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Aviation History
1959
1959 - 1870.PDF
Above, Brian Neely used a special platform on Hungerford Bridge to alight from his Alouette. Below, Capt. Roderick Bamford Walker, 23rd Special Air Service Regiment, T.A., approaches his Sycamore on its floating platform on the Thames at Chelsea A third type of helicopter technique, complete with frogmen, was used by Roy Lover of B.E.A., who flew by Comet 4B from Villacoublay to Biggin Hill, and Bell 47 J to the Thames at Westminster (51 min 19 sec) handed attempt"; Derek Mott, "students' initiative and ingenuityin building their own cars and aircraft"; and Madame Madelaine Rassam, "excellent time by an energetic airline traveller whomade no special advance arrangements and found fast transport as she went along." One object of the race was to focus attention on the need tospeed up public-transport journey times between two city centres, and the BEAline entry was especially significant in indicatingwhat can be done. Without detracting from the merit of the ten consolation prizewinners it should be added that, on the basis ofairmanship alone, three of the unrewarded entries were outstand- ing. These were Jean Salis, who flew his replica of Bleriot's 1909monoplane from Calais to Lydd; Cdr. Ian Martin, R.N., the only competitor in the high-speed class to pilot his own aircraft,a Scimitar, who achieved an overall time of 43 min 11 sec; and Derek Piggott, who, after making one trip each way in an EoNprimary glider towed by a Messenger, made a free soaring flight over the Channel in an Olympia 419 in difficult conditions onJuly 22. The BEAline Syndicate, who made their attempt on Sunday,July 19, logged the following times for the various stages of their journey: bus to Paddington, 3 min; train to Ruislip Gardens,12 min 40 sec; cars to Northolt runway, 1 min 20 sec; Comet 4B to Le Bourget, 28 min 30 sec; taxis to Arc de Triomphe, 13 min 15 sec. The time for the fastest man, Peter Brooks, was 61 min 16 sec. The aircraft used was G-APMA, B.E.A.'s first Comet 4B,which was cruised at Mach 0.82 at 23,000ft (equivalent to 581 m.p.h.). The drivers and pilots who transported S/L. Maughan on hiswinning attempt were : motor cycle to Issy (4 min), Cpl. Mehaux; Sycamore helicopter to Villacoublay (3 min 44 sec), F/O. R. J.Chase; Hunter T.7 to Biggin Hill (18 min 28 sec), F/L. J. Burns; Sycamore to Chelsea (7 min 30 sec), F/L. R. M. Salt; motor cycleto Marble Arch (6 min 3 sec), Cpl. R. A. McMahon. Among the other entries, several used the Air Charter andSilver City cross-Channel air ferries, in vehicles ranging from Lord Montagu's 1909 Humber to Freddie Laker's Rolls-RoyceSilver Cloud and a Heinkel bubble-car, and several used the combination of car, scooter or cycle and light aircraft. On thefirst day of the race the Amsterdam paper Algetneen Handekblad, having published a London edition carrying an exclusive reportthat Bleriot was a Russian, entered a team of four reporters who, wearing bowler hats and busily typing their stories, completedtheir journey through the streets of Paris on an open lorry. Among the aircraft used were Spitfire two-seater, Piaggio P. 136,MS.760 Paris, Hunter T.7, Vautour, Jet Provost, Tiger Moth, Aiglet, Turbulent, Jodel D.I 17, Dove, Prentice, Proctor, Avro 19,Miles Student, Vampire and Viscount. Prior to the race, on July 2, Fairey Aviation Ltd. had announced that the Rotodyne wouldnot take part because "it is essential that an unbroken flight- development programme be completed between now and the endof August." The race stewards who manned the check-points in Paris andLondon consisted of a team from the Royal Aero Club led by aviation secretary Maurice Irnray. The judges of the race wereLord Brabazon and Daily Mail editor Arthur Warcham, and the prizes were presented at Marble Arch on July 23 by LordRothermere, chairman of the Associated Newspapers group. The R.A.F. prize-money was subsequently allocated by the Air Councilto the R.A.F. Benevolent Fund (£4,000), Soldiers', Sailors' and Airmen's Families Association (£1,500) and Paraplegics SportsEndowment Fund (£1,000). K. T. o.
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