THE TOUR OF EUROPE

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THE TOUR OF 1-4:UROPI-4,

Germany’s Win in Big’ International Contest

wHEN the light ‘plane “Tour of Europe” Competition opened on the 20th July, there were sixty starters. At the conclusion of the contest, on the 8th August, there were thirty-five finishers. Several nations were represented among the entrants, there being English, German, French, Spanish, Polish, Belgian and Swiss pilots and machines ; this made it one of the most interesting aviation events of the year. But the weather conditions added greatly to the severity of the tests imposed.

English competitors—Mr. Alan Butler (” Moth “), Mr. A. S. Thorn (Avro ” Avian “), Captain H. S. Broad (” Moth “), Mr: Andrews (Spartan), Miss Winifred Spooner (” Moth “), Lady Bailey (” Moth “), and Mr. J. Carberry (Monocoupe)—all did well in the flying part of the contest, but did not gain sufficient marks in the technical tests to get into the first three places. The mileage covered totalled 4,690 miles, and there were many ticklish stretches over which the contestants had to fly. Unfortunately, two fatal accidents marred the competition. At Heston, Herr von Redern, who was passenger to Herr von Oertzen, slipped, while climbing from the cockpit of their Albatros-Argus, and fell into the revolving airscrew, and was instantly killed. At the control at Bron (Lyon), Herr Offermann, a very experienced pilot, and his passenger, were killed when coming in to land in their B.F.W.; the pilot failed to see a wireless aerial, his machine struck it, and nose dived into the ground. Others who narrowly escaped disaster were the pilot of a B.F.W. (Herr Aichele), whose propeller disintegrated in the air, Herr Steindorff who met with a similar mishap, and Herr Neininger (Darmstadt biplane), who came down in the Gulf of Lyons, and was rescued by boat. There were one or two retirements due to illness also. The only British entrant who did not finish was Mr. Butler. He turned his ” Moth ” up on to its nose at one control, and unluckily smashed his propeller. This debarred him from further participation, as a replacement of the propeller would have entailed disqualification. As has been mentioned, the English competitors

scored well in the flying part of the trial, but in the technical tests they were not so successful. This may be accounted for by the fact that a considerable proportion of the total number of marks were allocated for wheel-brakes, and side-by-side seating, cabin cockpits, features which were not included in all the English machines.

The winner was Herr Morsik, who flew a B.F.W. monoplane, powered with an ” Argus ” inverted engine. Second and third places were taken by two “Argus “— engined Klemms, piloted by Herr Poss and Herr Notz. All three machines are, of course, of German make, and the results constituted, therefore, a great victory for Germany. Nevertheless, Miss Winifred Spooner came fourth with her “Moth,” and her success was very popular.

The final placings in the Competition were as follow :— ( I) Morzik (B.F.W.-” Argus ‘), (2) Poss (Klemm” Argus “), (3) Motz (Klemm-” Argus “), (4) Miss Spooner (Moth-” Gipsy “), (5) Polte (B.F.W.-” Siemens “), (6) Carberry (Monocoupe-” Warner “), (7) v. Massenbach (B.F.W.-” Argus “), (8) Broad (Moth-” Gipsy “), (9) Kruger (B.F.W.-” Argus “), (10) Dinort (Klemm” Argus “), (11) Osterkamp (Klemm-” Salmson ”), (12) v. Koppen (B.F.W.-” Siemens “), (13) Lusser (Klemm” Argus “), (14) Pierroz (Breda-” Walter “), (15) Risztics (Junkers Junior-” Genet “) (16) Thorn (Avro Avian-” Hermes “), (17) Finat (Caudron-” Renault “), (18) Peschke (Arado-” Argus “), (19) Plonczynski (R.W.D.-” Salmson “) (20) Fr. Siebel (Klemm-” Siemens “), (21) ‘Wieckowski (R.W.D.-” Salmson “), (22) Pasewaldt (Arado-” Argus “), (23) Kolp (Klemm”Argus,”), (24) Arrachart (Caudron-” Renault “), (25) v. Waldan (B.F.W.-” Argus “), (26) Benz (Klemm-” Genet “), (27) Gothe (Junkers Junior-” Siemens “), (28) v. Freyberg (B.F.W.-” Argus “), (29) Roeder (Junkers Junior -” Genet “), (30) v. Habsb-Bourbon (Moth” Gipsy “) , (31) Lady Bailey (Moth-” Gipsy “), (32) Bajan (R.W.D.-” Hermes “), (33) Gedgowd (P.Z.L._ “Gipsy “), (34) Bohning (B.F.W.-” B.M.W.”), (35) Andrews (Spartan-Arrow-” Gipsy.”).