KING'S CUP AIR RACE

Evening Post, Volume CXIX, Issue 98, 27 April 1935, Page 23

KING'S CUP AIR RACE

A NEW COTJESE

THIS YEAR'S CONTEST ■ ' ' ' ■ /__ ' ■■'.-.•

The King's Cup Air Race this year will be flown on Friday and Saturday, September G and 7. The dates are later than usual, partly to avoid clashing with the Silver Jubilee celebrations end partly because of the conditions laid down for the race on this occasion, states1 "The Times," London. ■ • The first day's cburße—the eliminating course—will be a circuit of Great Britain, passing over England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man, and Wales; and for the Northerly arid most difficult part of the journey the weather usually is most favourable at the time of year chosen. This eliminating course will cover'_ a good deal of territory not previously included in any King's Cup Air Race. ,It will be ,the first time that Northern Ireland, for example,,has had an opportunity to see anything of the competition. The regulations for control and turning points will be designed to give spectators a. good view of the aircraft. The first day's course, and also the final, will start and finish at Hatfield Aerodrome. The course'for the final will be a number of laps of a circuit of not less than SO miles, with: an approximate total length of 35(> miles. Spectators of the final will therefor see' the 20 aircraft which, made the fastest times in the two classes of /the eliminating contest crossing and recrossing the aerodrome at frequent intervals. THE ELIMINATING COURSE. The length, of the eliminating course will be about 947 miles, made up thus:— Hatflcld , Start ...... SIHos. Newcastle-upon-Tyno . Turning polne M 240 Edinburgh Turning point X .90 Glasgow (Renfrew) .. Control ...... 41 Newtownards (N. Ire« ' land) .......... Control ...... 101 Blackpool .......... Turning point 120 Woodford . Control i 50 Cardiff, Control ...... 130 Southampton (East- , leigh) .» Turning point 86 Reading Turning point 43 Hatfleld ............ Finlsll ~..;.. 37 The only requirements for the eliminating contest are that the pilots shall land' and check in at each of the four control points and turn at each of the official turning points. The- course •■will not only provide a severe test of reliability and navigating skill but will give entrants a free hand in judging the type of aircraft best suited to the race. Since all time spent on the ground'will count as flying time, each entrant must judge for himself how far to sacrifice speed for fuel range or vice versa. In an explanatory .note the Royal Aero Club, the organisers, point out that no machine with a top speed of less than 130 miles an hour will stand any great chance of success. The division of the eliminating contest into two classes will, however, mean that botk low-pow-ered and high-powered machines will nave an equal chance of reaching the final, assuming that their performances are relatively equal on horse-power. The lowpowered class will be restricted to au> craft with a total engine power not exceeding 150 b.h.p. at the maximum permissible revolutions per minute of tli« engine or engines. - ALL-BRITISH MACHINERY. No handicap allowances will be given for the eliminating contest. Any aircraft which fails to complete the course within 12 hours will not qualify for the final, even though it is among the fastest ten machines in its class. But the organisers reserve the right to modify this rule should the weather make it impossible to complete the course in 12 hours. In the final the qualifying aircraft will race on estimated performance handicaps, issued before the start of the first day's race as in previous years. The Royal Aero Club has Tiad under consideration the application of a formula handicap, but it 'has been decided that the noticei would be insufficient to justify the change of method for this year* race. The entrant, pilot or pilots, any1 passenger or passengers earned m the race must be British subjects. The entrant must be an individual, not a. firm or a company. Pilots must have had at least 100 hours* experience of solo flying before the race. The contest is open to any type of bona, fide civil aircraft, provided that the aircraft, engines, and accessories have been entirely constructed in the Empire. Competitors must make their own fuelling .arrangements along the course. It will not be obligatory, t<» refuel «t the official control point*