The Schneider Cup

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Volume 58, Issue 166, 15 August 1929, Page 5

The Schneider Cup

(British Official Wireless).

PRACTISE AT CALSHOT S6 'Plane Gives Every Satisfaction THE MEDICAL TESTS

(Beceived Tliis Day. Nooni. RUGBY. Aug. 14. Air Cliief Marshal Sir Johu Salmomi spent to-day at Cal.shot amougst mcinbers of tlie High Speed FJiglit, xvho arc concerned xvitli the race for tiio Schneider Cup. He exnbarkcd in a- Soutliainpton (lying boat and xvent round tlie course ox-cr which tlie Schneider Cup race is to he floxvn. Squadroii-Lcadcr Orlchar look up oue of tlie new S(3 jiiachinos buiit hy Gi'eat Biitain for flic Schneider Cup race, and [lying at great speed, conipleted its tests.. This SG has been floxvn txvice oulx bcfore. On eadi occasion it was liandled verv gently, but to-day the full poxvor of its engiue xvas te-sted. Tlie result.s are believed to have been proved satisfaetory in every xvay . In taxi-ing ac-ross the xvater S6 evidentiy struek a small piece of driftxx'ood or some other ohstacle, for one of tlie floats xvas dented, and tlie macliine xvas taken to 'Woolston for repair. The damage is is no xvay serious. Tliere is a very distinct medical prohlem involved in liigli-speed cornering, xvhich is a feature of sucli a race as that for tlie Schneider Cup, xvhich xvill he floxvn over a quadraxigular course. Group Captain Flack, of tlie Medical Research Seetion of the Air Ministry, xxdio has specialised on tho forccs imposed on the human franie in flying, dLseussed the subjcct at Calsliot to-day. He said that more tlian is realised may depend upon the pilot's rounding corners xvith tlie loast loss of speed. If the tuni is taken too xxdde tlie full speed may be iiiaintaiiied, hut many more miles flown. Yet on the other liand too sharp a tuni will sloxv doxvn tlie macliine and what is equally iniportant, impose terrific acceleration loads on tlxe pilot and the aircraft. Tliese loads, as the pilot sxvings round a corner, tcnd to ari'est tlie 1101ma! floxv of blood to tlie hrain and eyes so that if tlie tuni is ox-ersliarn cx*erv tliing tends to go black hefore tlxe pilot's eyes and iix extreme cases momentarily unconsciousness ensues. Hoxv sharp these turns can he made with safcty depends therefore on tbe sti'engtli of hotlx tlxe aircraft and of the liumaii physique and tlie object of iinxcli of this present practice is to establish a limit.