History of aviation – September 28, 1920. While France and the United States both have two victories under their belt in the Gordon Bennett Cup, the trophy will ultimately go to the French aviation. And for good reason, the “last fight” will turn to the advantage of France, which against the other Nations has therefore won three times.
The United States, France’s most dangerous competitor (with a victory for Glen Curtiss at Reims in 1909 and Weymann at East Church in 1911), will not have managed to post a final decisive victory and will therefore see the trophy theirs. escaping to finish in the French race on Tuesday September 28, 1920, the date on which Joseph Sadi-Lecointe was the fastest.
To leave definitively with the Gordon Bennett Cup, the countries participating in the competition had to win the event three times, this was achieved for France thanks to the victories of Jules Védrines in 1912 in Chicago, and Maurice Prévost in 1913. in Bétheny and therefore of Joseph Sadi-Lecointe on September 28, 1920. The latter managed, with his Nieuport biplane, with a 300 horsepower Hispano-Suiza engine, to fly in the sky at 271.547 kilometers per hour , allowing him to take just 1 hour 06 minutes, 17 1/5 seconds to complete the 300 kilometer course.
