GREAT BRITISH AIR RACE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19062, 6 July 1925, Page 9

GREAT BRITISH AIR RACE.

FOURTEEN COMPETITORS. BARNARD WINS KING'S CUP. ONLY THREE FINISH TASK. MANY THRILLING INCIDENTS. By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright. (Received 5.5 p.m.) Renter. LONDON. July i Tho fourth annual air race for the King's Cup was flown yesterday and today, the winner being Captain F. L. Barnard. There jvero 14 competitors. The course comprised two circuits via Harrogate, Newcastle, Renfrew, Blackpool and Bristol, back to Croydon, a distance of 1600 miles. A thick fog in places interfered with the early stages of the race. Three aeroplanes had to land yesterday, namely, those of Colonel the Master of Sempill, Alan ,T. Cobham and H. 11. Perry, but all resumed their journey. Major Bulman descended in a field at Luton with a damaged machine, and retired. Tho Australian, Bert Hinckler, was the fourth to be sighted at Newcastle. He landed heavily, smashing tho undercarriage of his plane, but he was not hurt. Barnard was first at Renfrew, He was followed by Flight-Lieutenant H. W. G. .Tones, and then by Major Hemming and Hinckler, who, landing from opposite directions, narrowly averted a collision in a fog. Hemming suddenly rose and missed Hinckler by 15ft. Hinckler was fourth past Blackpool. To-day fogs played havoc with the competitors, 10 of whom were forced to land, including Hinckler. His machine landed on a workshop. Most of the airmen resumed the flight, but, in addition to Major Bulman, • Captain Barnard, after descending at. Luton and restarting, came down again at Doncaster owing to engine trouble. Captains Courtney and Bagga crashed at Newcastle, leaving only four competitors in tho running, namely. Captain Barnard (who had again resumed tho journey), Flight-Lieutenant Jones, Hinckler and Major Hemming. Tho weather conditions, as described by one pilot, were "filthy." The four survivors were greeted by an enthusiastic crowd at Croydon, where the competitors had to land before 10 o'clock to-day. Hinckler larded in a shower of rain with only 17 minutes to spare. He arrived at 9.43 a.m.. Barnard, flying in a Siskin V., entered by Sir Eric Geddes, Was the first to complete to-day's circuit. Ho reached Croydon at 7 a.m. Jones, flying in a Siskin IV., Hemming, in a D.11.37, and Hinckler all arrived at subsequent intervals in the order named. Hinckler decided not to resume. Thu remaining three competitors ascended in unfavourable conditions to go over the same route reversed. Captain Barnard, who eventually won tho cup, completed the second day's circuit in Bh. 17m. He described the Hying conditions as splendid. Barnard also won the cup in 1922. A consolation race over 420 miles for tho competitors vnho did not com. plete the course in the King's Cup was won by the Master of Sempill. Cobham was second and Hinckler third. All finished within eight minutes of each other. Last year's raco for the King's Cup took placo on August 12. It was won by Alan Cobham, on a D.II. 50 tourer fitted with a Siddcley "Puma" 240 h.p. watercooled engine. This machine started with an allowance of 3h. 4m., being regarded as one of the slowest in the race. It is remarkable that the runner-up, Macmillan, was also a big-handicap man. Both of these pilots, are, however, of the first rank, and both kept wonderfully good courses. Cobham's average speed was about 106 i miles per hour, and his machine was thus apparently flying somewhat "above itself," for the retarding effect of a fresh breeze across tho course must be considered. Even the one Siskin which completed the 952 mile course flow considerably slower than the winner in 1923. But the race was remarkable for tho magnificent work of pilots and of engines. That six out of the ten starters completed the course surprised the best judges, and that there were no serious misnaps was most satisfactory. Cobham, tho winner, flow second in the 1923 raco and third in 1922. Ho is a trans-con-tinental pilot of great experience, and was awarded the Britannia trophy for the best flying achieved in 1923, r.:amely, a tour of 12,000 miles in Europe, Palestine and Africa. He recently piloted the Director of Civil Aviation, Sir Sefton Brancker, on a flight to India and back. It wag reniinrkabla enough that the first five competitors to complete the course came in within a period of one hour and twenty-five minutes. There had been no attempt to secure a close finish, for all the field were started together. With one exception the first fivo finished in the order of time allowances, but beyond that there was little correlation of their performances with their handicaps. Flying skill and navigation obviously count for much in such a contest. The times of the pilots who finished last year wero as follow; Cor. Flyinrr Handi- rected Pilot Time. cap. Time. h. in. s. h. m. s. h. m s. Alan J. Cobham 857 12 3 412 553 0 Cant. N. Macmil- „ „ lan, M.C., A.F.C. 845 53 229 12 G Ifi 41 Alan 8. Butler . 825 40 2 0 0 610 40 Jones H ' W ' 743 12 Scr. 743 32 H J. l'nyn . 851 1 117 12 736 4<J C of SemralT 161 . .13 043 332 0 928 43 Cobham used a DH 50 machine, Captain Macmillan a 3D seaplane, Mr. Butler a DH 37, Flight-Lieu tenant Jones a Sidde-lny-Siskin 111., Mr. Pavn a Vickers Vixen nL, and the Master of Sempill a supermarine Seagull. Tho 1924 race started at Martlesham, the first to leave getting away at 5.30 a.m. and -the others following, at oneminute intervals, in the following order:— Courtney, Jones, Payn, Butler, King, Barnard, Cobham, Biard, Sempill. Macmillan, the only seaplane competitor, left Felixstowe at 5.30. Despite the early hour, a small knot of people had assembled at Martlesham. The weather was clear and bright, but soon after the machines left it became misty. On the way to Leith four or five of the pilots were in sight of each other, but thereafter there were only one or two meetings at fuelling halts. Over Yorkshire there was low cloud and poor visibility, and from Leith to Dumbarton most of the pilots found thick, dark weather. It was after Dumbarton, when the long and risky southward stretch began, that the freshening westerly breeze reduced tho fliers' speed. It also cleared tho air, and extensive views were seen of the Irish and British coasts and tho Isle of Man in ono picture. But Dumbarton had not been readied without casualties. Baird finished at Newcastle; Barnard (this year's winner), in landing near Ayr, ran into a haystack; Courtney lost the spinner from his propeller, but carried on to Brough; and King, in landing at Newcastle, damaged his under-oarriage. Barnard won vthe first King's 'Cup race, which was flown from Croydon to Glasgow and back in September, 1922. He then did the distance, 810 miles, in a Rolls-Royce aeroplane, in sh. 31m. 575., an average of 127 i miles an hour#