The Schlesinger African Air Race
The Schlesinger Race, also known as the "Rand Race", the "Portsmouth – Johannesburg Race" or more commonly the 'African Air Race', took place in September 1936. The Royal Aero Club announced the race on behalf of Isidore William Schlesinger who wanted to promote the Empire Exhibition, South Africa and so offered a total of £10,000 in prize money to be divided into two sections, a speed race and a handicap race. The two sections were to be flown concurrently, but no competitor could win both first prizes.[1]
The race was wholly inspired by the very successful 1934
Race history
There were 14 entrants, but only nine aircraft took part in the race.
The race began at
They covered 6,150 miles at an all in average of 116 m.p.h. and at a flying average of 156.3 m.p.h. When Scott put down at the Rand Airport, Germiston, the Vega Gull was one of the only two machines definitely still in the race, and a few hours later tragedy overtook the other—the Airspeed Envoy flown by Findlay and Waller.
— Flight Magazine, 8 October 1936[4]
Alington's and Booth's
In 1937
Due to the fact that only one entrant finished the race, Schlesinger suggested that the finishers money which would remain unclaimed should be paid to the dependants of Findlay and Morgan, who met with a fatal accident in the race.[4]
List of entrants
Race Number | Registration | Entrant | Pilot | Aircraft |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | ZS-AHM | Len Oates | Capt. A. M. Miller | Percival Mew Gull |
2. | ZS-AHO | Capt. S. S. Halse | Capt. S. S. Halse | Percival Mew Gull |
3. | G-AELT | Victor Smith | Victor Smith | Miles Sparrowhawk |
4. | G-AEIN | Henry S. Home | Flt. Lt. T. Rose | B.A.4 Double Eagle |
5. | G-AEKD | Lt. Misri Chand | Lt. Misri Chand Lt. P. Randolph |
Percival Vega Gull |
6. | G-AEKE | Sir Connop Guthrie | C. W. A. Scott Giles Guthrie |
Percival Vega Gull |
7. | G-AEAB | D. W. Llewellyn | D. W. Llewellyn C. F. Hughesdon |
Percival Vega Gull |
8. | G-ADOD | F/O A. E. Clouston F. E. Tasker |
A.E. Clouston
|
Miles Hawk VI |
9. | G-AEMX | De Havilland Aircraft Co. | H Buckingham | D.H.92 Dolphin |
10. | G-ADID | C. G. M. Alington | C. G. M. Alington Lt. P. H. Booth, RN |
B.A. Eagle
|
11. | G-AEDE | Bateman Scott | Flt. Lt. H. R. A. Edwards Sqdn. Ldr. B. S. Thynne |
Miles Peregrine |
12. | VP-KCC | John E. Carberry | John E. Carberry | Percival Vega Gull |
13. | G-AENA | Maxwell H. Findlay Kenneth Waller |
Maxwell H. Findlay Kenneth Waller |
Airspeed Envoy |
14. | G-AEKL | Air Publicity Ltd. | Tom Campbell Black | Percival Mew Gull |
References
- Notes
- ^ PORTSMOUTH -Johannesburg Air Race Sept 1936 Archived 16 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ McCullough, Bruce (2014). "Tom Campbell Black". tomcampbellblack.150m.com. Archived from the original on 9 December 2014. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
- ^ "The Johannesburg Race". Flight. XXX (1449): 332. 1 October 1933. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
- ^ a b c d e f "One Out of Nine". Flight. XXX (1450): 352. 8 October 1933. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
- ^ "The Sixteenth King's Cup Race". Flight. XXXII (1499): 276. 16 September 1937. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
- ^ "King's Cup Changes". Flight. XXXII (1497): 233. 2 September 1937. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
- ^ "The Sixteenth King's Cup Race". Flight. XXXII (1499): 284. 2 September 1937. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
External links
- "The London-Johannesburg Race". Flight. XXX (1445): 251. 3 September 1936. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
- "The Schlesinger, England – South Africa Air Race, Portsmouth to Johannesburg 1936". agentsmart.co.uk. 2014. Archived from the original on 9 December 2014. Retrieved 7 December 2014.