King's Cup Race

The King's Cup Race is an annual British handicapped cross-country air race, first contested on the 8th September 1922. The event was only open to British pilots, but this did include members of the Commonwealth. ["Encyclopedia of Sport", Charles Harvey (ed.) - Purnell & Sons 1959]

The event was established by King George V as an incentive to the development of light aircraft and engine design. The first race was a 810 mile contest from Croydon Aerodrome, south of London to Glasgow, Scotland and back again after an overnight stop. The winner of the first race was Frank Barnard, chief pilot of the Instone Air Line, in a passenger-carrying De Havilland. [ [http://www.airrace.com/ConciseHist.htm Concise History ] ]

There were no races during World War II (1939-45), and the contest did not resume until 1949. The race was abandoned in 1951 due to bad weather.

Winners

'*' As of 1961 the aircraft allowed to enter could be designed outside Great Britain and the Commonwealth of Nations.

External links

* [http://www.airrace.com/ConciseHist.htm] Society of Air Racing Historians

References