Diego Fernetti ( dfernet0@rosario.gov.ar ) sent in the following photos taken by by Joan Juanola (avinitu@jazzfree.com). His description is below:
Summary of the book "Catalonian History of Aviation. 1908-1936 " by Josep Canudas, one of the pioneers of aviation in Catalonia (Spain): "In 1914 the Barcelonian company Pujol, Comabella and Company was about to start manufacturing aircraft in agreement with a German industry, the Kondor-Taube, beginning with average dozen of Kondor airplanes for the Spanish military aviation, but WW I prevented it. Salvador Hedilla, a pilot from Santander, arrived at Barcelona in January of 1916 to become the technical director of the company. Hedilla had had a factory and a auto garage in Buenos Aires but impressed with the heroic stunts of the French pilots, sold his business and at the beginning of 1912 visited France, and attended the school of pilots Blériot at the town of Buc. When WWI started, Hedilla returned to Spain and was contracted by Pujol, Comabella and company and they officially inaugurated their own Aviation school. On April 1916 the first aircraft tests were held in Barcelona for the "Monocoque II" with a Le Rhône motor of 80 HP under the direction of Hedilla. The airplane reached the 120 Km/h, and it climbed with ease. The City council of Ciutat of Palma de Majorca and the Delegation of the Balear Islands created a "Copa Majorca" prize, accompanied by a 5,000 Pesetas for the first Spanish pilot who arrived flying at Palma de Majorca from the peninsule.
Hedilla signed up for the race with his Monocoque II and Coterillo, a pilot from Bilbao who also worked in the company, with the Monocoque I. The 2 of July of 1916 Coterillo were first in taking off, but crashed into a pile of straw, broke the propeller and damaged the wing slightly. Next, Hedilla took off and after two hours and twenty minutes it landed near Palma de Majorca." The aircraft on the pictures is a recently finished replica made in Catalunya by a group of enthusiasts (the Fundació Parc Aeronŕutic de Catalunya).
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