Abstract
From 1927 to 1931, the British government competed in the international Schneider Trophy air racing competition in the name of airminded nationalism. Winning races and setting speed records before some of the largest public crowds in interwar Britain encouraged technical development, showcased industrial prowess, marketed aeronautical exports, upheld national honor and engineering prestige and fueled airmindedness. The effort tested the temporary partnerships between the Air Ministry, the Royal Air Force, industry and enthusiastic groups and individuals while straining Treasury resources and generating a public debate over the government’s role in air racing. In the process, the pilots, designers and benefactors involved became aviation celebrities and national heroes that cemented into popular memory the image of high-speed aircraft as enduring symbols of modernity and national pride.
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Filmography
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Acknowledgements
The author thanks the following for assistance in the writing of this essay: John Anderson, Bart Hacker, Christiaan van Schaardenburgh, Peter Elliot, Nina Burls, Gordon Leith, Chris Cotrill, and the editors, Michael McCluskey and Luke Seaber.
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Kinney, J.R. (2020). Airminded Nationalism: Great Britain and the Schneider Trophy Competition. In: McCluskey, M., Seaber, L. (eds) Aviation in the Literature and Culture of Interwar Britain. Studies in Mobilities, Literature, and Culture. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-60555-1_12
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