[MOC] Schneider Trophy - Supermarine S.6B (Calshot 1931)

[Hod Carrier]

<-- Supermarine S.6 (Calshot 1929)

Britain was now in a position to take permanent ownership of the Schneider Trophy, but it’s defence of the title nearly didn’t happen. Official reluctance from the RAF to further involvement in the contest, as well as the cost of staging the event in the economic aftermath of the Wall Street Crash, meant that the British Government decided it would not meet the costs of fielding a team, preferring to leave any entry to private enterprise. Even when three entries each were received from France and Italy, all of which were backed by their Governments, the British Government would not change its position, making clear that it would not release the specially trained RAF pilots from the recently disbanded High Speed Flight nor take steps to police the Solent over which the contest would take place. Matters were finally brought to a conclusion by Lady Lucy Houston, reputedly the wealthiest woman in Britain. She offered to sponsor the event up to £100,000 provided that the RAF pilots needed could be released. The Government assented to this, and the contest was saved.

All of this delay meant that Britain’s aircraft manufacturers only had nine months to build and prepare an entry for the next meeting at Calshot in 1931. Supermarine and Rolls-Royce had already been in discussion but, without funding, no substantive work had taken place. In the end, their efforts would be limited to improving their existing designs, as there was not enough time to develop an entirely new aircraft. What came out of this process was the Supermarine S.6B, a refinement of the previous S.6. Rolls-Royce had tuned the R engine to produce 2,300hp while Supermarine had updated and refined the airframe to improve aerodynamic efficiency and heat dissipation from the engine. Two new aircraft were built and the S.6s from 1929 were modified and brought up to the same standard and classified S.6A.

These considerations had not affected the French or Italians, who had been busy getting on with developing their designs in time for the contest. France continued to develop the designs that they had intended to enter for the 1929 event, but a series of accidents and technical setbacks meant that, once again, none of their entries were ready for the contest and they were forced to withdraw.

Meanwhile, in Italy, work had continued with some of the experimental types that had debuted at the previous Schneider Trophy meeting, but none of these were going to be entered for 1931. Instead, all hope had been pinned on a new design from Mario Castoldi’s Macchi concern. This was an ambitious design but one that would also not be ready in time due to difficulties with the engine, and so Italy also withdrew.

A request for a postponement was received but, due to the nature of the private sponsorship, it was not possible to grant one. Therefore, in order to claim the Schneider Trophy in perpetuity, all the British team needed to do was to fly the course. There had been no intention for the British team to race each other over the course, but rather to run one aircraft at a time and hold the others in reserve in case of failure. Should the last reserve aircraft not be needed it would be used to make an attempt on the world air speed record.

As it turned out, the reserves were not required. Without any competition, Flt Lt. John Boothman could make a careful and measured attempt in the first Supermarine S.6B, ensuring that the engine was not over-stressed, and completed the course to win the Schneider Trophy for Britain for the final time. Later that afternoon, Flt Lt. G. H. Stainforth used the second of the S.6Bs to set a world air speed record of 379.05mph.

Image from Wikimedia.

Postscript: The Italian Triplets -->

Edited April 14 by Hod Carrier