SCHNEIDER CUP

Hokitika Guardian, 17 August 1929, Page 3

SCHNEIDER CUP

A MACHINE DAMAGED

BUG BY, August 14

Air Chief Marshal Sir John Salmond spent to-day at Calshot amongst the members of the high speed flight who are concerned with the race for the Schneider Gup. He embarked in a. Southampton flying-boat, and went round the course over which the Schneider Cup race is to .be flown. Squadron-Leader Orlebar took uf the ( new S 6 machine built by Great Britain for the Schneider Cup race, and flying at a great speed complet-ed-its tests.

S 8 has been flown twice only before. On each occasion it was handled very gently. To-day the full power of its engine was tested and the results are believed to be satisfactory in every way.

In taxi-ing across the water S 6 evidently struck a # small piece of driftwood, or some other obstacle, and one of the floats was dented and the machine was taken to Woolston for repair. The damage is in no way serious.

A. MEDICAL PROBLEM. There is a viqry distinct medical problem involved in high speed corViering, which is a feature of such a race as that for the' Schneider Cup. which will ho flown over a quadrangular course. Group-Captain Flack of the Medibal Research Section of the Air Ministry, who has specialised on the forces imposed on the human frame in flying, discussed the subject at Calshot to-day. He said that more than is realised may depend upon the pilot’s rounding corners with the legist loss of speed. If the turn is taken too wide, full speed may he maintained, but' many more miles, will be -flown; yet on the other band too sharp a turn will slow down the machine and what is equally important impose terrific acceleration loads on the pilot and aircraft. These load's as the pilot swings round the corner tend to arrest the normal flow of blood to the brain and eyes, so that if the turn' is over-sharp everything tends to go black before the pilot’s eyes and in' extreme cases* momentary unconsciousness ensues. How sharp these turns can be made with' safety depends therefore on the strength both of 'the aircraft and of the human physique, and the object of much of this present practice is to establish the limiting factors.