ABOVE: G-ACSS completed the some 11,300 mile course in under 71 hours; a new point-to-point world record.

The Shuttleworth Collection is to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the MacRobertson Air Race with the very aircraft that won the event: the de Havilland DH.88 Comet, G-ACSS, which will participate in a mock air race this Sunday.

Organised by the Royal Aero Club, the 1934 race from London to Melbourne was sponsored by Melborne businessman Sir Macpherson Robertson, founder of the Macpherson Confectionery Company (which was the largest producer of confectionary in the Commonwealth before being acquired by Cadbury’s in 1967).

The course comprised a total distance of 18,222km and included five compulsory stops at Baghdad, Allahabad, Singapore, Darwin and Charleville. Twenty aircraft from six aircraft lined up at RAF Mildenhall to start the race amid much media excitement, eager to win a prize of £15,000 (£900,000 in today’s money). Of the 12 aircraft to complete the course, the honour of first place went to No.34, Shuttleworth’s own DH.88 Comet ‘Grosvenor House’, piloted by Charles Scott and Tom Black in 70 hours and 54 minutes – a new point-to-point world record.

With its top speed of 227mph, the DH.88 had been developed specifically for this race; designed and built by de Havilland in just ten months. Of the five units ordered, three were built and entered the race. Alongside the winning aircraft, these included the green No.19 and No.63 ‘Black Magic’.

“We are extremely fortunate to have the very aircraft that won the MacRobertson Air Race in our Collection here at Shuttleworth,” said James Butt, Aviation Co-Ordinator for the Shuttleworth Collection. “This is a big anniversary and so we want to mark it appropriately at our last Air Show of the season where racing is the focus”.

The flying display at Old Warden this coming Sunday will include a mock air race ‘featuring as many of the types of aircraft that took place in the original race as possible,’ with the participants crossing the finishing line following the exact order of the original race.

More information and tickets can be found via this link.

IMAGE: AUTHOR