BRITISH FLYING EVENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20300, 6 July 1929, Page 13

BRITISH FLYING EVENT.

RACE FOR KING'S CUP.

COURSE OF 1169 MILES.

THREE WOMEN TO COMPETE. (Received July 5, fi.25 p.m.) British Wireless. RUGBY, July 4. The annual two days' race round Britain for the King's Cup will lie begun tomorrow from Heston aerodrome, Brentford, Ijondon. Forty-two aeroplanes, ranging from powerful fighting craft driven by motors of several hundred horse-power to baby light planes, havo boon entered for the event.

Threo women competitors will fly their own Gipsy Moth light biplanes. They are: Lady Bailey, who has made remarkable long-distance flights to Capetown and back; Miss Winifred Spooner, who was placed in last year's race after keeping a wonderful course, and Mrs. Butler.

Flying-Officer Summers, in a Vickers 141 fighter, driven by a new tvpo of Rolls-Royce motor, will start from scratch. This new and secret craft is believed to be capable of a maximum speed of about 200 miles an hour. The limit machines will already be several hours on their way before he starts.

Captain W. L. llopo, who won the race in 1927 and 1928, is favourite for this contest. His machine is a Gipsy Moth.

Tho course totals 1169 miles. It is from Heston via Henlow (Bedfordshire). Norwich, Hornchurch, Lympne, Southampton and Bristol to Blackpool for the first day, and for the second day from Blackpool by way of Renfrew, Newcastle, Leeds and Birmingham back to Heston.

Last year tho King's Cup race was flown over a course of 1097 miles. It was won by the holder, Captain W. L. Hope, in a Moth.

At the end of the first day at the Renfrew aerodrome, 540 miles from the start at Hendon, the positions wore:—l*irst, Flight-officer Atcherley. (Gloster-Grebo), 40m. 565. start; arrived, sh. 19m. 275. p.m.; second, Captain Broad (De Havilland Moth), 94m. 355. start; arrived 5h 20m. 535. p.m. third, Captain W. L. Hope, tno holdor (Do liavilland Moth), 115 m. 40s. start; arrived, sh. 27m. 19s. p.m.; fourth, C. Unvvin (Bristol). 34m. 41s. start; arrived, sh. 34m. 12s. p.m. Mjss Evelyn Spooner, the only woman competitor, who flew a Moth machine, made a great bid for • victory. Starting third from Hendon she was the second to arrive at Norwich, and was first at Birmingham. She was still leading at Leeds, but afterwards lost her advantage and was 10th, in sh. 47m. 545. The final result was:—

. Captain Hope . . . . .. 1 C. Unwin (Bristol Fighter) .. 2 Miss Spooner 3 Captain Broad (Moth) . . . . 4 Tho winner's average speed was 105J miles an hour. Flying-Oliicer Summers, in an Avro Avenger, did the fastest time. Miss Spooner won the trophy for members of light plane clubs. Twelve of the machines engaged in the race crashed. A passenger in FlightLieutenaiit R. Whitehead's plane was injured. The pilot was forced to land and the machine capsized near Bury St. Edmunds. All the competing pilots agreed that the conditions were deplorable. It was a battle for life from Newcastle through the mist-slnouded mountains. Miss Evelyn Spooner was within an ace of crashing on a peak when an upward current of air shot her .50ft. out of her course anil threw her from her seat. Two machines collided at the Nottingham acdrodome. Another taxied into a motorcar at tho start.

Previous results of the raco are:— 1922.—W0n by F. L. Barnard in a D.H.4, 350 h.p. Rolls-Royce (23 entries, 2i started, 11 completed course). 1923.—W0n by F. Courtney in a "Siskin," 385 h.p. Armstrong Siddeley (17 entries. 14 started, 7 completed). 1924. —Won by Alan Cobham in a D.H.50, 230 h.p. Siddeley (10 entries, 10 started, 6 completed). 1925.—W0n bv F. L. Barnard in a "Siskin," 385 h.p. Armstrong Siddeley (15 entries, 14 started, 3 completed). 1926.-Won by Captain Hubert S. Broad in a de Havilland Moth (14 started. 5 completed). 1927.—W0n by Captain W. L. Hope in a de Havilland Moth (17 started, 6 completed). . 1928.—W0n by Captain W. L. Hope in a de Havilland Moth.