1910 London to Manchester air race
Encyclopedia
The 1910 London to Manchester air race took place between two aviators, who each attempted to win a heavier-than-air powered flight challenge
between London
and Manchester
, first proposed by the Daily Mail
newspaper in 1906. The £10,000 prize was won in April 1910 by Frenchman Louis Paulhan
.
The first person to make the attempt was Claude Grahame-White, an Englishman from Hampshire
. He took off from London on 23 April 1910, and made his first planned stop at Rugby
. His biplane later suffered engine problems and he was forced to land again, near Lichfield
. High winds meant that continuing his journey was impossible, and he gave up his attempt. His aeroplane suffered further damage while grounded, when the winds blew it over.
While Grahame-White's aeroplane was being repaired in London, late on 27 April Paulhan began his attempt, heading for Lichfield. A few hours later Graham-White was made aware of Paulhan's take-off, and immediately set off in pursuit. The next morning, after making an unprecedented night-time take-off, he almost caught up with Paulhan, but his aeroplane was overweight and he was forced to concede defeat. Paulhan reached Manchester early on 28 April, winning the challenge. Both aviators celebrated his victory during a special luncheon, held at the Savoy Hotel in London.
The event marked the first long-distance aeroplane race in England, the first flight of a heavier-than-air machine at night, and the first powered flight into Manchester from outside the city. Paulhan later repeated the journey in April 1950, the fortieth anniversary of the original flight, this time as a passenger aboard a British jet fighter.
newspaper offered a £10,000 prize for the first aviator to fly the 185 miles (297.7 km) between London
and Manchester
, with no more than two stops, in under 24 hours. The challenge also specified that take-off and landing were to be at locations no more than five miles away from the newspaper's offices in those cities. Powered flight was a relatively new invention, and the newspaper's proprietors were keen to stimulate the industry's growth
; in 1908 they offered £1,000 for the first flight across the English channel
(won on 25 July 1909 by the French aviator Louis Blériot
), and £1,000 for the first circular one-mile flight made by a British aviator in a British aeroplane (won on 30 October 1909 by the English aviator John Moore-Brabazon
). In 1910, two men accepted the newspaper's 1906 challenge; an Englishman, Claude Grahame-White, and a Frenchman, Louis Paulhan
.
Claude Grahame-White was born in 1879 in Hampshire
, England. He was educated at Crondall House School in Farnham
, and later Bedford Grammar School. Apprenticed to a local engineering firm, he later worked for his uncle Francis Willey, 1st Baron Barnby
. He started his own motor vehicle business in Bradford
, before travelling to South Africa
to hunt big game. In 1909, inspired by Blériot's historic cross-channel flight, he went to France and learnt how to fly, and by the following January had become one of the first Englishmen to obtain an aviator's certificate. He also started a flying school at Pau.
Isidore Auguste Marie Louis Paulhan, better known as Louis Paulhan, was no stranger to British audiences; he competed in an early flight meeting in October 1909 at Blackpool
, and soon after flew in an exhibition at the Brooklands
motor racing circuit. He was born in 1883 in Pézenas
, in the south of France, and later joined the military. Paulhan also worked at the Voisin
factory in Paris, where he won a design competition, receiving a Farman biplane as a prize. In 1909 he taught himself to fly, and became one of the first men to receive a French pilot's licence. Paulhan took part in many airshows, including several in the United States of America, and in Douai
, where in July 1909 he set new records for altitude and flight duration.
. A crowd of journalists and interested spectators had assembled there from about 4:00 am, with more arriving by car, until about 200–300 were present. The Times described the sky as "clear and starlit", and the weather as "very cold, as there was a slight frost." Grahame-White arrived at about 4:30 am and began to prepare his Farman III
biplane
. The aeroplane was brought into the field from the yard it had been stored in, and its seven-cylinder 50 hp rotary engine
was started. Once the engine had warmed up, Grahame-White took his seat. Several people wished him well, including his sister and mother, and Henry Farman
. The pilot guided the biplane for about 30–60 yards across the frosted grass, and took off at about 5:12 am, before altering his direction to head for the start of the course—a gasometer at Wormwood Scrubs
, within the required five-mile radius of the Daily Mail office in London.
Cheered loudly by the thousands of spectators who had anticipated his arrival, Grahame-White flew across the starting point and turned north-west toward Wembley
. The secretary of the Royal Aero Club
, Harold Perrin
, was stood on top of the gasometer, and waved a flag to indicate the start of the challenge. By 5:35 am Grahame-White was over Watford
, and at 6:15 am he flew over Leighton Buzzard
. He was greeted by crowds of cheering spectators as he flew above the line of the London and North Western Railway
, at an altitude of about 400 feet (121.9 m). Meanwhile, Perrin and two mechanics from Gnome et Rhône
(who supplied the engine used on the Farman III) had boarded one of two cars, and were headed for Rugby
. Along the way, one car took a short cut across a field and crashed into a ridge; one occupant was seriously injured.
Grahame-White made his first stop in Rugby just after 7:15 am. One of the cars that left London had arrived about 10 minutes before he landed, and his mechanics attended to his aeroplane. News of his take-off in London had reached the area, and a large crowd had gathered; they were kept from the aeroplane by a group of boy scouts
. Grahame-White was taken to nearby Gellings Farm, where he drank coffee and ate biscuits, and told those present about his journey. "It was wretchedly cold all the way ... and I was cold at the start. My eyes suffered towards the end, and my fingers were quite numbed." Grahame-White's average speed was estimated at more than 40 miles per hour (17.9 m/s). Some of the vehicles which had followed him from London did not arrive until some time after his descent.
He took off at about 8:25 am, but was unable to reach the next scheduled stop at Crewe
. About 30 miles outside Rugby a problem with the engine's inlet valves forced him to land in a field at Hademore, four miles outside of Lichfield
—about 115 miles into the 185-mile journey. On landing, he damaged a skid, and his mechanics were telegraphed
for. While the necessary repairs were being made, Grahame-White ate lunch and then slept for a few hours, looked after by his mother, who had arrived by car. Meanwhile a large crowd of interested spectators had gathered, and the farmer who owned the field charged them for admission. Soldiers from a nearby barracks kept the public from getting too close to the biplane.
As the sun fell the wind grew in strength, and at 7:00 pm Grahame-White conceded that the high winds made any further progress impossible. He decided to try again at 3:00 am, hoping to reach Manchester by the 5:15 am deadline, but at 3:30 am he abandoned the attempt, and said that he would travel to Manchester and try again from there. He ordered the soldiers to peg the aeroplane down, but his instructions were ignored; the next night it was blown over by strong winds and severely damaged.
Grahame-White's biplane was returned to London, and on 25 April was being repaired at Wormwood Scrubs, in the Daily Mails hangar. Paulhan arrived at Dover
from California
, where he had been performing exhibition flights. Another competitor, Emile Dubonnet
, had also formally entered the contest, and was due to try a few days later. On 27 April 1910 Paulhan's biplane (a newer model than Grahame-White's) was brought to Hendon
, on the site of what is now the London branch of the Royal Air Force Museum. It was assembled in less than 11 hours, and at 5:21 pm that day Paulhan took off for Hampstead Cemetery, his official starting line. He arrived there ten minutes later, flew on to Harrow
, and began to follow the route of the London and North Western Railway. The railway company had prepared for the event by whitewashing the sleepers
of the correct line for the competitors to follow. Paulhan was followed by a special train, on board which were Mme. Paulhan and Henry Farman
. Other members of his party followed by car.
Grahame-White had attempted to make a test flight earlier that day, but the huge crowds had hampered his efforts, and he was unable to take off. Having spent two days supervising the reconstruction of his aeroplane, he retired to a nearby hotel. At about 6:10 pm he was awakened with the news that Paulhan had begun his attempt, and he decided to set off in pursuit. This time he had no trouble clearing a space in the crowd. His biplane's engine was started, and by 6:29 pm he had passed the starting line. Almost an hour later he flew over Leighton Buzzard, just as Paulhan was passing over Rugby. As night approached, Grahame-White landed his aeroplane in a field near the railway line at Roade
, in Northamptonshire
. Fifteen minutes later, Paulhan reached Lichfield
, where about 117 miles (188.3 km) into his journey he ran out of fuel. He managed to land the biplane in a field near Trent Valley railway station
. The aeroplane was pegged down, and Paulhan left with his colleagues to stay overnight at a nearby hotel. Grahame-White meanwhile stayed at the house of a Dr. Ryan. Both aviators intended to restart at 3:00 am the following day.
Still about 60 miles (96.6 km) behind the Frenchman, Grahame-White made a historic decision; he would make an unprecedented night flight. Guided by the headlamps of his party's cars, he took off at 2:50 am. Within minutes of becoming airborne however, he almost crashed; leaning forward to make himself comfortable, his jacket brushed the engine ignition switch and he accidentally turned the engine off, but he quickly realised his error and was able to continue. Using the lights of railway stations to guide his course through the pitch black night, within 40 minutes he had reached Rugby, and at 3:50 am he passed Nuneaton
. Despite making good progress, Grahame-White was carrying a large load of fuel and oil, and his engine was not powerful enough to raise the aeroplane over the high ground before him. Disappointed, he landed at Polesworth
, about 107 miles (172.2 km) from London, and only 10 miles behind Paulhan. A few minutes later the Frenchman, unaware of Grahame-White's progress, resumed his journey. He passed Stafford
at 4:45 am, Crewe
at 5:20 am, and at 5:32 am he landed at Barcicroft Fields near Didsbury
, within five miles of the Manchester office of the Daily Mail, thereby winning the contest. His party was taken by train to a civic reception, held by the Lord Mayor of Manchester. Grahame-White was notified of Paulhan's success, and reportedly shouted "Ladies and gentlemen, the £10,000 prize has been won by Louis Paulhan, the finest aviator that the world has ever seen. Compared with him I am only a novice. Three cheers for Paulhan!" He retired to bed, leaving his mechanics to repair his aeroplane, and later sent Paulhan a telegram, congratulating his rival on his achievement. Grahame-White attempted to resume his journey to Manchester, and reached Tamworth
, but he later abandoned the flight.
in London, presided over by the editor of the Daily Mail, Thomas Marlowe. Grahame-White was given a consolation prize of an inscribed white-silver bowl, filled with red and white roses.
, fixed to the front wall of a 1930s semi-detached house in Paulhan Road, near the site of his landing.
Within weeks of Paulhan's victory, the Daily Mail offered a new prize; £10,000 to the first aviator to cover a 1,000-mile (1,609-km) circuit of Britain in a single day, with 11 compulsory stops at fixed intervals. The challenge was completed by M Beaumont on 26 July 1911, in about 22½ hours. Paulhan and Grahame-White competed again later in 1910, for the newspaper's prize of £1,000 for the greatest aggregate cross-country flight, which Paulhan won.
The flight's 25th anniversary was celebrated at the Aero Club of France, in Paris, on 16 January 1936. Present at the banquet were Paulhan and Grahame-White, along with the French Air Minister Victor Denain, Prince Berthold of Sweden
, Harold Perrin, and a number of other notable dignitaries.
Although by then retired from flying, on 28 April 1950—the fortieth anniversary of the 1910 flight—Paulhan repeated the journey from London to Manchester, this time as a passenger on board a Gloster Meteor
T7, the two-seater training variant of the first British jet fighter. After travelling at 400 mph (644 km/h), the 67-year-old Frenchman said "C'était magnifique ... It was all I ever dreamed of in aviation—no propellers, no vibration." The Daily Mail entertained him at the Royal Aero Club in London, where he was accompanied by his former rival, Claude Grahame-White.
Air racing
- History :The first ever air race was held in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1908. The participants piloted the only 4 airships in the U.S. around a course located at Forest Park...
between London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, first proposed by the Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
newspaper in 1906. The £10,000 prize was won in April 1910 by Frenchman Louis Paulhan
Louis Paulhan
Isidore Auguste Marie Louis Paulhan, known as Louis Paulhan, was a pioneering French aviator who in 1910 flew "Le Canard", the world's first seaplane, designed by Henri Fabre....
.
The first person to make the attempt was Claude Grahame-White, an Englishman from Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
. He took off from London on 23 April 1910, and made his first planned stop at Rugby
Rugby, Warwickshire
Rugby is a market town in Warwickshire, England, located on the River Avon. The town has a population of 61,988 making it the second largest town in the county...
. His biplane later suffered engine problems and he was forced to land again, near Lichfield
Lichfield
Lichfield is a cathedral city, civil parish and district in Staffordshire, England. One of eight civil parishes with city status in England, Lichfield is situated roughly north of Birmingham...
. High winds meant that continuing his journey was impossible, and he gave up his attempt. His aeroplane suffered further damage while grounded, when the winds blew it over.
While Grahame-White's aeroplane was being repaired in London, late on 27 April Paulhan began his attempt, heading for Lichfield. A few hours later Graham-White was made aware of Paulhan's take-off, and immediately set off in pursuit. The next morning, after making an unprecedented night-time take-off, he almost caught up with Paulhan, but his aeroplane was overweight and he was forced to concede defeat. Paulhan reached Manchester early on 28 April, winning the challenge. Both aviators celebrated his victory during a special luncheon, held at the Savoy Hotel in London.
The event marked the first long-distance aeroplane race in England, the first flight of a heavier-than-air machine at night, and the first powered flight into Manchester from outside the city. Paulhan later repeated the journey in April 1950, the fortieth anniversary of the original flight, this time as a passenger aboard a British jet fighter.
History
On 17 November 1906 the Daily MailDaily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
newspaper offered a £10,000 prize for the first aviator to fly the 185 miles (297.7 km) between London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, with no more than two stops, in under 24 hours. The challenge also specified that take-off and landing were to be at locations no more than five miles away from the newspaper's offices in those cities. Powered flight was a relatively new invention, and the newspaper's proprietors were keen to stimulate the industry's growth
Daily Mail aviation prizes
Between 1907 and 1925 the Daily Mail newspaper, initially on the initiative of its proprietor Alfred Harmsworth, 1st Viscount Northcliffe, awarded numerous prizes for achievements in aviation. The newspaper would stipulate the amount of a prize for the first aviators to perform a particular task in...
; in 1908 they offered £1,000 for the first flight across the English channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
(won on 25 July 1909 by the French aviator Louis Blériot
Louis Blériot
Louis Charles Joseph Blériot was a French aviator, inventor and engineer. In 1909 he completed the first flight across a large body of water in a heavier-than-air craft, when he crossed the English Channel. For this achievement, he received a prize of £1,000...
), and £1,000 for the first circular one-mile flight made by a British aviator in a British aeroplane (won on 30 October 1909 by the English aviator John Moore-Brabazon
John Moore-Brabazon, 1st Baron Brabazon of Tara
John Theodore Cuthbert Moore-Brabazon, 1st Baron Brabazon of Tara, GBE, MC, PC was an English aviation pioneer and Conservative politician...
). In 1910, two men accepted the newspaper's 1906 challenge; an Englishman, Claude Grahame-White, and a Frenchman, Louis Paulhan
Louis Paulhan
Isidore Auguste Marie Louis Paulhan, known as Louis Paulhan, was a pioneering French aviator who in 1910 flew "Le Canard", the world's first seaplane, designed by Henri Fabre....
.
Claude Grahame-White was born in 1879 in Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
, England. He was educated at Crondall House School in Farnham
Farnham
Farnham is a town in Surrey, England, within the Borough of Waverley. The town is situated some 42 miles southwest of London in the extreme west of Surrey, adjacent to the border with Hampshire...
, and later Bedford Grammar School. Apprenticed to a local engineering firm, he later worked for his uncle Francis Willey, 1st Baron Barnby
Francis Willey, 1st Baron Barnby
Francis Willey, 1st Baron Barnby was an English wool merchant.Willey was born in Bradford and joined his father's wool business, which later became Francis Willey & Co Ltd and had agencies all over the Dominions and the United States. Willey was also a great horseman, huntsman and racehorse owner...
. He started his own motor vehicle business in Bradford
Bradford
Bradford lies at the heart of the City of Bradford, a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, in Northern England. It is situated in the foothills of the Pennines, west of Leeds, and northwest of Wakefield. Bradford became a municipal borough in 1847, and received its charter as a city in 1897...
, before travelling to South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
to hunt big game. In 1909, inspired by Blériot's historic cross-channel flight, he went to France and learnt how to fly, and by the following January had become one of the first Englishmen to obtain an aviator's certificate. He also started a flying school at Pau.
Isidore Auguste Marie Louis Paulhan, better known as Louis Paulhan, was no stranger to British audiences; he competed in an early flight meeting in October 1909 at Blackpool
Blackpool
Blackpool is a borough, seaside town, and unitary authority area of Lancashire, in North West England. It is situated along England's west coast by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, northwest of Preston, north of Liverpool, and northwest of Manchester...
, and soon after flew in an exhibition at the Brooklands
Brooklands
Brooklands was a motor racing circuit and aerodrome built near Weybridge in Surrey, England. It opened in 1907, and was the world's first purpose-built motorsport venue, as well as one of Britain's first airfields...
motor racing circuit. He was born in 1883 in Pézenas
Pézenas
Pézenas is a commune in the Hérault département in Languedoc-Roussillon, southern France. At the 1999 census, its population was 7443.-Name:...
, in the south of France, and later joined the military. Paulhan also worked at the Voisin
Gabriel Voisin
Gabriel Voisin was an aviation pioneer and the creator of Europe's first manned, engine-powered, heavier-than-air aircraft capable of a sustained , circular, controlled flight, including take-off and landing. It was flown by Henry Farman on January 13, 1908 near Paris, France...
factory in Paris, where he won a design competition, receiving a Farman biplane as a prize. In 1909 he taught himself to fly, and became one of the first men to receive a French pilot's licence. Paulhan took part in many airshows, including several in the United States of America, and in Douai
Douai
-Main sights:Douai's ornate Gothic style belfry was begun in 1380, on the site of an earlier tower. The 80 m high structure includes an impressive carillon, consisting of 62 bells spanning 5 octaves. The originals, some dating from 1391 were removed in 1917 during World War I by the occupying...
, where in July 1909 he set new records for altitude and flight duration.
Grahame-White's first attempt
Grahame-White was the first to attempt the journey. He planned to take off at 5:00 am on 23 April 1910, near the Plumes Hotel in the London suburb of Park RoyalPark Royal
Park Royal is an area in northwest London, UK. It is the largest industrial and business park in London, occupying about , and is promoted commercially by the Park Royal Partnership...
. A crowd of journalists and interested spectators had assembled there from about 4:00 am, with more arriving by car, until about 200–300 were present. The Times described the sky as "clear and starlit", and the weather as "very cold, as there was a slight frost." Grahame-White arrived at about 4:30 am and began to prepare his Farman III
Farman III
|-See also:-Bibliography:*Opdycke, Leonard E French Aeroplanes Before the Great War Atglen, PA: Schiffer 1999 ISBN 0 7643 0752 5-External links:**...
biplane
Biplane
A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two superimposed main wings. The Wright brothers' Wright Flyer used a biplane design, as did most aircraft in the early years of aviation. While a biplane wing structure has a structural advantage, it produces more drag than a similar monoplane wing...
. The aeroplane was brought into the field from the yard it had been stored in, and its seven-cylinder 50 hp rotary engine
Rotary engine
The rotary engine was an early type of internal-combustion engine, usually designed with an odd number of cylinders per row in a radial configuration, in which the crankshaft remained stationary and the entire cylinder block rotated around it...
was started. Once the engine had warmed up, Grahame-White took his seat. Several people wished him well, including his sister and mother, and Henry Farman
Henry Farman
Henri Farman Henri Farman Henri Farman (26 May 1874 – 17 July 1958 was a French pilot, aviator and aircraft designer and manufacturer with his brother Maurice Farman. His family was British and he took French nationality in 1937.-Biography:...
. The pilot guided the biplane for about 30–60 yards across the frosted grass, and took off at about 5:12 am, before altering his direction to head for the start of the course—a gasometer at Wormwood Scrubs
Wormwood Scrubs
Wormwood Scrubs, known locally as The Scrubs, is an open space located in the north-eastern corner of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in west London. It is the largest open space in the Borough, at 80 ha , and one of the largest areas of common land in London...
, within the required five-mile radius of the Daily Mail office in London.
Cheered loudly by the thousands of spectators who had anticipated his arrival, Grahame-White flew across the starting point and turned north-west toward Wembley
Wembley
Wembley is an area of northwest London, England, and part of the London Borough of Brent. It is home to the famous Wembley Stadium and Wembley Arena...
. The secretary of the Royal Aero Club
Royal Aero Club
The Royal Aero Club is the national co-ordinating body for Air Sport in the United Kingdom.The Aero Club was founded in 1901 by Frank Hedges Butler, his daughter Vera and the Hon Charles Rolls , partly inspired by the Aero Club of France...
, Harold Perrin
Harold Perrin
Lieutenant-Commander Harold Ernest Perrin CBE was a British aviation pioneer. He was secretary of the Royal Aero Club from 1903 to 1945, and in this capacity signed more than 20,000 private pilots' licences. Perrin was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1936....
, was stood on top of the gasometer, and waved a flag to indicate the start of the challenge. By 5:35 am Grahame-White was over Watford
Watford
Watford is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, situated northwest of central London and within the bounds of the M25 motorway. The borough is separated from Greater London to the south by the urbanised parish of Watford Rural in the Three Rivers District.Watford was created as an urban...
, and at 6:15 am he flew over Leighton Buzzard
Leighton Buzzard
-Lower schools:*Beaudesert Lower School - Apennine Way*Clipstone Brook Lower School - Brooklands Drive*Greenleas Lower School - Derwent Road*Dovery Down Lower School - Heath Road*Heathwood Lower School - Heath Road*Leedon Lower School - Highfield Road...
. He was greeted by crowds of cheering spectators as he flew above the line of the London and North Western Railway
London and North Western Railway
The London and North Western Railway was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. It was created by the merger of three companies – the Grand Junction Railway, the London and Birmingham Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway...
, at an altitude of about 400 feet (121.9 m). Meanwhile, Perrin and two mechanics from Gnome et Rhône
Gnome et Rhône
Gnome et Rhône was a major French aircraft engine manufacturer. Between 1914 and 1918 they produced 25,000 of their 9-cylinder Delta and Le Rhône 110 hp rotary designs, while another 75,000 were produced by various licensees, powering the majority of aircraft in the first half of the war on...
(who supplied the engine used on the Farman III) had boarded one of two cars, and were headed for Rugby
Rugby, Warwickshire
Rugby is a market town in Warwickshire, England, located on the River Avon. The town has a population of 61,988 making it the second largest town in the county...
. Along the way, one car took a short cut across a field and crashed into a ridge; one occupant was seriously injured.
Grahame-White made his first stop in Rugby just after 7:15 am. One of the cars that left London had arrived about 10 minutes before he landed, and his mechanics attended to his aeroplane. News of his take-off in London had reached the area, and a large crowd had gathered; they were kept from the aeroplane by a group of boy scouts
Scouting
Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth movement with the stated aim of supporting young people in their physical, mental and spiritual development, that they may play constructive roles in society....
. Grahame-White was taken to nearby Gellings Farm, where he drank coffee and ate biscuits, and told those present about his journey. "It was wretchedly cold all the way ... and I was cold at the start. My eyes suffered towards the end, and my fingers were quite numbed." Grahame-White's average speed was estimated at more than 40 miles per hour (17.9 m/s). Some of the vehicles which had followed him from London did not arrive until some time after his descent.
He took off at about 8:25 am, but was unable to reach the next scheduled stop at Crewe
Crewe
Crewe is a railway town within the unitary authority area of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. According to the 2001 census the urban area had a population of 67,683...
. About 30 miles outside Rugby a problem with the engine's inlet valves forced him to land in a field at Hademore, four miles outside of Lichfield
Lichfield
Lichfield is a cathedral city, civil parish and district in Staffordshire, England. One of eight civil parishes with city status in England, Lichfield is situated roughly north of Birmingham...
—about 115 miles into the 185-mile journey. On landing, he damaged a skid, and his mechanics were telegraphed
Telegraphy
Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages via some form of signalling technology. Telegraphy requires messages to be converted to a code which is known to both sender and receiver...
for. While the necessary repairs were being made, Grahame-White ate lunch and then slept for a few hours, looked after by his mother, who had arrived by car. Meanwhile a large crowd of interested spectators had gathered, and the farmer who owned the field charged them for admission. Soldiers from a nearby barracks kept the public from getting too close to the biplane.
As the sun fell the wind grew in strength, and at 7:00 pm Grahame-White conceded that the high winds made any further progress impossible. He decided to try again at 3:00 am, hoping to reach Manchester by the 5:15 am deadline, but at 3:30 am he abandoned the attempt, and said that he would travel to Manchester and try again from there. He ordered the soldiers to peg the aeroplane down, but his instructions were ignored; the next night it was blown over by strong winds and severely damaged.
Paulhan's attempt
Dover
Dover is a town and major ferry port in the home county of Kent, in South East England. It faces France across the narrowest part of the English Channel, and lies south-east of Canterbury; east of Kent's administrative capital Maidstone; and north-east along the coastline from Dungeness and Hastings...
from California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, where he had been performing exhibition flights. Another competitor, Emile Dubonnet
Emile Dubonnet
Emile Dubonnet was a French balloonist active from 1908 to 1913. He participated in the 1908, 1909, and 1911 Gordon Bennett Cup in ballooning and was a member of the Aéro-Club de France. He won the La Grande Medialle de Aéro-Club de France in 1912...
, had also formally entered the contest, and was due to try a few days later. On 27 April 1910 Paulhan's biplane (a newer model than Grahame-White's) was brought to Hendon
Hendon
Hendon is a London suburb situated northwest of Charing Cross.-History:Hendon was historically a civil parish in the county of Middlesex. The manor is described in Domesday , but the name, 'Hendun' meaning 'at the highest hill', is earlier...
, on the site of what is now the London branch of the Royal Air Force Museum. It was assembled in less than 11 hours, and at 5:21 pm that day Paulhan took off for Hampstead Cemetery, his official starting line. He arrived there ten minutes later, flew on to Harrow
Harrow, London
Harrow is an area in the London Borough of Harrow, northwest London, United Kingdom. It is a suburban area and is situated 12.2 miles northwest of Charing Cross...
, and began to follow the route of the London and North Western Railway. The railway company had prepared for the event by whitewashing the sleepers
Railroad tie
A railroad tie/railway tie , or railway sleeper is a rectangular item used to support the rails in railroad tracks...
of the correct line for the competitors to follow. Paulhan was followed by a special train, on board which were Mme. Paulhan and Henry Farman
Henry Farman
Henri Farman Henri Farman Henri Farman (26 May 1874 – 17 July 1958 was a French pilot, aviator and aircraft designer and manufacturer with his brother Maurice Farman. His family was British and he took French nationality in 1937.-Biography:...
. Other members of his party followed by car.
Grahame-White had attempted to make a test flight earlier that day, but the huge crowds had hampered his efforts, and he was unable to take off. Having spent two days supervising the reconstruction of his aeroplane, he retired to a nearby hotel. At about 6:10 pm he was awakened with the news that Paulhan had begun his attempt, and he decided to set off in pursuit. This time he had no trouble clearing a space in the crowd. His biplane's engine was started, and by 6:29 pm he had passed the starting line. Almost an hour later he flew over Leighton Buzzard, just as Paulhan was passing over Rugby. As night approached, Grahame-White landed his aeroplane in a field near the railway line at Roade
Roade
Roade is a village in Northamptonshire, England and in the area of the South Northamptonshire District Council where it is in the two-member Blisworth and Roade ward.-Location:...
, in Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
. Fifteen minutes later, Paulhan reached Lichfield
Lichfield
Lichfield is a cathedral city, civil parish and district in Staffordshire, England. One of eight civil parishes with city status in England, Lichfield is situated roughly north of Birmingham...
, where about 117 miles (188.3 km) into his journey he ran out of fuel. He managed to land the biplane in a field near Trent Valley railway station
Lichfield Trent Valley railway station
Lichfield Trent Valley is a split-level railway station on the outskirts of the city of Lichfield in Staffordshire, England. It is one of two stations in Lichfield, the other being in the city-centre.-History:...
. The aeroplane was pegged down, and Paulhan left with his colleagues to stay overnight at a nearby hotel. Grahame-White meanwhile stayed at the house of a Dr. Ryan. Both aviators intended to restart at 3:00 am the following day.
Still about 60 miles (96.6 km) behind the Frenchman, Grahame-White made a historic decision; he would make an unprecedented night flight. Guided by the headlamps of his party's cars, he took off at 2:50 am. Within minutes of becoming airborne however, he almost crashed; leaning forward to make himself comfortable, his jacket brushed the engine ignition switch and he accidentally turned the engine off, but he quickly realised his error and was able to continue. Using the lights of railway stations to guide his course through the pitch black night, within 40 minutes he had reached Rugby, and at 3:50 am he passed Nuneaton
Nuneaton
Nuneaton is the largest town in the Borough of Nuneaton and Bedworth and in the English county of Warwickshire.Nuneaton is most famous for its associations with the 19th century author George Eliot, who was born on a farm on the Arbury Estate just outside Nuneaton in 1819 and lived in the town for...
. Despite making good progress, Grahame-White was carrying a large load of fuel and oil, and his engine was not powerful enough to raise the aeroplane over the high ground before him. Disappointed, he landed at Polesworth
Polesworth
Polesworth is a large village and civil parish in the North Warwickshire district of Warwickshire, England. In the 2001 census it had a population of 8,439, inclusive of the continuous sub-villages of St Helena, Dordon and Hall End directly to the south...
, about 107 miles (172.2 km) from London, and only 10 miles behind Paulhan. A few minutes later the Frenchman, unaware of Grahame-White's progress, resumed his journey. He passed Stafford
Stafford
Stafford is the county town of Staffordshire, in the West Midlands region of England. It lies approximately north of Wolverhampton and south of Stoke-on-Trent, adjacent to the M6 motorway Junction 13 to Junction 14...
at 4:45 am, Crewe
Crewe
Crewe is a railway town within the unitary authority area of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. According to the 2001 census the urban area had a population of 67,683...
at 5:20 am, and at 5:32 am he landed at Barcicroft Fields near Didsbury
Didsbury
Didsbury is a suburban area of the City of Manchester, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the north bank of the River Mersey, south of Manchester city centre, in the southern half of the Greater Manchester Urban Area...
, within five miles of the Manchester office of the Daily Mail, thereby winning the contest. His party was taken by train to a civic reception, held by the Lord Mayor of Manchester. Grahame-White was notified of Paulhan's success, and reportedly shouted "Ladies and gentlemen, the £10,000 prize has been won by Louis Paulhan, the finest aviator that the world has ever seen. Compared with him I am only a novice. Three cheers for Paulhan!" He retired to bed, leaving his mechanics to repair his aeroplane, and later sent Paulhan a telegram, congratulating his rival on his achievement. Grahame-White attempted to resume his journey to Manchester, and reached Tamworth
Tamworth
Tamworth is a town and local government district in Staffordshire, England, located north-east of Birmingham city centre and north-west of London. The town takes its name from the River Tame, which flows through the town, as does the River Anker...
, but he later abandoned the flight.
Presentation
Paulhan was presented with his prize—a golden casket containing a cheque for £10,000—on 30 April 1910, during a luncheon at the Savoy HotelSavoy Hotel
The Savoy Hotel is a hotel located on the Strand, in the City of Westminster in central London. Built by impresario Richard D'Oyly Carte with profits from his Gilbert and Sullivan operas, the hotel opened on 6 August 1889. It was the first in the Savoy group of hotels and restaurants owned by...
in London, presided over by the editor of the Daily Mail, Thomas Marlowe. Grahame-White was given a consolation prize of an inscribed white-silver bowl, filled with red and white roses.
Legacy
The events of 27–28 April constituted the world's first long-distance air race, and also marked the first night flight of a heavier-than-air machine; Grahame-White's decision proved that night-time take-off, flight and navigation were possible, provided that the pilot was able to relate his position to the ground. Grahame-White did this with the help of friends, one of whom shone his car's headlamps onto the wall of a public house. Paulhan's arrival in Didsbury was notable for being the first powered flight into Manchester from any point outside the city. His achievement is commemorated by a blue plaqueBlue plaque
A blue plaque is a permanent sign installed in a public place to commemorate a link between that location and a famous person or event, serving as a historical marker....
, fixed to the front wall of a 1930s semi-detached house in Paulhan Road, near the site of his landing.
Within weeks of Paulhan's victory, the Daily Mail offered a new prize; £10,000 to the first aviator to cover a 1,000-mile (1,609-km) circuit of Britain in a single day, with 11 compulsory stops at fixed intervals. The challenge was completed by M Beaumont on 26 July 1911, in about 22½ hours. Paulhan and Grahame-White competed again later in 1910, for the newspaper's prize of £1,000 for the greatest aggregate cross-country flight, which Paulhan won.
The flight's 25th anniversary was celebrated at the Aero Club of France, in Paris, on 16 January 1936. Present at the banquet were Paulhan and Grahame-White, along with the French Air Minister Victor Denain, Prince Berthold of Sweden
Berthold, Margrave of Baden
Berthold Friedrich Wilhelm Ernst August Heinrich Karl, Margrave of Baden was born on 24 February 1906 in Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. He was the son of Prince Maximilian, Margrave of Baden and Princess Marie Louise of Hanover and Cumberland. He died on 27 October 1963 in Spaichingen,...
, Harold Perrin, and a number of other notable dignitaries.
Although by then retired from flying, on 28 April 1950—the fortieth anniversary of the 1910 flight—Paulhan repeated the journey from London to Manchester, this time as a passenger on board a Gloster Meteor
Gloster Meteor
The Gloster Meteor was the first British jet fighter and the Allies' first operational jet. It first flew in 1943 and commenced operations on 27 July 1944 with 616 Squadron of the Royal Air Force...
T7, the two-seater training variant of the first British jet fighter. After travelling at 400 mph (644 km/h), the 67-year-old Frenchman said "C'était magnifique ... It was all I ever dreamed of in aviation—no propellers, no vibration." The Daily Mail entertained him at the Royal Aero Club in London, where he was accompanied by his former rival, Claude Grahame-White.
External links
- http://www.search.staffspasttrack.org.uk/engine/resource/exhibition/standard/child.asp?txtKeywords=&lstContext=&lstResourceType=&lstExhibitionType=&chkPurchaseVisible=&txtDateFrom=&txtDateTo=&x1=&y1=&x2=&y2=&scale=&theme=&album=&viewpage=/engine/resource/exhibition/standard/child.asp&originator=&page=&records=&direction=&pointer=&text=&resource=543&exhibition=630&offset=0Images of Grahame-White and Paulhan while in Staffordshire]