The famous Schneider Trophy seaplane races were held 12 times between 1913 and 1931. Its purpose was to encourage technical advances in civil aviation. Each win would not only come with money but with a trophy. The trophy would be held by the winner until the next race was run and won. Then it would be handed over to the new winner. A rule stated that any single winner that managed to win three times in a five year period would retire the race and keep the trophy permanently.
In 1927 and 1929, British pilots flying Supermarine S.6 aircraft won races making it possible for Supermarine to retire the trophy. All that would be required would be a final win. With two wins in the bag the British government, in 1929, pledged to support with money the development of the Supermarine S.6B so that it would be ready for the next race. Unfortunately, after the Wall Street crash the government withdrew support. The British public was outraged. Appeals were made to the public for financial support and thousands of pounds were raised. After Lady Houston (a well known adventurer) pledged 100,000 pounds the government changed its position and decided to support an entry. With only nine months before the next race Supermarine and Rolls-Royce set to work on their entry. Only one week before the Schneider Trophy race of 1931 the Italian and French teams withdrew due to crashes of their aircraft. The United States as well didn't run a challenger this time around. As a result the Supermarine S.6B raced unopposed over the Solent Channel course to victory with a speed of 340 mph. With this win the British retired the Schneider trophy. A second version of the Supermarine S.6B would break the world air speed record reaching 407 mph only 17 days after the racing victory.
When Reginald J. Mitchell of Supermarine was tasked, at a later time, with building a new interceptor fighter aircraft for the British, he incorporated the lessons learned designing Schneider Trophy planes resulting in the aircraft now known as the Spitfire.
