SCHNEIDER CUP.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19161, 18 November 1927, Page 6

SCHNEIDER CUP.

GREAT BRITISH VICTORY. WORLD RECORDS BROKEN. 284 MILES AN HOUR. (TKOit OUR OWS CORBtSPOITOZST.) LONDON, September 30. In winning the Schneider Maritime Trophy, Flight-Lieutenant S. N. Webster has beaten both the aeroplane speed records by a handsome margin. His average was 281.65 miles an hour, against the previous best of 278§ m.p.h. for land aeroplanes, and 258,3 m.p.h. for seaplanes. His fastest speed was -84.miles an hour. On the day of the contest the waters of the Adriatic rolled lazily, and the skyline was dotted with submarine chasers on the lookout for any unfortunate airman who should fall into the sea. Overhead were aeroplane patrols. Loud speakers on the beach announced the incidents minute by minute, a lasthour sensation being the statement that following a protest by the French Aero Club, Mr Levine had not been made a member of the Italian Aero Club. Another last-hour sensation was the_ announcement that M. Jacques Schneider, the donor of the cup, who was believed to be dead, is living in poverty on the Eiviera. From 10 o'clock onward the crowd took up positions along the Lido and other points of advantage from which the race could be watched. Notably there was a great gathering at the Bouthern end of the course at Sottomarina. There it was presumed would be seen the most thrilling of the turns made during the race, the pilots at that point having to make an angle of a little more than 17 degrees. Flight-Lieutenant S. M. Kinkead, the first airman, started punctually at 2.30 (says the "Daily Express" correspondent). He approached like a small speck and crossed the line exactly opposite the Excelsior Hotel, where the Crown Prince of Italy, who wore a field-grey uniform, sat in an eyrie nest. Feeling was so worked up that the voice from the loud-speaker sounded like a clash of thunder. The First Lap. Flight-Lieutenant Kinkead, in his orange and blue machine, passed like a comet. He flew about thirty feet above the Bea and left a small trail of smoke behind him. The officials gave the competitors a maximum of six minutes between the starts, and ten minutes was allowed to pass over the starting line. Major Bernardi, the second competitor, roared by six minutes after FlightLieutenant Kinkead, and the whole beach broke into loud cheers. He was not more than fifteen feet above the sea level. Almost before the mind could grasp the terrific speed FlightLieut. Kinkead was already passing out to sea, flying low. Then came FlightLieut. Webster in a blue and white machine. 'Sailors in white uniforms hoisted figures on a great board, and it was realised that Flight-Lieut. Kinkead had don© his first lap at a speed of 267 miles an hour. Banking at the Turns. Then came Lieut. Guazzetti, and after him Flight-Lieut. 0. E. Worsley, concerning whom it is understood a romantic announcement will shortly be made. His bride-to-be, a young American girl, the stepdaughter of a famous airplane constructor, watched the race through field glasses. The banking at the turns was the most wonderful exhibition of flying ever known. The Italians took the greatest risks and banked round the turns at hair-raising angles. The British men took less risks and wider turns, but caught up the Italians every time on the "straight. The first man to drop out of the race was Major Bernardi, who abandoned it after the second lap and descended safely in the harbour of Saint Andrew's. Captain Ferrarin did not finish his first lap—be was the last man to start —and made a safe descent. Flight-Lieiit. Kinkead having retired and having made a safe landing, there were now two British compeitors and one Italian left. Finish of the Bace. Flight-Lieut. Webster and FlightLieut. Worsley roared past, making the windows of the Excelsior Hotel rattle with the vibrations from their engines. The banking became more thrilling than ever. Eain was falling heavily and splashing in the faces of the fliers like cutß from knives. Our men wore nothing but running vests and grey flannel trousers. It was feared that they might be gassed by fumes from the engines, because, sitting in the tiny cockpits of "these comets built of steel and wood is like sitting in a miniature inferno, but everyone made a safe descent. The British men each drank a quart of milk to revive them after the race, while oxyge.n was administered to the Italians. After the sixth round the last Italian —Lieut. Gua-zetti —gave up, and only Flight-Lieut. Webster and Flight-Lieut. Worsley were left. Flight-Lieut. Webster was the dark horse of the race. He drove a geared-engine seaplane, and fully justified the confidence placed both in the man and the machine. After finishing in great style, he did part of another lap, and then banked over the hotel, being greeted with roars of cheers, which were also accorded to Flight-Lieut. Worgjey by the sportsmanlike Italians. Certainly they were disappointed that they did not win, but they gave the victors a whole-hearted reception. Napier Lion Engine. The British victory (writes "The Times" Aeronautical Correspondent) has come at a welcome moment, for so many "records" have been held abroad that the impression may have arisen that Great Britain was losing her premier position in the air. This year, for the first time, the expense of the British entry was entirely taken from private shoulders, and borne by the Air Ministry, which laid down a co-o?dinated programme of highspeed seaplane development with a team of Service pilots to train for several months to the required pitch of physical condition and technical experience necessary to secure the utmost from these supersensitive racing machines. As a standaxd power unit the Napier Lion develops 450-h.p., but for this race tho makers had increased the power until no less than 890-h.p. was being g' en for a weight of 8051b —that is, the engine weighed less than lib per h.p. This was an ungeared engine, but the Napier firm this year overcame the difficulty of fitting a reduction gear to a racing engine, and this permits a higher rate of revolutions i" the engine without a _ corresponding increase in the airscrewspeed. ~"The effect of this is to improve the aircraft speed, and, so far as is known at present, the winning British machine had this geared engine. The weight naturally is increased by the j metal in fcb* redaction gear and the j

strengthened housing on the crankcase, but, even so, the weight of the geared Lion was only 9201b. These are not the lightest engines •which could have lieen built for the power, but the Brit: *. team was favoured by such aerodynamic efficiency in the aircraft that high performance and reliability could both have due consideration. The Italians had in the Fiat engine a power unit which was stated to give 1000-h.p., and even as mueli as 1200-h.p., but the engine is larger, and this meant moic weight and a larger fuselage, with the result that head resistance probably went up. They certainly experienced very hard luck in not having one engine which would survive the race. Pilot's Story. Flight-Lieut. "Webster, the man who has travelled faster than any human being has ever done before, thus describes liis experience: "Although 1 was very glad when the ordeal was over, I felt in as good condition at the end of the race as at the beginning. "While the flight was a great physical strain owing to the unremitting nervous tension in steering the machine round the course without losing a fraction of a second unnecessarily at any turn, the actual speed' did not affect'me physically. ■ I could only tell how fast I was going by the way the ground flashed past below and the fcraful rush of air. ('Although the windscreen was obscured by the exhaust funics I dared only just put one comer of my gogglecovered eve round it, as, otherwise, my head would have been knocked back at once. Had I stuck my head outside the machine my neck would have been broken. Equally, if I had put a hand out the wrist would have been snapped. So terrific was my speed that to turn round the pylons I had to select landmarks some way before me as a signal to me to be ready to turn. I was so. concentrated 011 the flight that I did not see any of the signal flags which were hoisted at the Excelsior Hotel during the race to tell us what was happening. ' "When the flight was over I was absolutely deaf, although I had not noticed the noise while in the air. - ' Flight-Lieutenant Webster has also revealed some other facts about his victory. He said that part of the cowling over the engine had come adrift in the first lap. As a consequence the machine had begun to vibrate, and it could only be checked by throttling lown the engine. During the entire race he had to face the risk of the cowling being torn off and of the machine breaking owing to vibration. In spite of this he never varied his course and actually covered one lap at 284.2 m.p.h., according to the officially corrected figures.

Cause of a Crash. It is now necessary to reveal the truth about Flight-Lieutenant Schofield's crash in the Short-Bristol Crusader which occurred some days ago (says a correspondent in Venice). The crash was not due to engine failure or to the pilot stalling the machine. It was due to faulty rigging of aileron controls.

When the wreckage was salved the aileron controls were found to have been connected up in the wrong way, making the control work in the opposite direction to that intended. It was as if the steering of a ear had been arranged so that the car went to the right when the wheel was turned to the left.

The terrible position of the pilot of a 200 m.p.h. machino with no proper control may be imagined. It was the greatest good fortune that Flight-Lieu-tenant Schofield was not killed instantly. An attempt has been made to keep the truth from the public, but in thfe interest of the reputation of one of our finest pilots and of the Bristol engine "it has become necessary to reveal the facts. "Whoever was responsible for supervising the rigging of the machine was to blame, and it would be scandalous to permit the suggestion to spread that the crash was due to bad piloting;.

Message from the King.. The Air Ministry has received the following telegram from Lord Stamfordham, conveying a message of congratulation from the King on the British success in the great air contest: "The King heartily congratulates the Air Ministry and Pilot Webster on the victory achieved in the Schneider Gup race."

Tho v following telegram was sent to the Air Officer oommanding the Schneider Cup team, Venice: "The Air League of the British Empire wish to congratulate you and the British Schneider Cup team on their magnify cent achievement. Secretary-Genera I, Air League, Astor House, Aldwych." The Mayor of Walsall, in a letter to the Air Ministry, points out that FlightLieutenant Webster is a native of Walsall, his father having been an ofScial at Walsall Post Office, and asks if the Ministry will grant the airman early leave of absence so that he can receive the congratulations of the town. FlightLieutenant Webster was formerly a back in the Walsall school football team.