct angle of bankwas reached. Could die Magister have got round the course faster if flown with more variation in height? The Goodyear was real racing—the Tigers remained bunched,and the backmarkers could be seen closing up on the final Bubben- hall-Wolston leg—determination expressed in every turn. TheVery was fired, and lies crossed the line a clear winner. Behind him Ogilvy dived verv low, pipping Norman Jones for second placewith Audrey Windle, Des. Norman and Peter Vanneck close behind. Men like lies and aircraft like M-18s noted for futurereference, the handicappers can be said to have had a good day. The winner of each race had a good day, too—a cup, £100and, in every case, qualification for the King's Cup. The British Lockheed Aerobatic Competition. The generalstandard of flving in this year's contest for the British Lockheed Troohy was high—particularly, one must add, that of the foreigncompetitors. One aircraft was a new type, while the remaining machines covered a constructional period of some 27 years. Theprospect of a 1929 Morane 230 competing with a Gloster Meteor was, to say the least, novel. Friday's eliminating contest took place with a wind high enoughto cause positioning problems for the pilots, who now numbered ten (the Argentine and S Danish entries and one French entryhaving been withdrawn). The three French pilots who last year won first, second and third prizes were here once again; therewere four valiant Tigers flown bv British pilots; a Czech new- comer in the shape of the Zlin Trener 6; and (in the Group 1heavy category) the Gloster Meteor 7/8 and a Hunting Percival Provost. Points were to be awarded for accuracy, artistry andpositioning, scope, pilotage, and originality. The first competitor was J. Pothecary, flying the yellow Tiger "Flight" photographs (Upper view) Aerobatic champion for the second year running, Leon Biancotto lands in the Stampe-et-Renard S.R. 7b Monitor 4, after compatriot Alain Hisler had shown there was still much life in the vintage Morane 230 (bottom photograph) from St. Yan. Moth G-ANPL. Although fairly wide in scope and showinginventiveness, his manoeuvres were positioned too far over the judges' stand. Next was J. Blaha in the Zlin Trener 6, OK-JEB,third prototype of this design and powered by a 160 h.p. Walter Minor 6/III. And here was the first of the day's really sparklingperformances, abounding in outside loops and inverted flying and with a knife-edged precision which was especially noticeablein the checking of flick manoeuvres. The green-nosed Tiger of C. Nepean Bishop was next to per-form, starting with a falling leaf and including his own "five-point loop." Alain Hisler in the vintage Morane 230 followed, gainedheight, and calmly rolled over to the inverted position to await the green Very signal. Ifitp the allotted five minutes he packedno fewer than 18 separate evolutions, including an inverted spin, outside loops, figures of eight and superbly judged upwardflick rolls. The next pilot was J. W. Tomkins (Tiger Moth) who gave aninteresting display of semi-aerobatics, including what might be termed some "rock-'n-roll" flying. The Stampe SV4c flown byF. d'Huc Dressier then showed once more the polished and pre- cise aerobatic handling one has come to expect from graduate pilotsof the St. Yan school. Outside turns, a 360 deg circuit punctuated by four flick rolls, and an "M" formed by two stall turns linkedby an inverted swoop were but a few of his crisp figures. Unfor- tunately he infringed the minimum height (100 metres) rule, andso had to be excluded from the marking. The performance of F. C. Fisher (Tiger Moth) was marred bypoor positioning and by his not using all the available time. Leon Biancotto next took off in the orange Stampe-et-Renard S.R. 7bmonoplane and gave, in the words of the judges, "a display which approached closely to perfection"—as, indeed, befitted the 1955holder of the Trophy. His vertical eight, one-and-a-half flicks, stall turns from the inverted position, and slow-rolling circuit of the (Concluded on page 172)
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