The Challenge 1934 was the fourth and last
FAI International Tourist Plane Contest (french: Challenge International de Tourisme), that took place between August 28 and September 16, 1934, in
Warsaw
Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officia ...
,
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...
. The four Challenges, from 1929 to 1934, were major aviation events in pre-war Europe. The 1934 Challenge was won by the Polish pilots, who had also won
the previous year.
Overview
Poland and the
Polish Aero Club
Aeroklub Polski (AP; ''Polish Aero Club'') is the Polish central association of persons practising air sports or recreational flying. It was founded in 1921 and is a member of the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale. It has a headquarters in ...
organized the contest because a Polish pilot
Franciszek Żwirko
Franciszek Żwirko nglish pronunciation like: frantsishek zhvirko(16 September 1895 – 11 September 1932) was a prominent Polish sport and military aviator. Along with Stanisław Wigura, he won the international air contest Challenge 1932.
He ...
had won the
previous Challenge in
1932
Events January
* January 4 – The British authorities in India arrest and intern Mahatma Gandhi and Vallabhbhai Patel.
* January 9 – Sakuradamon Incident (1932), Sakuradamon Incident: Korean nationalist Lee Bong-chang fails in his effort ...
. The contest rules were announced in June 1933: like the previous contest, it consisted of three parts: technical trials, a
rally
Rally or rallye may refer to:
Gatherings
* Demonstration (political), a political rally, a political demonstration of support or protest, march, or parade
* Pep rally, an event held at a United States school or college sporting event
Sports ...
over
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
and a maximum speed trial, but there were changes in details. Since one of the aims of the Challenges was to stimulate the development of tourist aircraft, a stress was placed upon aircraft performance and quality, although pilots' skills remained crucial.
The opening ceremony was held at noon on August 28, 1934, at
Mokotowskie field in Warsaw (the Italian team was late by two hours due to weather and arrived during the ceremony). During an air show, a Polish fighter
PZL P.7
The PZLP.7 was a Polish gull wing monoplane fighter aircraft designed in the early 1930s at the PZL factory in Warsaw. It was the main fighter of the Polish Air Force between 1933 and 1935. The PZLP.7 was replaced in Polish service by its follow-u ...
a performing aerobatics crashed, but the pilot survived with injuries.
The number of crews and aircraft that eventually took part in the 1934 Challenge was smaller - 34 compared to 43 in the 1932 Challenge, because the contest was more difficult. The aircraft flew with a two-man crew (pilot and mechanic). Only four countries entered teams for the Challenge in 1934:
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...
(12 crews),
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
(13 crews),
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
(6 crews) and
Czechoslovakia
, rue, Чеськословеньско, , yi, טשעכאסלאוואקיי,
, common_name = Czechoslovakia
, life_span = 1918–19391945–1992
, p1 = Austria-Hungary
, image_p1 ...
(3 crews). The British aviator Walter MacPherson entered the contest in the Polish team. The French team of eight crews resigned from the contest, because a development of a new aircraft, the
Caudron C.500 had not finished in time and its weight was too great. The first prize in the Challenge was 100,000
French franc
The franc (, ; sign: F or Fr), also commonly distinguished as the (FF), was a currency of France. Between 1360 and 1641, it was the name of coins worth 1 livre tournois and it remained in common parlance as a term for this amount of money. It w ...
s, the second 40,000 FF, the third 20,000 FF and the fourth 10,000 FF; 15 other crews would get 6,000 FF.
Aircraft
The Challenge was to be a contest of tourist aircraft, so competing aircraft had to be able to take at least two persons aboard, take off and land on a short field and cover a distance with a good cruise speed. For this Challenge, all countries designed new aircraft especially to meet the contest demands, the only exception was a single
de Havilland Puss Moth
The de Havilland DH.80A Puss Moth is a British three-seater high-wing monoplane aeroplane designed and built by the de Havilland Aircraft Company between 1929 and 1933. It flew at a speed approaching 124 mph (200 km/h), making it o ...
flown by MacPherson, although this had been was modified for the competition. All these aircraft were
monoplane
A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft configuration with a single mainplane, in contrast to a biplane or other types of multiplanes, which have multiple planes.
A monoplane has inherently the highest efficiency and lowest drag of any wing confi ...
s with 3 or 4 seats in an enclosed cabin, advanced wing design with (
flaps and
slats
Super Low Altitude Test Satellite (SLATS) or Tsubame was a JAXA satellite intended to demonstrate operations in very low Earth orbit (VLEO, below 200 km), using ion engines to counteract aerodynamic drag from the Earth's atmosphere which i ...
and some other devices) and mixed or metal construction.
Most aircraft were fast
cantilever
A cantilever is a rigid structural element that extends horizontally and is supported at only one end. Typically it extends from a flat vertical surface such as a wall, to which it must be firmly attached. Like other structural elements, a canti ...
low-wing monoplanes: the German
Messerschmitt Bf 108
The Messerschmitt Bf 108 ''Taifun'' (English: "Typhoon") was a German single-engine sport and touring aircraft, developed by Bayerische Flugzeugwerke in the 1930s. The Bf 108 was of all-metal construction.
Design and development
Originally desi ...
(4),
Fieseler Fi 97
The Fieseler Fi 97 was a 1930s German four-seat cabin touring and competition monoplane aircraft designed and built by the German manufacturer Fieseler.
Design and development
Following the success of their two-seat tourer/trainer the Fiesele ...
(5) and
Klemm Kl 36
The Klemm Kl 36 is a 1930s German four-seat cabin touring and competition monoplane. It was designed by Klemm and Friedrich Fechner and built by Klemm.
History Development
Following the success of the 3-seat touring plane Klemm Kl 32 in the E ...
(4), the Polish
PZL.26
PZL.26 was a Polish sports plane built in 1934 in the PZL works. Ordered by the Ministry of Defence, it was specifically designed for the upcoming Challenge 1934 International Touring Aircraft Contest.
Design and development
The PZL.26 was a de ...
(5) and the Italian
Pallavicino PS-1
The Caproni PS.1, also known as the Pallavicino PS-1 and Caproni Ca.303, was an Italian four-seater sportsplane, designed and built specifically to compete in Challenge 1934, the European touring plane championships.
Design and development
The ...
(2) or braced low-wing monoplanes: the Czechoslovak
Aero A.200 (2) and the Italian
Breda Ba.39 (2) and
Ba.42 (2). An exception were the basic aircraft of the Polish team - high-wing braced monoplanes
RWD-9
The RWD 9 was a Polish sports plane of 1934, constructed by the RWD team.
Development
The aircraft was a further development of the RWD 6 - the winner of the ''IIIrd Challenge de Tourisme International'' Challenge 1932 international tourist airc ...
(7), one of which was also flown by the Czechoslovak crew, and the Puss Moth. Of those, the Bf 108 and PS-1 had a retractable
landing gear
Landing gear is the undercarriage of an aircraft or spacecraft that is used for takeoff or landing. For aircraft it is generally needed for both. It was also formerly called ''alighting gear'' by some manufacturers, such as the Glenn L. Martin ...
.
The German aircraft had starting numbers from a range 12-26, the Italian 41-46, the Czechoslovak 51-54 and the Polish 61-81: the numbers were placed on the fuselage in a black square frame.
Technical trials
On August 29 the technical evaluation of the competing aircraft's construction started. Since it was a tourist aircraft contest, features such as a comfortable cabin with a good view, the presence of the third and fourth seats, seats placed side-by-side, a comprehensive set of controls, ease and time of engine starting, ease of wings' folding, safety devices and modern construction with the use of metal were awarded points. The view was evaluated by placing a lamp in the cabin while the aircraft was in a dark hangar and examining light area. All the German aircraft, two Italian and the Puss Moth exceeded the empty weight limit of and had to have some unnecessary parts removed. The first technical trial to be completed was a quick engine starting, carried on 31 August-1 September. Most aircraft scored the maximum 24 points in it.
Technical evaluation lasted until September 4, and the most points were given to the
Bf 108s (450-452 pts),followed by the
Pallavicino PS-1
The Caproni PS.1, also known as the Pallavicino PS-1 and Caproni Ca.303, was an Italian four-seater sportsplane, designed and built specifically to compete in Challenge 1934, the European touring plane championships.
Design and development
The ...
(438 pts), the
Fi 97s (428-431 pts), the
Aero A.200 (429 pts) and the
RWD-9
The RWD 9 was a Polish sports plane of 1934, constructed by the RWD team.
Development
The aircraft was a further development of the RWD 6 - the winner of the ''IIIrd Challenge de Tourisme International'' Challenge 1932 international tourist airc ...
(427 pts). The other scores were:
Klemm Kl 36
The Klemm Kl 36 is a 1930s German four-seat cabin touring and competition monoplane. It was designed by Klemm and Friedrich Fechner and built by Klemm.
History Development
Following the success of the 3-seat touring plane Klemm Kl 32 in the E ...
- 394-407 pts,
PZL.26
PZL.26 was a Polish sports plane built in 1934 in the PZL works. Ordered by the Ministry of Defence, it was specifically designed for the upcoming Challenge 1934 International Touring Aircraft Contest.
Design and development
The PZL.26 was a de ...
- 383 pts,
Puss Moth - 373 pts and Bredas - 323-346 pts.
On September 3–4 there was a short take off trial, which required the crews to fly over an high barrier. The best performer was the Czechoslovak Vojtěch Žáček, taking off from the closest distance of (Aero A.200), then Jerzy Bajan (RWD-9) and
Ján Ambruš with the second A.200. The Polish RWD-9s and PZL.26s and the German Fi 97s also performed well, while the Italians and most other German aircraft appeared inferior, with results above . For comparison, the best result from the previous Challenge was .
After the technical evaluation and the short take-off trial, on September 4 the leaders were the Germans flying Bf 108s:
Theo Osterkamp
Theodor "Theo" Osterkamp (15 April 1892 – 2 January 1975) was a German fighter pilot during World War I and World War II. A flying ace, he achieved 32 victories in World War I. In World War II, he led ''Jagdgeschwader'' 51 up to the Battle of B ...
(597 points),
Werner Junck
Werner Junck (28 December 1895 – 6 August 1976) was a German general in the Luftwaffe during World War II and commander of Fliegerführer Irak. He claimed five aerial victories during World War I.
Origin
Werner Junck was born in Magdeburg, th ...
(596 points) and Otto Brindlinger (594 points), then Vojtěch Žáček (A.200, 594 points), Jerzy Bajan (RWD-9, 591 points) and
Ján Ambruš (A.200, 591 points), then German Fi 97s and Polish RWD-9s.
Next, on September 4–5, followed a short landing trial, behind an 8-m high barrier. The best result, (210 points) was achieved by
Hans Seidemann
__NOTOC__
Hans Seidemann (18 January 1901 – 21 December 1967) was a German general during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves of Nazi Germany.
From April 1928 to October 1929, Seidemann was ...
(Fi 97). In the first ten scores there were other Fieselers, the Polish RWD-9s and PZL.26s and MacPherson's Puss Moth. The Czechoslovak A.200s had the worst results, above , along with Bredas and Bf 108s. The best result from the previous Challenge was .
A fuel consumption trial on a closed circuit was held on September 5. The best were three
Bf 108s, scoring 86-95 pts, then five Poles with 73-79 points. Quite good results were scored by the Italians, while the German Fi 97s and Kl 36s and the Czechoslovaks were worst in this trial.
After further trials had been completed, on September 5 the leaders of a general classification changed and remained similar until the end of this part. Leaders were: Jerzy Bajan (RWD-9S, 875 pts), Tadeusz Karpiński (RWD-9S, 856 pts),
Hans Seidemann
__NOTOC__
Hans Seidemann (18 January 1901 – 21 December 1967) was a German general during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves of Nazi Germany.
From April 1928 to October 1929, Seidemann was ...
(Fi 97, 850 pts), Gerhard Hubrich (Fi 97, 848 pts), Stanisław Płonczyński (RWD-9, 844 pts), then Karl Francke (Bf 108), Jan Buczyński (RWD-9),
Wolf Hirth
Wolfram Kurt Erhard Hirth (28 February 1900 – 25 July 1959) was a German gliding pioneer and sailplane designer. He was a co-founder of Schempp-Hirth, still a renowned glider manufacturer.Segelflugbildkalendar 2011
Hirth was born in Stuttgart, ...
(Fi 97), Szczepan Grzeszczyk (PZL.26).
A minimal speed trial started on August 31, but it had to be continued on September 2 due to weather and some crews completed it only on September 6. The Pole
Jerzy Bajan
Jerzy Bajan (4 May 1901 – 27 June 1967) was a prominent Polish sports and military aviator, winner of the Challenge 1934 contest.
Early military career
He was born in Lemberg, Austria-Hungary ( pl, Lwów; now Lviv, Ukraine). After Poland rega ...
flying the
RWD-9
The RWD 9 was a Polish sports plane of 1934, constructed by the RWD team.
Development
The aircraft was a further development of the RWD 6 - the winner of the ''IIIrd Challenge de Tourisme International'' Challenge 1932 international tourist airc ...
was the slowest with a speed of . Good results below 60 km/h were obtained by the other RWD-9s, the Czechoslovaks and the German Kl 36s and Fi 97s; the worst were Italian Bredas - above 75 km/h, what was not scored (a new device - slots in wings fitted in Bredas, proved useless in practice).
On September 1 there was a trial of quick folding of wings, which was a feature to save space in hangars. Also the aircraft dimensions and the way of folding were awarded points. The trial was completed only on September 6, and first 7 results were of RWD-9s with 36 points, followed by four Italians.
One German and one Italian crews damaged their aircraft during technical trials (Bf 108 and PS-1) and had to retire. It was however the best ratio of crews to complete the technical trials of all Challenges. Generally, top places were taken by RWD-9s and Fi 97s, while Bf 108s, Kl 36s and PZL.26s proved average, and Italian machines closed a list with 559-801 points.
Rally over Europe
The second part of the Challenge was a 9537.4 km rally over Europe and northern Africa, on a path:
Warsaw
Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officia ...
-
Königsberg
Königsberg (, ) was the historic Prussian city that is now Kaliningrad, Russia. Königsberg was founded in 1255 on the site of the ancient Old Prussian settlement ''Twangste'' by the Teutonic Knights during the Northern Crusades, and was named ...
-
Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...
-
Köln -
Brussels
Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
-
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
-
Bordeaux
Bordeaux ( , ; Gascon oc, Bordèu ; eu, Bordele; it, Bordò; es, Burdeos) is a port city on the river Garonne in the Gironde department, Southwestern France. It is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the prefectur ...
-
Pau -
Madrid
Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...
-
Seville
Seville (; es, Sevilla, ) is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the River Guadalquivir, in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula ...
-
Casablanca
Casablanca, also known in Arabic as Dar al-Bayda ( ar, الدَّار الْبَيْضَاء, al-Dār al-Bayḍāʾ, ; ber, ⴹⴹⴰⵕⵍⴱⵉⴹⴰ, ḍḍaṛlbiḍa, : "White House") is the largest city in Morocco and the country's econom ...
-
Meknes
Meknes ( ar, مكناس, maknās, ; ber, ⴰⵎⴽⵏⴰⵙ, amknas; french: Meknès) is one of the four Imperial cities of Morocco, located in northern central Morocco and the sixth largest city by population in the kingdom. Founded in the 11th c ...
-
Sidi Bel Abbes
''Sidi'' or ''Sayidi'', also Sayyidi and Sayeedi, ( ar, سيدي, Sayyīdī, Sīdī (dialectal) "milord") is an Arabic masculine title of respect. ''Sidi'' is used often to mean "saint" or "my master" in Maghrebi Arabic and Egyptian Arabic. Wi ...
-
Algiers
Algiers ( ; ar, الجزائر, al-Jazāʾir; ber, Dzayer, script=Latn; french: Alger, ) is the capital and largest city of Algeria. The city's population at the 2008 Census was 2,988,145Census 14 April 2008: Office National des Statistiques ...
(stage waypoint) -
Biskra
Biskra ( ar, بسكرة ; ; Latin Vescera) is the capital city of Biskra Province, Algeria. In 2007, its population was recorded as 307,987. Biskra is located in northeastern Algeria, about 248 miles (400 km) from Algiers, 71 miles (115&nbs ...
-
Tunis
''Tounsi'' french: Tunisois
, population_note =
, population_urban =
, population_metro = 2658816
, population_density_km2 =
, timezone1 = CET
, utc_offset1 ...
-
Palermo
Palermo ( , ; scn, Palermu , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital (political), capital of both the autonomous area, autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan ...
-
Naples
Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...
-
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
-
Rimini
Rimini ( , ; rgn, Rémin; la, Ariminum) is a city in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy and capital city of the Province of Rimini. It sprawls along the Adriatic Sea, on the coast between the rivers Marecchia (the ancient ''Ariminu ...
-
Zagreb
Zagreb ( , , , ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slop ...
-
Vienna
en, Viennese
, iso_code = AT-9
, registration_plate = W
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code =
, timezone = CET
, utc_offset = +1
, timezone_DST ...
-
Brno
Brno ( , ; german: Brünn ) is a city in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. Located at the confluence of the Svitava and Svratka rivers, Brno has about 380,000 inhabitants, making it the second-largest city in the Czech Republic ...
-
Prague
Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate ...
-
Katowice
Katowice ( , , ; szl, Katowicy; german: Kattowitz, yi, קאַטעוויץ, Kattevitz) is the capital city of the Silesian Voivodeship in southern Poland and the central city of the Upper Silesian metropolitan area. It is the 11th most popul ...
-
Lwów
Lviv ( uk, Львів) is the largest city in western Ukraine, and the seventh-largest in Ukraine, with a population of . It serves as the administrative centre of Lviv Oblast and Lviv Raion, and is one of the main cultural centres of Ukraine ...
-
Wilno
Vilnius ( , ; see also #Etymology and other names, other names) is the capital and List of cities in Lithuania#Cities, largest city of Lithuania, with a population of 592,389 (according to the state register) or 625,107 (according to the munic ...
- Warsaw. There were also 8 checkpoints, among others, in
Tanger
Tangier ( ; ; ar, طنجة, Ṭanja) is a city in northwestern Morocco. It is on the Moroccan coast at the western entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar, where the Mediterranean Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Spartel. The town is the cap ...
,
Messina
Messina (, also , ) is a harbour city and the capital of the Italian Metropolitan City of Messina. It is the third largest city on the island of Sicily, and the 13th largest city in Italy, with a population of more than 219,000 inhabitants in ...
and
Castelfranco Veneto
Castelfranco Veneto ( vec, Casteło) is a town and ''comune'' of Veneto, northern Italy, in the province of Treviso, by rail from the town of Treviso. It is approximately inland from Venice.
History
The town originates from a castle built here ...
. The route was far longer and more difficult, than in previous contests. Awarded were, first of all, a cruise speed on a whole track, then a regularity of flight. Three nights apart from appointed airfields or a cruise speed below 130 km/h caused disqualification.
The rally started on September 7, in rain, between 5 and 5.30 am. The Bf 108s could take advantage of their speed and were first to reach
Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...
. That day 24 fastest crews reached
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
, flying 1752.4 km (10 Poles, 8 Germans, 3 Czechoslovaks and 3 Italians). The German Wolfgang Stein (Kl 36) and the Italian team's captain
Ambrogio Colombo
Ambrogio Colombo (born 6 May 1940) is an Italian racing cyclist. He rode in the 1965 Tour de France
The 1965 Tour de France was the 52nd edition of the Tour de France, one of cycling's Grand Tours. It took place between 22 June and 14 July, wi ...
(Ba-42) had to land and quit due to engine faults. Several crews had similar problems, but managed to repair them.
On the next day, many crews, who started early, especially flying Bf 108s, had problems with locating an airfield in
Bordeaux
Bordeaux ( , ; Gascon oc, Bordèu ; eu, Bordele; it, Bordò; es, Burdeos) is a port city on the river Garonne in the Gironde department, Southwestern France. It is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the prefectur ...
due to heavy fog and had forced landings, lowering their cruise speed (on that occasion,
Theo Osterkamp
Theodor "Theo" Osterkamp (15 April 1892 – 2 January 1975) was a German fighter pilot during World War I and World War II. A flying ace, he achieved 32 victories in World War I. In World War II, he led ''Jagdgeschwader'' 51 up to the Battle of B ...
and Gerhard Hubrich had problems with the local police). One Klemm Kl 36 was damaged during a forced landing and had to withdraw (Ernst Krüger). Most - 14 crews reached
Seville
Seville (; es, Sevilla, ) is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the River Guadalquivir, in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula ...
that day, 9 stayed in
Madrid
Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...
, while last two crews remained in
Bordeaux
Bordeaux ( , ; Gascon oc, Bordèu ; eu, Bordele; it, Bordò; es, Burdeos) is a port city on the river Garonne in the Gironde department, Southwestern France. It is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the prefectur ...
, including Stanisław Płonczyński (RWD-9). Two Poles (Andrzej Włodarkiewicz and Szczepan Grzeszczyk on PZL.26s) reached as far, as
Casablanca
Casablanca, also known in Arabic as Dar al-Bayda ( ar, الدَّار الْبَيْضَاء, al-Dār al-Bayḍāʾ, ; ber, ⴹⴹⴰⵕⵍⴱⵉⴹⴰ, ḍḍaṛlbiḍa, : "White House") is the largest city in Morocco and the country's econom ...
(3715.2 km).
On September 9 all crews, that remained in the rally, reached Africa, with Andrzej Włodarkiewicz and three Bf 108s being in the lead. 18 crews reached
Algiers
Algiers ( ; ar, الجزائر, al-Jazāʾir; ber, Dzayer, script=Latn; french: Alger, ) is the capital and largest city of Algeria. The city's population at the 2008 Census was 2,988,145Census 14 April 2008: Office National des Statistiques ...
that day (9 Poles, 6 Germans and 3 Czechs), flying 4774 km in total. Last two crews reached
Meknes
Meknes ( ar, مكناس, maknās, ; ber, ⴰⵎⴽⵏⴰⵙ, amknas; french: Meknès) is one of the four Imperial cities of Morocco, located in northern central Morocco and the sixth largest city by population in the kingdom. Founded in the 11th c ...
, including Stanisław Płonczyński. Several crews withdrew that day:
Fritz Morzik
__NOTOC__
Friedrich-Wilhelm Morzik (10 December 1891 – 17 June 1985) was a general in the Luftwaffe of Nazi Germany during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.
Morzik was a winner in the first Internat ...
(the winner of 1929 and 1930 Challenges, flying Kl 36) had three forced landings before Algiers due to a fuel pump fault, also Szczepan Grzeszczyk's PZL.26's engine failed and he had a forced landing before
Sidi Bel Abbes
''Sidi'' or ''Sayidi'', also Sayyidi and Sayeedi, ( ar, سيدي, Sayyīdī, Sīdī (dialectal) "milord") is an Arabic masculine title of respect. ''Sidi'' is used often to mean "saint" or "my master" in Maghrebi Arabic and Egyptian Arabic. Wi ...
. Other German Kraft Eberhard (Kl 36) withdrew in Spain due to wing damage, the Pole Tadeusz Karpiński (RWD-9) quit in Seville because of low cruise speed, and one Italian quit because of illness (Pierro de Angeli). On September 10 the rest reached Algiers, and thus 24 crews completed the first part of the rally. The Pole Stefan Florjanowicz (RWD-9) had to withdraw there due to engine fault.
The contestants left Algiers on September 11, after a rest, and 23 crews reached
Tunis
''Tounsi'' french: Tunisois
, population_note =
, population_urban =
, population_metro = 2658816
, population_density_km2 =
, timezone1 = CET
, utc_offset1 ...
that day. On September 12, the crews left for
Palermo
Palermo ( , ; scn, Palermu , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital (political), capital of both the autonomous area, autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan ...
, over the
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the ea ...
. The flight was secured by the Italian Navy and the French floatplanes. 22 crews reached
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
that day, one Italian pilot withdrew due to engine damage.
On September 13 the weather was bad, but all but two crews reached
Prague
Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate ...
(7924 km). The fastest that day was
Theo Osterkamp
Theodor "Theo" Osterkamp (15 April 1892 – 2 January 1975) was a German fighter pilot during World War I and World War II. A flying ace, he achieved 32 victories in World War I. In World War II, he led ''Jagdgeschwader'' 51 up to the Battle of B ...
(Bf 108), but other two Bf 108 pilots had forced landings near
Trieste
Trieste ( , ; sl, Trst ; german: Triest ) is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is the capital city, and largest city, of the autonomous region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, one of two autonomous regions which are not subdivided into provi ...
due to weather and spent night at
Zagreb
Zagreb ( , , , ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slop ...
, what lowered their cruise speed.
On September 14, sixteen crews finished in Warsaw, greeted by crowds, the first was the Pole Ignacy Giedgowd (PZL-26). Among them were five Poles, six Germans, three Czechoslovaks and two Italians. That day, the fastest Polish pilot Andrzej Włodarkiewicz (PZL-26) had to land near
Tarnów
Tarnów () is a city in southeastern Poland with 105,922 inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of 269,000 inhabitants. The city is situated in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship since 1999. From 1975 to 1998, it was the capital of the Tarnów ...
before
Lwów
Lviv ( uk, Львів) is the largest city in western Ukraine, and the seventh-largest in Ukraine, with a population of . It serves as the administrative centre of Lviv Oblast and Lviv Raion, and is one of the main cultural centres of Ukraine ...
and withdrew due to engine fault, also Walter MacPherson (Puss Moth) dropped out for the same reason before Lwów.
On September 15 last three crews reached Warsaw (
Werner Junck
Werner Junck (28 December 1895 – 6 August 1976) was a German general in the Luftwaffe during World War II and commander of Fliegerführer Irak. He claimed five aerial victories during World War I.
Origin
Werner Junck was born in Magdeburg, th ...
and Karl Francke flying Bf 108s and Piotr Dudziński flying PZL.26). The last to drop out was Jan Balcer (PZL.26) due to a compressor damage, before
Wilno
Vilnius ( , ; see also #Etymology and other names, other names) is the capital and List of cities in Lithuania#Cities, largest city of Lithuania, with a population of 592,389 (according to the state register) or 625,107 (according to the munic ...
. Fritz Morzik (Kl 36), Tadeusz Karpiński (RWD-9) and Andrzej Włodarkiewicz (PZL.26) finished that day in Warsaw, after repairing their aircraft, flying off the contest.
Only 19 crews out of 32 completed the rally. The only team to finish complete was the Czechoslovak one; apart from their A.200s, only all Fieseler Fi 97s completed the contest. In spite of highest maximum cruise speeds, the results of fastest Bf 108s was hampered by low cruise speeds in other stages of the rally. Best results were obtained by pilots who managed to maintain a good cruise speed during the whole rally. All participants who completed the rally, scored maximal number of 160 points for regularity, spending nights on appointed airfields only.
After the technical trials and the race, Jerzy Bajan held first place in the general classification with 1855 points, with Stanisław Płonczyński in second with 1821 pts, Hans Seidemann in third with 1813 pts, followed by two Czechoslovaks, Slovak
Ján Ambruš (1795 pts) and Czech Jan Anderle (1770 pts). Bf 108 pilots were 12th (
Werner Junck
Werner Junck (28 December 1895 – 6 August 1976) was a German general in the Luftwaffe during World War II and commander of Fliegerführer Irak. He claimed five aerial victories during World War I.
Origin
Werner Junck was born in Magdeburg, th ...
- 1733 pts), 13th (
Theo Osterkamp
Theodor "Theo" Osterkamp (15 April 1892 – 2 January 1975) was a German fighter pilot during World War I and World War II. A flying ace, he achieved 32 victories in World War I. In World War II, he led ''Jagdgeschwader'' 51 up to the Battle of B ...
- 1729 pts) and 15th (Karl Francke - 1715 pts).
Maximum speed trial
The last part of the Challenge was a maximum speed trial, on a 297 km triangular course. The trial was carried out on Sunday, September 16, from 4 pm, at the Mokotowskie airfield in Warsaw.
Due to a
handicapping
Handicapping, in sport and games, is the practice of assigning advantage through scoring compensation or other advantage given to different contestants to equalize the chances of winning. The word also applies to the various methods by which th ...
system, contestants took off in order of general classification, with proper intervals, and a number of points given in the speed trial meant, that the first on the finishing line would be the winner of the contest. Each km/h above 210 km/h was awarded with one point.
The fastest were three German Bf 108s, with Theo Osterkamp at the lead (291 km/h). Next three places were taken by the Polish RWD-9s: Stanisław Płonczyński, Jan Buczyński, Jerzy Bajan and Henryk Skrzypiński, the later ex eaquo with Hans Seidemann (Fi 97). The Pole Ignacy Giedgowd (PZL.26) and the Italian Ernesto Sanzin (Ba-39S) had to land due to engine faults and scored 0 points.
Bf 108s managed to improve their positions, but first four places in general classification have not changed. The first contestants arrived in order: Bajan - Płonczyński - Seidemann - Ambruz - Osterkamp - Junck.
Results
![Bajan-Pilsudski-Pokrzywka](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b5/Bajan-Pilsudski-Pokrzywka.jpg)
A closing ceremony was held soon after the maximum speed test on September 16. The winners were the Polish crew of pilot
Jerzy Bajan
Jerzy Bajan (4 May 1901 – 27 June 1967) was a prominent Polish sports and military aviator, winner of the Challenge 1934 contest.
Early military career
He was born in Lemberg, Austria-Hungary ( pl, Lwów; now Lviv, Ukraine). After Poland rega ...
and mechanic Gustaw Pokrzywka. Their success was not only a result of their aviation skills, but also of the technical features of their Polish-designed
RWD-9
The RWD 9 was a Polish sports plane of 1934, constructed by the RWD team.
Development
The aircraft was a further development of the RWD 6 - the winner of the ''IIIrd Challenge de Tourisme International'' Challenge 1932 international tourist airc ...
. Due to their victory, Poland had a right to organize the next Challenge in 1936, but it decided not to, because of financial reasons. The FAI proposed that other countries organize the contest, but Germany, Italy and France declined. The 1934 Challenge remained the last Challenge and the
Polish Aero Club
Aeroklub Polski (AP; ''Polish Aero Club'') is the Polish central association of persons practising air sports or recreational flying. It was founded in 1921 and is a member of the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale. It has a headquarters in ...
was given a right to retain a transitory cup.
See also
*
Challenge 1929
The Challenge 1929 was the first FAI International Tourist Plane Contest (french: Challenge International de Tourisme), that took place between August 4 and August 16, 1929 in Paris, France. Four Challenges, from 1929 to 1934, were major aviation ...
*
Challenge 1930 The International Touring Competition in 1930 (french: Challenge International de Tourisme) was the second FAI international touring aircraft contest, that took place between July 18 and August 8, 1930 in Berlin, Germany. Four Challenges, from 1929 ...
*
Challenge 1932 The Challenge 1932 was the third FAI International Tourist Plane Competition (french: Challenge International de Tourisme), that took place between 12 and August 28, 1932 in Berlin, Germany. The four Challenges, from 1929 to 1934, were major aviat ...
References
*Marian Krzyżan: "Międzynarodowe turnieje lotnicze 1929-1934", Warsaw 1988, {{ISBN, 83-206-0637-3 (Polish language)
External links
Photos
1934 in sports
Aviation competitions and awards
1934 in Polish sport
20th century in Warsaw
Aviation history of Poland