Competitors were asked to describe, in the form of an
aircraft recognition lecture, a new type of aircraft. The lecture was to cover such features as history, performance and characteristics,
What' a wealth of aeronautical jargon is obviously at the command of Spectator readers! I consider that the standard of quality in this competition was very high, even though the number of entries was only average.
There is not sufficient space for further generalisations when so much deserves quoting. The Rev. A. Whigham Price, who missed a prize only by the narrowest of margins, said of the Farouk ' : " This is a very heavy machine indeed, unusual features of which are that it has no wings of any kind and can accommodate a large number of women . ..", and in her second entry, Joyce Johnson, on the same subject, noted that ". . . it is chiefly remembered for the diffi- Cully it had in getting heir born.. ." Lakon, who has the advantage of being in the R.A.F., was overwhelmingly technical in dealing with the Neguib I. Findlay P. Murdoch's 'McCarthy Comillawk' has, it seems, "recently acquitted itself well in softening-up operations against military personnel entrenched in high positions." 1 enjoyed these, Granville Garley's 'Beach- comber,' Lt.-Cdr. J. P. Holliss's Universal Baby' and Stephen Mayhew's 'Cairo Convul- sion'---honourable mentions all round. There was also a mysterious competitor whose 'Peddy-Plane' suggests considerable famili- arity with the setter's physical characteristics.
I should have liked to distribute the prize more widely, but will confine it to Joyce Johnson, R. Kennard Davis and Erica Scott, (the first two only are printed) whom I recommend' for equal shares.
PRIZES
(JOYCE JOHNSON)
The Gold-Digger gliding gracefully into Rolls, going into stalls and dives, and defying gravity in general. You will remember that the Puss-Moth types don't keep on the level for long, and the frequent banking of this model leaves those with greater stability far, behind.
It can stand up to any amount of super- charging and pressure stress, and its record speed is 600 m.p.h. Incidentally, a clerical error in recording this as '000mph' resulted in it achieving the nickname of 'Ooomph-girl.'
(R. KENNARD DAVIS)
The MacCarthy
. Now here we have a formidable fighter, the MacCarthy. It shows many features in common with the old Coughlin and K.K.K. types, but is much more powerful. It comes from Wisconsin. Its motive power is pure gas, super-heated by anti-red rays and ejected in continuous jets of high velocity. It has produced spectacular performances in many trials. It is a rapid climber, and we do not yet know what heights it may reach. An unusual feature is its rigidity—nothing about it is ever retracted. It has an exceptionally thick skin (steel covered with rhinoceros hide), making it impervious to attacks from all quarters. It is not at the moment very popular with the Army authori- ties, as it is liable to get out of control, and its supersonic bangs are apt to be devastating to its own side. However, more will certainly be heard of it.
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