1928Aerialderby/P.L.7Tanker
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Vol. XVI No. 6 January-February 1976 Price $1.55 Registered for posting as a periodical Category B Aviation Historical Society OF Australia J Founded 1959 1 D 1928 Aerial Derby/P.L.7 Tanker ii III ■ siiiii Ii lii III liii ill ii MiiWiilRii*liii iiiii si*: ■ii III liii III ■ iiiii ill ii: III liii ill ill 8s8 ii lii ii ill 4 “Each competitor was to pass at a sufficiently close range so that the number could be easily identified by the Official Observers". A scene from the 1928 Aerial Derby. Source unknown, via N. Parnell 4 I ■ 1 P»^vi .z...1 The P.L.7 Tanker taxiing at Bankstown shortly after its first flight. P.J. Ricketts ill am * The P,L.7 awaiting scrapping at Bankstown after the hangar fire. E. Allen Bennett Airtruck, the New Zealand development of the Tanker. P.J. Ricketts AVIATION HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF AUSTRALIA JOURNAL -79- Vol. XVI No. 6 January—February 1976 President: Dr. L.V. Turner THE 1928 SYDNEY AERIAL DERBY Vice President: R.J. Gibson Secretary: E. Allen by N. M. Parnell Treasurer: P.J. Ricketts For the casual observer today, the biplane seems a relic of a bygone Journal Editors: P.J. Ricketts era, particularly when he compares it to a plushly upholstered, instrumented, F. Walters modern all-metal aircraft. But there was a time when such aircraft ruled the skies Photo Page Layout: D. Stephens and '"the earth-bound throngs thrilled and gasped at the way men toyed with the Third Level Notes: R. McDonald little machines, made them twist and turn, and drop alarmingly; forced them to Contributors: W. Duffy great altitudes and high speeds, diving around imaginary corners, then gracefully N. Apperley A. Hope returning them dancing and hopping with joy, it seemed, to earth", to quote one D. Eyre B. White enthusiastic journalist of the day. D. Carter G. Reid Lae Aviation News In January 1928, to bring the joys of flying to the uninitiated, to Western Airletter provide a spectacle for those not daring enough to partake of such an experience South Australian Air Journal and, on a more mercenary note, to raise funds to enlarge the scope of the Club's work, the NSW Section of the Australian Aero Club announced an aerial derby and pageant was to be held on Saturday March 31. The programme consisted of seven Contents Page events; — The 1928 Aerial Derby 79 The Kingsford Smith P.L.7 Tanker 82 OPEN EVENTS - The Aerial Derby, a speed race open to all aircraft whether Homebuilt Aircraft in Australia 84 privately owned or the property of the The Lockheed Era 89 Government, over a distance of about 40 Monthly Notes — Civil 95 miles. Prizes for the race were The Evening — Military 95 News Cup, to be held by the entrant of the - Third Level 95 winning aeroplane for one year or until the — People 97 next contest whichever the shorter; and £25 — Museum 97 ($50) donated by Messrs. C. C. Wakefield — Papua New and Company to the pilot of the machine Guinea 97 doing the fastest time on Castrol oil. Movements 97 — The Aerial Derby Flandicap, raced simultaneously with the Aerial Derby, open to commercial and pri All manuscripts for publication in the vately owned aircraft only. Prizes were Journal should be typed (if possible) £100 ($200) donated by Messrs. S. Bennett double spaced using one side of each Ltd, proprietors of the Evening News and sheet only. All work on this Journal Sunday News to the entrant of the winning Is voluntary and no payment can be aeroplane; £25 ($50) to the pilot of the made for published material. aeroplane finishing first on Castrol oil by Wakefields; Sweepstakes of entry fee ( £5 Membership is for one full calendar ($10) per machine) divided between second year commencing March 1st. Annual and third place-getters — 60% and 40% to membership fees of $10.00 (Australian each respectively. currency) will be due for renewal — The Joyriders Handicap, open to only those aircraft regularly during February each year. used for the carriage of fare-paying passen gers, for a prize of £20 ($40) and a trophy Published by: Aviation Historical Society of Australia Limited, donated by the Club. Box C.208, Clarence Street, CLUB EVENTS — The Oaks, open to all women pilot members of the Club over Sydney, NSW, 2000. a distance of about 10 miles, for a trophy. — Club Pilot's Handicap, for Club trained members, over a 20 The views expressed by named contri mile course. butors and correspondents are their own and do not necessarily reflect the — Old War Dog's Handicap, for all pilots who were members of views of the Editors or the Company. the AFC, RFC, RNAS or RAF. — Aerobatics Competition, open to Club trained pilots, the Printed by: Hotspot Instant Print winner of which will give a display at the Service, Pitt Street, Sydney. pageant. Entry fees for the Club events was £l ($2) for each machine and competitors had © 1976 Aviation Historical to draw lots for their aircraft prior to each heat or event, so that no-one would Society of Australia gain an advantage by having a particular aircraft each time. Each machine was allotted a number, black on a white surface, on each side of the rudder and on the lower surface of each of the lower mainplanes as large as the surface permitted. Modifications were allowed providing they were set out on the entry form. The course was about ten miles long with five turning points marked by white squares on the ground, around which each competitor was to pass at a height of not more than 500 feet and at a sufficiently close range so ISSN 0045 - 1185 that the number could be easily identified by the Official Observers. As a fore-taste of things to come, a smaller pageant was held on March 24 as a prelude to the Derby the following Saturday, and this provided the Aviation Historical Society of Australia Journal - 80 - January—February 1976 crowd of 2,000 with handicap races by Club trained pilots (heats for the following week), aerobatics and even balloon chasing. The scene at the aerodrome was busy from an early hour and the roar of racing propellers was heard continuously. The Aero Club operated six De Havllland DH60 Moths — G—ADAH, G—AUAJ, G—AUAK and G—ADA? (on loan from the Civil Aviation Branch), G-AUFV Oswald Watt and G—AUGJ Ross Smith, and they were in constant use during the ten preliminary and semi final races held. The course was 10y2 miles long, from Mascot to the Cook's River, Waterloo, Kensington Racecourse, Maroubra thence return to the aerodrome. The machines took off into a northerly breeze and turning to the east, followed an almost circular course return ing to the aerodrome from the south-east. Observers at the five turns were watchful to see that the competitors did not cut the corners. The first heat was full of thrills; Palmer started from scratch conceding 69 seconds to Rosenfeld, Chaseling and Smith. The Moths got away to a good start and after being lost to sight for a time, were discerned in the distance racing for the line. G—AUAH, flown by Smith, looked the winner half a mile from home as he was about 200 yards in front, when Pal- rher came up from behind and shot across the line a length ahead of Smith. The Club pilots did exceedingly well although the honour of achieving the fastest speed went to Capt. P.G. Tay lor. As only Moths were used, each race was more-or-less determined by the pilot's skill. Taylor, in the second heat of the Old War Dog's Handicap, covered the 1072 miles in 7:01.6 minutes, giving him an average speed of 90 mph in G—AUGJ. The second fastest time was registered in the same machine by a Club trained pilot, G.N. Mills, in the second heat. He flew the course in 7:14 for an average speed of 88 mph. Milton Kent also recorded a fast time of 7:43.4, an average of 82 mph in A G-AUFV. The results of the day's flying were: — 1st Heat H'cap 2nd Heat H'cap Time 1st G-AUGJ J.R. Palmer scratch tti 1st G-AUGJ G.N. Mills scratch 7:14 2nd G-AUAH D. A.B. Smith 69 secs 8:24.4 2nd G-AUFV R.H. Mitchell 69 secs 7:59.6 3rd G-AUAJ E. H. Chaseling 69 secs 8:50 3rd G-AUAH W.J. Hickey 69 secs 8:43 4th G-AUAK N. Rosenfeld 69 secs 8:57 4th G-AUAJ E.B. Wilshire 69 secs 8:47 5th G-AUAK K.J. Kingham 69 secs not given 3rd Heat 4th Heat 1st G-AUAK A.W. Fairfax 32 secs 8:33 1st G-AUAK O.B. Hall 32 secs 8:52.4 2nd G-AUAJ 0. Lodge 32 secs 8:35 2nd G-AUAJ M.J. Wurker 32 secs 8:57.2 3rd G-AUFV J.A. Kerr scratch 8:54 3rd G-AUAH Dr.N. Boulton 32 secs 9:00 4(3) G-AUAH W.L. Higgs disqualified — low flying 4(1) G-AUFV W.J.C. Pennell scratch 8:42.4 latter disqualified for not taking Maroubra turn. 5th Heat 6th Heat 1st G-AUFV N.F. Stewart scratch 8:19 1st G-AUAJ G. Henry scratch 8:17 2nd G-AUAH Mrs.