People visiting Felixstowe Museum this month can relive the nation’s triumphs for being the fastest fliers in the world – and see a replica of the trophy they won for all time.
The RAF High Speed Flight team was based at Felixstowe and three times – in 1927, 1929 and 1931 – won the Coupe d’Aviation Maritime Jacques Schneider, commonly known as the Schneider Trophy.
It was a worldwide challenge which aimed to encourage technical advances in flight but ended up as a speed contest watched by crowds of more than 200,000, with speeds of more than 400mph reached by 1931.
Archivist Sue Tod said Felixstowe Museum was thrilled to have secured the loan of the replica of the trophy and some display panels from SolentSky Museum in Southampton as part of the resort’s Wings on Waves celebration of the 100th anniversary of its seaplanes base.
She said: “The trophy was very important to Felixstowe and I think people will be fascinated to see what it was like.”
It will be on show during the museum’s opening hours at the Ravelin Block at Landguard this month from 1pm to 5.30pm on Sundays, Wednesday and Thursdays and Bank Holiday Monday.
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