STAINFORTH'S FLIGHT

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 34, 2 October 1931, Page 3

STAINFORTH'S FLIGHT

(Press Assn.-

previous speed record beaten by over 50 m.p.h. FLYER'S RECEIPT OF NEWS

— By Telegraph — Copyright).

RUGBY, Wednesday. The amazing speed of over 415 miles an hour reached by FlightLieutenant Stainforth, establishec a new world air speed record in e ! seaplane. With a specialiy tuned Rolls-Roycc ^jpngine he averaged a speed of 408.8 PPfliles an hour. This is an increase oi no less than 51 miles an hour on the existing world speed record (357.1 miles an hour) established two yeart ago by Squadron-Leader Orlebar. Although Lieutenant Stainforth, on September 13, reached an average speed of 379.05 miles an hour, this did not satisfy the authoritits, and it was not officially put forward as a record. The film from a camera gun timing apparatus on which the flight was recorded was developed early this morning, and after the speeds had been worked out and checked they were communicated to Lieutenant Stainforth, who at 4 a.m. was awaiting the result in the officers' mess at Calshot When the figures were announced he showed no signs of elation, but casually continued the game he was playing.

Conditions were only fairly favourable when he climbed into the cockpit of his remarkable little supermarine craft, the visibility was onlj three miles, and he needed twice that distance to see his marks to be sure of his line on every run up to the course. Consequently, instead of landmaiks he had to use cloud lines tG fix his position and direction. Having started his engine, the most powerful aero engine ever constructed, giving 2560 horsepower, Lieutenant Stainforth was off the water and in the air in 43 seconds. The engine had never previously been flown and no engine had ever used the special fuel mixture which had been designed for it. In view of Flight-Lieutenant Stainforth's remarkable success the Air Ministry proposes to rest on its laurels until other nations approach the existing records. Lieutenant Stainforth reached 500 m.p.h. in his dives. The fact that he flattened out within 150 feet of the sea shows his superb handling of his machine as half a second's error in reaction would have meant death.