BIG AIR RACE.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20221, 3 February 1934, Page 30 (Supplement)

BIG AIR RACE.

America Plans to Capture All Prizes. . FLYING SPEED TEAM. (Special to the “ Star.”) MELBOURNE, January 25. A warning that America was planning a big Speed Expedition to capture not only the first prizes of the Centenary Air Race, but to annex every one offered was issued by the deputy chairman of the Race Committee (WingCommander Cole to-day.. He suggested that unless Britain was to be left behind, big financial interests and individuals connected with British aviation should co-operate on similar lines. . The American scheme, which is sponsored by Cy Caldwell, the famous American war ace and writer on aeronautical subjects, is for the aviation interests to combine to finance a team of high speed pilots assisted all along the route by expert ground teams. Training School. With customary American efficiency it is proposed to establish a special training school for the pilots taking part in the race. There they would be instructed in navigation, blind and night flying and other aspects of long distance flying as necessary on the Eng-land-Australia trip. The names of Commander Frank Hawks, Captain Jimmy Doolittle, Colonel Roscoe Turner, Captain James Hazlip and Captain James Weddell are mentioned as the leading members of the American Speed Expedition. These famous speed kings of the air all fly machines which cruise at betyeen 200 and 250 miles an hour, while Doolittle holds the world speed record for land planes of 294 miles an hour. The American expedition would be open to all Americans who wished to take part in the race, each paying his own preliminary expenses. The organisation behind the expedition would organise efficient refuelling with special gasolines and oils at the various stops, have ground engineers and assistants ready to take charge of all ground handling as soon as pilots arrived at control points and generally provide for plane crews to have a minimum of fatigue and a maximum of rest whenever they were on the grouhd. The fleet of this Speed Expedition would not consist of high speed planes alone, but transport and passenger machines, with the best chances of winning the handicap division of the race, would also be entered. These machines would be selected because they best conformed with the requirements of the handicap formula, which gives allowance for efficiency, commercial utility, comfort and other aspects, in addition to speed. World Advertisement. Outlining his scheme recently, Mr Caldwell said: “ Such ships as the Boeing and Douglas transports should enter the race, even if they could not win a speed prize; the speeds they would make on this long flight would be a world-wide advertisement for our wonderful transports. “The England-Australia air mail service is to start next year, and the successful tenderer will have to maintain the terrific average speed of no less than ninety-five miles an hour. “ Fancy that now! As our large passenger and mail planes will average nearly twice that speed, the Comparison will be obvious to the world.” Referring to the speed race. Mr Caldwell said, “ American planes should win all three places. The English and Europeans have nothing that could beat us, bar accidents. “ Despite the fact that Great Britain held the world’s speed record for some time and won the Schneider Trophy outright, when a long distance speed race is to be held for a large cash prize she suddenly discovers that she has not one aeroplane capable of entering with any hope of success. “We Americans should take full advantage of that amusing condition.” Alarming to Britain. “ It is alarming to British interests to think that America is contemplating bringing such an organisation as its Speed Expedition into the race,” said Wing-Commander Cole to-day, “ but, at the same time, it shows how great is the interest in the race throughout the world, and how important it -will be to the nation which wins the prize. “ With such men as Doolittle, Hawks and Turner flying high-speed machines in the race, England should seriously contemplate following America’s lead and form a British Speed Expidition.”