The Challenge 1932 was the third FAI International Tourist Plane Competition (), that took place between 12 and August 28, 1932, in Berlin, Germany. The four Challenges, from 1929 to 1934, were major aviation events in pre-war Europe.
Overview Germany organized the contest, because German pilot Fritz Morzik won the previous Challenge in 1930. The number of aircraft that took part in the 1932 Challenge was smaller - 43 compared to 60, because the contest was getting much more difficult with time, demanding high pilotage skills and more advanced aircraft. This time, most countries developed new aircraft specifically for the Challenge. There were 67 entries reported, but as much as 24 aircraft did not show up, partly because of unfinished development or crashes during tests.„Flight”. Nr. 1234, pp. 771-773
Teams from six countries entered the Challenge in 1932: Germany (16 crews), France (8 crews), Italy (8 crews), Poland (5 crews), Czechoslovakia (4 crews) and Switzerland (2 crews). English aviator Winifred Spooner entered the contest in the Italian team, being the only woman among the pilots. One Canadian (John Carberry) and one Romanian pilot (Alexander Papana) entered the contest in the German team.Krzyżan, M. (1988), pp. 61-63.
The opening ceremony was on August 12, 1932, at Berlin-Staaken airfield. The contest consisted of three parts: technical trials, a rally around Europe and a maximum speed test. Since one of the aims of the Challenge was to stimulate progress in aircraft development, it was not only pilots' competition, but technical trials also included a construction evaluation that promoted more advanced designs.
Aircraft
The Challenge was to be a contest of tourist aircraft, so competing aircraft had to be able to take at least two persons aboard, take off and land on a short field and cover a distance with a good cruising speed. In fact, Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia and Italy developed modern sports aircraft specifically to meet the demands of the Challenge. Before the contest, a favourite was German Messerschmitt's BFW M.29, offering the highest performance, but due to two crashes during training, all BFWs were withdrawn. Their place as German favourites was taken by six fast Heinkel He 64s. Most numerous German aircraft was the three-seater Klemm Kl 32 (7 plus one in Swiss team). Both were wooden low-wing monoplanes. Italy and Czechoslovakia developed similar strutted low-wing monoplanes, the Breda Ba.33 and Praga BH-111. Poland developed a high-wing RWD-6 and an all-metal low-wing monoplane PZL.19. All these aircraft had enclosed crew cabins, fixed landing gear and advanced wing mechanization (flaps and slat). The other aircraft, especially French, modified from serial designs, were less modern and had lower chances in technical trials.
Aircraft participating were: Klemm Kl 32 (8), Breda Ba.33 (8), Heinkel He 64 (6), Praga BH-111 (3), PZL.19 (3), RWD-6 (2), Potez 43 (2), Farman 234 (2), Farman 353 (1), Darmstadt D-22a (1), Raab-Katzenstein RK-25/32 (1), Breda Ba.15S (1), Monocoupe 110 (1), Guerchais T.9 (1), Caudron C.278 (1), Mauboussin M.112 (1), Comte AC-12 (1).
The German aircraft had starting numbers from a range: A4-A9, B1-B9, C2-C8, E1-E2, French: K1-K8, Italian: M1-M8, Polish: O1-O6, Swiss: S1-S2, Czechoslovak: T1-T4 (numbers were placed on fuselages in a black square frame).
Technical trials On August 13 the technical evaluation of the competing planes' construction took place. Since it was a tourist plane contest, features such as: a comfortable cabin with a good view, seats placed side-by-side, a rich set of controls, modern construction, safety devices and folding wings were also awarded points. Most points were given to the Polish designs (86 points to the RWD-6 and 84 points to the PZL.19), behind them the Italian Breda Ba.33 (83 points) and Praga BH-111 (80 points). This gave them more than ten points' advantage over most feared German designs (Kl 32 - 71-72 points, He 64c - 66 points), and placed them as favourites from this point. Worst planes scored 44 points (Caudron C.278 biplane and Mauboussin M.12).
The first trial was a minimal speed trial, to evaluate the aircraft safety, which was new in Challenge contests.„Flight” Nr. 1235 pp. 806-807 Flying on the edge of stalling, Franciszek Żwirko was the slowest with 57.6 km/h speed, the second was another Pole flying an RWD-6, Tadeusz Karpiński. Behind them were the Italians, the German He 64s and the French Raymond Delmotte (C.278) with good results ranging from 61.2 to 65.7 km/h, and then the rest. The regulations did not expect such low speeds and therefore all seven results below 63 km/h were awarded with 50 points.
Top results of the minimal speed trial Pilot Country Aircraft Speed Points1. Franciszek Żwirko RWD-657.6 km/h 50 pts2. Tadeusz Karpiński RWD-660.8 km/h 50 pts3. Francesco Lombardi Ba.3361.2 km/h 50 pts4. Ambrogio Colombo Ba.3361.4 km/h 50 pts5.Winifred Spooner Ba.3361.5 km/h 50 pts6.Werner JunckHe 64c62.1 km/h 50 pts7.Hans SeidemannHe 64b62.4 km/h 50 pts
Next there were trials of a short take off and landing, carried out in groups until 17 August 1932. The short take-off trial required the crews to fly over an 8-m high gate. The German pilot Wolfram Hirth (Kl 32) was the best, taking off from the closest distance (91.6m - 40 pts), two Italians Colombo and Lombardi scored 40 points as well, other Klemms and Bredas were also at the head. Polish RWD-6s scored 37 points (111.5 and 115 m).
Top results of the short take-off trial Pilot Country Aircraft Distance Points1. Wolf Hirth Kl 32 91.6 m 40 pts2. Francesco Lombardi Ba.3397.5 m40 pts3. Ambrogio Colombo Ba.33100 m 40 pts4. Reinhold Poss Kl 32100.3 m39 pts5. Robert Fretz Kl 32102.6 m39 pts6. Vittorio Suster Ba.33105.6 m38 pts
Next, a short landing trial followed, from behind an 8 m high gate. The best result, 92.4 m (40 pts), was achieved by Winifred Spooner. Good results were scored by Klemms, Bredas, RWD-6s and French Potez 43s. After the technical evaluation and these two trials, the leaders in the general classification were: the Italian Ambrogio Colombo and the Pole Franciszek Żwirko on the RWD-6. The next places were taken by an Italian team, then by the Germans and Poles, then the rest.
Top results of the short landing trial Pilot Country Aircraft Distance Points1.Winifred Spooner Ba.3392.4 m40 pts2. Reinhold Poss Kl 3297.8 m40 pts3.G. Viazzo Ba.33101.9 m39 pts4. Georges Detré Potez 43 102.8 m39 pts5. Franciszek Żwirko RWD-6105.8 m38 pts6. Ambrogio Colombo Ba.33107.3 m 38 pts7. Robert Fretz Kl 32107.4 m38 pts
August 16 saw a trial of quick folding of wings, which was a feature to save place in hangars, and then a trial of quick engine starting. The general classification changed little after these trials, with Żwirko and Colombo holding on to a joint lead with 222 points each.
A fuel consumption trial on a 300 km distance was held on August 19, and the German aircraft won in that category. After all technical trials, Ambrogio Colombo led the general classification, with Franciszek Żwirko second, Italy's Francesco Lombardi third.
Top results of the technical trials: Pilot Country Aircraft Points1. Ambrogio Colombo Breda Ba.33 247 pts2. Franciszek Żwirko RWD-6 245 pts3. Francesco Lombardi Breda Ba.33 242 pts4/5. Winifred Spooner Breda Ba.33 241 pts4/5.Renato Donati Breda Ba.33 241 pts6/7. Tadeusz Karpiński RWD-6 238 pts6/7. Mario Stoppani Breda Ba.33 238 pts 8. Vittorio Suster Breda Ba.33 235 pts9. Reinhold Poss Klemm Kl 32 234 pts10. Robert Fretz Klemm Kl 32 231 pts
Before the next part, Winifred Spooner was forced to land near Berlin due to sabotage of her fuel, and she decided to withdraw.
Rally over Europe
The second part of the Challenge was a 7363 km rally over Europe, on a path: Berlin - Warsaw - Kraków - Prague - Brno – Vienna - Zagreb - Postumia (checkpoint) - Vicenza - Rimini - Rome - Florence - Bellinzona - Turin – Albenga (checkpoint) – Imperia (checkpoint) - Cannes - Lyon - St. Gallen - Stuttgart - Bonn - Paris - Deauville – Rotterdam - Dortmund – Hamburg - Copenhagen – Laholm (checkpoint) - Gothenburg - Laholm (checkpoint) - Copenhagen - Hamburg – Berlin. 39 aircraft took part in the race. Main waypoints were Rome and Paris. Longest section was Berlin – Warsaw (518 km), the shortest - Brno – Vienna (106.4 km).
The rally started on August 21. From the beginning, the German crews tried to take advantage of faster aircraft and make up for the points lost in the technical trials. The Italians tried to be the first in Rome, racing against the Germans. On the other side, the Poles, with slower planes, tried to keep a good cruise speed and flight regularity, which were awarded with points in the rally. On the first day, most crews reached Vienna or Zagreb, while the Italians reached Vicenza. Ambrogio Colombo and three Germans (von Massenbach, Seidemann and Marienfeld) got as far as Rimini. Three crews withdrew on the way due to breakdowns. On August 22, the competitors landed in Rome, but the German pilot Hans Seidemann was first. Only 33 crews reached Rome, three had forced crash landings (among others, the Romanian Aleksander Papana flying Monocoupe 110).
On August 23, the competitors took off from Rome. On that day, two Italian Bredas crashed due to weak wing construction (one mechanic died bailing out). As a result, Italy decided to withdraw all the Italian teams from the Challenge, Ambrogio Colombo being the leader by then. On August 24, the 25 remaining crews reached Paris. On August 27, the competitors finished in Berlin. The first pilot in Berlin, and the fastest in the whole race, was the German Hans Seidemann with a cruise speed of 213 km/h, flying the Heinkel He 64b. The next seven results were also German. Franciszek Żwirko arrived in 11th place, with a cruise speed of 191 km/h.
Top results of the rally: Pilot country aircraft average speedpoints1.Hans Seidemann Heinkel He 64b213 km/h 220 pts2.Wolfgang SteinHe 64c208 km/h 220 pts3.Dietrich von MassenbachHe 64c 206 km/h 220 pts4. Walter Marienfeld Darmstadt D-22a205 km/h 220 pts5. Wolf Hirth Klemm Kl 32203 km/h 220 pts6. Fritz Morzik He 64c200 km/h 220 pts7. Otto Cuno Kl 32198 km/h 218 pts8/9. Reinhold Poss Kl 32197 km/h 217 pts8/9. Robert Fretz Kl 32197 km/h 217 pts10.Robert Lusser Kl 32193 km/h 213 pts11/12.Franciszek ŻwirkoRWD-6191 km/h 211 pts11/12.Josef Kalla Praga BH-111191 km/h 211 pts13.Jerzy BajanPZL.19188 km/h 206 pts After the technical trials and the rally, Franciszek Żwirko held first place in the general classification with 456 points, with Reinhold Poss in second with 451 pts, Wolf Hirth in third with 450 pts and Robert Fretz (Suiss) in fourth with 448 pts. Fritz Morzik was fifth with 444 pts.
Maximum speed trial The last part of the Challenge was a maximum speed trial, on a 300 km triangular course. The beginning and landing was on August 28 at the Berlin-Staaken airfield.
The fastest was the German Fritz Morzik (He 64c) with 241.3 km/h. The next four places were also occupied by Heinkels. Żwirko's closest rival, Reinhold Poss flying a Klemm Kl 32, was in 7th position (220.7 km/h). The fastest Pole was Tadeusz Karpiński (8th position, 216.2 km/h, RWD-6), while Franciszek Żwirko took the 13th position with 214.1 km/h.
Due to a handicapping system, contestants took off in order of general classification, with proper intervals, and a number of points given in the speed trial meant that the first on the finish line would be the winner of all contest. As a result, minutes could decide the final victory in the Challenge. Taking off 12 minutes after Żwirko, Morzik landed 83 seconds after him - if he had overrun Żwirko, he would have won. Poss, starting five minutes after the leader, was 2 minutes 30 seconds short.
Results