Schneider Trophy
Encyclopedia
The Coupe d'Aviation Maritime Jacques Schneider (commonly called the Schneider Trophy, or prize or cup) was a prize competition for seaplane
s. Announced by Jacques Schneider
, a financier, balloonist and aircraft enthusiast, in 1911, it offered a prize of roughly £1,000. The race was held eleven times between 1913 and 1931. It was meant to encourage technical advances in civil aviation but became a contest for pure speed with laps over a triangular course (initially 280 km, later 350 km). The races were very popular and some attracted crowds of over 200,000 spectators. Since 1977 the trophy has been on display at the Science Museum
in London.
If an aero club won three races in five years, they would retain the cup and the winning pilot would receive 75,000 franc
s. Each race was hosted by the previous winning country. The races were supervised by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale
and the Aero Club in the hosting country. Each club could enter up to three competitors with an equal number of alternates.
The race was very significant in advancing aeroplane design, particularly in the fields of aerodynamics
and engine design, and would show its results in the best fighters of WW2
. The streamlined shape and the low drag, liquid-cooled engine pioneered by Schneider Trophy designs are obvious in the British Supermarine Spitfire
, the American P-51 Mustang
, and the Italian Macchi C.202 Folgore.
and won by a French
Deperdussin at an average speed of 45.72 mph (73.57 km/h).
The British
won in 1914 with a Sopwith Tabloid
at 86.78 mph (139.9 km/h). The competition resumed in 1919 at Bournemouth
where in fog
gy conditions the Italian
team won. They were later disqualified and the race was voided.
In 1920 and 1921 at Venice
the Italians won — in 1920 no other nation entered and in 1921 the only non-Italian entry did not start.
After 1921, an additional requirement was added: the winning seaplane had to remain moored to a buoy for six hours without human intervention.
In 1922 in Naples
the British and French competed with the Italians and the British private entry, the Supermarine Sea Lion II, won.
The 1923 trophy, contested at Cowes
, went to the American
s with a sleek, liquid-cooled engined craft designed by Glenn Curtiss
. It used the Curtiss D-12
engine. US Navy Lieutenant David Rittenhouse won the cup.
In 1924 there was no competition as no other nation turned out to face the Americans — the Italians and the French withdrew and both British craft crashed in pre-race trials.
In 1925 at Chesapeake Bay
the Americans won again. The US pilot Jimmy Doolittle
winning ahead of the British Gloster III
and the Italian. Two British planes did not compete (R.J. Mitchell's Supermarine S.4
and the other Gloster III were damaged before the race). Two of the American planes did not finish.
In 1926, the Italians returned with a Macchi M.39
and won against the Americans with a 246 mph (396 km/h) run at Hampton Roads
.
In 1927 for Venice there was a strong British entry with government backing and RAF
pilots (the High Speed Flight
) for Supermarine
, Gloster and Shorts
. Supermarine's Mitchell-designed S.5s came first and second. 1927 was the last annual competition, the event then moving onto a biannual schedule to allow for more development time.
In 1929, at Calshot, Supermarine
won again in the Supermarine S.6
with the new Rolls-Royce R
engine with an average speed of 328.63 mph (528.85 km/h). Both Great Britain and Italy entered 2 new aircraft and 1 backup plane from the previous race.
In 1931 the British government withdrew support but a private donation of £100,000 from Lucy, Lady Houston
allowed Supermarine to compete and win on 13 September against only British opposition, with reportedly half a million spectators lining the beachfronts. The Italian, French, and German entrants failed to ready their aircraft in time for the competition. The remaining British team set both a new world speed record (379 mph, 610 km/h) and won the trophy outright with a third straight win. The following days saw the winning Supermarine S.6B further break the world speed record twice, making it the first craft to break the 400 mph barrier on 29 September at an average speed of 407.5 mph (655.8 km/h).
Development of the other entrants did not cease there. The proposed Italian entrant (the Macchi M.C.72
) which pulled out of the contest due to engine problems later went on to set two new world speed records. In April 1933 (over Lake Garda
, in northern Italy) it set a record with a speed of 424 mph. Then, a year and a half later in the same venue, it broke 700 km/h with an average speed of 709.202 km/h (440.681 mph) in October 1934. Both times the plane was piloted by Francesco Agello
. This speed remains until today the fastest speed ever attained by a piston-engined seaplane.
of Great Britain to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Britain's ultimate retention of the Trophy. The original Trophy remained in the Science Museum, and a full-size replica was cast and the race opened on a handicapped basis to any propeller driven land plane capable of maintaining 100 miles per hour in straight and level flight, and weighing up to 12,500 lbs. Pilots also had to have a minimum of 100 hours as pilot-in-command, and a valid air racing licence.
Following that event, the UK subsidiary of US computer company Digital Equipment Corporation
(DEC) independently decided to sponsor a long-term revival of the Schneider Trophy, with the first race held in 1984. The idea was submitted by DEC's then UK PR consultancy Infopress as part of a broader commercial sponsorship programme designed to increase DEC's presence in the UK market at that time. DEC sponsored this revived race series from 1984 until 1991, which also marked the diamond jubilee of the final race in the original series. DEC and Infopress turned to the expertise of the Royal Aero Club's Records, Racing & Rally Association which again administered and ran the actual races. The 1981 Solent course, itself a close approximation of the original 1929 and 1931 Schneider Trophy courses over the Solent, was also used and adapted from year to year.
This sponsorship had a profound effect on the awareness and popularity of handicapped air racing in the UK and further afield, as well as markedly increasing DEC's commercial profile in the UK. The appeal of the race, its historic connections, and the fact that prize money was now on offer, meant that the entry list for the race was large enough to warrant the introduction of heats from 1985 onwards. (The 1984 race field was 62 entrants, believed at the time to be the largest-ever in all forms of air racing.)
The event received further boosts in 1986, when it was started by HRH Prince Andrew and his then fiancée Sarah Ferguson; in 1987, when the event was featured as one episode in a BBC television documentary series; and in 1988, when it was a central part of that year's ITV Telethon Appeal.
DEC invited customers and partners to each year's event as guests, and the general public watched in increasing numbers as the series grew in size and popularity.
For the pilots taking part, the event became, along with the King's Cup Air Race, the highlight of the UK's air racing season, and regularly attracted entrants from continental Europe.
After DEC's departure as sponsor after the 1991 race, the race continued. The venue has varied but is still flown on most occasions around a Solent-based course, usually around September of each year.
, designer of the winning Supermarine Schneider Trophy entrants, also designed the Supermarine Spitfire
. Mario Castoldi
, designer of the 1926 winner, the Macchi M.39
, also designed other contestants such as the M.52, the M.52R, the M.67, and the M.C.72
. After the M.C.72 Castoldi designed some of the Italian fighters which flew during World War II
, such as the MC.202. James Doolittle
, winning pilot of the 1925 race, was accomplished in many other areas. He was the first pilot to do an outside loop and the first to perform a successful instrument flight with zero visibility. He also led the famous "Doolittle Raid
", a bombing attack on several Japanese homeland targets in April 1942.
The trophy itself has been entrusted to the Royal Aero Club
and can be viewed along with the winning Supermarine S.6B
floatplane at the London Science Museum
Flight exhibition hall. Supermarine S.6, N248, which competed in the 1929 contest but was disqualified, is preserved at Solent Sky
maritime museum in Southampton
.
]
Seaplane
A seaplane is a fixed-wing aircraft capable of taking off and landing on water. Seaplanes that can also take off and land on airfields are a subclass called amphibian aircraft...
s. Announced by Jacques Schneider
Jacques Schneider
Jacques Schneider was the French financier, balloonist and aircraft enthusiast, who created the Schneider Trophy.He was the son of an armament manufacturer. For a long time, with 10,081 m he held the high altitude record in ballooning...
, a financier, balloonist and aircraft enthusiast, in 1911, it offered a prize of roughly £1,000. The race was held eleven times between 1913 and 1931. It was meant to encourage technical advances in civil aviation but became a contest for pure speed with laps over a triangular course (initially 280 km, later 350 km). The races were very popular and some attracted crowds of over 200,000 spectators. Since 1977 the trophy has been on display at the Science Museum
Science Museum (London)
The Science Museum is one of the three major museums on Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It is part of the National Museum of Science and Industry. The museum is a major London tourist attraction....
in London.
If an aero club won three races in five years, they would retain the cup and the winning pilot would receive 75,000 franc
Franc
The franc is the name of several currency units, most notably the Swiss franc, still a major world currency today due to the prominence of Swiss financial institutions and the former currency of France, the French franc until the Euro was adopted in 1999...
s. Each race was hosted by the previous winning country. The races were supervised by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale
Fédération Aéronautique Internationale
The Fédération Aéronautique Internationale is the world governing body for air sports and aeronautics and astronautics world records. Its head office is in Lausanne, Switzerland. This includes man-carrying aerospace vehicles from balloons to spacecraft, and unmanned aerial vehicles...
and the Aero Club in the hosting country. Each club could enter up to three competitors with an equal number of alternates.
Competition summary
| Date | Location | Winning Aircraft | Nation | Pilot | Speed (km/h, mph) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1913 | Monaco Monaco Monaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the... |
Deperdussin |  FranceFrench Third Republic The French Third Republic was the republican government of France from 1870, when the Second French Empire collapsed due to the French defeat in the Franco-Prussian War, to 1940, when France was overrun by Nazi Germany during World War II, resulting in the German and Italian occupations of France... |
Maurice Prevost | 73.56, 45.71 |
| 1914 | Monaco | Sopwith Tabloid Sopwith Tabloid |-See also:-References:* Bruce, J.M. "". Flight. 8 November 1957. pp. 733–736.* Bruce, J.M. "". Flight. 15 November 1957. pp. 765–766.* Bruce, J.M. "". Flight. 29 November 1957. pp. 845–848.... |
 United Kingdom |
Howard Pixton Howard Pixton Sopwith test pilot C Howard Pixton won the 1914 Schneider Trophy air race held in Monacoflying a Sopwith Tabloid seaplane powered by a 100 hp Gnome 9V rotary engine, completing the race at an average speed of 86.83 miles per hour. The trophy was then moved to the British Royal Aero... |
139.74, 86.83 |
| 1920 | Venice Venice Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region... , Italy Italy Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and... |
Savoia S.12 |  Italy |
Luigi Bologna | 70.54, 43.83 |
| 1921 | Venice, Italy | Macchi M.7bis | Italy |
Giovanni de Briganti | 189.66, 117.85 |
| 1922 | Naples Naples Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples... , Italy |
Supermarine Sea Lion II | United Kingdom |
Henri Biard Henri Biard Henri Biard was the director of the Direction de la surveillance du territoire , the French counterintelligence and domestic intelligence service from 1972 to 1974. Biard ordered DST agents to illegally wiretap the offices of Le Canard enchaîné, a French newspaper. When this decision was made... |
234.51, 145.72 |
| 1923 | Cowes Cowes Cowes is an English seaport town and civil parish on the Isle of Wight. Cowes is located on the west bank of the estuary of the River Medina facing the smaller town of East Cowes on the east Bank... , United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... |
Curtiss CR-3 |  United States |
David Rittenhouse | 285.29, 177.27 |
| 1925 | Baltimore Baltimore Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore... , United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
Curtiss R3C-2 | United States |
James Doolittle Jimmy Doolittle General James Harold "Jimmy" Doolittle, USAF was an American aviation pioneer. Doolittle served as a brigadier general, major general and lieutenant general in the United States Army Air Forces during the Second World War... |
374.28, 232.57 |
| 1926 | Hampton Roads Hampton Roads Hampton Roads is the name for both a body of water and the Norfolk–Virginia Beach metropolitan area which surrounds it in southeastern Virginia, United States... , United States |
Macchi M.39 Macchi M.39 |-M.39 racer:-See also:-Bibliography:* Angelucci, Enzo. World Encyclopedia of Civil Aircraft. London:Willow Books, 1984. ISBN 0-00-218148-7.... |
Italy |
Mario de Bernardi | 396.69, 246.50 |
| 1927 | Venice, Italy | Supermarine S.5 Supermarine S.5 |-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Andrews, C.F. and E.B. Morgan. Supermarine Aircraft since 1914, 2nd edition. London: Putnam, 1987. ISBN 0-85177-800-3.... |
United Kingdom |
Sidney Webster | 453.28, 281.66 |
| 1929 | Calshot Spit Calshot Spit Calshot Spit is a one-mile long sand and shingle bank, located on the southern bank of the open end of Southampton Water, on the south coast of England.... , United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... |
Supermarine S.6 Supermarine S.6 |-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Andrews, C.F. and E.B. Morgan. Supermarine Aircraft since 1914, 2nd edition. London: Putnam, 1987. ISBN 0-85177-800-3.... |
United Kingdom |
Richard Waghorn | 528.89, 328.65 |
| 1931 | Calshot Spit, United Kingdom | Supermarine S.6B Supermarine S.6B |-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Andrews, C.F. and E.B. Morgan. Supermarine Aircraft since 1914, 2nd edition. London: Putnam, 1987. ISBN 0-85177-800-3.... |
United Kingdom |
John Boothman John Boothman Air Chief Marshal Sir John Nelson Boothman KCB KBE DFC AFC RAF was a senior Royal Air Force officer during World War II who went on to high command in the post-War years.- RAF career :... |
547.31, 340.09 |
The race was very significant in advancing aeroplane design, particularly in the fields of aerodynamics
Aerodynamics
Aerodynamics is a branch of dynamics concerned with studying the motion of air, particularly when it interacts with a moving object. Aerodynamics is a subfield of fluid dynamics and gas dynamics, with much theory shared between them. Aerodynamics is often used synonymously with gas dynamics, with...
and engine design, and would show its results in the best fighters of WW2
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The streamlined shape and the low drag, liquid-cooled engine pioneered by Schneider Trophy designs are obvious in the British Supermarine Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
, the American P-51 Mustang
P-51 Mustang
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and in several other conflicts...
, and the Italian Macchi C.202 Folgore.
Race history
The trophy was first competed for on 16 April 1913, at MonacoMonaco
Monaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the...
and won by a French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Deperdussin at an average speed of 45.72 mph (73.57 km/h).
The British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
won in 1914 with a Sopwith Tabloid
Sopwith Tabloid
|-See also:-References:* Bruce, J.M. "". Flight. 8 November 1957. pp. 733–736.* Bruce, J.M. "". Flight. 15 November 1957. pp. 765–766.* Bruce, J.M. "". Flight. 29 November 1957. pp. 845–848....
at 86.78 mph (139.9 km/h). The competition resumed in 1919 at Bournemouth
Bournemouth
Bournemouth is a large coastal resort town in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. According to the 2001 Census the town has a population of 163,444, making it the largest settlement in Dorset. It is also the largest settlement between Southampton and Plymouth...
where in fog
Fog
Fog is a collection of water droplets or ice crystals suspended in the air at or near the Earth's surface. While fog is a type of stratus cloud, the term "fog" is typically distinguished from the more generic term "cloud" in that fog is low-lying, and the moisture in the fog is often generated...
gy conditions the Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
team won. They were later disqualified and the race was voided.
In 1920 and 1921 at Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
the Italians won — in 1920 no other nation entered and in 1921 the only non-Italian entry did not start.
After 1921, an additional requirement was added: the winning seaplane had to remain moored to a buoy for six hours without human intervention.
In 1922 in Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
the British and French competed with the Italians and the British private entry, the Supermarine Sea Lion II, won.
The 1923 trophy, contested at Cowes
Cowes
Cowes is an English seaport town and civil parish on the Isle of Wight. Cowes is located on the west bank of the estuary of the River Medina facing the smaller town of East Cowes on the east Bank...
, went to the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
s with a sleek, liquid-cooled engined craft designed by Glenn Curtiss
Glenn Curtiss
Glenn Hammond Curtiss was an American aviation pioneer and a founder of the U.S. aircraft industry. He began his career as a bicycle then motorcycle builder and racer, later also manufacturing engines for airships as early as 1906...
. It used the Curtiss D-12
Curtiss D-12
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Lumsden, Alec. British Piston Engines and their Aircraft. Marlborough, Wiltshire: Airlife Publishing, 2003. ISBN 1-85310-294-6.-External links:*...
engine. US Navy Lieutenant David Rittenhouse won the cup.
In 1924 there was no competition as no other nation turned out to face the Americans — the Italians and the French withdrew and both British craft crashed in pre-race trials.
In 1925 at Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
the Americans won again. The US pilot Jimmy Doolittle
Jimmy Doolittle
General James Harold "Jimmy" Doolittle, USAF was an American aviation pioneer. Doolittle served as a brigadier general, major general and lieutenant general in the United States Army Air Forces during the Second World War...
winning ahead of the British Gloster III
Gloster III
|-See also:-Notes:In addition, the Air Ministry also placed an order with Supermarine for the S.4 monoplane.-Bibliography:*"". Flight. 24 September 1925. pp.609-614.* "". Flight. 29 October 1925. p.703.* "". Flight. 5 November 1925. pp.726-732....
and the Italian. Two British planes did not compete (R.J. Mitchell's Supermarine S.4
Supermarine S.4
|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Aldgate, Anthony and Jeffrey Richards. Britain Can Take it: British Cinema in the Second World War. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2nd Edition. 1994. ISBN 0-7486-0508-8....
and the other Gloster III were damaged before the race). Two of the American planes did not finish.
Macchi M.39
|-M.39 racer:-See also:-Bibliography:* Angelucci, Enzo. World Encyclopedia of Civil Aircraft. London:Willow Books, 1984. ISBN 0-00-218148-7....
and won against the Americans with a 246 mph (396 km/h) run at Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads is the name for both a body of water and the Norfolk–Virginia Beach metropolitan area which surrounds it in southeastern Virginia, United States...
.
In 1927 for Venice there was a strong British entry with government backing and RAF
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
pilots (the High Speed Flight
High Speed Flight RAF
The RAF High Speed Flight, sometimes known as 'The Flight' , was a small flight of the Royal Air Force formed for the purpose of competing in the Schneider Trophy contest for racing seaplanes during the 1920s....
) for Supermarine
Supermarine
Supermarine was a British aircraft manufacturer that became famous for producing a range of sea planes and the Supermarine Spitfire fighter. The name now belongs to an English motorboat manufacturer.-History:...
, Gloster and Shorts
Short Brothers
Short Brothers plc is a British aerospace company, usually referred to simply as Shorts, that is now based in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Founded in 1908, Shorts was the first company in the world to make production aircraft and was a manufacturer of flying boats during the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s...
. Supermarine's Mitchell-designed S.5s came first and second. 1927 was the last annual competition, the event then moving onto a biannual schedule to allow for more development time.
In 1929, at Calshot, Supermarine
Supermarine
Supermarine was a British aircraft manufacturer that became famous for producing a range of sea planes and the Supermarine Spitfire fighter. The name now belongs to an English motorboat manufacturer.-History:...
won again in the Supermarine S.6
Supermarine S.6
|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Andrews, C.F. and E.B. Morgan. Supermarine Aircraft since 1914, 2nd edition. London: Putnam, 1987. ISBN 0-85177-800-3....
with the new Rolls-Royce R
Rolls-Royce R
The Rolls-Royce R was a British aero engine designed and built specifically for air racing purposes by Rolls-Royce Limited. Nineteen R engines were assembled in a limited production run between 1929 and 1931...
engine with an average speed of 328.63 mph (528.85 km/h). Both Great Britain and Italy entered 2 new aircraft and 1 backup plane from the previous race.
In 1931 the British government withdrew support but a private donation of £100,000 from Lucy, Lady Houston
Lucy, Lady Houston
Lucy, Lady Houston, DBE , born Fanny Lucy Radmall, was an English benefactor, philanthropist, adventuress and patriot.-Early life:...
allowed Supermarine to compete and win on 13 September against only British opposition, with reportedly half a million spectators lining the beachfronts. The Italian, French, and German entrants failed to ready their aircraft in time for the competition. The remaining British team set both a new world speed record (379 mph, 610 km/h) and won the trophy outright with a third straight win. The following days saw the winning Supermarine S.6B further break the world speed record twice, making it the first craft to break the 400 mph barrier on 29 September at an average speed of 407.5 mph (655.8 km/h).
Development of the other entrants did not cease there. The proposed Italian entrant (the Macchi M.C.72
Macchi M.C.72
|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Cowin, Hugh W. The Risk Takers, A Unique Pictorial Record 1908-1972: Racing & Record-setting Aircraft . London: Osprey Aviation, 1999. ISBN 1-85532-904-2....
) which pulled out of the contest due to engine problems later went on to set two new world speed records. In April 1933 (over Lake Garda
Lake Garda
Lake Garda is the largest lake in Italy. It is located in Northern Italy, about half-way between Brescia and Verona, and between Venice and Milan. Glaciers formed this alpine region at the end of the last ice age...
, in northern Italy) it set a record with a speed of 424 mph. Then, a year and a half later in the same venue, it broke 700 km/h with an average speed of 709.202 km/h (440.681 mph) in October 1934. Both times the plane was piloted by Francesco Agello
Francesco Agello
Francesco Agello was an Italian test pilot.-Biography and flight achievements:Born at Casalpusterlengo, Lombardy, Agello graduated from pilot school in 1924 and soon became a test pilot. He was the fourth of four test pilots who tried to set a speed record with the Macchi M.C.72...
. This speed remains until today the fastest speed ever attained by a piston-engined seaplane.
Revived race
In 1981 the race was revived by the Royal Aero ClubRoyal 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...
of Great Britain to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Britain's ultimate retention of the Trophy. The original Trophy remained in the Science Museum, and a full-size replica was cast and the race opened on a handicapped basis to any propeller driven land plane capable of maintaining 100 miles per hour in straight and level flight, and weighing up to 12,500 lbs. Pilots also had to have a minimum of 100 hours as pilot-in-command, and a valid air racing licence.
Following that event, the UK subsidiary of US computer company Digital Equipment Corporation
Digital Equipment Corporation
Digital Equipment Corporation was a major American company in the computer industry and a leading vendor of computer systems, software and peripherals from the 1960s to the 1990s...
(DEC) independently decided to sponsor a long-term revival of the Schneider Trophy, with the first race held in 1984. The idea was submitted by DEC's then UK PR consultancy Infopress as part of a broader commercial sponsorship programme designed to increase DEC's presence in the UK market at that time. DEC sponsored this revived race series from 1984 until 1991, which also marked the diamond jubilee of the final race in the original series. DEC and Infopress turned to the expertise of the Royal Aero Club's Records, Racing & Rally Association which again administered and ran the actual races. The 1981 Solent course, itself a close approximation of the original 1929 and 1931 Schneider Trophy courses over the Solent, was also used and adapted from year to year.
This sponsorship had a profound effect on the awareness and popularity of handicapped air racing in the UK and further afield, as well as markedly increasing DEC's commercial profile in the UK. The appeal of the race, its historic connections, and the fact that prize money was now on offer, meant that the entry list for the race was large enough to warrant the introduction of heats from 1985 onwards. (The 1984 race field was 62 entrants, believed at the time to be the largest-ever in all forms of air racing.)
The event received further boosts in 1986, when it was started by HRH Prince Andrew and his then fiancée Sarah Ferguson; in 1987, when the event was featured as one episode in a BBC television documentary series; and in 1988, when it was a central part of that year's ITV Telethon Appeal.
DEC invited customers and partners to each year's event as guests, and the general public watched in increasing numbers as the series grew in size and popularity.
For the pilots taking part, the event became, along with the King's Cup Air Race, the highlight of the UK's air racing season, and regularly attracted entrants from continental Europe.
After DEC's departure as sponsor after the 1991 race, the race continued. The venue has varied but is still flown on most occasions around a Solent-based course, usually around September of each year.
| Date | Location | Winning Aircraft | Nation | Pilot | Speed (km/h, mph) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Bembridge Bembridge Bembridge is an affluent village and civil parish located on the easternmost point of the Isle of Wight. It had a population of 3,848 according to the 2001 census of the United Kingdom, leading to claims by residents that Bembridge is the largest village in England, and occasional claims that it is... , Isle of Wight Isle of Wight The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent... |
Piper Archer | United Kingdom |
Jeremy Smith | 239.37, 148.74 |
| 1984 | Beagle Pup Beagle Pup |-Specifications :-See also:*PA-28... |
United Kingdom |
Paul Moorhead | 215.65, 134.00 | |
| 1985 | Robin Aiglon | United Kingdom |
Nick Snook | 255.72, 158.9 | |
| 1986 | Tipsy Nipper Tipsy Nipper The Tipsy Nipper T.66 is a light aircraft, developed in 1952 by Ernest Oscar Tips of Avions Fairey at Gosselies in Belgium. It was designed to be easy to fly, cheap to buy and cheap to maintain. It was designed for both factory production and homebuild... |
United Kingdom |
Ron Mitcham | 177.83, 110.5 | |
| 1987 | Cessna 180 Cessna 180 The Cessna 180 is a four- or six-seat, fixed conventional gear general aviation airplane which was produced between 1953 and 1981. Though the design is no longer in production, many of these aircraft are still in use as personal aircraft and in utility roles such as bush... |
United Kingdom |
Andrew Brinkley | 261.68, 162.6 | |
| 1988 | Cessna Skymaster 337F Cessna Skymaster The Cessna Skymaster is a United States twin-engine civil utility aircraft built in a push-pull configuration. Its engines are mounted in the nose and rear of its pod-style fuselage. Twin booms extend aft of the wings to the vertical stabilizers, with the rear engine between them. The horizontal... |
United Kingdom |
Peter Crispe | 310.68, 193.05 | |
| 1989 | Piper PA-22 Tri-Pacer Piper PA-20 Pacer The PA-20 Pacer and PA-22 Tri-Pacer are a family of four-place, strut braced, high-wing light aircraft that were built by Piper Aircraft in the post-World War II period.... |
Safaya Hemming | |||
| 1990 | Beechcraft Baron Beechcraft Baron |-See also:- Further reading :*Harding, Stephen. U.S. Army Aircraft Since 1947. Shrewsbury, UK:Airlife Publishing, 1990. ISBN 1-85310-102-8.*Michell, Simon. Jane's Civil and Military Aircraft Upgrades 1994-95. Coulsdon, UK:Jane's Information Group, 1994. ISBN 0-7106-1208-7.*Taylor, John W. R.... |
United Kingdom |
Spencer Flack | ||
| 1991 | Druine Condor Druine Condor The Druine D.60 Condor is a light aircraft that was developed in France in the 1950s, primarily as a trainer. The Condor was an evolution of the Druine Turbi, but featured an extensively revised fuselage allowing the pilot and instructor to sit side-by-side under a full canopy... |
United Kingdom |
Brian Manning | ||
| 1992 | Bolkow 208 Junior | United Kingdom |
Andrew Watson | ||
| 1993 | Scottish Aviation Bulldog Scottish Aviation Bulldog |-See also:-External links:... |
United Kingdom |
Sq Ldr Mike Baker | ||
| 1994 | Piper Cherokee Piper Cherokee The Piper PA-28 Cherokee is a family of light aircraft designed for flight training, air taxi, and personal use. It is built by Piper Aircraft.... |
United Kingdom |
Ian Finbow | ||
| 1995 | Beech Bonanza | United Kingdom |
John Kelman | ||
| 1996 | Grumman Tiger Grumman American AA-5 The US Grumman American AA-5 series is a family of all-metal, 4-seat, light aircraft used for touring and training. The line includes the original American Aviation AA-5 Traveler, the Grumman American AA-5 Traveler, AA-5A Cheetah, and AA-5B Tiger, the Gulfstream American AA-5A Cheetah, and AA-5B... |
United Kingdom |
Alan Austin | ||
| 1998 | Cessna 182 Cessna 182 The Cessna 182 Skylane is an American four-seat, single-engine, light airplane, built by Cessna of Wichita, Kansas. It has the option of adding two child seats, installed in the baggage area.... |
United Kingdom |
Milan Konstantinovic | ||
| 1999 | Grumman American AA-1 Grumman American AA-1 The Grumman American AA-1 series is a family of light, 2-seat aircraft. The family includes the original American Aviation AA-1 Yankee Clipper and AA-1A Trainer, the Grumman American AA-1B Trainer and TR-2 and the Gulfstream American AA-1C Lynx and T-Cat.-Development history:The Yankee was... |
United Kingdom |
Bruce Hook | ||
| 2000 | Robin DR400 Robin DR400 |- References :*Exavia Ltd - article "A DR400 Buyers' Guide"* The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft , 1985, Orbis Publishing, Page 2799... |
United Kingdom |
Dudley Pattison | ||
| 2001 | Beagle Pup 150 Beagle Pup |-Specifications :-See also:*PA-28... |
United Kingdom |
Ivan Seach-Allen | ||
| 2002 | Grumman American AA-5 Grumman American AA-5 The US Grumman American AA-5 series is a family of all-metal, 4-seat, light aircraft used for touring and training. The line includes the original American Aviation AA-5 Traveler, the Grumman American AA-5 Traveler, AA-5A Cheetah, and AA-5B Tiger, the Gulfstream American AA-5A Cheetah, and AA-5B... |
United Kingdom |
Phil Wadsworth | ||
| 2003 | Beech Bonanza | United Kingdom |
John Spooner | ||
| 2004 | Van's Aircraft RV-7 Van's Aircraft RV-7 -See also:-External links:*... |
United Kingdom |
John Kelsall | ||
| 2005 | Van's Aircraft RV-6 Van's Aircraft RV-6 -See also:-References:*Lambert, Mark. Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1993-94. Coulsdon, UK:Jane's Data Division, 1993. ISBN 0-7106-1066-1.***-External links:*... |
United Kingdom |
John Village | ||
| 2006 | Socata Rallye Socata Rallye -Bibliography:* Donald, David . The Encyclopedia of World Aircraft. Leicester, UK: Blitz, 1997. ISBN 1-85605-375-X.* Taylor, John W R. . Jane's All the Worlds Aircraft 1976-77. London:Jane's Yearbooks, 1976. ISBN 0 354 00538 3.... |
United Kingdom |
Martin Kellett | ||
| 2007 | Piper Warrior Piper Cherokee The Piper PA-28 Cherokee is a family of light aircraft designed for flight training, air taxi, and personal use. It is built by Piper Aircraft.... |
United Kingdom |
Daniel Pangbourne | ||
| 2009 | Scottish Aviation Bulldog Scottish Aviation Bulldog |-See also:-External links:... |
United Kingdom |
Neil Cooper |
Schneider Trophy alumni
Reginald J. MitchellR. J. Mitchell
Reginald Joseph Mitchell CBE, FRAeS, was an aeronautical engineer, best known for his design of the Supermarine Spitfire.-Early years:...
, designer of the winning Supermarine Schneider Trophy entrants, also designed the Supermarine Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
. Mario Castoldi
Mario Castoldi
Mario Castoldi was an Italian aircraft engineer and designer.-Biography:Born in Zibido San Giacomo , Castoldi worked for the experimental center of Italian Military Aviation at Montecelio, not far from Rome.In 1922 he moved to Macchi Aeronautica, where he became famous for designing a series of...
, designer of the 1926 winner, the Macchi M.39
Macchi M.39
|-M.39 racer:-See also:-Bibliography:* Angelucci, Enzo. World Encyclopedia of Civil Aircraft. London:Willow Books, 1984. ISBN 0-00-218148-7....
, also designed other contestants such as the M.52, the M.52R, the M.67, and the M.C.72
Macchi M.C.72
|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Cowin, Hugh W. The Risk Takers, A Unique Pictorial Record 1908-1972: Racing & Record-setting Aircraft . London: Osprey Aviation, 1999. ISBN 1-85532-904-2....
. After the M.C.72 Castoldi designed some of the Italian fighters which flew during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, such as the MC.202. James Doolittle
Jimmy Doolittle
General James Harold "Jimmy" Doolittle, USAF was an American aviation pioneer. Doolittle served as a brigadier general, major general and lieutenant general in the United States Army Air Forces during the Second World War...
, winning pilot of the 1925 race, was accomplished in many other areas. He was the first pilot to do an outside loop and the first to perform a successful instrument flight with zero visibility. He also led the famous "Doolittle Raid
Doolittle Raid
The Doolittle Raid, on 18 April 1942, was the first air raid by the United States to strike the Japanese Home Islands during World War II. By demonstrating that Japan itself was vulnerable to American air attack, it provided a vital morale boost and opportunity for U.S. retaliation after the...
", a bombing attack on several Japanese homeland targets in April 1942.
The trophy itself has been entrusted to 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...
and can be viewed along with the winning Supermarine S.6B
Supermarine S.6B
|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Andrews, C.F. and E.B. Morgan. Supermarine Aircraft since 1914, 2nd edition. London: Putnam, 1987. ISBN 0-85177-800-3....
floatplane at the London Science Museum
Science Museum (London)
The Science Museum is one of the three major museums on Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It is part of the National Museum of Science and Industry. The museum is a major London tourist attraction....
Flight exhibition hall. Supermarine S.6, N248, which competed in the 1929 contest but was disqualified, is preserved at Solent Sky
Solent Sky
Solent Sky is an aviation museum in Southampton, Hampshire, previously known as Southampton Hall of Aviation.It depicts the history of aviation in Southampton, the Solent area and Hampshire. There is special focus on the Supermarine aircraft company, based in Southampton, and its most famous...
maritime museum in Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
.
In popular culture
- The Schneider Cup is frequently referred to in the 1992 animated film Porco RossoPorco RossoPorco Rosso, known in Japan as is the sixth anime film directed by Hayao Miyazaki, produced by Studio Ghibli and released in 1992, of an Italian World War I fighter ace, now living as a freelance bounty hunter chasing "air pirates" in the Adriatic Sea. The man has been cursed and transformed into...
, even to the extent of director Hayao MiyazakiHayao Miyazakiis a Japanese manga artist and prominent film director and animator of many popular anime feature films. Through a career that has spanned nearly fifty years, Miyazaki has attained international acclaim as a maker of animated feature films and, along with Isao Takahata, co-founded Studio Ghibli,...
naming the film's antagonist Donald Curtiss, after American aircraft designers Glenn CurtissGlenn CurtissGlenn Hammond Curtiss was an American aviation pioneer and a founder of the U.S. aircraft industry. He began his career as a bicycle then motorcycle builder and racer, later also manufacturing engines for airships as early as 1906...
and Donald DouglasDonald Wills Douglas, Sr.Donald Wills Douglas, Sr. was a United States aircraft industrialist and founder of the Douglas Aircraft Company in 1921 .-Early life:...
.
- In the song "Bill Hosie" by Archie FisherArchie FisherArchie Fisher MBE is a Scottish folk singer and song writer.-The early years:Archie Fisher was born in Glasgow on 23 October 1939 into a large singing family. His sister Cilla Fisher is also a professional singer, as was his late sister Ray. In 1960 he moved to Edinburgh and appeared regularly at...
, the protagonistProtagonistA protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
rebuilds a Supermarine S.5Supermarine S.5|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Andrews, C.F. and E.B. Morgan. Supermarine Aircraft since 1914, 2nd edition. London: Putnam, 1987. ISBN 0-85177-800-3....
seaplaneSeaplaneA seaplane is a fixed-wing aircraft capable of taking off and landing on water. Seaplanes that can also take off and land on airfields are a subclass called amphibian aircraft...
that survived the 1927 Schneider Trophy Race. The plane, race, and trophy are referred to throughout the song. (Bill Hosie and the replica were both real. Hosie competed in the 1985 and 1986 Digital Schneider Trophy Races, and DEC part-sponsored his rebuild of the S.5 replica. He crashed during a test-flight of this replica on 23 May 1987, near Mylor, in Cornwall in the UK, just one month before that year's Digital Schneider Trophy Race. Hosie was killed. Details of the crash and its cause are in AIB Bulletin 9/87 published by the Accidents Investigation Branch of the UK's Department of TransportDepartment for TransportIn the United Kingdom, the Department for Transport is the government department responsible for the English transport network and a limited number of transport matters in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland which are not devolved...
, 1987.)
- The film The First of the FewThe First of the FewThe First of the Few, known as Spitfire in the United States, is a 1942 British film directed by and starring Leslie Howard as R.J. Mitchell, the designer of the Supermarine Spitfire, alongside co-star David Niven. The film's score was written by William Walton...
(1942) starring Leslie HowardLeslie Howard (actor)Leslie Howard was an English stage and film actor, director, and producer. Among his best-known roles was Ashley Wilkes in Gone with the Wind and roles in Berkeley Square , Of Human Bondage , The Scarlet Pimpernel , The Petrified Forest , Pygmalion , Intermezzo , Pimpernel Smith...
as R. J. MitchellR. J. MitchellReginald Joseph Mitchell CBE, FRAeS, was an aeronautical engineer, best known for his design of the Supermarine Spitfire.-Early years:...
centers on Mitchell's life as the designer of multiple Schneider Trophy winning seaplanes and then the SpitfireSupermarine SpitfireThe Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
fighter plane.
See also
Further reading
- Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation (1989) has an extensive article on the Schneider Trophy, see pages 794 to 797.
- Baldrey, Dennis & Jerram, Mike. The DEC Schneider Trophy Race. London, UK. Osprey Publishing Limited, 1988. ISBN 0-85045-829-3
External links
- "Schneider Contest 1931" (Course layout and general regulations)Flight the Aircraft Engineer and Airships, No. 1181, Vol. XXIII, No. 33, 14 August 1931.
- Schneider Trophy web site
- Royal Air Force official web page on the Schneider Trophy
- SPEEDBIRDS Graphics study on the Schneider Trophy planes
- Newsreel footage of Macchi M.39 and Major Mario de Bernardi after winning the 1926 Schneider Trophy race
- Newsreel footage of 1929 Schneider Trophy racing teams, British Supermarine S.6A aircraft (#2 and #8), and Italian Macchi M.67 (#10) and Macchi M.52R (#4) aircraft at 1929 Schneider Trophy race
- The Schneider Cup racers
]