AERIAL DUEL AT VENICE.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 26 September 1927, Page 3

AERIAL DUEL AT VENICE.

BRITAIN AND *ITALY RIVALS. SCHNEIDER CUP RACE AT LIDO (Received Sunday, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, Sept. 23. The greatest effort since the war to restore Britain's air prestige reaches a climax on Sunday in the Schneider Cup race off. Lido (a few miles from Venice). i Actually the contest which owing to the withdrawal of the United States entrant resolves itself into a duel between Italy and Britain has already begun with the navigability and water-tightness tests. The three British machines came out first. At first 'each was towed by a motor boat, taxied in good style, were then towed to mooring buoys, and there remained without attention for six hours. The Italians followed.

Naturally not the slightest indication has been given ot their speed capacity.

Among the watchers of the tests were Air Vice-Marshal Sir Softon Brancker, director of Civil Aviation to the Air Ministry, who arrived by air, Sir Philip Sassoon, Under Secretary fo r Air, Mr. A. V. Roe and Captain Broad,, who flew a "Moth" over the Alps accompanied by Mrs Carberry.

Venice is overflowing with visitors including distinguished people from all parts of Europe.

A most exciting race is -expected. It is certain the winning machine must bo capable of approaching 300 miles an hour or live miles a minute. It is difficult to believe the Italians have anything up their sleeves.

The greatest danger lies in the sharp turns at this terrific speed. The course is triangular, about thirty miles long and mus>t be covered seven times.

The pilots scrap everything possible wearing only shorts and shirts. They are not taking even watches. Any loss of speed owing to weather will possibly mean running out of petrol.

Everyone agrees the six seaplanes are the fastest in the world and their navigation represents the limit of human endurance.

"BRISTOL CRUSADER" NOT COMPETING. BRITISH AND ITALIAN TEAMS. [British Official Wireless.] RUGBY, Sept. 23. The race is at 2.30 p.m. on Sunday. The course is 30 3 kilometres (188.8 miles) in a triangle off Lido. There will be seven laps, involving 19 turns in all. The British team is as follows: — Flight-Lieut. Kinnead, pilot of the "Gloster" biplane; Flight-Lieut. Webster, Supermarine monoplane; Flight-Lieut. Worsley, Supermarine monoplane. In reserve are Squadron-leader Slater and one Gloster and one Supermarine. TheMtalian team is: Do Bernard!, Ferritin, and Guazetti, who all pilot "Macchi" machines with Fiat engines. In reserve is Guascorii and one "Macchi." Previous Winners. Previous winners for the trophy were: — 1913 —France: M. Prevost on a Deper-dussin-Gnome, at an average j speed of 40 m.p.h. 1914 —Britain: Mr. C. H. Prixton on I a Sopwith-Gnome, 75 m.p.h. 1920 —Italy: Lreut. Bologna on a Savoia-Ansaldo, 500 h.p., 80 m.p.h. 1921 —Italy: De Briganti on a Macchi Isotti-Fraschini, 200 h.p., 118 m.p.h. 1922 —Britain:: Captain Biard on a Supermarine-Napier, 450 h.p. 141 m.p.h. 1923—Unted States: Lieut. Ritterihouse on a Curtiss, 465 h.p., 177 J m.p.h. 1924 —Race declared void. 1925 —United States: Lieut. J. Doolittl'e on a Curtiss 510 h.p., 23 2 J m.p.h. 1926—Italy: Major Marco de Bernardi on a Macchi, 520 h.p., Fiat, 246.4 m.p.h. The trophy is an objet d'art valued at 25,000 francs. There is no longer any money prize, but entry fees are shared by the first three. It is certain that this year's winning speed will b-i greater than last year's but since the maximum speed of any airplane is no averaged on a course in which there are sharp turns it is no,t likely that the speed will be anything like 300 mles per hour. Last year's Italian winner did 246.4 m.p.h., and it is not unlikely that this year the winner will make a good deal more than 265 m.p.h.

british plane m,ust repeat test; (Received Sunday, 5.5 p.m.) VENICE, Sept. 24, It is officially decided that the British " machine credited with tire fastest time in the Schneider Cup trials must repeat the navigability test to-day as it left the water Prematurely after taxi-ing. GREAT DANGERS LJE BEFORE COMPETITORS VIENNA, Sept. 25. The Britishers take their places in

the pink of condition, clad only in shrts and shorts. Yet it is certain they will be so exhausted at the end of the race that they will have to be carried ashore. The course is triangular, lefthanded and full of dangers. One turn has an angle of about seventeen uegrees. Here only seconds may separate the machines when turning and ueath may be the penalty of an error of judgment. Another danger to pilots lies in blood pressure caused by banking at steep angles. Experience has shown that pilots easily lose conseiousnes under such pressure. The British competitors are: Kinnead; born in South Africa in 1897, who has earned lor himself a wonderful war record; Webster of Walsall, who was a private jn an infantry regiment before h" joined the Ai-,- Force. It is understood his machine is this speediest of the three Britishers; Worsiey, horn in Kensington in ISOS. H-j joined the Royal Navy as a mechanic. A start has been provisionally fixed for 2.30 this afternoon.