Austrian Records

[leo]

I have read on several occaisions that Austrian Aviators held several world records prior to 1914. Those records were never specified. Does anyone out there have any idea what they might have been. My guess is that they might have dealt with indurance and/or altitude.

[joegertler]

Hello Leo;
28 aviatrion World records were set in Austria through 1914 (most set well before, in 1911 and 1912).
Records were for Speed, Altitude, Duration, and distance, with many of the reocords being broken down to separate classifications for one, two, and three passengers.
The majority of the records were set by Hienrich Bier; Peter Mandelli; Philipp Ritter von Blaschke; Ernst von Losl; and just one of them by the more famous Helmuth Hirth.
Hirth set the world record for Altitude of 4900 meters on 27 June 1914. Interestingly, he broke the world record set Previously that same day by Heinrich Bier (4120m) and Bier reclaimed the world record, again, the very next day with 5440m.
Austria set 12 world speed records from 1911-1912. Many of these were on the same days, and for different numbers of passengers and distance.
Bier set the World record for distance of 250 km, with one passenger on1 Okt 1911.He set another world record for distance of 112km on 4 Okt 1911 with Two passengers.
Adolf Warchalowski set the world record for duration, of 45 minutes and 46 seconds, 30 Okt 1911
A quick review of the record books for the Austrian Aero Club of 1915 show that about 90% or more of the (several pages of)world records were held by the French. I think it shows only two or three by Germany, and smatterings of one or so by Italy, Russia, U.S. etc. So The Austrian records were impressive. The purely Austrian aviation records were clearly separated and compiled in a different list than the instances mentioned above.