31-479: The Supermarine Sea Lion III was a British racing flying boat built by the Supermarine Aviation Works . Designed by Reginald Mitchell , it was a modification of Supermarine's Supermarine Sea Lion II . It was powered by a 550 hp (410 kW) Napier Lion engine. Sea Lion III was entered for the 1923 Schneider Trophy contest at Cowes . Supermarine's test pilot Henry Biard flew
62-623: A Douglas DC-7 , with one aircraft completing the circuit. In 2003, Red Bull created a series called the Red Bull Air Race World Championship , in which competitors flew individually between pairs of pylons, while performing prescribed manoeuvres. Usually held over water near large cities, the sport has attracted large crowds and renewed media interest in air racing. The inaugural season had stops in Austria and Hungary. In 2019, Red Bull decided not to continue
93-640: A pattern in English whereby SI units are pronounced with the stress on the first syllable (as in kilogram , kilojoule and kilohertz ) and the pronunciation of the actual base unit does not change irrespective of the prefix (as in centimetre , millimetre , nanometre and so on). It is generally preferred by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), and
124-576: A previously estimated time. The first 'heavier-than-air' air race was held on 23 May 1909 - the Prix de Lagatinerie , at the Port-Aviation airport south of Paris , France. Four pilots entered the race, two started, but nobody completed the full race distance; though this was not unexpected, as the rules specified that whoever travelled furthest would be the winner if no-one completed the race. Léon Delagrange , who covered slightly more than half of
155-650: A snapshot of the use of the kilometre across Europe: the kilometre was in use in the Netherlands and in Italy, and the myriametre was in use in France. In 1935, the International Committee for Weights and Measures (CIPM) officially abolished the prefix "myria-" and with it the "myriametre", leaving the kilometre as the recognised unit of length for measurements of that magnitude. The symbol km for
186-633: A specific type or design creates a competition that focuses on pilot skill. Air racing events such as the Reno air races, incorporate multiple classes or aircraft. These may be defined by the race organiser, or by a sanctioned group. Some air races are limited to a single class. Classes used at the Reno races are as follows: Kilometre The kilometre ( SI symbol: km ; / ˈ k ɪ l ə m iː t ər / or / k ɪ ˈ l ɒ m ə t ər / ), spelt kilometer in American and Philippine English ,
217-687: Is a unit of length in the International System of Units (SI), equal to one thousand metres ( kilo- being the SI prefix for 1000 ). It is the preferred measurement unit to express distances between geographical places on land in most of the world; notable exceptions are the United States and the United Kingdom where the statute mile is used. There are two common pronunciations for the word. The first pronunciation follows
248-550: Is even more obvious in countries that use the American spelling of the word metre . This pronunciation is irregular because it makes the kilometre the only SI unit with the stress on the second syllable. After Australia introduced the metric system in 1970, the first pronunciation was declared official by the government's Metric Conversion Board. However, the Australian prime minister at the time, Gough Whitlam , insisted that
279-778: The First World War , popular interest in aviation led to a large number of air races in Europe; including the 1911 Circuit of Europe race, the Daily Mail Circuit of Britain Air Race , and the Aerial Derby . In 1913 , the first Schneider Trophy seaplane race was held. When the competition was resumed after the war, it was significant in advancing aeroplane design , particularly in the fields of aerodynamics and engine design, and would show its results in
310-716: The Powder Puff Derby was established, running until 1977 . In 1934 , the MacRobertson Air Race from England to Australia took place, with the winning de Havilland Comet flown by C. W. A. Scott and Tom Campbell Black . In 1964 , Bill Stead , a Nevada rancher, pilot, and unlimited hydroplane racing champion, organised the first Reno Air Races at a small dirt strip called the Sky Ranch, located between Sparks, Nevada , and Pyramid Lake . The National Championship Air Races were soon moved to
341-508: The Reno Stead Airport , and have been held there every September since 1966 . The five-day event attracts around 200,000 people, and includes racing around courses marked out by pylons for six classes of aircraft: Unlimited, Formula One , Sport Biplane, AT-6, Sport, and Jet. It also features civil airshow acts, military flight demonstrations, and a large static aircraft display. Other promoters have run pylon racing events across
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#1732798358020372-495: The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). Many other users, particularly in countries where SI (the metric system) is not widely used, use the second pronunciation with stress on the second syllable. The second pronunciation follows the stress pattern used for the names of measuring instruments (such as micrometer , barometer , thermometer , tachometer, and speedometer ). The contrast
403-487: The Los Angeles Merchants and Manufacturers Association. William Randolph Hearst carried coverage of the event in his Los Angeles Examiner , and hired a hot air balloon with a promotional parse touting his newspaper. The event attracted 43 entrants, of which 16 appeared. It was there that aviation pioneer and military pilot Jimmy Doolittle , then thirteen, saw his first airplane. In the years before
434-755: The Red Bull Air Race World Championship. Aero GP has multiple aircraft racing together pik around pylons, and is based in Europe where it has held an air race each year since 2005 . In June of 2005 against all odds and extreme pressure from the Reno Air Race Association not to start another race, entrepreneur Jeff Landers, a Memphis native, organized the Tunica Air Races in Tunica, Mississippi with Unlimited, T-6, and Sport classes represented. After
465-803: The US and Canada, including races in Las Vegas, NV in 1965 , Lancaster, CA in 1965 and 1966, Mojave, California in 1970-71, and 1973–79; at Cape May, NJ in 1971, San Diego, CA in 1971, Miami, FL in 1973 and 1979, Moose Jaw , Saskatchewan in 1984; Hamilton Field, California , in 1988; at Dallas, TX in 1990, in Denver, CO in 1990 and 1992, in Kansas City in 1993, in Phoenix, Arizona in 1994 and 1995; and in Tunica, Mississippi in 2005. Numerous other venues across
496-527: The United States, Canada, and Mexico have also hosted events featuring the smaller Formula One and Biplane classes. In 1970 , American Formula One racing was exported to Europe (Great Britain, and then to France), where almost as many races have been held as in the U.S.A. Also in 1970, the California 1000 Air Race started at the Mojave Airport with a 66 lap unlimited air race that featured
527-598: The aircraft and managed third place, reaching a speed of 151.16 mph (243.27 km/h). The performance of the Sea Lion III led to Supermarine designing seaplanes instead of flying boats as racers. The British aircraft company Supermarine Aviation Works competed in the 1922 Schneider Trophy race for seaplanes and flying boats with a self-funded entry, in contrast to the Italian and French entries, which were sponsored by their respective governments. The entry
558-572: The audience can see the pilots up close as they carry out spectacular manoeuvres swooping close to the ground-pylons during the race. In November 2021, the first remotely-piloted eVTOL drag race between two Airspeeder craft took place. In 2022 , The remotely-piloted racing series (Airspeeder EXA Series) began in 2022 with Zephatali Walsh named as the inaugural season champion. The aircraft, built by Alauda Aeronautics, use electric vertical take-off and landing ( eVTOL ) technology and are designed to be crewed by human pilots. Restricting aircraft to
589-485: The best fighters of World War II. On 19 October 1919 , the Army Transcontinental Air Race began along a 2,700 mi (2,346 nmi; 4,345 km) route from Long Island, New York to San Francisco, California , and back, which would see widespread carnage; including seven fatalities (two en route to the race). Of the 48 aircraft that started, 33 would complete the double crossing of
620-673: The continent. In 1921 , the United States instituted the National Air Meets, which became the National Air Races in 1924 . In 1929 , the Women's Air Derby , nicknamed the 'Powder Puff Derby', became a part of the National Air Races circuit. The National Air Races lasted until 1949 . The Cleveland Air Races was another important event. In 1947 , an All-Woman Transcontinental Air Race, also dubbed
651-540: The distance from the orbital poles (either North or South) to the Equator , this being a truly internationally based unit. The first name of the kilometre was "Millaire". Although the metre was formally defined in 1799, the myriametre ( 10 000 metres) was preferred to the "kilometre" for everyday use. The term " myriamètre " appeared a number of times in the text of Develey's book Physique d'Emile: ou, Principes de la science de la nature , (published in 1802), while
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#1732798358020682-554: The first Gordon Bennett Trophy competition — was won by Glenn Curtiss , who beat second-place finisher Louis Blériot by five seconds. Curtiss was named 'Champion Air Racer of the World'. The first air race in the United States was the 1910 Los Angeles International Air Meet at Dominguez Field , just south of Los Angeles, from 10 to 20 January 1910 . The event was organised by pilots A. Roy Knabenshue and Charles Willard, who raised funding from railroad magnate Henry Huntington , and
713-472: The hull so as to reduce drag forces, and he gave the aircraft two bay wings and a larger rudder area. He expected the Sea Lion III to attain speeds in excess of 160 miles per hour (260 km/h); the aircraft managed third place behind the American Curtiss CR-3 seaplanes, reaching a speed of 151.16 mph (243.27 km/h). Supermarine's managing director Hubert Scott-Paine said after
744-799: The second pronunciation was the correct one because of the Greek origins of the two parts of the word. By a decree of 8 May 1790, the French National Constituent Assembly ordered the French Academy of Sciences to develop a new measurement system. In August 1793, the French National Convention decreed the metre as the sole length measurement system in the French Republic and it was based on 1 / 10 millionth of
775-743: The successful and safe race in 2005 RARA fought any and all efforts for the growth of this motorsport and any effort for a 2006 race there and one in Tucson Arizona. Powered paragliding or paramotor races have been organised by the Parabatix Sky Racers made up of the world's top paramotor pilots. The first occurring on 4 September 2010 in an airfield in Montauban , Southern France. These are foot-launched ram-air wings powered by small two-stroke engines , and allow for much smaller race venues such as city parks or beaches, where
806-461: The ten 1.2- kilometre (0.75 mi ; 0.65 nmi ) laps was declared the winner. Some other minor events were held before the Grande Semaine d'Aviation de la Champagne in 22–29 August 1909 at Reims, France . This was the first major international flying event, drawing the most important aircraft makers and pilots of the era, as well as celebrities and royalty. The premier event —
837-499: The term kilometre only appeared in an appendix. French maps published in 1835 had scales showing myriametres and " lieues de Poste " (Postal leagues of about 4288 metres). The Dutch, on the other hand, adopted the kilometre in 1817 but gave it the local name of the mijl . It was only in 1867 that the term " kilometer " became the only official unit of measure in the Netherlands to represent 1000 metres. Two German textbooks dated 1842 and 1848 respectively give
868-543: The trophy was won by the Americans: Our drawing office people got all the speed they possibly could out of the machine. We did the best we could and have no regrets. Sea Lion III was 11 mph faster than Sea Lion II, and the credit for this fine performance was due to several people, one of whom is Mr. R.J. Mitchell, who designed both machines. The British defeat caused Supermarine to abandon using outclassed flying boats as racers, in favour of seaplanes. The Sea Lion III
899-458: Was a modification of their Sea King II fighter , a single-seat biplane amphibian powered by a 300 hp (220 kW) Hispano Suiza engine in pusher configuration that had first flown in 1921. The aircraft was designed at the company's works at Woolston, Southampton by Supermarine's chief designer and chief engineer, Reginald Mitchell , who incorporated a 450 hp (340 kW) Napier Lion engine loaned by Napier . The Sea Lion II
930-524: Was flown by Henry Biard , who won the race at an average speed of 145.7 mph (234.5 km/h), The victory was the first post-World War I success by a British aircraft in an international competition For the 1923 Schneider Race, which was held at Cowes on the Isle of Wight , the Sea Lion II was re-engined with a 550 hp (410 kW) Napier Lion and renamed as the Sea Lion III. Mitchell modified
961-480: Was transferred to the Royal Air Force in 1923. Data from Supermarine Aircraft since 1914 General characteristics Performance Air racing Air racing is a type of motorsport that involves airplanes or other types of aircraft that compete over a fixed course, with the winner either returning the shortest time, the one to complete it with the most points, or to come closest to