#0787 'Comet over Palmyra'

De Havilland DH88,
MacPherson Air Race, London to Sidney 1934, winner, Grosvenor House,
flying over Palmyra Valley, Syria.

The De Havilland Aircraft Company built a total of 127 aircraft from 1915 to 1959. The DH.88 Comet, which took off on its maiden flight on September 8, 1934, was one of the outstanding examples. It was specially built for the "Victorian Centennary Air Race". Desperate for victory in the air race to go to Britain, Geoffrey de Havilland offered to build a £5000 raceplane in newspaper advertisements. That
"MacRobertson Air Race" started on October 20, 1934 - just about 40 days after the DH.88's first flight. It took the participants from Mildenhall in England to Melbourne in Australia. The Royal Aero Club set the distance at 18,200 km, and offered 27 bases along the way for refueling. Some airfields even had to be expanded for the race. 60,000 people witnessed the launch. The participants and their flying machines came mainly from England, Australia and the USA. Jim Mollison and Amy Johnson competed in the Black Comet - both well known aviators and record breakers - a well known Commonwealth dream couple. The "Black Magic" led the race to Karachi - but the dream couple had to let the two aircraft engines and their dream of winning the race burst during an unscheduled stop in Jobbolpore (India) due to the supply of inferior petrol. On the co-favourite, three-engine Pander S4 "Panderjager" of the Dutch pilots Geysendorffer, Asjes and Pronk, an engine was destroyed during the landing in Allahabad - which also eliminated them. The Dutch Douglas DC-2 "Uiver" was often in second place over four days of racing. Parmentier, Moll, van Brugge and Prins were only about eight hours behind the leading red Comet in their DC-2 in Singapore. In the end, however, the "Grosvenor House" Comet with CWA Scott and T. Campbell Black had a lead of more than 18 hours. They reached after
71 hours first Melbourne and won. Followed by the US crew Turner/Pangborn/Nichols with their Being 247-D, which reached the finish line after 92 hours and 55 minutes.