American Gee Bee planes raced during the 1930s. The company which made them was called Granville Brothers (G. B). These short, fat planes used to race at speeds of nearly 480 kph, in 8,800 kilometre-long races! Plane races were run to show how reliable the aircraft were.
What was the longest air race?
The longest air race was the MacRobertson race from Mildenhall, England to Melbourne, Australia in 1934. It was won by the crew of a de Havilland in a time of 70 hours and 54 minutes.
Is it true? The first non-stop flight around the world was made in 1933.
No. Wiley Post did make the first solo round the world flight in Winnie Mae in 1933, but he had to stop several times to refuel. It was a 25,000 km journey, and it took him just over a week.
Amazing! The first non-stop around the world flight wasn’t until 1986. It took Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager nine days to make the 40,000 kilometre journey. Their lightweight aeroplane Voyager had just 68 litres of fuel left when it landed at Edwards Airforce Base.
When was the first air race?
The first air race was in 1909, near Reims in France. It took place only six years after the very first flight by the Wright brothers.
Picture Credit : Google