Challenge International de Tourisme 1929

The idea of a tourist plane contest was approved by the FAI, and the first Challenge was to be organized by the French.

Among the British team, there was one woman Winifred Spooner (the second, Lady Mary Bailey, eventually flew the rally apart from the contest).

These aircraft had mostly open cabs, built in low-wing, high-wing or biplane layout.

Unlike in the following years, there were no aircraft built specially for a Challenge contest, only the Czech Avia BH-11B's "Antilopa" were improved by adding folding wings.

BFW's and Klemms were wooden low-wing planes with open two-seater tandem cabins.

The three leaders, with 32 pts each, became Johannes Nehring (Darmstadt D-18), the Swiss Hans Wirth (Klemm L.25) and the Czech František Klepš (BH-11).

Further places, from the 4th to the 10th, were occupied by the German crew of Klemms and Junkers', with 29,5 - 30,5 pts, the best of them was Robert Lusser.

After having dropped out in a fuel consumption trial, the German Arado L.1 was crashed by its designer H. Hoffmann, while trying to show some aerobatics over the airfield.

The second part of the contest was a 5942 km rally over Europe, on a path: Paris - Basil - Genova - Lyon - Marseille - Saint Raphael - Turin - Milan - Venice - Zagreb - Belgrad - Bucharest - Turnu Severin - Budapest - Vienna - Brno -Prague - Wrocław (Breslau) - Warsaw - Poznań - Berlin - Hamburg - Amsterdam - Brussels - Paris.

Important factors were: keeping a good cruise speed, a regularity of flight (covering at least 1 stage daily and spending nights at appointed airfields), and lack of major repairs.

Maximum number of points to obtain in a rally was 119 (70 for a cruise speed, 35 for regularity, 14 for reliability).

Two crews dropped out during the start, including the Czech Josef Novak, flying an Aero A.34 whose engine failed and the plane turned over upon crashing.

Among them were: Hubert Broad, Winifred Spooner, František Klepš (Avia BH-11), Johannes Nehring (D-18), Raymond Delmotte (Caudron C.191) and John Carberry (RK-25).

Flying to Poznań, Johannes Nehring was forced to land and damaged his Darmstadt D-18, one of the contest's fastest machines.

Only two crews reached the maximum 119 pts for the rally: the German Fritz Morzik (BFW M.23b) and the Canadian John Carberry (RK-25).

The Aero A.34 at the 1929 event with other competitors in the background
The Aero A.34 taking off at the 1929 event
The Albatros L82 at Orly airport
The Avia BH-11 folded for the garaging test
Kleps, the BH-11 pilot, pictured with his mechanic in front of the aircraft
The two fiat AS.1 competitors
The de Havilland DH.60 Moth, with Gipsy engine, piloted by Miss Winifred Spooner in the "Challenge International de Tourisme", 1929.
The two Avia BH-11 aircraft, with Walter Vega engines, taking part in the "Challenge International de Tourisme", 1929.
The Breda Ba.15 taking part in the "Challenge International de Tourisme", 1929.
The Potez 36 aircraft taking part in the "Challenge International de Tourisme", 1929.
The IMAM Ro.5 at the 1929 International Challenge