One S.5, N221 crashed during an attempt on the world air speed record on 12 March 1928, killing the pilot Flight Lieutenant Samuel Kinkead (who had flown the Gloster IV in the 1927 Schneider Trophy Race).
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The S.5s came 1st and 2nd in the 1927 race held at Venice, the winning aircraft (Serial number N220) was flown by Flight Lieutenant S.N Webster at an average speed of 281.66 mph (453.28 km/h).
Supermarine Seafire | Supermarine Walrus | Supermarine Swift | Supermarine Spitfire (late Merlin powered variants) | Supermarine Spitfire (Griffon powered variants) | Supermarine Spiteful | Supermarine Sea Otter | Supermarine Scimitar | Supermarine S.6B | Supermarine Attacker |
The improved aircraft Supermarine S.6B won the trophy, though the technical achievement is slightly tarnished by the fact two S6Bs and an S6 were the only participants.
Very little film and photographic evidence of the S.4 survives, but five minutes of film are preserved within Leslie Howard's Spitfire/First of the Few starring himself and David Niven.
The two S.6 racers were entered into the 1929 Schneider Trophy at Calshot, England.
As ever active in aviation affairs, Lord Rothermere's Daily Mail group of newspapers launched a public appeal for money and several thousand pounds were raised, and after Lady Houston publicly pledged £100,000 the Government changed its position and announced its support for an entry in January 1931, leaving less than nine months to prepare any race entrant.
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Although the British team faced no competitors, the RAF High Speed Flight brought six Supermarine Schneider racers to Calshot Spit on Southampton Water for training and practice.