Film & TV Database

The British entry to the last Schneider Trophy seaplane race. Brief shot of Lady Houston, patron of the British entry. Brief shot of Rolls Royce Works at Derby. Sir Henry Royce, Chief Engineer. Engine parts; testing, stripping and fitting the Rolls Royce 'R' engine to the seaplane. Mr Mitchell, Chief Tester. "Wings and floats in construction" (102). Plane at RAF base at Calshot. "The Supermarine Rolls Royce S.6B". The RAF pilots line up [See note below]. Squad.Ldr A.H.Orlebar, captain of the British team. Trial flight. News is received that France and Italy are not competing leaving Britain to 'flyover' alone. The three British machines. "A pilot's eye view of the course from a monoplane". Brief shot of the aircraft carrier HMS Courageous. Lee-on-Solent. Calshot in Hampshire (220). Lady Houston visits crew. Visitors arrive to view. Final practice flight. Seaplane takes off steeply. Because of bad weather the contest is postponed from September 9th to 10th. (316). The race seen in very LS. Britain gains her 3rd successive victory and thus permanently secures the Trophy (344). The crew is congratulated. The winner, Flt.Lt.J.N.Boothman, is shown. Lunch on board Lady Houston's yacht (392ft 16mm). NOTES: The lineup of British pilots in a contemporary photo is Flt Lt E.J.L.Hope, Lt G.L.Brinton (Royal Navy, killed in aircrash August 1931), Flt Lt F.N.Long, Flt Lt G.H.Stainforth, Sqdn Ldr A.H.Orlebar, Flt Lt J.N.Boothman, Fg Off L.S.Snaith and Flt Lt W.F.Dry (Engineering Officer). The start and finish line was off Ryde. The anti-clockwise triangular course over the Solent had to be flown 7 times. Dame Fanny Houston (Lady Houston) gave £100,000. She also financed the 1933 flight over Everest.