[MOC] Schneider Trophy - Macchi M.39 (Hampton Roads 1926)

[Hod Carrier]

<-- Curtiss R3C-2 (Baltimore 1925)

The USA had inflicted two crushing defeats on the European nations to win the Schneider Trophy twice in successive contests. Now they, like Italy before, were in the position to take permanent possession of the Trophy if only they could win the next race at Hampton Roads on Chesapeake Bay.

The Europeans were scrambling to catch up and made suggestions for rule changes in an effort to level the playing field. The British wanted a postponement until 1927, arguing that the annual cycle of events did not give enough time to develop high-speed aircraft, while the French and Italians argued for 400kg of ballast to be carried by all competitors. Both suggestions were rejected.

The result of this was that there would be no entries from either France or Britain, despite plenty of patriotic fervour in British aviation circles and persistent rumours of world record beating designs from Short and Supermarine. However, over in Italy, new fascist dictator Benito Mussolini had sensed an opportunity to show that fascism could achieve the impossible and was getting behind his country’s aviation industry, declaring that the Schneider Trophy must be won at all costs.

To attempt to defend the Schneider Trophy, the Americans fielded a team of Curtiss R3Cs, along with a float-mounted Curtiss F6C-3 Hawk biplane fighter powered by a 520hp Curtiss D-12 engine in reserve. Two of the R3Cs received new engines, one a 685hp Curtiss V-1550 (R3C-4) and the other a 650hp Packard 2A-1500 (R3C-3), while the third retained the 565hp Curtiss V-1400 from the previous year (R3C-2). Tragedy struck when team pilots, Marine Corps Lt. H. Norton and Navy Lt. F. Conant, were both killed in separate accidents.

By contrast, the Italian entry was a bold step forward. Instead of a biplane design, the Macchi M.39 was a monoplane. Mario Castoldi, Macchi’s technical director and designer, had attended the 1925 Schneider Trophy and, through observation and questioning, absorbed a lot of what was good (and bad) about the designs used that year and incorporated them into his design. Like the winning aircraft from Curtiss, his design would have a small frontal area and wing surface radiators for cooling to give maximum streamlining in the pursuit of speed.

The intention had been to acquire Curtiss V-1400 engines, but this had been blocked by the USA. Consequently, it fell to FIAT to get the required power from one of their own designs, the FIAT AS.2 which managed to develop an impressive 800hp. A total of five aircraft were built, three as racers and two with longer wingspan as trainers. The Italian team suffered its own tragedy when team commandant, the Marchese Vittorio Centurione, was killed flying one of the M.39 trainers.

Attrition during the contest was remarkably low. In spite of technical difficulties and damage caused by mishaps, all three aircraft in both teams were able to compete. The first casualty came in the form of the Packard powered Curtiss R3C-3, which stalled on alighting and ended up inverted in the water. Fortunately, its pilot, Navy Lt. William Tomlinson, was unhurt and could return to shore to take the reserve F6C-3 Hawk instead.

The race between the Macchis and, in particular, the R3C-4 flown by Schneider Trophy veteran, Navy Lt. George Cuddihy, was close throughout. The Italian challenge weakened slightly when the M.39 of Capt. Arturo Ferrarin dropped out due to a fractured oil pipe, but in truth the leading competitors were also feeling the pace. Maj. Mario de Bernardi decided to gain height to improve engine cooling while Cuddihy’s R3C-4 was suffering fuel starvation due to a partial fuel pump failure, but entering the final lap the contest could have been won by either of them.

In the end, the matter was decided when the Curtiss R3C-4 succumbed on the final lap and the race was won by Maj. de Bernardi. The undeveloped Curtiss R3C-2 still running to the previous year’s specification and flown by Lt. Christian Schilt, finished second ahead of the remaining Macchi M.39 flown by Lt. Adriano Bacula. To underline just how far racing aircraft had advanced beyond the capabilities of the military designs of the day, Lt. Tomlinson finished a distant fourth in the F6C-3 Hawk recording an average speed 110mph slower than the winning Macchi. The wishes of Il Duce to win the Schneider Trophy had been met at the first attempt, and the Italian team could celebrate with the Chianti that they had reputedly smuggled into the United States in the fuel tank of one of their aircraft to beat Prohibition restrictions on alcohol.

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Supermarine S.5 (Venice 1927) -->

Edited April 14 by Hod Carrier