h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: The Schneider Cup - A85257679
Author: Bluebottle - U43530

When researching finishing off my Sea Wings 2000 article (see F48874?thread=8210048) I borrowed all the books I could find on seaplanes from the Hampshire County and Southampton City libraries. And I thought I might as well try to write about something else while I had them, so here is an article on the famous Schneider Cup trophy races.

<BB<

Argh… I had designs on this subject but shelved for the time being for the duration of the h2 hiatus.

I’ve only had a quick read through at present but it does seem comprehensive.

A couple of points if required:
The cup was valued at £1000 and a purse of £1000 was also offered each year for the first three years

1913 Race: Although the race ended up between Prevost and Weymann, there were two other starters , Roland Garros and Gabriel Espanet. Both dropped out early in the race.

1927 cup you mention >Flight Lieutenant Sam Kinkhead< I believe the name should be ‘Kinkead’.

Hope this helps

Deke

Oh, by the way. You've probably got these already but...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/63531735@N05/

Deke

Note that it was Flt Lt StainFORTH (not Stainworth) who broke the a/s record of over 400mph.

It would mbe worth mentioning that there is a memorial to Flt Lt GH Stainforth (an old boy of Weymouth College) in Greenhill Gardens, Weymouth)

http://www.weymouth.co.uk/the-schneider-trophy/

I wonder if you could mention this and put in a link to my Entry on Weymouth at A39617265?

It was an oversight of mine not to have mentioned WWeymouth's link to the Schneider Trophy in my Entry. When yours has passed through PR I'll add a paragraph and link to your Entry

Thanks for your help - good points from you both. I had wondered about the Kinkhead spelling, as the book on Calshot Castle spelt his name Kinhead, but both "Schneider Trophy: Diamond Jubilee - Looking Back 60 Years" by Alan Smith spelt his name Kinkhead and "The Schneider Trophy Contest 1913-1931, 50th Anniversary" by David Moldon was inconsistent. I assumed that the book most about the Schneider Trophy was more likely to be right, but apparently not...

<BB<

Flt lieutenant S M Kinkead

http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1928/1928%20-%200197.html

His name has been corrected now, thanks.

Any other comments?

<BB<

No <BB< all looks fine

Re the 1923 cup:

>>It was at Cowes on the Isle of Wight that the prototype "Bat Boat", Europe's first flying boat, was built by Saunders and by 1923 Saunders had five sites in Cowes and East Cowes dedicated to aircraft construction.<<

It was only the hull (fuselage) of The ‘Bat Boat’ that was built by Saunders. As an established boat-maker it was built under contract for Sopwith. The Bat boat itself was designed and constructed by Sopwith at Kingston upon Thames. It was never entered for the Schneider Trophy but a later variant was fitted with wheels and was the first amphibious aircraft.

Sorry if this sounds pedantic, but I gotta get a mention of Kingston in here somewhere.

Deke

It might be an idea to footnote the difference between a flying boat and a seaplane.

Now that's pedantic

Not pedantic at all. But bb has already said s'thing about this in FN3 -only I find it a bit convoluted. He's got a bit bogged down by differences in the American and British meanings. Can you simplify this, bb? Perhaps just stick to the British definitions ...

Agreed we invented the thing,(I am sure we did so that will do)

Hi again,

The 1919 cup
>>The British entrants were a .... and a Sopwith Schneider. <<
It’s worth noting here that this Sopwith, although it carried the same name, was not the same type of aircraft used in the pre-war cup races. That aircraft would have stood no chance whatever. It was a one off racing special powered by a 450hp Cosmos Jupiter engine. It didn't look dissimilar to the Sopwith Snipe. Like the Supermarine entry it was especially built for the race.

1922 Cup
>>Biard<< Typo: The winner was Capt H C Baird.

Under ‘Legacy’
>>MC202 Foglore fighters<< Typo: Should be Folgore

Deke

well, actually I am coming out from behind that wall . . . and very glad to see other reviewers here who know about this subject. Many thanks to you all


... note to self to re-read this asap. It seems a fascinating subject.

Lanzababy

If you want to get a 'feel' for the subject, and if you haven’t seen it already, try looking up a copy of the wartime film 'First of the Few'. Oddly it's not all about the BoB as it mainly focuses on R J Mitchell and the Schneider Trophy. It takes 'big' artistic licence with the characters but the racing scenes are really well done.

Deke

Deke. I might have time for that tomorrow.


makes a note . . .

Hello - changes made. I double checked, and it is Biard not Baird.

<BB<

Another good one >BB>

The Rules section: <>
The last few words here fit badly (in fact barely) with those before it. Try it as two separate parts, or perhaps incorporate the 'early aeroplane contests' statement into the opening sentence.

1913 section: April 16, 1913 --> 16 April, 1913

1919 section: <>
I don't think a plane can sink violently; abruptly perhaps?

1922 section: I assume a pusher propellor is one mounted behind the fuselage. Worth a footnote?

Must stop now. More when I've read further...

1929 section: Lawrence of Arabia: link to A8572935

I seem to have been a bit tied up with other things

Thanks h5ringer, for going through this - much appreciated