|
iNils Söderberg and the ILUG Aviation Exhibition in
Gothenburg
The military pilot Lieutenant Nils Söderberg at Malmen had plans to
participate in the arrival contest at the international aviation
exhibition ILUG in Gothenburg (Göteborg) 1923. The contest would start in
Rotterdam with stopovers in Bremen and Copenhagen. The prize money was 10
000 kronor, a very large amount at that time. But only private aircraft
were allowed to participate.
Nils Söderberg became aware of the abandoned Bréguet. The chief of the
Army Aviation Company, Gösta von Porat, was obliging and held an auction
of the aircraft. Söderberg got it for the minimum price 1 000 kronor. The
aircraft was restored by the workshops at Malmen for the amount of 1781
kronor. With help of his enthusiastic mechanic, Söderberg overhauled the
engine and the fuel system. Problems occurred (with the fuel system – what
else?) but were solved. The aircraft was fit for fight in time for the
contest the 4th of August 1923.
The competition had 18 participants. Most of them were employed by
aircraft manufacturers and used to flight competitions. Nils Söderberg and
his mechanic started from Rotterdam around 7 o’clock in the morning of the
4th of August. They had 1 100 litres of petrol in the tanks. Söderberg
managed to calculate the time of his flight correct even it the weather
got bad when they arrived to the Swedish west coast. He won the contest,
besides the 10 000 kronor a special arrival prize of 4 000 kr and the
“King’s Cup”.
In the end of the year, Nils Söderberg sold the wings and the engine of
his aircraft to the Swedish Red Cross. This organization had acquired a
Bréguet 14 T ambulance aircraft for use in the inaccessible mountain areas
in the north of Sweden and now wanted to have spare parts in stock.
Nils Söderberg (1887-1998) was an important person in the creation of a
modern Swedish air force. He was promoted major-general in 1945.
Painting and marking
The aircraft at Malmen painted in a
three-colour camouflage pattern. The colours were dark brown, light
brown and medium green. The number 9100 was painted on the fuselage
with white digits and with three white crowns to the aft. A
war flag was painted on the side rudder. The underside of the
aircraft was unpainted or perhaps painted in light blue colour.
Note that the b/w orthochromatic film used
at this time showed the blue colour lighter than the yellow The Swedish
blue flag with the yellow cross is often mistaken as the white Finnish
flag with its blue cross. Do not do this mistake yourself!
See the picture below for the markings.
|
