The King's Cup

air race Air racing is a type of motorsport that involves airplanes or other types of aircraft that compete over a fixed course, with the winner either returning the shortest time, the one to complete it with the most points, or to come closest to a prev ...

is a British

handicapped Disability is the experience of any condition that makes it more difficult for a person to do certain activities or have equitable access within a given society. Disabilities may be cognitive, developmental, intellectual, mental, physical, se ...

cross-country event, which has taken place annually since 1922. It is run by the Royal Aero Club Records Racing and Rally Association. The King's Cup is one of the most prestigious prizes of the British air racing season. The entrants are divided into classes, and each is evaluated and given a time handicap for the start of the race. They all take off at varying times according to their handicap, with the handicappers' aim being that they should all cross the finishing line at the same moment. The art of winning the race outright is therefore to beat the handicappers, rather than to make the fastest flight as such.

Alex Henshaw Alexander Adolphus Dumphries Henshaw, (7 November 1912 – 24 February 2007) was a British air racer in the 1930s and a test pilot for Vickers Armstrong during the Second World War. Early life Henshaw was born in Peterborough, the eldest son of ...

, ''The Flight of the Mew Gull'', Murray, 1980. p.95 The aircraft are also divided into classes, with a winner for each class as well as the outright winner.

History

Air-park-Sir Philip Sassoon presents the King's Cup to Win Brown July 1930

The King's Cup air race was established by

King George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936. Born during the reign of his grandmother Que ...

as an incentive to the development of

light aircraft A light aircraft is an aircraft that has a maximum gross takeoff weight of or less.Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Terms, third edition'', page 308. Aviation Supplies & Academics, 1997. Light aircraft are used as utility aircraft c ...

and

engine An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert one or more forms of energy into mechanical energy. Available energy sources include potential energy (e.g. energy of the Earth's gravitational field as exploited in hydroelectric power gen ...

design. Initially, it was open to

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with "republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the ...

pilots only. The first King's Cup air race took place on 8 September 1922. It covered a distance of 810 miles from

Croydon Aerodrome Croydon Airport (former ICAO code: EGCR) was the UK's only international airport during the interwar period. Located in Croydon, South London, England, it opened in 1920, built in a Neoclassical style, and was developed as Britain's main ai ...

, south of London, to

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

, Scotland and back again after an overnight stop. The winner of this first race was

Frank L. Barnard Franklyn Leslie Barnard (2 November 1896 – 28 July 1927) was a British pilot, who took part in 1920s air races and airline flights. He was also known as Captain F. L. Barnard. Early life Frank Barnard was born on 2 November 1896, the son of Ow ...

, chief pilot of the

Instone Air Line Instone Air Line was an early British airline from 1919 to 1924. Along with other private airlines of the time, it was absorbed into Imperial Airways. This airline is not to be confused with Instone Air Line (1981) of Stansted, which operated ...

, in a passenger-carrying

Airco DH.4 The Aircraft Manufacturing Company Limited (Airco) was an early British aircraft manufacturer. Established during 1912, it grew rapidly during the First World War, referring to itself as the largest aircraft company in the world by 1918. Ai ...

A. The 1939 race was cancelled due to the outbreak of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, and the contest did not resume until 1949. The 1951 race was abandoned due to bad weather. In 1953, there was a fatal mid-air collision at the King's Cup Air Race meeting at Southend Airport, in which John Crowther, a hotelier from the Marine Hotel, Tankerton, Kent, was killed. In 1961, for the first time, aircraft designed outside Great Britain and the Commonwealth of Nations were allowed to enter, after the 1960 race was won by a French designed but British built Druine Turbulent. Aircraft all-up-weight was limited to 12,500 lb, and the aircraft required to be British registered.Lewis 1971, p. 409 Along with the former

Schneider Trophy The Coupe d'Aviation Maritime Jacques Schneider, also known as the Schneider Trophy, Schneider Prize or (incorrectly) the Schneider Cup is a trophy that was awarded annually (and later, biennially) to the winner of a race for seaplanes and flying ...

, and the current British Air Racing Championship, the King's Cup is one of the most sought-after prizes of the air racing season.

Races and winners

:''Source: Royal Aero Club,''King's Cup Winners''
(link broken), The '3Rs' (Records Racing and Rally Association), Royal Aero Club].
Archive
taken February 2021) except where noted.

Notes

References

* Berliner, Don

Society of Air Racing Historians. 6 March 2013. (retrieved 4 May 2022). *Lewis, Peter. ''British Racing and Record-Breaking Aircraft''. London:Putnam, 1971. {{ISBN, 0-370-00067-6 *Tegler, John. ''International 1971 Air Racing Annual''. USARA.

External links

Royal Aero Club Records Racing and Rally Association

Pathe News Reel of the 1957 Air Race
Included is footage of winner F. Dunkerley. Air races