AIR RACE FOR KING’S CUP

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 298, 13 September 1937, Page 9

AIR RACE FOR KING’S CUP

* Last Year’s Winntr Again Successful FASTEST TIME GAINED BY AUSTRALIAN By Telegraph.—Press Assn. —Copyright. (Received September 12, 7.45 p.m.) London, September 11. The King’s Cup air race was won by C. Gardner, who flew from at an estimated average speed of 240 miles an hour. Brigadier-General A. C. Lewin, flying a Miles Whitney, was second. The Australian Captain Percival was third, and A. V. Harvey, flying a Miles Whitney, was fourth. _ Gardner was also last year's winner. He averaged 233.7 miles an hour, a record for the winning plane. He figured iu one of the closest finishes to the King’s Cup. With Captain Percival and Waller among the backmarkers, he left Dublin nearly two hours behind the long-handicapped machines. Gardner overtook the leaders 10 miles from the finish and had just swooped past the winning-post at a terrific speed when Brigadier-General Lewin, who is 63 years of age and who is flying for the first time in a King’s Cup race, and A, V. Harvey emerged from the clouds. Brigadier-General Lewin was only seconds ahead of Harvey, who appeared certain for third place when Captain Percival came down in a fierce rush, beating Harvey on the post. Captain Percivaj averaged 238.7 miles an hour, a record for the contest.

Schreiber finished sixth at a speed of 171 miles an hour, and Waller twelfth at a speed of 213 miles. Broadbent retired after a mishap to the retracting under-carriage. Captain Percival left Dublin Ginin. 4sec. after Gardner finished, Hatfield being only 2rain. 33sec. behind him. Captain Percival won £2OO for the fastest time in the higher-powered class at the conclusion of the first day’s flight. His speed was 225.2 miles an hour, a record for the contest. Some of the aeroplanes were badly buffeted.

An eye-witness of the crash in which Wing Commander E. G. Hilton and Wing Commander Percy Sherran were killed at Scarborough when on the first stage to Newcastle says that a squall caught the aeroplane, lifted it up 50 feet and whirled it round. Spectators were horror-stricken when a man was thrown through the roof of the cockpit, somersaulted in the air, and fell on the roof of a disused cafe. The other occupant’s decapitated body was found shattered in the cockpit. The accident was witnessed by some of the members of the New Zealand cricket team.

Five other competitors in the race made forced landings.