Italy’s “Red Devil”

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 757, 2 September 1929, Page 9

Italy’s “Red Devil”

MYSTERY SCHNEIDER PLANE British Gloster Tried Out SERIES OF HAIR-RAISING DASHES (United P.A.—By Telegraph—Copyright » (Australian and N.Z. Press Association) (United Service) Received 11.30 a.m. LONDON, .Sunday. ITALY’S five Schneider Cup machines at Calshot are all painted red. One Fiat, known as the “Red Devil" is an v uncanny mystery, as it lias never been flown. It is the smallest monoplane to be seen in Schneider Cup circles.

The machine has a 1,500-horse-power engine. • The Italians themselves do not knew its speed. They merely guess it to be 370 or 3SO miles an hour. There is a doubt whether it w r ill participate in the race. Italy’s other mystery plane, the two-engined Savoia, is also unlikely to participate. Including their two practice machines, the Italian team of pilots will have seven seaplanes at its disposal. Five of them arrived at Calshot yesterday. Special precautions are being taken to protect them. Sixty mechanics w*ere at wrork all last night unpacking and assembling the machines. If the w r eather is suitable, the Italians hope to fly at least one of the machines tomorrow. In the meanwhile, the British team continues its preparations with undiminished confidence. The Italian Assistant-Secretary of Aeronautics, General Italo Balbo, arrived in London on Saturday. He will make his headquarters at Cowes, and will witness the contest.

, Another of Britain’s Schneider Cup hopes, the Gloster Napier 6 “Golden Racer,” was given a maiden flight during the week-end. SquadronLeader Orlebar. though flying at only half-throttle, showed amazing control in a series of hair-raising dashes. Simultaneously, Lieutenant Monti took up Italy’s 1927 plane. Moor of Venice, w r hich seemed slow in comparison with the Golden Racer, with which the British observers were fully satisfied. On Saturday, Flying-Officer Ateherley. flying in the Supermarine Rolls-Royce seaplane S 6, attained a speed estimated at 350 miles an hour. He handled the machine superbly. Elaborate arrangements have been made for the accommodation of the hundreds of thousands of spectators who are expected to attend the race on September 7 and for the scores of thousands of motor-cars and charabancs, at vantage points on the mainland and the Isle of Wight. Special arrangements have been made near positions where the machines will turn on the short quadrilateral course over the Solent.