FAI banner
Wakefield Cup drawing

The Wakefield International Cup

by Charles Dennis Rushing

1928 T H Newell, 45, GB

Saturday, September 29, 1928 was the rescheduled date for the first Wakefield Cup contest held since 1914. The original date had been set for Sunday, September 2, 1928. The rules for the Wakefield Cup were adopted and published by the Society of Model Aeronautical Engineers (SMAE) who were named as the sanctioning body by Viscount Lord Wakefield of Hythe. Credit for development of the first Wakefield Cup Rules goes to A F Houlberg and Dr A P Thurston of SMAE who produced the first Wakefield formula. These rules had been sent to the sanctioning aeromodelling bodies of all countries interested in entering the Wakefield Cup event. Unfortunately, two American National Champions, travelling in Europe on Nationals Winners prizes, visited Great Britain in July 1928. They were Tom Hill 16, of Winston-Salem, NC, the USA Nationals Outdoor Champion, and the Indoor Champion Aram Abgarian of Detroit, Michigan. Travelling with them were the 1927 Outdoor Champion Jack Loughner, and Ford Grant of Detroit, Michigan, and Merrill Hamburg, Secretary of AMLA. The Americans could not stay to attend the September Wakefield Contest, but they did convey the Wakefield rules, and contest information with them, so that next year's American Nationals Champions could attend. In 1929, two Americans, travelling on the Grand Prize awarded to them for winning the Nationals Indoor and Outdoor Championships participated in the Wakefield Contest. They were Joe Culver of Oakland, California, and David Burnham of West Layfayette, Indiana. The beginning for many future Anglo-American Wakefield competitions was set at this second of a new series of contests extending to the present day.

In addition to the members of Team Great Britain, Mr Just van Hattum a prominent aeromodeller from Holland, having received the new rules from the SMAE in time to build and send his Wakefield to be proxy flown at this contest. Unfortunately, his aeromodel did not arrive in time for the original September 2, date so SMAE rescheduled the competition for September 29. The six members of team Great Britain were: H T Jackson, J E Pelly-Fry, T H Newell, S R Bradley, S C Herson, and R N Bullock, who won their places on the team at the preliminary trials held on Saturday, September 1, 1928, at the RAF Aerodrome at Hendon. The weather at the trials did not cooperate, as it was very windy, blowing from the "Auxiliary Squadron" side of the Aerodrome, to the "Colindale" side with the result that when R M Bullock flew his aeromodel, he smashed it against the hangar doors on all three of his flights! Bullock's total time was 58 seconds. Tommy Newell ended up with high time of the day with 258.5 seconds, but he also had the greatest number of flights, a total of seven. The other contestants managed fewer flights, but more impacts.

Saturday, September 29, 1928 was slightly better for the weather than the trials, with less wind gusts. The only foreign entry, Mr van Hattum of Holland, was flown proxy by B K Johnson, but he experienced a great deal of trouble getting the aeromodel to ROG properly. The Leader Board at the end of the contest shows Tommy Newell to be the 1928 Wakefield International Cup Champion:

Place Name Country Round l Round 2 Round 3 Total (sec)
1 T H Newell GB 5.6 30.2 52.6 88.4
2 D A Pavely GB 13.0 40.0 DNF 53.0
3 G C Hersom GB 23.2 28.0 DNF 51.2
4 R N Bullock GB 5.0 0.4 38.2 48.6
5 S R Bradley GB 24.0 14.0 DNF 38.0
6 J Pelly-Fry GB 25.0 16.4 DNF 33.0
7 J Van Hattum Holland 9.5 DNF DNF 9.5
T H Newell

T H Newell's Wakefield

WINNING WAKEFIELD THE FALCON
component inches mm
wing4l1041
fuselage27686
propellerl2 dia, gears305 dia
motor10ft 3/16x363 metres 4.8x914


References:
Aeromodeller, The first Wakefield Cup, Alwyn Greenhalgh
American Boy, They're back from Europe, M Hamburg

Music: "An American in Paris"; Literature: "Lady Chatterley's Lover", Cine: "Mickey Mouse"


[Wakefield book home page] - [Previous chapter] - [Continue reading - next chapter]

[Conditions] - [FAI Home Page] - [Aeromodelling Commission] - [FF Championships results]