1949 British Automatic Company : Speed
The Speed trading card series was issued in 1949 by the British
Automatic Company Ltd. of London. The 24-card collection showcases
contemporary speed records across various categories. Each card measures
approximately 2.5 x 3.5 inches (64 x 89 mm). The series was dispensed from
coin-operated weight scales throughout England. Many card backs are stamped with a date and the user's weight, measured in
stones and pounds.
An illustration of the "V-2 Rocket Bomb" is included in the series. The card
image is based on Project Hermes V-2 No. 2, the first American V-2 fired from
White Sands Proving Ground on April 16, 1946. The yellow and black V-2 paint
schemes were used by the U.S. Ordinance Corps during early tests for
Project Hermes.
The German Vergeltungswaffe 2 (V-2) guided ballistic missile was originally
designated as Aggregat 4 (A-4). The weapon was developed under the direction of Wehrner
von Braun at the Peenemünde Army Research Center. A-4 MW 18014 is the first
object launched into sub-orbital space. On June 20, 1944, the missile was
fired from Peenemünde to an apogee of 109 miles (176 km). Nazi Germany
launched the first V-2 attacks to reach Paris and London on September 8, 1944.
From 1945–1951, General Electric constructed 67 rockets from captured German
V-2 components. The first American space launch was conducted at White Sands
on May 10, 1946. Hermes V-2 No. 3 was fired to an apogee of 70 miles (112.7
km). The first animals in space were fruit flies placed inside the nose cone
of Hermes V-2 No. 20. The Blossom 1 biological experiment was launched
from White Sands on February 20, 1947.
White, L. D.
Final Report, Project Hermes V-2 Missile Program.
Report No. R52A0510. General Electric Company, Defense Products Group,
Aeronautic and Ordnance Systems Divisions, Guided Missiles Department.
September 1952.
| British Automatic Company : Speed | |
|---|---|
| 1 | "Llanoria" |
| 2 | John Mikaelsson |
| 3 | Mervyn Wood |
| 4 | Fanny Blankers-Koen |
| 5 | J.C. Owens (Jesse Owens) |
| 6 | Finn Helgesen |
| 7 | R.M.S. Queen Mary |
| 8 | "My Love" |
| 9 | Mario Ghella |
| 10 | "Priceless Border" |
| 11 | Ostrich |
| 12 | Henri Oreiller |
| 13 | Vosper Motor Torpedo Boat |
| 14 | Swordfish |
| 15 | Cheetah |
| 16 | L.N.E.R. "Mallard" |
| 17 | Campbell's "Bluebird II" |
| 18 | E. Henne's B.M.W. |
| 19 | Duck Hawk |
| 20 | Cobb's Railton Special |
| 21 | D.H. 108 Jet Plane |
| 22 | Douglas "Skystreak" |
| 23 | Rocket-Propelled Sled, U.S.A. |
| 24 | V-2 Rocket Bomb |