What a time for aviation during the Schneider Trophy race that started in 1913 and completed in 1931. In the eleven races the average speed for a float plane or flying boat went from around 60 MPH to greater than 340 MPH. The latter being the fastest aircraft in the world. Not just setting speed records for a float plane but also for aircraft. That somehow just doesn’t add up when you think that the aircraft is carrying a significant amount of drag with the floats. Quiet unbelievable especially when you realise that it took 10 years for production aircraft to catch up with the speeds being set.
The race was international focused with countries coming up with aircraft to compete. The winner of the race would then host the next race and with three wins in a row - would secure the trophy for the country.
So in 2 pages it is not possible to serve justice to the Schneider Trophy, the way the race moved aviation forward but to give a flavour. The end result after the eleven races allowed high speed flight, engine design and cooling had significantly improved.
The Wright brothers took powered flight to the skies with the Wright Flyer in Dec 1903 and the first alighting from the water occurred in 1910. At this time aviation was extremely infant and numerous air racing events occurred around the world - but none off the water.
Jacques Schneider was an engineer and wealthy heir to an industrial empire based on metals and armament manufacture. So, he had the means and a taste for adventure ranging from hydroplanes to balloons in which he set a world record of 33,074 feet and flying. Unfortunately, he had an accident which limited his mobility but continued his interest and finance into aviation events.
Schneider viewed that as the world is covered by over 70% water that the future lay in seaplanes. Therefore, he proposed a contest for seaplanes. These races were aimed to forward the very early aviation pioneers by bringing together countries that could send in competitors allowing them to learn of each other. This was very evident as the contest continued. The winner of the race would then set the next race in their country. If a country won 3 races in a row, then that country got to keep the trophy.
On top of the race itself the aircraft had further constraints which changed as the years went on but including taxing in the sea state over and above that for launch and recovery, starting the engine without assistance, time to height climbs of 500 meters in 30 minutes, mooring, handling and so on. So far more than just getting airborne and completing a distance - which at the beginning was a long way for these early machines.
The first race was held in 1913 However reality it was really a battle between the UK, Italy and USA with each country at some time having government sponsorship. Both the Italians and the USA got up to 2 wins and nearly secured the trophy but being denied by one of the others with a technology leap. The UK ironically removed funding in 1931 however extremely fortunately Lady Houston stepped in and funded the 1931 race allowing UK to secure the trophy.
With the first race in 1913 saw the aircraft racing at around 60 mph around the course of 150 miles (officially the plane landed early and then had to launch again taking the average down to 45 mph).
In total the eleven races ran between 1913 and 1931. The UK started its winning streak of 3 in 1927 at 281 mph with the Supermarine S5. The UK then won it again in 1929 with the Supermarine S6 and in 1931 the Supermarine S6B in 1931 which secured the Trophy for the UK. Each time a development of the former.
By the end of final race in 1931 the average speed was an astounding 340 mph and the aircraft then went on to set a new speed record of 407 mph outside the race. This record then stood until the Italian 1931 contender the Macchi M72 finally worked 3 years later which pushed the speed to just under 441 mph. This record remains today for a single engine piston aircraft.
These aircraft pushed technology to the maximum and in a number of cases beyond. It was not uncommon for the aircraft to conduct its maiden flight at the event. This resulted in a number of crashes and unfortunately a number of lives lost due to the tight timelines between races. Numerous aircraft withdrew during the races with engine difficulty, fuel starvation and so on. So whilst a country might have the better aircraft it was down in some ways to the luck of the draw of what technical difficulty may be encountered during the race.
A key part of this story for the UK is Supermarine - as the chief designer was R.J. Mitchell. He took the lessons learnt from his design of the S5 and its brothers to then develop the much-loved Spitfire – so no Schneider Trophy no Spitfire and therefore could have left the UK very poorly placed in during the Second World War.
The Schneider Trophy and the journey from the beginning to end is quiet phenomenal. The way aircraft developed in design as well as powerplant with in the UK case Rolls Royce developing the R engine pushing out 1900 hp for the S6 and then increasing it to 2350hp for the S6B. To cool the engine, the side of the fuselage where used as long radiators to avoid any excess drag.
It seems extremely exciting and fitting that supermarineseaplane are looking to bring back to life a replica Supermarine S5. This will allow people to see, smell and touch a living aircraft and to give a flavour of the race and just how beautiful the design is.