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Victor Smith in Miles M5 Sparrowhawk G-AELT starting off
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Victor Smith in Miles M5 Sparrowhawk G-AELT starting off
Victor Smith in Miles M5 Sparrowhawk, G-AELT, starting off from Portsmouth Airport for the Schlesinger Race to Johannesburg, 29 September 1936. Date: 1936
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Media ID 9903765
© The Royal Aeronautical Society (National Aerospace Library) / Mary Evans Picture Library
Airport Johannesburg Miles Portsmouth Schlesinger Sparrowhawk Starting Victor 1936 Smith
EDITORS COMMENTS
In this photograph, Victor Smith is seen standing next to his Miles M5 Sparrowhawk aircraft, registration number G-AELT, as it prepares for takeoff at Portsmouth Airport. The date is September 29, 1936, and Smith is about to embark on an epic journey to Johannesburg, South Africa, for the Schlesinger Race. The Schlesinger Race was a long-distance air race that attracted aviators from around the world, and the Miles M5 Sparrowhawk was a popular choice for its speed and agility. Designed by Frederick Handley Page and first flown in 1934, the Sparrowhawk was a single-engine, two-seat monoplane that could reach impressive speeds of up to 200 miles per hour. Victor Smith was a skilled aviator with a reputation for pushing the limits of aviation technology. He had already set several records in the Sparrowhawk, including a transatlantic flight from England to Newfoundland in just 13 hours and 45 minutes. As Smith climbs into the cockpit of G-AELT, the engine roars to life, and the propeller begins to spin. The ground crew gives a final check of the aircraft, and Smith waves goodbye to the crowd that has gathered to see him off. The sun is setting over Portsmouth Harbor, casting a golden glow over the scene, as Smith and his Sparrowhawk disappear into the horizon, bound for Johannesburg and the Schlesinger Race. This photograph captures a moment of excitement and adventure in the history of aviation, as Victor Smith and his Miles M5 Sparrowhawk embark on a daring journey across the continent of Africa.
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