The King's Cup Race is an annual British

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 handicapped

Handicapping

Handicapping, in sport and games, is the practice of assigning advantage through scoring compensation or other advantage given to different contestants to equalize the chances of winning. The word also applies to the various methods by which the advantage is calculated...

 cross-country air race, first contested on 8 September 1922. The event was open to British pilots only, but that did include members of the Commonwealth

Commonwealth of Nations

The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...

.

The event was established by King George V

George V of the United Kingdom

George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....

 as an incentive to the development of light aircraft

Light aircraft

A light aircraft is an aircraft that has a maximum gross take-off weight of or less.Many aircraft used commercially for freight, sightseeing, photography and scheduled flights are light aircraft.Examples of light aircraft include:...

 and engine design. The first race was a 810 mile contest from Croydon Aerodrome, south of London, to Glasgow

Glasgow

Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...

, Scotland and back again after an overnight stop. The winner of the first race was Frank Barnard, chief pilot of the Instone Air Line

Instone Air Line

Instone Air Line was an early British airline from 1919 to 1924. Along with other private airlines of the time, it was absorbed into Imperial Airways.-History:...

, in a passenger-carrying Airco DH.4A.

There were no races during World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 (1939-45), and the contest did not resume until 1949. The race was abandoned in 1951, due to bad weather.

Winners

Finish date	Location of finish	Course length miles	No. of starters	Winning pilot	Aircraft type	Identity	Race no.	Avge speed mph
9 September 1922	Croydon	810	22	Frank L. Barnard	Airco DH.4A	G-EAMU		123.6
14 July 1923	RAF Hendon	794	17	Frank T. Courtney	A.W. Siskin II Armstrong Whitworth Siskin The Armstrong Whitworth Siskin was a British biplane single-seat fighter aircraft of the 1920s produced by Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft. The Siskin was one of the first new RAF fighters to enter service after the First World War; it was noted for its aerobatic qualities.-Design and development:The...	G-EBEU		149
12 August 1924	Lee-on-Solent	950	10	Alan J. Cobham Alan Cobham Sir Alan John Cobham, KBE, AFC was an English aviation pioneer.A member of the Royal Flying Corps in World War I, Alan Cobham became famous as a pioneer of long distance aviation. After the war he became a test pilot for the de Havilland aircraft company, and was the first pilot for the newly...	de Havilland DH.50	G-EBFN		106.6
4 July 1925	Croydon	1,608	14	Frank L. Barnard	A.W. Siskin V	G-EBLQ		141.7
10 July 1926	RAF Hendon	1,464	14	Hubert S. Broad Hubert Broad Captain Hubert Standford Broad MBE AFC was an English First World War aviator and notable sports and test pilot.-Early life:Broad was born in Watford on 18 May 1897 the son of Thomas and Amelia Broad. In 1901 when Broad was three the family were living at Aston Lodge, St Johns Road in Watford his...	de Havilland DH.60 Moth De Havilland DH.60 Moth The de Havilland DH 60 Moth was a 1920s British two-seat touring and training aircraft that was developed into a series of aircraft by the de Havilland Aircraft Company.-Development:The DH 60 was developed from the larger DH 51 biplane...	G-EBMO		90.4
30 July 1927	Hucknall Hucknall Airfield Formerly RAF Hucknall, Hucknall Airfield is located north northwest of Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England.Hucknall has been in continuous use as an airfield since 1916. Formerly RAF Hucknall, it featured in the film The One That Got Away...	540	16	W. L. Hope	de Havilland DH.60 Moth	G-EBME	5	92.8
20 July 1928	Brooklands Brooklands Brooklands was a motor racing circuit and aerodrome built near Weybridge in Surrey, England. It opened in 1907, and was the world's first purpose-built motorsport venue, as well as one of Britain's first airfields...	1,097	36	W. L. Hope	de Havilland DH.60 Moth	G-EBYZ	7	105.5
6 July 1929	Heston	1,170	41	R. L. R. Atcherley	Gloster Grebe Gloster Grebe -See also:-References:NotesBibliography* James, Derek N. Gloster Aircraft since 1917. London: Putnam and Company Ltd., 1987. ISBN 0-85177-807-0.* Thetford, Owen. Aircraft of the Royal Air Force 1918-57. London:Putnam, First edition 1957....  II	J7520	39	150
5 July 1930	Hanworth London Air Park London Air Park, also known as Hanworth Air Park, was a grass airfield, operational 1917-1919 and 1929-1947. It was situated on the southeastern edge of Feltham, now part of the London Borough of Hounslow...	753.25	88	Miss Winifred Brown	Avro Avian III Avro Avian The Avro Avian was a series of British light aircraft designed and built by Avro in the 1920s and '30s. While the various versions of the Avian were sound aircraft, they were comprehensively outsold by the de Havilland Moth and its descendants....	G-EBVZ	55	102.75
25 July 1931	Heston	983	40	E. C. T. Edwards	Blackburn Bluebird IV Blackburn Bluebird IV |-See also:-External links:**...	G-AACC		117.8
9 July 1932	Brooklands	1,223	42	W. L. Hope	de Havilland Fox Moth De Havilland Fox Moth |-References:NotesBibliography* Hotson, Fred W. The de Havilland Canada Story. Toronto: CANAV Books, 1983. ISBN 0-07-549483-3.* Jackson, A. J. British Civil Aircraft 1919-1972: Volume II. London: Putnam , 1988. ISBN 0-85177-813-5....	G-ABUT	7	124.25
8 July 1933	Hatfield Aerodrome Hatfield Aerodrome Hatfield Aerodrome, formerly , was an airfield and aircraft factory located in the town of Hatfield, Hertfordshire from 1930 until its closure and redevelopment in the 1990s.-Early history:...	831	42	Geoffrey de Havilland Geoffrey de Havilland Captain Sir Geoffrey de Havilland, OM, CBE, AFC, RDI, FRAeS, was a British aviation pioneer and aircraft engineer...	de Havilland Leopard Moth De Havilland Leopard Moth -See also:...	G-ACHD	23	139.51
14 July 1934	Hatfield	801	41	Harry M. Schofield	GAL Monospar ST-10 General Aircraft Monospar -Bibliography:*The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft . Orbis Publishing, 1985, p. 2158.*Jackson, A.J. 1973. British Civil Aircraft since 1919, Volume 2. Putnam ISBN 0370100107....	G-ACTS	15	134.16
7 September 1935	Hatfield	801	43	Tommy Rose	Miles M.3B Falcon Six Miles Falcon -See also:-Bibliography:*Amos, Peter Miles Aircraft - The Early Years - The Story of F G Miles and his Aeroplanes, 1925-1939. Tonbridge, Kent: Air-Britain Ltd, 2009. ISBN 978-0-85130-410-6....	G-ADLC		176.28
11 July 1936	Hatfield	1,380	26	Charles E. Gardner	Percival Vega Gull Percival Vega Gull |-See also:-Bibliography:* Ellison, Norman H. Percivals Aircraft . Chalford, Stroud, UK: Chalford Publishing Company, 1997. ISBN 0-7524-0774-0....	G-AEKE	6?	164.47
11 September 1937	Hatfield	1,443	27	Charles E. Gardner	Percival Mew Gull Percival Mew Gull The Percival Mew Gull was a British racing aircraft of the 1930s. It was a small, single-engine, single-seat, low-wing monoplane of wooden construction, normally powered by a six-cylinder de Havilland Gipsy Six piston engine...	G-AEKL	4	233.7
2 July 1938	Hatfield	1,102	19	Alex Henshaw Alex Henshaw Alexander Adolphus Dumfries Henshaw MBE was a British air racer in the 1930s and a test pilot for Vickers Armstrong in the Second World War.-Early life:...	Percival Mew Gull	G-AEXF	22	236.25
30 July 1949	Elmdon	60	36	J. Nat Somers	Miles M.65 Gemini Miles Gemini |-See also:-References:* The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft , 1985, Orbis Publishing* Jackson, A.J. British Civil Aircraft 1919-1972:Volume III.London:Putnam, 1988, ISBN 0 85177 818 6....  3	G-AKDC	9	164.25
17 June1950	Pendeford Pendeford Pendeford is a suburb of Wolverhampton, West Midlands, England. It is situated NNW of the city centre, adjacent to the border with Staffordshire, within the Oxley ward of Wolverhampton City Council.- Name and origins :...	186	36	Edward Day	Miles M.14 Hawk Trainer 3 Miles Magister -See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Amos, Peter. Miles Aircraft = The early years. Tonbridge: Air-Britain, 2009. ISBN 978 0 85130 410 6...	G-AKRV	14	138.5
12 July 1952	Woolsington Newcastle Airport Newcastle International Airport is located in Woolsington in the City of Newcastle upon Tyne, England, north-west of the city centre. In 2010 it was the 11th busiest airport in the United Kingdom....	131.2	12	C. Gregory	Taylorcraft Plus D Taylorcraft Auster The Taylorcraft Auster was a British military liaison and observation aircraft produced by the Taylorcraft Aeroplanes Limited company during the Second World War.-Design and development:...	G-AHGZ	5	113.5
21 June 1953	Rochford	59.34	12	W. Pat I. Fillingham	DHC-1 Chipmunk 22	G-AKDN	54	142
19 June 1954	Baginton Coventry Airport Coventry Airport is located south southeast of Coventry city centre, in the village of Baginton, Warwickshire, England, and about outside Coventry boundaries...	68	15	Harold Wood	Miles M.38 Messenger Miles Messenger -Bibliography:* Amos, Peter. and Brown, Don Lambert. Miles Aircraft Since 1925, Volume 1. London: Putnam Aeronautical, 2000. ISBN 0-85177-787-0.* Brown, Don Lambert. Miles Aircraft Since 1925. London: Putnam & Company Ltd., 1970. ISBN 0-37000-127-3....  2A	G-AKBO	38	133
20 August 1955	Baginton	68	15	Peter S. Clifford	Percival Mew Gull	G-AEXF	97	213.5
21 July 1956	Baginton	68	16	James H. Denyer	Auster J/1N Alpha Auster Autocrat -External links:*...	G-AJRH	7	124
14 July 1957	Baginton	40.6	35	Fred Dunkerley	Miles M.77 Sparrowjet Miles Sparrowjet -See also:-Bibliography:* Amos, Peter. and Don Lambert Brown. Miles Aircraft Since 1925, Volume 1. London: Putnam Aeronautical, 2000. ISBN 0-85177-787-0....	G-ADNL	98	228
12 July 1958	Baginton	71.6	21	James H. Denyer	DH.82A Tiger Moth De Havilland Tiger Moth The de Havilland DH 82 Tiger Moth is a 1930s biplane designed by Geoffrey de Havilland and was operated by the Royal Air Force and others as a primary trainer. The Tiger Moth remained in service with the RAF until replaced by the de Havilland Chipmunk in 1952, when many of the surplus aircraft...	G-AIVW	30	118.5
11 July 1959	Baginton	72	21	A. J. Spiller	Percival Proctor Percival Proctor The Percival Proctor was a British radio trainer and communications aircraft of the Second World War. The Proctor was a single-engine, low-wing monoplane with seating for three or four, depending on the model.-Design and development:...  3	G-AHFK	64	143
9 July 1960	Baginton	68.36	21	John de M. Severne	Druine D.31 Turbulent Druine Turbulent -Bibliography:* A.J.Jackson, British Civil Aircraft since 1919 Volume 2, Putnam & Company, London, 1974, ISBN 370 10010 7-External links:*...	G-APNZ	7	109
15 July 1961*	Baginton	72	21	H. Brian Iles	Miles M.18 Miles M.18 The Miles M.18 was a single-engine twin-seat low-winged light British civil utility aircraft of the 1930s.The Miles M.18 was a single-engine twin-seat low-winged light British civil utility aircraft of the 1930s....	G-AHKY	35	142
18 August 1962	Baginton	67.5	21	Peter S. Clifford	Tipsy Nipper Tipsy Nipper The Tipsy Nipper T.66 is a light aircraft, developed in 1952 by Ernest Oscar Tips of Avions Fairey at Gosselies in Belgium. It was designed to be easy to fly, cheap to buy and cheap to maintain. It was designed for both factory production and homebuild...  2	G-ARDY	11	101
5 August 1963	Baginton	72	22	Paul G. Bannister	Tipsy Nipper 3	G-APYB	10	102.5
1 August 1964	Baginton	72	22	Dennis M. Hartas	LeVier Cosmic Wind	G-ARUL	75	185
21 August 1965	Baginton	40	12	John Stewart-Wood	Cessna 172 Cessna 172 The Cessna 172 Skyhawk is a four-seat, single-engine, high-wing fixed-wing aircraft. First flown in 1955 and still in production, more Cessna 172s have been built than any other aircraft.-Design and development:... C	G-ARYS	34	131.5
12 August 1966	Baginton	66	16	John A.C. Miles	DHC-1 Chipmunk 22	G-APTS	23	135
19 August 1967	Tollerton Nottingham Airport Nottingham Airport is located in Tollerton, Nottinghamshire, England. It is situated south east of Nottingham City Centre, and signposted on the A52 at Trent Bridge and on the A606—this makes it one of the closest airports to a city centre in the UK...	75	17	Charles B.G. Masefield	N.A. P-51D Mustang P-51 Mustang The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and in several other conflicts...	N6356T	100	277.5
24 August 1968	Tollerton	79.2	16	F.R.E. Hayter	DH.87B Hornet Moth	G-ADKM	42	121
12 July 1969	Rochester	50	16	Robin D'Erlanger	Druine D.31 Turbulent	G-ASAM	3	99.5
28 June 1970	Tollerton	95	26	Mike Pruden	Champion 7ECA Citabria	N7566F	118	129.5
14 August 1971	White Waltham White Waltham Airfield White Waltham Airfield , is located at White Waltham, southwest of Maidenhead, in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire, England...	155.5	30	J. Bradshaw	Percival P.56 Provost Percival Provost |-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Angelucci, Enzo. World Encyclopedia of Military Aircraft. London: Jane's Publishing, 1981. ISBN 0-7106-0148-4....	G-AWPH	33	204.5
15 July 1972	Booker	120	58	Stan Warwick	Glos-Airtourer T4 AESL Airtourer -Trivia:*Probably not the 1st 2 seat side by side aircraft designed with a central 'stick' but one of the 1st with a 'square hand grip' version.*Easy to fly from both seats due to the central stick design and arm rest....	G-AZBE	95	164.5
9 September 1973	Cranfield Cranfield Airport Cranfield Airport is an airfield just outside the village of Cranfield, south-west of Bedford in Bedfordshire, England. It was originally a World War II aerodrome, RAF Cranfield....		29	H.W. Bonner	DHC-1 Chipmunk 22	G-ARWB	77
4 September 1982	Finningley RAF Finningley RAF Finningley is a former Royal Air Force station at Finningley, South Yorkshire, partly within the traditional county boundaries of Nottinghamshire and partly in the West Riding of Yorkshire, now wholly within the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster....			G Richardson
17 September 1983	Finningley			D Sainsbury
15 September 1984	St Athan			K Fehrenback
15 September 1985	Shoreham Shoreham Airport - Sussex Police Air Operations Unit :The Sussex Police Air Operations Unit is headquartered at Shoreham Airport. The unit has been equipped since February 2000 with a MD Explorer, registered as "G-SUSX". The unit is headed by a Police Inspector, assisted by a Police Sergeant and two Police...			G Franks	Siai-Marchetti SF.260	G-BDEN	69
31 August 1986	Thruxton			S/Ldr C Hilliker
4 September 1988	Leicester Leicester Airport Leicester Airport is a small aerodrome in Stoughton, Leicestershire, east southeast of Leicester. It was previously known as Stoughton Aerodrome...			S/Ldr M Baker
3 September 1989	Leicester			R Hayes/R Nesbitt
2 September 1990	Leicester			A Hawley
1 September 1991	Leicester			S Jones
6 September 1992	Leicester			Peter Crispe	Cessna 337F Skymaster	G-AWVS
5 September 1993	Leicester			Roger Hayes
4 September 1994	Leicester			Geoffrey Boot Geoffrey Boot Geoffrey Boot, a Manx air racer who races with his navigator wife Suzie Boot, has garnered an array of victories including the European Air Racing Championship in 2000, the King's Cup Race in 1994 and 2001, the Olympic Tribute Trophy Santorini in 2004, runner-up in the British Air Racing...	Cessna 340 Cessna 340 |-See also:-References:* Taylor, John W. R. Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1982–83. London: Jane's Yearbooks, 1982. ISBN 0 7106-0748-2.* Taylor, John W. R. Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1988–89. Coulsdon, UK: Jane's Defence Data, 1988. ISBN 0 7106-0867-5....	N66SW		220
3 September 1995	Leicester			D Soul
1 September 1996	Leicester			E Coventry
7 September 1997	Leicester			Melanie Willes
5 September 1999	Leicester			Roger Hayes
3 September 2000	Leicester			Milan Konstantinovic
9 September 2001	Leicester			J Spooner	Cessna 182 Cessna 182 The Cessna 182 Skylane is an American four-seat, single-engine, light airplane, built by Cessna of Wichita, Kansas. It has the option of adding two child seats, installed in the baggage area....	G-CBIL
8 September 2002	Leicester			S Ollier
6 September 2003	Leicester			Geoffrey Boot	Beagle Pup Beagle Pup |-Specifications :-See also:*PA-28...  150	G-TSKY		131
12 September 2004	Leicester			Phil Wadsworth
21 August 2005	Shobdon			Roger Hayes
13 August 2006	Shobdon			Nigel Reddish
1 July 2007	Sywell Sywell Aerodrome Sywell Aerodrome is the local aerodrome serving Northampton, Wellingborough and Kettering as it is situated midway between these towns. The airport is located northeast of Northampton and was originally opened in 1928 on the edge of Sywell village....			Neil Cooper	Beagle Pup 150	G-IPUP
10 August 2008	Sywell			Nigel Reddish	Vans RV-7 Van's Aircraft RV-7 -See also:-External links:*...	G-SEVN
16 August 2009	Sywell			Richard Marsden	Vans RV-6 Van's Aircraft RV-6 -See also:-References:*Lambert, Mark. Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1993-94. Coulsdon, UK:Jane's Data Division, 1993. ISBN 0-7106-1066-1.***-External links:*...	G-TNGO		190
15 August 2010	Sywell			Roderick Morton	Slingsby T.67 Firefly	G-KONG
14 August 2011	Sywell	120	13	Malcolm Montgomerie	Cessna 152 Cessna 152 The Cessna 152 is an American two-seat, fixed tricycle gear, general aviation airplane, used primarily for flight training and personal use.-Development:...	G-BJWH	72	116

'*' As of 1961, aircraft designed outside Great Britain and the Commonwealth of Nations were allowed to enter.

External links

• Berliner, Don. A Concise History of Air Racing Society of Air Racing Historians
• Pathe News Reel of the 1957 Air Race Included is footage of winner F. Dunkerley