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Aviation History
1964
1964 - 2074.PDF
The winner's S/c -Lrord, flanked by the second-place Superfachiro and third-place Twin Comanche "Flight International" phot Racing: Round Sicily FOR this year's Giro Aereo Internazionale di Sicilia, held from June 26 to 29—the 16th in the series—the usual blistering Sicilian sunshine was laced with isolated but, for some, inconveniently placed and violent thunderstorms that taxed the skill and ingenuity of contestants (in one case beyond the limit, with fatal conse- quences) as well as introducing a particularly strong element of chance. Nevertheless, demonstrating his own brand of wizardry and the current Jodel supremacy in this classic long-distance handicap race for touring aircraft, Frenchman Pierre Robin, director of Centre Est Aeronautique, Dijon, took first place for the second year running. Flying an extensively prepared version of his company's 105 h.p. Potez-powered Sicile Record, M Robin averaged an astonishing 169.8 m.p.h. over the vital second and last stage of the race from Catania to Palermo, where he arrived with considerably slackened fabric on the wing top surfaces—testimony to the turbulence in the storm over Messina, during which another French Jodel had crashed. Second place, also repeating last year's result, went to the Italian Luigi Pascale, flying one of his own-design 180 h.p. Partenavia Superfachiros at an average speed of 172.8 m.p.h.; two other Fachiios entered by the Naples firm were well placed. Past winner Giorgio Urbani took third place, flying a Piper Twin Com- anche at an average speed of 204.5 m.p.h. Keeping a British foothold among the prizewinners was Miss Sheila Scott, who in a minimum-prepared club Comanche 250 won the Coupe des Dames for the third successive year and took a creditable 17th place overall. Apart from its superb value as a sporting event, the Sicilian Giro is evidence enough that for light aircraft, as with motor cars, racing can still improve the breed. The stimulus in this case is a handicap favouring an economical payload-to-power ratio, yet flown over a mountainous course which demands good rate of climb: a number of the turning points, where aircraft must be brought low for identification, are at the foot of en route high ground. In the four years that Jodels have appeared in the top three places, their average speeds have risen from around 130 m.p.h. to almost 170 m.p.h. and the carrying capacity of developed production aircraft from three to four adults. In the bigger-horsepower, retractable-undercarriage four-seater class, Piper Comanches, too, have always done well by virtue of their good off-the-shelf standard of speed and efficiency. The turning-point problem was made a little easier this year by a new system that required crews to note the time and a large white numeral displayed on the ground at each turning point. Instead of relying on being spotted from the ground, they could take the difficult turns somewhat higher with the pilot knowing he had some proof of passing the checkpoint. In spite of a substantial percentage increase in the entry fee this year compared with the previous ridiculously low amount (though still very good value for the contestants), this rally-come-race affair seemed as popular and over-subscribed as ever. Almost 80 aircraft, with something like half coming from France, were lined up for scrutineering on Palermo's Boccadifalco Airport on pre-race day, June 26. Gone are the days of the early fifties when the Giro produced a series of hot little speedsters good for nothing but the race in test-pilot hands; nevertheless, as always, a good half of this year's field were really trying hard. Most preconceived notions of touring round the course seemed to be forgotten in the competitive atmosphere which the race-loving Italians always expertly create. Last-minute polishing and gap sealing was much in evidence— including the writer's efforts to the extent of scrubbing the flies off the wing leading edge and getting to work with a nail file on the nicks in the propeller of the Tiger Club's hack touring Ambassadeur (which had brought him from London in just over 10 hours' flying time via Corsica and Sardinia). The first stage of the race—run anti-clockwise round the island— was from Palermo to Catania with turning points at Trapani harboui, Marsala seaplane base, Licata lighthouse, Comiso airport and Siracusa harbour. Competitors were dispatched at minute intervals, the highest-performance aircraft going first. Though this stage carried its own quite handsome prize, the handicap for the vital last stage for the really big prize-money was theoretically adjusted to benefit the slower aircraft, though a minimum perfor- mance was demanded to prevent dawdling. After a night stop at Catania, spent by participants at the beautiful mountain town of Taormina, the second and last stage to Palermo was flown, with turning points at Taormina, Messina harbour, St Agata di Militello beach, Termini Imerese jetty, and Mondello. The final top twenty placings and average speeds were:— I, P. Robin, France, Sicile Record. 169.8 m.p.h.; 2, L. Pascale. Italy, Superfachiro, 172.8 m.p.h.; 3, G. Urbani, Italy, Twin Comanche, 204.5 m.p.h.; 4, A. Cheptel, France, Sicile Record, 162.0 m.p.h.; 5, G. Caillebotte, France, Jodel DRI50, 161.0 m.p.h.; 6, R. Sterchi, Switzerland, Sicile, 155.8 m.p.h.; 7, M. Emnet, France, Jodel DRI50, 155.5 m.p.h.; 9, J. LeThiec, France, Sicile, 152. 3 m.p.h.; 10, H. Deit, France, Sicile, 151.3 m.p.h.; II, F. Dupasquier, Switzerland Sicile, 146.7 m.p.h.; 12, G. Gaumet, France, Jodel DRI50, 142.2 m.p.h,; 13, J. Grede, France, Comanche, 187.0 m.p.h.; 14, Y. Rey, France, Sicilie, 143.8 m.p.h.; 15, F. Capua. Italy, Fachio, 152.5 m.p.h.; 16, S. Cerrina. Italy, Picchio, 183.3 m.p.h.; 17, S. Scott, England, Comanche, I83.S m.p.h.; 18, R. Mathez, Switzerland, Comanche, 182.2 m.p.h.; 19, R. Berger, France, Mooney, 173.3 m.p.h.; 20, F. Simeone, Italy, Fachiro, 147.2 m.p.h. NEIL HARRISON Miss Sheila Scott, third-time winner of the Coupe des Dames
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