Hatfield Aerodrome 1938

Came across these two pictures whilst browsing through a pre war photo album yesterday.
Not 100% certain but possibly Alex Henshaw standing next to the aircraft in the white flying suit? (serial number wrong).
Definately Kings Cup 1938 at Hatfield though.
Anyhow, hope you enjoy them.
Gerry

Nope. AADH isn’t in either of these piccies.

A bit more on G-ACSS.

It was due to be flown in the race by Chris Staniland with a Mr. Hopcroft as observer.

On a pre-race test flight, Staniland lifted off a little early and the aircraft dropped a wing, hitting the wingtip on the ground. It, according to Henshaw, saved the occupants lives by stopping the aeroplane doing a flick roll and hitting the ground inverted!

We tend to forget just how lethal these aeroplanes could be.

Henshaw gleefully quoted an RAF Group Captain looking over his Mew Gull on the eve of the race, commenting “It would have been cheaper to have bought a revolver!”

Great photos.

I don’t believe that is Mr Henshaw in the overalls. In fact if anyone is Henshaw, I suspect its the young chap with the curly hair, in tweeds with his back to the camera.

The aircraft appears to be Edgar Percival’s own aeroplane G-AFAA and the event is most likely the 1938 Kings Cup Air Race. WHich Henshaw of course won in G-AEXF.

I haven’t got Henshaw’s ‘Flight of the Mew Gull’ book available to me, but I seem to remember a comment about the Comet being damaged on landing in a flight just before the race?

Well worth getting a copy, if you haven’t got one already. A brillant read!

I suspect that the guys in white overalls are from the Percival Aircraft Co. Ltd at Luton – G-AFAA was a company entrant with EWP at the helm. It may be Alex with his back to the camera, he flew in a rather smart tweed sports jacket and dark tie in G-AEXF to win the 1938 race (I have a lovely photo of him receiving the trophy which he signed for me years ago – sadly the ball point ink has faded now but I know he signed it! (Same as the shot that Arthur Clouston signed of him taxying into Croydon in G-ACSS The Burberry).

G-ACSS damaged a wing in a ground-loop at Hatfield on 1 July 1938 and was withdrawn from the race. It was moved to Gravesend by Jack Cross and stored under tarpaulins until rediscovered and restored for The Festival of Britain.

Great photos.

I don’t believe that is Mr Henshaw in the overalls. In fact if anyone is Henshaw, I suspect its the young chap with the curly hair, in tweeds with his back to the camera.

The aircraft appears to be Edgar Percival’s own aeroplane G-AFAA and the event is most likely the 1938 Kings Cup Air Race. WHich Henshaw of course won in G-AEXF.

I haven’t got Henshaw’s ‘Flight of the Mew Gull’ book available to me, but I seem to remember a comment about the Comet being damaged on landing in a flight just before the race?

Well worth getting a copy, if you haven’t got one already. A brillant read!

There’s certainly Gulls, the TK-1… my memory aint clear… it’s a few years since I ran them last. I seem to remember there’s footage of Alex getting an award…

Wow,
That would be great woudn’t it.
Have you any ideas which aircraft the pictures show?
Gerry

I got some silent movies of the Air races at Hatfield – I’ll check through this evening! I’m pondering wether to put them on YouTube!