The MacRobertson Air Race, with its carefully thought out rules and conditions, has turned out to be one of the greatest incentives to the progress of aircraft design in the history of aviation. The fixing of the average distance between control points along the route of the race, together with the necessity for compliance with a British normal Certificate of Airworthiness, and the need for high speed all combined to make a problem for the aircraft designer the solution of which cannot but benefit very materially the advancement of aeroplane design.

Many long range records have been taken in the past, but never with an aircraft possessing a Certificate of Airworthiness. Many speed records have been taken, but few with an aeroplane which complies with Certificate of Airworthiness requirements. Here we had a contest which demanded of the aircraft the utmost range and speed consistent with the possession of a Certificate of Airworthiness.