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238:, and was built as a dual-purpose or convertible plane, with some seats, and cargo doors. It carried the name "DR. IR. M.H. DAMME", together with "TRADE WINGS" behind the rear left door, and a large number "21" on each side. Dokter Ingenieur Marinus H. Damme was a Dutch engineer, aviation businessman and politician. DC-6 planes were called "Liftmaster" originally.
231:
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in an
Australian-built Canberra. The distance, by the route followed, was quoted as 12,270 miles (19,750 km), so that the speed in the air for all 5 jets was 544–548 miles per hour (875–882 km/h), with an average elapsed time (including intermediate stops) of 402 miles per hour
223:
91:
Section for commercial transport aircraft types. Each plane was allowed to select its own route, as long as it was generally south-east, and any necessary intermediate stops. Several planes dropped out before it started.
194:. To deal with the extra weight, the two PR3 planes' engines were tweaked to give more thrust, and larger main-wheel hubs and brakes fitted. The wingtip fuel tanks now seen on the displayed WE139 were added later.
95:
The 3 commercial propeller-driven planes took off at 5 minute intervals, starting at 16:30 GMT on
Thursday 8th October. The 5 military jet bombers followed at 5 minute intervals, starting at 17:35. The
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also took part. The
Viscount was fitted with extra fuel tanks in place of seats, enabling it to fly in 5 stages, as opposed to 8 for the DC-6; the Hastings had also expected to fly in 8 stages.
60:
in New
Zealand, and took place in October 1953 after Christchurch declared their airport as international in 1950. It was intended to mark the centenary of Christchurch, and 50 years since the
167:
and navigated by Flight
Lieutenant Don Gannon. The plane touched down at Christchurch (Harewood) Airport at 05:36 local time during a heavy storm, 41 minutes ahead of its closest rival, after
226:, which is sometimes confused with this one. Some widely circulated photographs, which claim to show the Douglas plane used for the race, actually show the same passengers departing from
833:
171:, including 83 minutes on the ground; to this day, the record has not been broken. The Harewood Gold Cup was awarded to the winners, and the prize of £10,000 was paid to the
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at the time. The
Handicap Section, rather than a race, was intended to be a trial based on a formula aimed at rewarding commercial efficiency over a long-haul route.
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257:(Ceylon) during a storm, causing the plane to withdraw from the race. The Hastings has been described as the world's last four-engine tail-wheel transport giant.
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115:, except the DC-6 (via Rome) and the Hastings (via Athens). After that, most of the routes were broadly similar, flying in almost a straight line via
915:
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KLM's
Douglas DC-6A was competitor "21" and carried a group of emigrants to New Zealand. Shown being displayed at London Airport before departure
775:
1100:. Scroll down for video; invents a Viscount stop at Athens, using Christchurch footage; then shows a non-race wingtip-tank/pod Canberra.
123:
and southern
Australia. Canberra number "1" even managed to fly past Cocos without stopping. However, the DC-6 flew further north, via
284:(Melbourne, Australia). However, its lack of passengers and cargo led to it being declared second for this Section, behind the DC-6.
222:
The
Douglas DC-6A carried 64 passengers, including many Dutch women emigrating to marry or join their husbands. There was a previous
40:, competitor "3", an RAF English Electric Canberra piloted by Flight Lieutenant Burton, shown at RAF Abingdon, now on display at the
32:
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had ended 4 days earlier, and New
Zealand didn't use it then. The starting time of the jets was delayed by an hour, to avoid a
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in the dark, about 24 hours later. Each plane was allowed 168 hours of elapsed time from the final plane's takeoff.
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International Air Race Council was formed in Christchurch in 1948 to plan the race, together with the British
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to BEA, with BEA livery applied, and named "R M A Endeavour", after Australian businessman and aviator
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Wing Commander Cuming's RAAF Canberra B20, competitor "4", during a refuelling stop at Colombo, Ceylon
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The prizes for each Section were the same: 1st £10,000; 2nd £3000; 3rd £1000; 4th £500. These are
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The Handley Page Hastings carried cargo for the New Zealand Air Force. After stopping at
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Competitor "22", RNZAF Handley Page Hastings at London Airport before the race
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route would have been a few hundred miles shorter, over Finland and Japan.
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Christchurch Video Camera Club, 1953 London to Christchurch Air Race, 1997
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52:, the "Last Great Air Race", was 12,300 miles (19,800 km) long, from
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Vickers Viscount in BEA markings at London Airport as competitor "23"
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British Pathe, London - Christchurch Air Race 1953, prizes awarded
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Withdrew in Ceylon with a failed engine; handicap allowance was
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or arriving in London, prior to the race, on a Douglas DC-6B,
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The Canberras were all fitted with extra fuel tanks in the
1052:(Refers to previous day as "today" and "this morning".)
87:. It was divided into an outright Speed Section, and a
916:"Flight Lieutenant Don Gannon | Times Online Obituary"
276:. It made 4 stops, averaging only 18 minutes each, at
260:The Vickers Viscount was loaned from the British
1023:"The Centenary Air Race, London To Christchurch"
834:"Christchurch City Council Archives CCC/ARC/700"
828:
826:
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883:"London - Christchurch Air Race Speed Section"
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846:
253:(Oman), an engine was ruined while landing at
869:"When is British Summer Time (BST) in force?"
537:No. 1 Long Range Flight Royal Aus. Air Force
212:which was declared the winner on handicap. A
8:
487:No. 1 Long Range Flight Royal Aus. Air Force
111:The planes flew direct from London to the
1139:October 1953 events in the United Kingdom
1088:British Pathe, 12,000 Mile Air Race 1953
582:
298:
820:
680:41 Squadron Royal New Zealand Air Force
854:"1953 London to Christchurch Air Race"
197:In the transport Handicap Section, a
7:
50:1953 London to Christchurch air race
918:. 18 September 2011. Archived from
1144:October 1953 events in New Zealand
175:. Second in the Speed Section was
58:Christchurch International Airport
25:
987:"Moscow is watching the air race"
224:Dutch "bride flight" in July 1952
1119:Air sports in the United Kingdom
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774:
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942:"BAC Canberra PR.3 WE139/8369M"
153:The Speed Section was won by a
565:Frozen nose wheel at Woomera (
204:finished first, followed by a
1:
1050:. 13 October 1953. p. 5.
1011:. 13 October 1953. p. 7.
444:540 Squadron Royal Air Force
400:540 Squadron Royal Air Force
1044:"Last Jet Finishes Air Race"
1032:. November 1953. p. 44.
993:. 3 October 1953. p. 9.
889:. 8 October 1953. p. 1.
347:540 Squadron Royal Air Force
184:No. 1 Long Range Flight RAAF
973:"Viscount extra fuel tanks"
232:as painted next to the door
214:Royal New Zealand Air Force
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839:. October 1953. p. 4.
135:and northern Australia. A
158:English Electric Canberra
56:(now London Heathrow) to
1009:The Chronicle (Adelaide)
1005:"Records Go In Air Race"
721:British European Airways
397:Flight Lieutenant Furze
379:Bad generator at Perth (
210:KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
64:' first powered flight.
1048:The Northern Star (NSW)
858:Shows the tally boards.
658:The "handicap" winner;
249:(near Basra, Iraq) and
121:Cocos (Keeling) Islands
100:was 12 hours ahead, as
18:The Last Great Air Race
905:London to Christchurch
811:was released in 2008.
752:No handicap deduction
676:Wing Commander Watson
483:Wing Commander Cuming
77:
45:
901:"Great Circle Mapper"
516:Burst tyre at Cocos (
280:, Negombo, Cocos and
266:Reginald Myles Ansett
234:. The race plane was
217:Handley Page Hastings
165:Roland (Monty) Burton
75:
35:
922:on 18 September 2011
887:The Queensland Times
726:Vickers Viscount 700
228:Schiphol (Amsterdam)
1129:1953 in New Zealand
1030:The Airpost Journal
991:The Mail (Adelaide)
684:Handley Page HP.95
472:The "speed" winner
173:RAF Benevolent Fund
102:British Summer Time
98:time in New Zealand
27:Last Great Air Race
947:. 2017. p. 1.
801:In popular culture
665:handicap deducted
438:Flight Lieutenant
262:Ministry of Supply
187:(647 km/h).
144:New Zealand pounds
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162:Flight Lieutenant
127:(West Pakistan),
16:(Redirected from
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1134:1953 in aviation
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68:Race description
36:The race winner
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160:PR.3 flown by
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540:Canberra B20
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491:Canberra B20
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1067:. Retrieved
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924:. Retrieved
920:the original
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808:Bride Flight
806:
804:
633:Douglas DC-6
610:Ground time
326:Ground time
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206:Douglas DC-6
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137:great circle
110:
106:photo finish
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37:
29:
926:29 February
288:Competitors
169:23 h 51 min
113:Middle East
1108:Categories
270:James Cook
245:(Greece),
81:Canterbury
44:in London
42:RAF Museum
1114:Air races
805:The film
601:Identity
598:Aircraft
595:Operator
317:Identity
314:Aircraft
311:Operator
192:bomb bays
180:Peter Raw
148:UK pounds
133:Indonesia
686:Hastings
543:A84-201
494:A84-202
352:Canberra
282:Essendon
272:'s ship
89:Handicap
730:G-AMAV
691:NZ5804
638:PH-TGA
589:Result
586:Number
305:Result
302:Number
278:Bahrain
255:Negombo
247:Shaibah
125:Karachi
1069:3 June
1065:. IMDb
748:12 min
740:40 min
663:30 min
652:About
648:57 min
604:Stops
592:Pilot
570:26 min
553:32 min
512:47 min
504:10 min
468:23 min
460:51 min
450:WE139
440:Burton
416:35 min
406:WE142
384:19 min
367:32 min
357:WH773
342:Hodges
320:Stops
308:Pilot
243:Athens
117:Ceylon
1026:(PDF)
945:(PDF)
837:(PDF)
815:Notes
613:Note
561:5 min
424:2 min
375:6 min
329:Note
208:A of
129:Burma
38:WE139
1071:2011
928:2020
737:40 h
705:35 h
660:44 h
645:49 h
550:24 h
518:55 h
509:57 h
501:80 h
457:23 h
413:24 h
381:12 h
372:13 h
364:35 h
354:PR7
48:The
745:1 h
711:23
688:C3
670:22
654:3 h
628:KLM
618:21
567:1 h
558:2 h
533:Raw
465:1 h
421:2 h
199:BEA
182:of
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1028:.
1007:.
989:.
885:.
845:^
823:^
733:4
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697:_
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641:7
635:A
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20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
