FAMOUS COMPETITORS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVI, Issue 258, 29 September 1936, Page 7

FAMOUS COMPETITORS.

ALL-BRITISH CONTEST

The race from England to the Rand, for prizes totalling £IO,OOO, is scheduled to start this evening and must end ■at Baragwanath Aerodrome. Johannesburg, not later than 120 hours afterwards. In that time the competing aircraft must fly 6500 miles, via Belgrade and Cairo; the fastest racer may take no longer than two days for the entire journey, and no competitor is allowed more than five days in which to finish the course. Devised with the help of prize money by Mr 1. W. Sclilesinger, a South African industrialist, the race coincides with the British Empire Exhibition at Johannesburg, which was opened on September 15. The aircraft nominated include single-engined and multi-engined machines capable of speeds approaching 200 miles an hour. At least one entirely new type of commercial aeroplane will make its first appearance in the race. The entries include the new De Havilland Dolphin, a fast twin-engined biplane. Mr Hugh Buckingham, the firm's chief test pilot, will fly it. Tho biggest prize, £4OOO, will go t.o the competitor who completes the course in the shortest time. Four prizes will be awarded on a formula handicap which is weighted in favour of machines carrying large useful loads. The first of these prizes will be £3OOO, the second £ISOO, the third £IOOO, and the fourth £SOO. .Only British pilots and British aircraft may compete.

The racing conditions prepared by the Royal Aero Club, which is responsible tor the organisation, give every chance for spectacular achievement. No time allowance will be marie for refuelling and other ground work; every aerodrome at which competitors alight will be the scene of tense activity directed by pilots who grudge every second that does not see them nearer the finishing line. The aeroplanes must be seen at Belgrade—a stipulation made to prevent over-daring competitors from taking the shortest way between England and Italy over the greatest length of the Mediterranean. They must make one stipulated call. Otherwise each pilot may refuel where lie pleases. He may fly non-stop over long stages, with the power plant throttled to economical cruising speed, or fly shorter stages at full throttle and refuel more frequently. Probably every crew in the race will have different ideas of the best way to achieve success. FAST MONOPLANES.

In addition to the Dolphin, two other highly efficient light multi-en-gined transport aeroplanes are likely to compete. One is tho Double Eagle, which secured third place in this year’s race for the King’s Oup at an average speed of 181 miles an hour. FlightLieutenant T. Rose will be its pilot. Deriving power from two Gipsy-Six 200 horse-power engines, the Double Eagle is designed to carry six persons and freight at a normal cruising speed of 165 miles an hour. Another likely entrant is the Miles Peregrine, a twin-engined monoplane which, for the contest, may have con-trollable-pitch airscrews and two of the new De Havilland Gipsy-S'.x Series 11 engines, designed for continuous output of 205 horse-power. The single-engined entries include Mew Gull single-seat cabin monoplanes, capable of a maximum speed of 225 miles an hour, Vega Gull monoplanes exactly similar to the machine winch won tiiis year’s King’s Cup race in the hands of C. E. Gardner, and examples of the fast Hawk monoplanes in the Miles range.

DOMINION COMPETITOR. A competitor in the race will be Flight-Lieutenant A. E. Clouston, formerly a member of the Marlborough Aero Club anduiow chief test pilot of the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough, England. He will pilot the Miles Speed Hawk low-wing monoplane which Flight-Lieutenant Rose tlew into second place, at an average speed of 184 miles an hour, iu the race for the King’s Clip. Flight-Lieutenant Clouston learned to fly with the Marlborough Aero Club and then went to England, taking a short service commission in the Royal Air Force. After the expiry of hie service appointment he secured the post of chief test pilot at Farnborough. He has since devoted himself to test and race flying. He had his first race in the Cinque Ports contest last. Year, finishing second m an old Desoiitter machine, and he established good time in the HamwoithIsle of Man race this year m an Aeronca, as well as finishing second in the race around the Isle of _ Man in June. In the annual race for the King’s Cup lie llew a Miles Falcon and finished twelfth in the final, aftei leading the field in the third and fourth laps, being ahead of C. M. A. Scott, the winner of the Centenary air race to Melbourne. His machine competed in the race for tho King s Cup in 1935, being disqualified after an error at a turning (joint. It is a racer, speciallv built for Miss Ruth Fontes. This year it was entered by Viscountess M’akefield.